Agenda and minutes

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2018 – attached. 

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2018 as a correct record and agree that the chairman signs them as such.

To receive any declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

None.

To receive notification of any matters which the chairman determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the chairman.

None.

To receive any questions or statements from members of the public that have registered to speak. 

None.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic which invites the committee to make a final decision on the review of the boundary between Harpsden and Henley-on-Thames parishes – attached.

The committee considered the report of the head of legal and democratic which invited it to make a final decision in respect of the community governance review of the boundary between Harpsden parish and Henley-on-Thames parish south of Greys Road.

The committee was advised and noted that no objections had been received regarding the proposal. Harpsden Parish Council, whilst not objecting to the proposal, had responded as follows:

“we do not contend the decision to amend the boundary, only the second sentence of paragraph 14, which claims that "the existing and proposed properties are remote from Harpsden", when actually they are closely connected by Gillotts Lane, a narrow, twisting track unfit for motorised transport. Without this offending sentence, the rest of paragraph 14 reflects our views…”

The committee was advised that Councillor David Bartholomew, County Councillor for the Sonning Common Division, responded that the transfer of Highlands Farm from Harpsden to Henley appears logical, as Harpsden is a small rural parish and the new urban development at Highlands Farm is adjacent to the Henley border. New residents are more likely to identify with Henley rather than Harpsden. 

In agreeing the proposal, the committee noted that the identities and interests of the residents will be more closely aligned with the town of Henley rather than the small rural parish of Harpsden and that the change will provide effective and convenient representation of local residents. The committee supported the proposed boundary as both sensible and clearly defined.

RESOLVED: to

1.    amend the boundary between Harpsden parish and Henley-on-Thames parish south of Greys Road, as shown on the map attached to the report of the head of legal and democratic submitted to the meeting of the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee on 16 July 2018;

2.    include this area in the North Ward of Henley-on-Thames Town Council;

3.    authorise the head of legal and democratic to make a reorganisation of community governance order to implement the changes agreed by the committee.

TO RECOMMEND COUNCIL: to

4.    authorise the head of legal and democratic to request the Local Government Boundary Commission for England to make related alteration orders to change district wards and county divisions to reflect the changes made to the parish boundary.