Agenda item

This matter is the responsibility of the Community Governance Review Working Group.

This report sets out the responses received during that first stage consultation and proposes draft recommendations to be subject to further public consultation and a revised timetable for the remaining stages of the review. 

During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

·       The Chair of the Working Group gave a detailed presentation of the work they had achieved and presented the map of the proposed area for the phase two consultation.

·       Councillor S Buller left the room.

·       Councillor D Darch proposed a recorded vote, which was duly seconded by Councillor L Baker.  The vote was taken and carried.

·       Councillors thanked the Working Group for all their hard work on the project and for working closely with the local parish councils.

·       Councillors supported the actions of the Working Group and the reasons why certain areas were being included or excluded from the phase two consultation.

·       Concern was raised on Cheddon Fitzpaine and that it would be left as too small an area for a Parish and would also lead to a large increase of their precept to be able to provide services in that area.

·       Councillor S Buller returned to the room.

·       Councillors agreed that a Town Council was needed for the Taunton area.

·       Concern was raised that with the inclusion of the wider areas, that it might lead to a delay in the final creation of a Town Council.

·       Councillors gave details of the background of the project and urged both councillors and officers to take action now to create a Town Council for the area.

·       Councillors highlighted that it was Somerset West and Taunton Council’s (SWT) responsibility to create a Town Council and that they did not want it left to the New Unitary Council.

·       Councillors requested clarification on the ‘gunning principle’.

Clarification was given.

·       Councillors queried what would happen if the recommendations were not passed at the meeting.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer gave advice that it would mean that the decision could not return to Full Council for six months but that the Working Group would continue with their project work and would consult with the New Unitary Council.

·       Councillors agreed that a Town Council should be created, as Taunton was the County Town which was located in the centre of the District.  It was also important that the residents for that central location had proper representation.

·       Councillors wanted to see the review carried out in a legal manner.

·       Councillor J Hunt left the meeting.

·       Councillors believed it was the wrong time to carry out a review but that SWT had been forced into action due to the creation of the New Unitary Council.

·       Councillor C Palmer left the meeting.

·       The meeting was adjourned at 8.10pm.

·       The meeting restarted at 8.20pm.

·       Somerset County Councillor, Rod Williams, apologised for the comments made in his public statement at the start of the meeting.

·       Councillors agreed that the project should not be a political decision, but what was best for the local residents of Taunton.

·       Concern was raised on the inequity of the local parishes compared to Taunton.

·       Councillors wanted to ensure that all the local parishes were listened to and included in the phase two consultations.

·       Councillors thanked the public speakers for their comments at the start of the meeting.

The recommendations, which are detailed below, were put and CARRIED with thirty-four for, four against and four abstaining:

Resolved that Full Council:-

2.1That the Council confirms that it has considered and takes into account the responses received to the first stage consultation on the community governance review of the unparished area of Taunton and eight adjoining parishes together with the recommendations of the Community Governance Review Working Group as detailed below and in this report.

2.2That the Council adopts and agrees to the Community Governance Review Working Group’s preferred option for Taunton and the area under review for the purposes of conducting the Stage 2 Consultation. The draft recommendations of the Community Governance Review Working Group to be subject to a second round of consultation are as follows:

A.    That a single parish be created to serve the currently unparished areas of Taunton and that in addition:

                   i.         Comeytrowe Parish Council be abolished, and the entire area of Comeytrowe Parish be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

                 ii.         The Killams Green area, currently within Trull Parish Council area, be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

                iii.         The part of the forthcoming development in the south-west corner of Taunton that currently falls within Trull Parish should be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

                iv.         The boundary of Trull Parish to the north-west of Cotlake Hill be altered to follow the green wedge around the Sherford urban area, with the small area to the south of that boundary that is currently within the unparished area of Taunton becoming part of Trull Parish.

