Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Charles Bailey and Bill Service.

To elect a chairman of the committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17.

RESOLVED: to elect David Nimmo-Smith as Chairman of the committee for the remainder of the 2016/17 municipal year.

To appoint a vice-chairman of the committee for the remainder of the municipal year 2016/17.

RESOLVED: to appoint Anthony Dearlove as the Vice-Chairman of the committee for the remainder of the 2016/17 municipal year.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2015 – attached.

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 20 October 2015 as a correct record and agree that the Chairman sign them as such.

None.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic services which invites the committee to consider whether to conduct a community governance review of Cholsey Parish Council – report attached.

The committee considered the report of the head of legal and democratic services on whether to conduct a community governance review of Cholsey Parish Council.

The committee considered and supported the request from Cholsey Parish Council to review the number of parish councillors.

In respect of Great Western Park, Margaret Reed, Head of Legal and Democratic Services, provided a further update to the issues set out in paragraphs nine and 10 of her report. She advised that the Great Western Park Residents Association (GWPRA) is pursuing discussions on the management of the GWP community centres and is not currently pursuing the previous objective of seeking parish council status.  As such GWPRA’s previous request for parish council status was on hold and a further report would be submitted in due course.

RESOLVED: to

1.    undertake a community governance review of Cholsey Parish Council as requested in appendix one to the report of the head of legal and democratic services to the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee meeting on 20 October 2016;

2.    approve the draft terms of reference attached as appendix two to the report of the head of legal and democratic services to the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee meeting on 20 October 2016;

3.    authorise the head of legal and democratic services to finalise and publish the terms of reference for the review;

4.    note that the committee will receive a further report in due course on the request to undertake a community governance review of Great Western Park.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic services on the Boundary Commission for England’s review of parliamentary constituencies - report attached

The committee considered the report of the head of legal and democratic services on the review of parliamentary constituencies and the initial proposals published by the Boundary Commission for England (BCE).

The committee supported the proposal to rename the Henley constituency the Henley and Thame constituency. In order to reflect the geographical area covered and the main population centres contained in the constituency the committee agreed to make representations proposing that the Wantage constituency is renamed the Didcot and Wantage constituency.

The committee noted the changes to the proposed Henley and Thame constituency and agreed to make representations to exclude Fringford (currently in Banbury) from the constituency on the grounds that the community had no synergy with the rest of the constituency and looked to Banbury and Bicester.  

The committee noted that the proposals do not take account of changes to district ward boundaries requested by South Oxfordshire District Council to reflect those changes made at parish level by the South Oxfordshire District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2015. Although the council had received confirmation from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England that these changes would be made these had not yet been reflected in a related alteration order. The committee agreed to alert BCE to these impending changes and request that it amends its proposals to reflect these.   

RESOLVED: to

1.    support the proposal to rename the Henley and Thame constituency;

2.    propose that the Wantage constituency is renamed the Didcot and Wantage constituency;

3.    request the exclusion of Fringford from the proposed Henley and Thame constituency;

4.    request the Boundary Commission for England to amend the constituency boundaries to reflect the Local Government Boundary Commission for England related alteration order.

To consider the report of the head of leagal and democratic services on proposals for polling districts and polling places following an interim review of one polling district and four polling places to address issues that arose during recent elections – report attached.

The committee considered the report of the head of legal and democratic services on the interim review of polling districts and polling places.

The committee supported the proposal to subdivide polling district RBA in Didcot implemented for the elections in 2016 to address the queues experienced at the local and parliamentary elections in 2015.

Whilst reluctant to designate schools as polling places, the committee agreed to designate Culham School as the polling place in Culham recognising that no suitable alternative venue existing in the village and to avoid the need for electors to travel to Clifton Hampden.

In respect of South Moreton the committee agreed to designate North Moreton Village Hall as the polling place. Although the village had a school the committee was mindful of South Moreton Parish Council’s support for the proposal.

The committee noted that the provision of a suitable polling place in Nuffield was an ongoing issue. Without a suitable venue in Nuffield the committee agreed to designate Nettlebed Village Club as the polling place for Nuffield and requested officers to work with the parish council to identify alternative options within the village.   

RESOLVED: to

1.    designate Culham School as the polling place for Culham;

2.    subdivide the existing polling district RBA to create two polling districts with Ladygrove Community Centre and Willowbrook Leisure Centre as the respective polling places;

3.    designate Nettlebed Village Club as the polling place for Nuffield;

4.    request officers to work with Nuffield Parish Council to investigate alternative options in Nuffield parish;

5.    designate North Moreton Village Hall as the polling place for South Moreton.