Agenda and minutes

To record apologies for absence and the attendance of substitute members. 

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillors Edward Blagrove and Helen Pighills, who was substituted by Councillor Debby Hallett.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2016 - attached.

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on 17 October 2016 as a correct record and agree that the Chairman sign them as such.

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

There were no declarations of disclosable pecuniary interests. Councillors Mabbett and Dickson both made statements that as members of Wantage Town Council they would not vote on any issue which could impact on the boundary of the town.

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. 

The list showing the members of the public who had registered to speak was tabled at the meeting.

To consider the report of the head of legal and democratic services on a revised timetable for the reviews and draft recommendations in respect of a number of community governance reviews - attached.

The committee considered the report of the head of legal and democratic services on draft recommendations in respect of a number of community governance reviews and a revised timetable for the reviews.

CGR(C)24 – Amending the boundary of Wantage parish to include all the land at Stockham Farm, currently in Grove parish.

Councillors Mabbett and Dickson took part in the discussion but did not vote on this item.

The committee considered review CGR(C)24 to amend the boundary of Wantage parish to include all the land at Stockham Farm, currently in the Grove parish.

Bill Falkenau, Clerk to Wantage Town Council, spoke against the recommendation outlined in CGR(C)24 to extend the boundary of Wantage parish at Stockham Farm to only include the land south-east of the old Berks and Wiltshire Canal.  His points included the following:

·         The proposed boundary line along the canal is an unsuitable boundary;

·         Downsview Road is a more appropriate boundary as it would provide a distinct boundary between the parishes of Wantage and Grove.

The committee considered a letter from Councillor St John Dickson objecting to the proposals.  The key arguments included the following:

·         The utilities companies already consider the land north-west of the canal at the Stockham development as part of Wantage, not Grove.

·         Downsview Road acts as a suitable parish boundary; the land at Stockham Farm north-west of the (disused) canal would be the only area outside of this boundary in Grove.

·         The development houses residents who use Wantage as their main centre for recreational use, so in terms of community cohesion it makes sense to keep this land in Wantage.

It was noted that the whole of the land under review is included in the Wantage Neighbourhood Plan area.

The committee did not support the proposal in the schedule to only transfer the area of land south-east of the old Berks and Wiltshire Canal to Wantage parish. Downsview Road provided a more defined boundary between Grove and Wantage parishes: Stockham Farm is one community which identifies with and uses the facilities in Wantage and with the development of Grove Airfield a green buffer will exist between Downsview Road and the expanded settlement of Grove.

The committee supported the inclusion of the land north-west (as well as south-east as per the officer’s recommendation) of the canal which would therefore include the entire Stockham development in the Wantage parish.

RESOLVED: to consult on a draft proposal to amend the boundary of Wantage parish to include all the land at Stockham Farm currently in Grove parish.

CGR(D)24 – Amending the boundary of Wantage parish to include land at Crab Hill, currently in both Grove and Lockinge parishes.

The committee considered CGR(D)24 to include the land at Crab Hill in the Wantage parish, currently in Grove and Lockinge parishes. 

Councillors Mabbett and Dickson took part in the discussion but did not vote on this item.

The committee accepted the officer’s recommendation to extend the boundary of the Wantage parish at Crab Hill (to include  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.