APPENDIX A

 

 

Petition for the creation of “Newport Parish Council”

 

 

1.            Background:

 

1.1    The Isle of Wight Council received a petition on 18th August 2006 calling for the creation of a “Newport Parish Council”. The Council is obliged to pass the petition onto the Secretary of State and the Electoral Commission as received within a period of thirteen weeks of receipt, along with the Council’s views on the petition and any information the Council has relating to local opinion on the proposal. The Council may also make recommendations on the proposed boundary and the electoral arrangements of the Parish Council.

 

2.            Consultation:

 

2.1    An Official Notice was placed in the Isle Of Wight County Press, and on the main noticeboard at County Hall. The notice gave the locations of where the map of the proposed boundary could be viewed, including the Isle of Wight Council website, iwight.com, and requested that any comments on the formation of the Parish Council, the proposed boundary or the subsequent electoral arrangements be submitted to the Electoral Services Officer by Monday 2nd October 2006 for inclusion in this report to Council. Comments received after this date will still be forwarded to both the Secretary Of State and the Electoral Commission.

 

2.2       In addition to the Official Notice, notification was sent to neighbouring Parish & Town Councils and Town & Village Management Committees, Isle of Wight Council members whose Electoral Divisions are both contained within and adjacent to the petition area, the Isle of Wight Youth Council, the Isle of Wight Society of Local Council Clerks, the Isle of Wight Association of Parish and Town Councils, and the MP for the Isle of Wight, Andrew Turner.

 

2.3       A public meeting was held in the Newport Parish Centre, Town Lane on the evening of Tuesday 19th September 2006; this meeting had been publicised in the Official Notice, on iwight.com, via an article in the Isle of Wight County Press and was also included in the Village Talk section of the County Press.

 

2.4    This report details the consultation work undertaken with stakeholders regarding the petition for the creation of a “Newport” Parish Council, the feedback received, and makes recommendations to Council in the light of that consultation.

 

3.            The Public Meeting:

 

3.1    The Public Meeting was held at 7:00pm in the Newport Parish Centre on Tuesday 19th September 2006. Maps of the area contained within the “Newport Parish Council” petition were made available.

 

3.2       It was noted that the proposed area included the currently unparished areas of the existing Electoral Divisions of Carisbrooke West, Carisbrooke East, Fairlee, Mountjoy, Newport North, Newport South, Pan and Parkhurst, and does not include any area of land that is currently parished.

 

4.      Feedback from the Public Meeting:

 

4.1       Eleven people attended the public meeting, all of whom lived within the area in question or were associated with Newport Town Management Committee and had assisted in collecting signatures for the petition. The meeting provided positive feedback for the creation of the Parish Council.

 

4.2       After an initial discussion on the establishment of a Parish Council, a show of hands was taken on the question of whether those present were in favour of the creation of such a body. Of those present, nine were in favour of the establishment of a Parish Council, with none against and one abstention.

 

4.3       The meeting noted that the area contained within the “Newport Parish Council” petition directly abuts land which is currently emparished or which forms part of other petitions for emparishment. Of those present, eight were in favour of the boundary being as shown on the map, with none against and two abstentions.

 

4.4       The meeting also noted that legislation requires a Parish Council to be warded where it is bisected by existing Electoral Division boundaries. Therefore the Parish Council would have to Warded along the boundaries of the eight Electoral Divisions within Newport, thus creating eight Wards.

 

4.5       Finally the possible number of members for the Parish Council was discussed. A suggestion was put to the meeting that the Parish Council should consist of sixteen members, as this is in line with a number of Parish and Town Councils on the mainland of a similar electorate, and is also in the same ratio as the Newport Town Management Committee, where fourteen members cover seven Electoral Divisions within Newport, and which seems to be working well.

 

4.6       Following a discussion it was proposed that the Parish Council should consist of sixteen members, with each ward having two members, and a show of hands gave nine persons in favour of this, with none against and one abstention.

 

5.     Results of the Consultation Process:

 

5.1       Other than the feedback received during the course of the Public Meeting, very few other comments were received regarding the content of the petition for the creation of the Parish Council.

 

5.2       One letter was received from a resident of Carisbrooke West who wished to object to the inclusion of the Carisbrooke West Electoral Division within the “Newport Parish Council” petition area.

 

5.3       Messages supporting the formation of Newport Parish Council were received from:

 

·        Havenstreet and Ashey Parish Council

·        Gurnard Parish Council

 

6.0       Recommendations:

 

6.1       All recommendations associated with the proposed Parish Council are contained within the main body of this report.

 

Contact Point:            Clive Joynes, Elections and Land Charges manager. Tel (01983) 823341

                                    [email protected]

 

 

Area of Proposed Newport Parish Council