Agenda item

Report of the Director of Legal and Governance Services

The Committee received a report seeking approval of the content of the Council’s submission on proposed new ward boundaries and the number of councillors for each new proposed ward, as part of the current electoral review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.  The Director of Legal and Governance Services introduced the report, confirming that the Commission had agreed to a later submission of proposals for the names of new wards (by the end of November 2018).  He explained the background to the development of warding proposals which had included substantial consultation with representatives of both political groups on the Council.  As a result of these discussions, two options had emerged and were set out in the report and appendices; the Conservative Group had been invited to submit a further proposal for inclusion in the report, but had not done so.  The Director of Legal and Governance Services referred to the three criteria which the Commission would use in assessing any proposals for warding arrangements; he also outlined the timetable which would include further consultation on the Commission’s final recommendations in the New Year.  He concluded by commending the detailed work of the officers in analysing various proposals and producing related maps and electorate forecasts.

Two Members suggested that the Commission could be requested to reconsider its initial decision on the Council size of 55 councillors.  Officers explained that while the Commission had indicated it was “minded to” recommend that figure, it structured its electoral reviews on the basis of sequential phases and the current phase on warding arrangements invited submissions based on the Council size of 55 councillors; any variation in the Council size figure would therefore require the re-casting of all warding proposals.  Nevertheless, representations could still be made on Council size since the Commission’s “final recommendations” would not be published before 8 January 2019.  Another Member stated that it would be important to place on record the Committee’s concerns that residents would be disadvantaged by such a reduction in the number of their local elected representatives.

In response to a question as to whether it was appropriate for a decision with such overt political implications to be made by a Council committee, it was confirmed that the Committee had delegated authority to determine the Council’s view on electoral arrangements.  Officers explained that there had been many discussions with representatives of the political groups during which a number of proposals had been examined.  The two options outlined in the report had emerged to be taken forward and each of the political groups had been invited to submit a proposal for consideration by the Committee.

In response to a question, an officer outlined the differences between the two options in the report, referring to variations affecting five wards to the east of the Borough.

In discussing the report, Members made the following proposals:

(a)          that the Committee should pass a resolution whereby the Council would request the Commission to reconsider its view on the appropriate Council size and to agree to retaining the current number of 63 councillors for Harrow Borough; 

(b)          that Option 2, as set out in the report, be adopted as the Council’s submission on warding arrangements. 

Having been put to the vote, it was

RESOLVED:   That

(1)          Option 2, as set out in the report and appendices, be approved as the Council’s submission on warding arrangements and be sent to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England as part of the current electoral review of the Borough;

(2)          the Director of Legal and Governance Services be authorised to make any necessary minor drafting amendments and adjustments to electorate forecast figures to ensure that the Council’s submission was accurate;

(3)          the Director of Legal and Governance Services be authorised to submit proposed ward names to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England should there be agreement between the two political groups on the Council on this matter;

(4)          the Director of Legal and Governance Services convene a special meeting of the Committee or report on the question of ward names to full Council (29 November 2018) should there not be agreement between the two political groups on the Council on this matter; and

(5)          the Local Government Boundary Commission for England be requested to reconsider its view on the appropriate Council size and to agree to retaining the current number of 63 councillors for Harrow Borough.

[Note:  Councillors Baxter, Halai, Hinkley, Jogia, Moshenson, Rabadia and Wright wished to be recorded as having voted against the resolutions in (1) and (3) above.]