Agenda item

To report the outcome of the additional consultation exercise undertaken and consider recommendations from the Community Governance Review Working Group regarding the proposed creation of a Parish Council for Grantham.

It was proposed, seconded and AGREED to vary the order of the agenda to allow the item on Community Governance Review to be heard as the next item.

Councillor Graham Jeal, the present Mayor of Grantham reported the outcome of an additional consultation exercise undertaken and outlined recommendations from the Community Governance Review Working Group regarding the proposed creation of a Parish Council for Grantham.

A cross-party working group had been established, chaired by the Mayor of Grantham and assisted by Grantham District Councillors, the Assistant Director of Governance and Monitoring Officer, the Electoral Services Manager, the Consultation Officer and members of the Democratic Services team at South Kesteven District Council. Those that had participated in the process were thanked for their input.

The first phase of consultation demonstrated a clear message of support for decision making in Grantham, in the form of a Parish/Town Council. The Council at its meeting on 26 May 2022 reached a decision, in principle, to support the establishment of a Parish/Town Council. A further consultation process was undertaken, targeted at specific areas on the periphery of the existing boundary of the unparished area of Grantham which provided the Working Group with sufficient information to make a recommendation to Full Council on the proposed boundary for a new Parish/Town Council. The Working Group also considered the warding arrangements and number of Councillors such a body should consist of, equating to 22. Councillor Jeal therefore proposed the recommendations of the report.

The proposition was seconded.

In debating the motion, the following points were raised:

·       There was cross-party collaboration all the way through this process; this was particularly important when it came to deciding on the appropriate number of Councillors for the Town Council. Initially the proposal had been 15 Councillors, but 22 was deemed a more appropriate number.

·       A Town Council for Grantham would give the town a local voice and identity, as well as bringing it in line with the other three major towns within South Kesteven.

·       Most electoral wards within Grantham were similar in size, but St. Vincent’s ward was slightly larger and therefore it was felt that it required representation by 4 Councillors rather than the standard 3.

·       One member raised doubts about the potential for an extra layer of bureaucracy and more local councillors; however, they hoped that they were wrong, and that Grantham’s voice would indeed be strengthened.

·       One strength of a Town Council was that it brought local councillors closer to the electorate and would lead to further togetherness on local issues.

·       Tributes were paid to the current Mayor of Grantham for his work in chairing the sessions related to the Community Governance Review.

Having been proposed and seconded, upon being put to the vote the motion was AGREED:

DECISION:

That Full Council:

1.     Notes the responses of the additional consultation process.

2.     Formally proposes to establish a Parish Council for Grantham based upon the following principles and commences with the second stage of formal consultation:

·       That the boundary for the new Parish Council for Grantham replicates the existing unparished area of Grantham

·       That the warding arrangements for the new Parish Council for Grantham replicate existing District Council Wards

·       That the size of the new Parish Council for Grantham consists of 22 Councillors, comprising 4 Councillors for St Vincent’s Ward and 3 Councillors for all remaining Wards

3. Approves the revised timetable for the Community Governance Review.