Agenda and draft minutes

To receive any announcements from the chair, and general housekeeping matters.

In the absence of a chair, Councillor Max Thompson Vice-Chair of the committee, welcomed everyone to the meeting. He used his discretion to consider item 7 from the agenda – election of a chair, before any other items on the agenda.

To elect a chair for the remainder of the municipal year 2023-2024.

Following Councillor Oliver Forder’s appointment as vice-chair of Council, the committee was asked to elect a chair for the remainder of the municipal year 2023/24.

RESOLVED: to appoint Councillor Robert Maddison as chair for the remainder of the municipal year 2023/24.

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

None.

To adopt and sign as a correct record the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee minutes of the meeting held on 19 February 2024.

RESOLVED: to approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 19 February 2024 as a correct record and agree that the chair sign them as such.

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

None.

To receive notification of any matters which the chair determines should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances which have made the matters urgent.

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 on warding arrangements for Vale of White Horse District Council and to agree a submission on warding arrangements for Vale of White Horse District Council.

The committee considered the report of the head of legal and democratic on warding arrangements for Vale of White Horse District Council including a representation made by Councillor Mark Coleman in relation to Littleworth Parish which had been received since the publication of the agenda.

The Democratic Services Manager outlined the changes that had been made to the proposals as described in the report and set out in appendix B to the report. He reiterated to the committee that the deadline for submission of the proposal was Friday 22 March 2024 following the agreement from the Boundary Commission to extend the submission deadline for all parties. The Democratic Services Manager went on to remind the committee that following this submission the Boundary Commission would publish it’s own draft proposal in June and there would be the opportunity for members to comment again at this stage.

The committee noted that the proposal before them had been drawn up with the benefit of consultation responses from members. The chair then invited views on where Littleworth should sit within the proposal in light of the comments submitted by Councillor Coleman. The committee reflected that the concerns of Littleworth centred around greater community cohesion with a rural ward than with the Faringdon ward.

The committee asked what the impact of moving Littleworth into the Kingston Bagpuize ward would have on the percentage variance from average. The Democratic Services Manager advised the committee that the variances for affected wards would be as follows:

The committee had no comments or concerns on any other matters set out in the proposal.

A motion, moved and seconded to amend the proposal to move Littleworth into the Kingston Bagpuize ward was carried on being put to the vote.

RESOLVED: to

1.    Agree the final proposals for submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England subject to Littleworth being moved into the Kingston Bagpuize ward;

2.    authorise the democratic services manager, in consultation with the chair of the Community Governance and Electoral Issues Committee, to finalise the document for submission.