Agenda item

Report of the Director: Governance and Partnerships

Further to minute 2782, the Director: Governance and Partnerships submitted a report updating Council on progress of the periodic electoral review of North Lincolnshire being undertaken by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) and requested members  to consider the recommendation of the Electoral Review Working Group on a proposed response/representation to the LGBCE’s consultation on its ‘Draft Recommendations for the New Electoral Arrangements for North Lincolnshire Council’.

The Director in her report explained that at its special meeting on 26 July 2021, the Council approved by majority a phase 2 submission to the LGBCE on ‘warding arrangements’ which was submitted as the council’s submission to the LGBCE. The submission set out proposed numbers, names, boundaries and the number of councillors to be elected in each ward.  Submissions on warding arrangements addressed ‘electoral quality’, ‘community identities and interests’, and ‘effective and convenient local government’ in accordance with LGBCE criteria. The LGBCE in phase1 of the electoral review had already concluded that the appropriate council size continues to be 43 councillors for North Lincolnshire. 

The LGBCE from 26 July to 21 September 2021 had analysed all phase 2 submissions received from residents, key stakeholder groups and organisations, town and parish councils and North Lincolnshire Council and concluded its draft recommendation on new electoral arrangements for North Lincolnshire Council. These draft recommendations were published on 5 October and the LGBCE initiated consultation on them from residents and the above groups/organisations until 13/14 December 2021.  The LGBCE’s draft recommendation were included as appendix 1 of the report.

The Director confirmed that the Electoral Review Working Group had met on 29 November 2021 to consider a proposed response/representations to the LGBCE’s consultation on its ‘Draft Recommendations for the New Electoral Arrangements for North Lincolnshire Council’. Its proposed response/ representation was attached as appendix 2 and by majority recommended it be submitted to council for it to consider and approve as the council’s response to the LGBCE.  The LGBCE would again analyse all responses/representations received and would only consult further (within five weeks) where it was minded to make significant changes to its draft recommendations and where it ‘lacks sufficient evidence of local views in relation to those changes’. The LGBCE would then reach conclusions on its final recommendations and publish them by 1 March 2022. In the summer of 2022, an order would be made and laid before parliament and following confirmation form the basis of the next North Lincolnshire Council elections in May 2023. The electoral review timetable was detailed in Appendix 3 of the report.

Moved by Councillor R Waltham MBE and seconded by Councillor N Poole –

 “(a)That the recommendations of the Electoral Working Group at Appendix 2 of the report having been considered, be received, and (b) that the electoral Working Group’s recommendations be adopted as the council’s submission to the LGBCEs draft recommendations on new electoral arrangements at Appendix 1 of the report.”

At the request of members and in accordance with Procedure Rule 1.22(d) the names of members voting for, against and abstaining from the motion are as follows –

FOR:                  Councillors Armiger, Briggs, Clark, J Davison, England, T Foster, Hannigan, Lee, Longcake, Marper, Mitchell, Ogg, Poole, Robinson, Rose, Ross, Rowson, Saunby, C Sherwood, N Sherwood, K. Vickers, P Vickers, Walshe and Waltham MBE.

AGAINST:         Councillors Ali, Bainbridge, Ellerby, L Foster, Gosling, Grant, Kirk, O’Sullivan, Rayner, Swift, Wilson and Yeadon.

ABSTAINING: Nil

                                                                                      Motion Carried