CGR_A

Parishes Affected

Grove

Matter to be considered

Creating a single ward parish

Impact on district and county council boundaries

Grove North and Wantage and Grove Brook District Wards

Committee’s draft proposal

To create a single ward covering Grove for the purposes of parish council elections.

Summary of responses to the draft proposal consultation

No responses were received opposing the proposal with three responses in support.

Recommendation

To create a single ward covering Grove for the purposes of parish council elections

Justification for final recommendation

The 16 parish councillors are elected to serve the whole parish.  The warding arrangements at parish level were introduced as a consequential effect of the district ward arrangements implemented by the Local Government Boundary Commission’s (LGBC) in 2015. Following the change to the parish boundary with Wantage in 2019, Grove parish has consisted of two wards – Grove Brook and Grove North.

Grove is a largely homogenous settlement that does not readily lend itself to sub-division.  The parish electoral arrangements in existence prior to 2015 appeared to serve the identities and interests of the village well and would do so again.