Issue - items at meetings - Saltdean residents' request for a change to the administrative boundary

(a)         Draft extract from the proceedings of the Governance Committee meeting held on 17 November 2009 (copy attached)

(b)         Report of the Director of Strategy & Governance (copy attached).

(1)       That Cabinet supports Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for an administrative boundary review of the Saltdean area, and instructs officers to write to the Boundary Committee for England strongly supporting the request and asking for the review to be expedited; and

(2)       That Cabinet notes Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for the council to conduct a local referendum or survey on the matter and, whilst understanding the rationale for the request, does not proceed with the proposal for the reasons set out in the report agrees to conduct a survey at the appropriate time, with due regard to any guidance on the exercise of administrative boundary reviews published by the Boundary Committee for England (or successor body), and to the desirability of conducting any such survey in association with Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council.

(3)       That Cabinet reports their decision on (1) and (2) to Council, for information.

(4)       That Cabinet communicates their decision on (1) and (2) to Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council, also for information.

130.1                The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Strategy & Governance concerning issues relating to a possible administrative boundary review of the Saltdean area (for copy see minute book).

130.2                Mr O’Connor presented a deputation on behalf of Saltdean Residents Association (SRA). He explained that the SRA had been disappointed by the Governance Committee’s decision not to commit to a conducting a survey. He welcomed the Council’s support, but contended that it did not provide the Boundary Committee with sufficient evidence to persuade them that a boundary review was necessary.

130.3                The Chairman explained that she understood the strength of feeling from the SRA. She noted that the Council had been working with the SRA and had no objections to conducting a survey, but that the timing of it would be key given the imminent changes to the Boundary Committees’ working practices.

130.4                Councillor Oxley, Chairman of the Governance Committee, addressed the Cabinet and explained that since the last meeting of the Governance Committee the Boundary Committee had been approached for further information as regards the weight that might be afforded a survey conducted by a local authority. The Boundary Committee had not yet developed comprehensive guidance concerning how an area would be selected for review and how any review would be carried out; it was likely to require an evidence base, but the type of evidence was not yet clear. Councillor Oxley explained that it would be advisable to wait until the guidance was published before carrying out a survey; once available, the Council could work with Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council to conduct a survey if it was necessary.

130.5                Mr O’Connor stated that if no guidance had been issued, the Council should encourage the Boundary Committee to use surveys as their prescribed approach. He asked that the recommendations in the report be amended to reflect a firm commitment to conducting a survey.

130.6                The Chairman stated that she was happy to make a firm commitment to carrying out a survey at the appropriate time whilst being mindful of any guidance published by the Boundary Committee.

130.7                RESOLVED- That, having considered the information and the reasons set out in the report, the Cabinet accepted the following recommendations:

(1)       That Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for an administrative boundary review of the Saltdean area be supported, and officers be instructed to write to the Boundary Committee for England strongly supporting the request and asking for the review to be expedited; and

(2)       That Cabinet notes Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for the council to conduct a local referendum or survey on the matter and, whilst understanding the rationale for the request, does not proceed with the proposal for the reasons set out in the report agrees to conduct a survey at the appropriate time, with due regard to any guidance on the exercise of administrative boundary reviews published by the Boundary Committee for England (or successor body), and to the desirability of conducting any such survey in association with Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council.

(3)       That the decision on (1) and (2) be reported to Council, for information.

(4)       That the decision on (1) and (2) be communicated to Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council, also for information.

Report of the Director of Strategy & Governance (copy attached).

RESOLVED - That Governance Committee recommends that Cabinet:

(a)       Supports Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for an administrative boundary review of the Saltdean area, and to instruct officers to write to the Boundary Committee for England strongly supporting the request and asking for the review to be expedited; and

(b)       Notes Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for the council to conduct a local referendum or survey on the matter and, whilst understanding the rationale for the request, not to proceed with the proposal for the reasons set out in the report.

(c)       Reports its decision on (a) and (b) to Council, for information.

(d)       Communicates its decision on (a) and (b) to Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council, also for information.

44.1         The Committee considered a report of the Director of Strategy & Governance concerning issues relating to a possible administrative boundary review of the Saltdean area (for copy see minute book).

44.2         The Chairman confirmed that recommendation 2.1(a) had been carefully worded to demonstrate the Council’s strong support for Saltdean Residents’ Association’s (SRA) request and the need for it to be expedited; he added that while he understood the SRA’s disappointment that the Council would not be conducting a survey, the reasons were detailed in the report and were primarily related to timing and the imminent changes to the Boundary Committee.

44.3         The Chairman invited Mr Lawrence O’Connor from the SRA to address the meeting. Mr O’Connor welcomed the Council’s support, but was concerned that by not conducting a survey the strength of the support would not be evident to the Boundary Committee; it was also necessary to show the strength of resident support. Mr O’Connor requested that the Council begin looking in to the survey now with a view to conducting it nearer to 2011 and continue discussions with Lewes District Council (LDC) and East Sussex County Council (ESCC) in the hope that all three local authorities can agree on the survey and share the cost.

44.4         The Chairman advised that the Council would be prepared to communicate their support to the Boundary Committee in relation to any survey the SRA wished to carry out; if a review was approved, the Boundary Committee would conduct their own survey and the Council had to carefully consider requests that would result in duplication of work because of the cost implications.

44.5         Mr O’Connor stated that the cost of another survey had significant resource implications for the SRA and that they would be concerned that it would be ignored in the same way as their previous survey.

44.6         The Chairman confirmed that discussions would be ongoing with LDC and ESCC, and the SRA, and that the Council would be prepared to bring a further report back to the Governance Committee to consider the progress.

44.7         Councillors Mitchell, Randall and Elgood thanked the SRA for their dedication to resolving the matter and gave their support for further consideration of it by the Governance Committee in the autumn of 2010 following further discussions with LDC and ESCC.

44.8         Councillor Mears commented that timing would be key to maximising the attention this is given by the Boundary Committee and that any survey would need to be conducted at a time that would fit in with the organisational changes to the Boundary Committee.

44.9         In response to a question from Councillor Elgood, the Head of Law confirmed he was not aware of any planned citywide administrative boundary review.

44.10    RESOLVED –

(1)         That Governance Committee recommends that Cabinet:

(a)       Supports Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for an administrative boundary review of the Saltdean area, and instructs officers to write to the Boundary Committee for England strongly supporting the request and asking for the review to be expedited; and

(b)       Notes Saltdean Residents’ Association’s request for the council to conduct a local referendum or survey on the matter and, whilst understanding the rationale for the request, not proceed with the proposal for the reasons set out in the report.

(c)       Reports its decision on (a) and (b) to Council, for information.

(d)       Communicates its decision on (a) and (b) to Lewes District Council and East Sussex County Council, also for information.

(2)         That a further report comes back to the Governance Committee in autumn 2010.