Agenda and draft minutes

To appoint a Chair for the Community Governance Review Committee.

It was proposed by Councillor Greg Morgan, seconded by Councillor Geoff Russell, and was subsequently RESOLVED that Councillor Peter Goldsworthy be Chair of the Community Governance Review Committee.

There were no apologies for absence.

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda. If the interest arises only as result of your membership of another public body or one to which you have been appointed by the Council then you only need to declare it if you intend to speak.

If the personal interest is a prejudicial interest, you must withdraw from the meeting. Normally you should leave the room before the business starts to be discussed. You do, however, have the same right to speak as a member of the public and may remain in the room to enable you to exercise that right and then leave immediately. In either case you must not seek to improperly influence a decision on the matter.

No declarations of interest were received.

A presentation on the process of undertaking a Community Governance Review –  Carol Russell, Democratic Services Manager and Phil Davies, Principal Corporate Support Officer.

To consider a draft timetable for the review (to be circulated at the meeting).

A copy of the report approved by Council on 2 November 2010 is attached for  information.

As background the Committee received a report of the Chief Executive which had been agreed by the full Council on 2 November 2010 approving the undertaking of a Community Governance Review of the Buckshaw area. This was following a request received to create a Parish Council for the Buckshaw area of Chorley Borough.

Officers gave a presentation on the process of undertaking a Community Governance Review and circulated a draft timetable.

• The Local Government and Involvements in Health Act 2007 gives Councils the power to undertake Community Governance Reviews of parish boundaries and to introduce changes, without requiring approval from the Boundary Commision for England.

• At present the Chorley Borough area covering Buckshaw Village is covered by the two parishes of Euxton and Whittle-Le-Woods. There is also part of Buckshaw that is in the District of South Ribble which is not parished. Legislation does not allow the Borough Council to make changes across the district boundaries and therefore the review would consider the Chorley areas only.

• The actual areas affected are parts of the North East ward of Euxton parish and the West ward of Whittle-Le-Woods parish. For electoral administration purposes these areas were identified on the electoral registers as polling districts 02C and 10C. It was however, pointed out that in each case the polling district boundaries were not coterminous with the parish ward boundaries, with the parish wards being greater in size than the polling districts.

• The report and presentation outlined the processes that made up a Community Governance Review including consultation, resources and officer support and also some potential outcomes of a Community Governance Review of this area.

• The Community Governance Review process would look at whether the current parishing arrangements best serve the local community. This would include whether they achieve community engagement, better democracy and more convenient and effective delivery of local services. Reviews can take some time to complete although they must be concluded with 12 months.

• The Community Governance Review process cannot look at Borough ward boundaries or Parliamentary constituency boundaries, Changes to these would require a full Boundary Commission Review. Whilst the Boundary Commission had been asked to look at the Borough Council boundary around the Buckshaw area, they had informed the Council that it would be some years before this could be scheduled and the forthcoming Parliamentary Boundary Review would receive priority.

• Members were advised of the process that would be adopted when undertaking a Community Governance Review as set out in Government guidance and was summarised as follows:

·        agree and publish the Terms of Reference

·        briefings to inform key interested parties

·        receipt of submissions

·        produce and publish draft recommendations

·        produce and publish final recommendations

·        if there are any changes, Council makes Reorganisation Order

·        implementation of any new arrangements

·        elections for new arrangements (if necessary)

·        It was further explained to the Committee that the Terms of Reference was a key document that would form the basis of the review and would include:

·        consultation process – strategy and timescales

·        electorate and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

A presentation on the current and expected future development of Buckshaw Village – Nicola Hopkins, Principal Planning Officer (Major Projects).

Members received a presentation from planning services about the existing and future  development of Buckshaw Village. The village had been the site of a former Royal Ordnance Factory, covering 900 acres and at its peak, employing 35,000 people.

Planning permission had originally been granted in 1999 (subsequently amended in 2002) to create:

• a 170 hectare Urban Village with:
  • 69 hectares greenspace
  • 51 hectares housing land
  • 50 hectares employment land

A further development not included within the original master plan consisted of a 7.87 hectare site (Group 4N) with permission for 111 detached dwellings.

The completed housing development at Buckshaw Village, situated in Chorley presently stands at 1809 dwellings with a further 362 dwellings proposed on the Southern Commercial Area and a further 870 dwellings on the Group 1 site, totalling 3041 dwellings upon completion.

RESOLVED – That the information contained within the presentation be noted.