Onecornwallclr1
item1b
item1a2 item1a1b item1a1a1a2 item1a1a1a1b item1a1a1a1a2 item1a1a1a1a1b item1a1a1a1a1a2 item1a1a1a1a1a1b
item1a1a1a1a1a1a1

Cornwall Council votes for a proposed size of 99 councillors

Members of Cornwall Council have overwhelmingly supported an overall Council size of 99 Councillors as the basis for their final submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

An alternative size of 85 was proposed at the full Council meeting of 21 February but was rejected by a substantial majority of Members.

The Council made its first submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBCE) in October 2016, with a suggested range for a Council size of 105-115 Members.  This figure was based on the evidence it had received at that time, including electoral forecasts, the geography and size of Cornwall, the Council’s decision-making and scrutiny arrangements, the initial findings of the recent Governance Review and the role and workload of Cornwall Councillors. Following feedback from the LGBCE on the first submission, further work has taken place to look at numbers outside this banding, with a particular focus on the number of Members required to provide effective governance, accountability and community leadership.  This included further consideration of the recommendations of the Governance Review on the future shape of the Council, together with evidence presented by town and parish councils and partner organisations. Proposing the recommendation of 99 Councillors John Wood, Chair of the Electoral Review Panel, said that the revised figure was based on clear evidence from the additional work which had taken place over the past few months. Following the meeting, which saw the recommendation passed by 66 votes to 13 with two abstentions, the Council will now formally submit an overall Council size of 99 to the LGBCE by 3 March.

The LGBCE will then consider the Council’s submission and evidence alongside other submissions it will have received before announcing its decision on the size of the Council on 16 May, shortly after the unitary Council elections. Whatever new council size is finally determined will take effect from the elections in 2021.

 

February 2017

 

item1a1a1b item1a1a2 item1a1b