PAPER C

 

                                                                                                              Purpose : For Decision

Committee :   FULL COUNCIL

 

Date :              18 OCTOBER 2006

 

Title :               REVIEW OF THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS OF THE ISLE OF WIGHT COUNCIL

                       

REPORT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

 

 


PURPOSE

 

1.                  To inform Full Council that, on the 28th September 2006, the Electoral Commission formally directed the Boundary Committee for England (“the Committee”) to undertake a review of the Electoral Arrangements of the Isle of Wight.

 

BACKGROUND

 

2.                  Periodic Electoral Reviews of electoral arrangements for local authorities are conducted by The Boundary Committee for England, under the direction of The Electoral Commission. 

 

3.                  The Isle of Wight Council area has been subject to two reviews in recent years; the first prior to the formation of the unitary authority in 1995, and the second resulting in The Isle of Wight (Electoral Changes) Order 1999 which came into effect prior to the 3rd May 2001 local authority elections.

 

4.                  The key national driver for the review is an unequal distribution of electors between Electoral Divisions. Two Divisions (Gurnard and East Cowes North) have electorates which were smaller than the average by more than thirty percent, whilst the Division of Seaview and Nettlestone was larger than the average by more than thirty percent.

 

5.                  These large deviations were in themselves sufficient to trigger a review of the Electoral Arrangements, and in April 2004 the Committee recommended to the Electoral Commission that it be directed to undertake a Further Electoral Review.

 

6.                  To preserve existing electoral cycles the Commission agreed that the review should commence in late 2006, ready for implementation for elections due to be held in May 2009.

 

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

 

7.                  One of the goals in Aim High is to “Rationalise the number of Ward Councillors” with a target completion and implementation date of May 2009. This review of Electoral Arrangements is the mechanism by which this goal can be pursued.

 

CONSULTATION

 

8.                  The review will be conducted in accordance with Section 15 of the Local Government Act 1992, and current guidance on the conduct of such reviews provides for two periods of public consultation, once at the commencement of the review, and again once draft recommendations have been published.

 

9.                  The period for representations will be not less than 12 weeks, and the second period, for comments on draft recommendations will be not less than eight weeks.

 

10.             The Council will be able to make submissions in each period.

 

FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

 

11.             The costs of conducting the review, including media advertising, are borne by the Committee. The cost of the Council contributing to the review will be met from within existing budget allocations.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

12.             It is the Committee who conduct the review, not the Isle of Wight Council. However it will be the responsibility of the Electoral Registration Officer to ensure that the contents of the eventual Statutory Instrument enabling any changes are implemented.

 

PROCESS

 

13.             Currently, it is anticipated that the preliminary period of the review will commence in mid-November 2006 with the collection by the Committee of various population statistics and details of anticipated large scale housing developments.

 

14.             The initial stage of the formal public review is anticipated to begin in mid-February 2007 with a period of twelve to fifteen weeks during which any interested person or body, including this Council, can submit proposals on the future electoral arrangements.

 

15.             Full Council will wish to both adopt and submit representations and to comment on any draft recommendations at future meetings. If the timetable of the Review is as expected, Full Council may wish to debate a draft submission at it’s meeting in April 2007.

 

EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT

 

16.             In considering the submissions which the Isle of Wight Council will undoubtedly be putting to the Committee regard must be paid to the current statutory criteria applicable to all such reviews:

 

(a)               The need to reflect the identities and interests of local communities;

 

(b)               The need to secure effective and convenient local government;

 

(c)               The need to secure equality of representation; and

 

(d)               The need to consider the electoral cycle specified by Order under section 86 of the Local Government Act 2000.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

17.             It is recommended:

 

That Full Council welcomes the Direction to by the Electoral Commission to review the electoral arrangements of the Isle of Wight.

 

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

18.             Direction of the Electoral Commission dated 28 September 2006

 

Contact Point :           Clive Joynes,  Elections and Land Charges Manager (01983) 823342

                                                [email protected]

 

 

JOE DUCKWORTH

Chief Executive Officer