Thame
A review of the warding arrangements to provide electoral representational balance between the North and South wards.
To consult on revised warding arrangements for Thame Town Council.
Summary of responses to the draft proposal consultation
Thame Town Council fully supports the proposed amendment. Of the other seven responses the majority support the proposal.
To amend the town council ward boundaries as set out in the attached map.
Thame Town Council requested a change to the parish ward boundaries to address an imbalance in the electorate resulting from higher levels of residential development in the South Ward.
It is an important democratic principle that each person’s vote should be of equal weight so far as possible. Whilst there is no legislative provision that each parish councillor should represent the same number of electors, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England states that it is not in the interests of effective and convenient local government to have significant differences in levels of representation.
The proposal will reduce the electoral imbalance from approximately 1604 to approximately 520. In addition, the proposed ward split provides a more logical division of the parish.
It is considered that the retention of warding arrangements, albeit revised, provides for effective and convenient representation.