Agenda item

The Committee is asked to consider an initial report and recommendations in relation to an Electoral Review of the Arun District.

Before inviting the Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer to present his report, the Chair confirmed to the Committee that the purpose of the report, at this embryonic stage of the review, was to discuss and debate the two recommendations in the report addressing the draft timetable for the review and the need to seek approval for Officers to carry out an assessment of the costs of conducting an electoral review so that a report could be prepared to submit to the Policy & Finance Committee on 7 March 2024 and before the next meeting of this Committee on 30 April 2024, which was in accordance with the Paragraph 1 of the 9 November 2022 Full Council motion.  The Chair made it clear that he did not wish to enter discussion or debate on the review itself nor would it be appropriate for the Committee to discuss not moving forward with the agreed actions, that would be a matter for Full Council to consider.

          The Chair asked Members to note that it was highly likely that the Local Government Boundary Commission for England [LGBCE] would soon by identifying the Council for a periodic electoral review in any event and he reminded Members that the aim of this report was to commence a process that would put the Council into a position of beginning that conversation with the LGBCE at an early stage in the 2023-2027 cycle.

          The Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer then presented his report.  He confirmed that the last electoral review had been undertaken in 2014 and in setting the context to this he reminded the Committee of the Motion that had been approved by Full Council in November 2022, which had been detailed at Paragraph 4.2 of the report and set out the steps that the Council wanted Officers to take in terms of starting the review process. The report focused on the pre-work that was necessary in undertaking the review which fell under the remit of the Corporate Support Committee.

The report, as well as setting out the process for Members, outlined and set out an indicative timetable for discussion and approval. The Motion approved by Full Council asked Officers to undertake an assessment of the costs of undertaking a review and it was explained that this would be the next step in the review process with a report being compiled for consideration by the Policy & Finance Committee at its meeting to be held on 7 March 2024.

Various sources of information had been provided to the Committee at Appendices 2 and 3 and thanks was extended to the Electoral Services Manager for her work in pulling this information together for Members. The Committee’s attention was then drawn towards the draft timetable and Members were invited to make comment on it so that a final timetable could be brought to the Committee’s next meeting on 30 April 2024. The key elements of the timetable were then explained to the Committee by the Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer. A final point for Members to note was that Electoral Reviews were conducted by the LGBCE and that any changes to the district would be made by Parliamentary Order to take effect at the next District Council elections in May 2027. The council had a duty to support the Commission’s work and to provide input to that work.

          The Chair invited questions from Members. Although they confirmed their general support to what was proposed and set out within the timetable various questions were asked. An explanation was sought as to why there was such a gap between May and December 2024, when work on the review could be progressed. It was explained that during this time the elections team would have managed the Crime and Police and Commissioner Election on 2 May 2024, and would then be preparing for a General Election, which although not confirmed, was anticipated for November 2024 and so the timetable to be set had to consider the capacity and work pressures of that team around the elections planned. During that time, the annual canvass of electors in the district would also be undertaken.

          A similar question was asked around timetable gaps between January and April 2025. The Group Head of Law & Governance and Mentoring Officer explained that this timeline would accommodate meetings of a working party that would be established by this Committee. As the calendar of meetings for 2024/25 was not due to be approved until the 13 March 2024 Full Council Meeting, it had not been possible to confirm possible meeting dates for the Working Party. This information would be forthcoming following the approval of the calendar for the new Municipal Year. It was explained that the timetable could be adjusted by the Committee if needed once it had been approved.

In supporting Recommendation (ii) it was highlighted how important it would be for Members to receive and understand all the costs involved and in light of the information that the Committee had received earlier in considering its budget for 2024/25. Another point raised was that since Full council had approved that an electoral review be undertaken in November 2022, a national census had been undertaken confirming a 10% increase in Arun’s population resulting in a larger electorate. This could impact the cost of undertaking the review. Also, as the results of the review could confirm a reduction in Councillors, it could confirm a need to increase the number of Councillors to bridge the increasing population in the district. It was felt that this was of importance and needed to be considered and as the Council resolution from November 2022 precluded that option.

          The Group Head of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer responded and acknowledged that there was the possibility that LGBCE could determine that there was a need for more representation and the Committee needed to acknowledge that, however, the resolution of Full Council was aimed at bringing down the number of Councillors and the resultant benefits of that. 

The Committee then confirmed its approval for a non-Committee Member to address the meeting. The statement made focused on the costings that would be submitted to Policy & Finance Committee in March 2024. A request was made for that report to include projections on the levels of savings that could be made if the outcome of the review determined that there should 5, 10, 15 or 20 fewer Councillors as this would be useful information for that Committee. 

In response, mixed views were received from the Committee. The Chair felt that this would be eminently sensible so that members and Full Council could look at the holistic picture. In response the Group Head of Law & Governance and Monitoring Officer confirmed that for the costings report being submitted to Policy & Finance, this would outline the cost of undertaking the review process but that it could also provide projections around 5, 10 and 15 less Councillors, although this did not form the actual cost of the process in undertaking the review, however, he could see that this would be of benefit to Members.  The figures that would be provided would focus on what this might mean in terms of the level of Councillor allowances. Any other changes as a result of the review process, such as a change in committee structure, could not be foreseen and would be considered by the Constitution Working Party. It was also confirmed that although indicative figures on allowances could be provided, only the Independent Remuneration Panel could make recommendations to change Councillor allowances.

Following some further discussion and having had the recommendations proposed by Councillor Jones and seconded by Councillor Warr,

          The Committee

                     RESOLVED – That

(1)  Having considered the draft timetable for the electoral review and taking into account the comments provided, Officers bring a final timetable to the Committee at its meeting on 30 April 2024, for reporting to Full Council; and

(2)  The Committee requests that Officers carry out an assessment of the costs of conducting an electoral review and submits a report to a meeting of the Policy & Finance Committee ahead of the Corporate Support Committee’s next meeting on 30 April 2024, in accordance with Paragraph 1 of the 9 November 2022 Full Council resolution.