Edward, Elizabeth, Prior, Seton, Shielfield and Spittal
1.0
Summary
1.1
Summarises the process to date and updates Members on progress towards the establishment of a Town Council for Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth.
2.0
Recommendations
2.1
To endorse the work which has taken place to date, and to agree to receive further update reports at future Town Committee meetings.
3.0
Report
3.1
Establishment of a new parish, and electoral arrangements for a council to represent that parish can (currently) be done in one of two ways:
• The local district council may carry out a “district review”, consulting with interested parties and publishing its draft proposals in the local press before submitting those proposals to Government departments which must approve the proposed boundaries and electoral arrangements before the Secretary of State grants an Order establishing the parish.
• Local citizens can present a petition to the district council, which must show that at least 10% of the electorate of the area in question support proposals for a parish council. If it receives such a petition, the district council must submit the petition to the Secretary of State, together with its views on the proposals contained within it, or must carry out a district review as detailed above.
Once the Boundary Committee has approved the electoral arrangements, the Secretary of State grants an order to establish the parish and allow elections to the parish council to go ahead. Such orders are granted only once a year, in April, although the district council may be informed in advance that the order has been approved and will be granted in the following April.
3.2
In preparing the case for the parishing of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council carried out a district review, but also sought to obtain support from at least 10% of the electorate for the new proposals, in line with the requirements of a petition. This was felt to be clear evidence of public support.
3.3
Following an extensive consultation exercise (summarised in Appendix 1), and with the required level of public support for the proposals, Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council submitted a draft order (Appendix 2) to the Secretary of State and to the Boundary Commission in May 2006, seeking the parishing of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth and the establishment of a Town Council to represent the new parish.
3.4
Officers have been in regular communication with both organisations since, and have provided some additional information as requested from time to time. However, despite assurances that they now have all the information they require, the Boundary Commission were unable to complete their part of the process in time for the Secretary of State to grant the final order to establish the parish and approve electoral arrangements on April 1st 2007. The consequence of this delay was that elections to the new Town Council could not take place as part of the Borough-wide elections in May 2007.
3.5
Assurances have been received from officers at the Boundary Commission in June 2007 that the order is on course to be granted by the Secretary of State in April 2008. Council officers will continue to communicate with the Boundary Commission and with the Department for Communities and Local Government, and hope to receive notice prior to April that the order has been approved. Once this notification is given, a temporary Town Council can be established to make preparations for the Town Council including arranging the election, planned for May 2008. The previous Town Committee ring-fenced £10,000 for the election, and £21,000 for initial set up costs, in this year’s Town Committee budget.
3.6
A temporary Town Council would consist of all Borough Councillors representing Wards in Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth (i.e. the current Members of Town Committee), as well as co-opted Members, and has some of the legal powers of a Town or Parish Council.
3.7
Members are asked to endorse the work which has taken place to date, and to agree to receive further update reports at future Town Committee meetings.
4.0
Implications
4.1
Comments from the Council’s Section 151 Officer
No comments.
4.2
Comments from the Council’s Monitoring Officer
No comments.
4.3
Comments from the Head of Paid Service
A significant amount of work has been carried out by Council Officers to arrive at this stage. Further development of the Town Council proposals will require additional work, especially in connection with the elections and setting up the new Town Council. It is anticipated that current resource levels can accommodate the additional work and should further resources be needed, future reports will be submitted to Committee.
4.4
Local Agenda 21
It is anticipated that the new Town Council will take an active role in environmental issues relating to the areas of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth.
4.5
Equality
Parishing of Berwick, Spittal and Tweedmouth will provide the electorate of those parts of the Borough with the same level of representation as is enjoyed in all other parts of the Borough which are represented by a Parish Council.
4.6
Crime and Disorder
It is anticipated that the new Town Council will have a role to play in crime and disorder reduction strategies.
