Issue - meetings

A Community Governance Review (CGR) looks at the governance arrangements of the towns and parishes in the area under review and seeks to ensure that these are reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area.

At Full Council on 14 December 2021, the Council approved the commencement of a CGR and its terms of reference. The initial phase of the consultation has ended, and Officers have collated and started to evaluate responses.

The purpose of this report is to seek the Executive’s approval of the selection criteria to be used to evaluate responses to the initial phase of the consultation, and to incorporate them in the draft recommendations for consideration during the second stage of the consultation between 3 May and 10 June. 

Recommendations

That the Executive recommends to full Council that:

(a)  the method to evaluate the submissions made in the initial consultation period as set out in paragraph 4.4 are approved; and

(b)  the submissions that are agreed to have merit are incorporated in the draft recommendations for consideration in the second stage of consultation between 3 May and 10 June.

RESOLVED

That the Executive recommends to full Council that

              i.        the method to evaluate the submissions made in the initial consultation period as set out in paragraph 4.4 be approved; and

            ii.        the submissions that are agreed to have merit are incorporated in the draft recommendations for consideration in the second stage of consultation between 3 May and 10 June.

Reason: To ensure that recommendations, which are to be developed from the responses to the initial phase of the CGR, are reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area.

[This matter is recommended to Council for decision and is not subject to the call-in procedure.]

The Leader presented the report which set out proposals for the selection criteria to be used to evaluate responses to the initial phase of the consultation on the Community Governance Review, and to incorporate them in the draft recommendations for consideration during the second stage of the consultation between 3 May and 10 June.

Councillor Hyman spoke on the report, seeking clarification on whether the proposals would enable the Council to align its boundaries before the elections in 2023.

In response, the Leader clarified the requests which had been made by Farnham and Godalming Town Councils and the Head of Policy and Governance confirmed that the Community Governance Review was a Council-led process and therefore within the Council’s control, unlike the warding pattern review which had been carried out by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.  The aim of the proposals was to consult on the proposed changes, to enable Council systems to be updated in time for the elections in 2023.

RESOLVED

That the Executive recommends to full Council that

              i.        the method to evaluate the submissions made in the initial consultation period as set out in paragraph 4.4 be approved; and

            ii.        the submissions that are agreed to have merit are incorporated in the draft recommendations for consideration in the second stage of consultation between 3 May and 10 June.

Reason: To ensure that recommendations, which are to be developed from the responses to the initial phase of the CGR, are reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area.