Issue - meetings

(a)       That the draft response to the specific consultation questions, as shown in Appendix 3 of the report, be supported; and

(b)       That the Chief Executive, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council, include in the response, seeking more flexibility over the proposed number of seats identified at the initial stage of the process and more evidence as to how the ratios in the consultation paper had been arrived at.

The Chief Executive introduced a report to enable the County Council to agree a response to the consultation paper from the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales on Council Size.

            The consultation paper submitted by the Commission was attached at Appendix 1 of the report and explained that the Commission proposed to adopt a banding approach to group similar authorities together.  Flintshire had been placed into the ‘Other’ band of Authorities with a mixture of rural and urban characteristics.  A draft response to the specific consultation questions was attached at Appendix 3 and the Chief Executive commented on additional areas of concern the County Council may want to include in a formal response, including the lack of flexibility over the proposed number of seats identified in the initial stage of the process and the lack of evidence as to how the ratios in the consultation paper had been arrived at.     

            Councillor A.P. Shotton, Leader of the Council supported the comments made by the Chief Executive and the suggested response.  He said that there was a need to reflect Community ties and raised concern on the lack of evidence to support the different Member elected ratios identified by the Commission.  He proposed that the Council support the draft response to the specific consultation questions and that the Chief Executive, in conjunction with himself, include the concerns he raised during his presentation of the report.  This proposal was seconded by Councillor R.C. Bithell who commented that the proposed Member elected ratios would deter future election candidates.    

            In response to a question on the possibility of a judicial review, the Chief Executive explained that a judicial review had not been necessary as the previous proposals had been withdrawn.  

            The Chief Executive reported that a meeting had been arranged between the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) Leadership and the Boundary Commission on Friday 20 July, 2012 following concerns expressed at the WLGA meeting held on 29 June, 2012.

            RESOLVED:

(a)       That the draft response to the specific consultation questions, as shown in Appendix 3 of the report, be supported; and

(b)       That the Chief Executive, in conjunction with the Leader of the Council, include in the response, seeking more flexibility over the proposed number of seats identified at the initial stage of the process and more evidence as to how the ratios in the consultation paper had been arrived at.