DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE NOW BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR THOSE CHANGES TO LONG DITTON

ELECTORAL REVIEW OF ELMBRIDGE:

Further to last years notice from the Local Government that the would be proposed changes being made to the Ward Boundaries in Elmbridge – 2014 Boundary Change Notice –   The Boundary Commission for England has published its draft recommendations on the future electoral arrangements for Elmbridge Borough Council.  Today is the start of an eight week public consultation on the Commission’s draft recommendations on new ward boundaries across Elmbridge. The consultation closes on 24 August 2015.

View the draft recommendations

You can view the Commission’s draft recommendations at https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/4438 where you can find interactive maps, a report and guidance on how to have your say. The Commission has not finalised its conclusions and now invites representations on the draft recommendations.

A summary outlining the Commission’s draft recommendations, an interactive map of the Commission’s recommendations for Elmbridge, electorate figures and guidance on how to propose new wards is available on the consultation area at: https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/4438. Further information about the review and the Commission’s work is also published on our website at: http://www.lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews/south-east/surrey/elmbridge.

Have your say

We encourage everyone who has a view on the draft recommendations to contact us whether you support them or whether you wish to propose alternative arrangements.

Before finalising the recommendations, the Commission will consider every representation received during consultation whether it is submitted by an individual, a local group or an organisation.  We will weigh each submission against the criteria the Commission must follow when drawing up electoral arrangements:

• To deliver electoral equality where each councillor represents roughly the same number of electors as others across the borough.
• That the pattern of wards should, as far as possible, reflect the interests and identities of local communities.
• That the electoral arrangements should provide for effective and convenient local government.

Elmbridge Borough Council currently holds elections by thirds. Where a council elects by thirds, Schedule 2 to the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009 provides that the Commission should have regard to the desirability of recommending that each ward returns three councillors, subject to its other statutory criteria of achieving electoral equality, reflecting community identity and providing for effective and convenient local government. This reflects Parliament’s view that each elector in a local authority should have the same opportunity to vote in local elections, irrespective of that authority’s cycle of elections.

It is important that you take account of the criteria if you are suggesting an alternative pattern of wards. You can find additional guidance and information about previous electoral reviews on our website to help you or your organisation make a submission.

Get in touch

The Commission welcomes comments on the recommendations report by 24 August 2015. Representations should be made:

• Through our interactive consultation portal where you can explore the maps of the recommendations, draw your own boundaries and supply comments at:https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/4438.

• By email to: reviews@lgbce.org.uk.

• Or in writing to:

Review Officer (Elmbridge)
Local Government Boundary Commission for England
14^th Floor
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London
SW1P 4QP

The Commission aims to publish every response it receives during phases of consultation.  If you do not want all or any part of your response or name to be made public, you must state this clearly in the response. Any such request should explain why confidentiality is necessary.  All responses may be subject to publication or disclosure as required by law (in particular under the Freedom of Information Act 2000).

This is the last opportunity to influence the Commission’s recommendations before they are finalised. We therefore encourage local people to get in touch with us and have their say.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Alex Hinds
Review Officer
Reviews@lgbce.org.uk
0330 500 1274

Surrey are reviewing our bus services across the county and would like to know how you use it. The review will ensure Surrey spend their budget on the most needed routes. The review will focus on the following three aspects of local transport.

• The council’s subsidy of all local bus services.
• The provision of community transport in the county, and how this can be made more commercial.
• SCC-funded discretionary concessions for disabled person’s pass holders and holders of companion passes.

The aim of the review is to make savings while maintaining the services that residents rely on most, such as services that get people to work, hospitals and schools.

To help achieve this, they have launched a public consultation, running until 2 February 2015. Please click on the following link below for more details and to complete the online survey:
https://www.surreysays.co.uk/e-i-directorate-programme-group/local-transport-review.

A hard copy of the survey is available from libraries, district and borough and parish council buildings and bus stations.

Elmbridge Borough Council is consulting on whether there should be all-out elections every four years (all the Councillors being elected together every four years) or continue electing by thirds as it does so now (every three out of four years a third of Councillors standing for election). This is as a result of the Council deciding to reduce the overall number of Councillors in the Borough.

For more information and to have your say visit the following page on the Elmbridge Borough Council website: http://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/council/elections/Votingfrequency.htm

Reduction in number of Councillors may result in loss of village identity

Long Ditton Residents’ Association is liaising with Hinchley Wood Residents’ Association and Thames Ditton and Weston Green Residents’ Association and we will be making a joint response. The associations feel that at a time of austerity and cuts, the Council should not have embarked on the exercise; and if it wished to, residents should have been consulted before the Council took the decision to reduce the number of Councillors. As any reduction in Councillors will result in boundary changes, all three residents’ associations are keen to ensure that village identities are not lost. The three associations have agreed that they would like the Council to retain the current system of election by thirds and that a clear message is sent to the Electoral Commission that residents would want to retain ‘community identities’.

Deadline for comments (via the above webpage) is Sunday 2 November if you feel strongly about this issue.