                 v.         The area covered by the Maidenbrook Ward of Cheddon Fitzpaine Parish Council, including several sites earmarked for housing development in the near future, be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

                vi.         The urban parts of Staplegrove Parish, including the entirety of the forthcoming development in the north-west corner of Taunton, be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

              vii.         The slim part of Staplegrove Parish jutting to the west of Silk Mills Lane be included within the boundary of Norton Fitzwarren Parish.

             viii.         If the proposed changes bring about a remaining Staplegrove Parish area of fewer than 150 electors, that remaining area be merged with Kingston St. Mary Parish.

                ix.         A small southern portion of the Kingston St. Mary Parish area, representing that part of the proposed Staplegrove East development that falls within the parish, be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

                 x.         With the exception ofGalmington Trading Estate and a small section south of the A38 near Rumwell, no part of Bishops Hull Parish should become part of the proposed new Taunton Parish, and the small triangular residential area at the cross-section with Wellington Road, currently within the unparished area, should become part of Bishops Hull Parish.

                xi.         The Hankridge Retail Park, Creech Castle and the associated Toneway Road, currently within West Monkton Parish, be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish, which should run along the railway to the M5.

              xii.         The boundary between Norton Fitzwarren Parish and Bishops Hull Parish, just north of Mill Cottages, be amended to follow the route of the railway line.

             xiii.         Further consideration be given to whether the current boundary between West Monkton and Cheddon Fitzpaine parishes between Maidenbrook and Yallands Hill south of the Country Park should be amended, for example by following the A3259 westwards to Maidenbrook Lane, in the light of any comments from the respective parish councils.

B.    That the new parish be named ‘Taunton Parish’ and that a parish council be established to serve the new parish with effect from 1 April 2023.

C.   That with the exception of the area described at A(xi) above, the area of West Monkton Parish Council be completely removed from further consideration of the review and its inclusion in any new Taunton Parish/Town Council.

D.   That the area of Norton Fitzwarren Parish Council be completely removed from further consideration of the review and its inclusion in any new Taunton Parish/Town Council.

E.    That the first elections to the proposed new Parish/Town Council for Taunton should be held on the ordinary day of elections (the first Thursday in May) in 2023.

F.    That the Council established to serve the proposed new Taunton Parish should have a council size of at least 20 councillors, with the final number to be determined in the context of the proposals to be developed in regard to the warding arrangements within the new parish.

G.   That the proposed new Taunton Parish be warded and that draft proposals for the warding arrangements, and those of any other warded parishes in the area under review, be developed for inclusion in the second stage of consultation.

H.   That no change be made to the number of Parish Councillors of any of the other continuing parishes within the area under review.

2.3That a revised timetable for the second stage consultation and the remaining stages of the community governance review be agreed as set out in paragraph 11.3 to this report, including meeting(s) of the Working Group and Council, if necessary, to agree the final content of the second stage consultation.

2.4That subject to 2.3 above, authority be delegated to the Chief Executive Officer and Monitoring Officer or Deputy, after consultation with the Community Governance Review Working Group and the Leader of the Council to agree the detailed arrangements for the second stage consultation and to take any other action necessary to progress the community governance review in accordance with legislation and statutory guidance.

2.5A plan illustrating the proposed changes to parish and ward boundaries that would result from implementation of the draft recommendations above is set out at Appendix A to this report. In addition, full details of the Working Group’s considerations, the reasons for each of its recommendations and detailed maps illustrating each proposed change are at Appendix B to this report.

Those voting FOR the MOTION: Councillors I Aldridge, B Allen, M Blaker, C Booth, N Cavill, S Coles, C Ellis, E Firmin, S Griffiths, J Hassall, N Hawkins, R Henley, M Hill, D Johnson, M Kravis, R Lees, S Lees, L Lisgo, M Lithgow, D Mansell, S Nicholls, D Perry, M Peters, H Prior-Sankey, M Rigby, F Smith, F Smith-Roberts, A Sully, R Tully, S Wakefield, D Wedderkopp, B Weston, K Wheatley and L Whetlor.

Those voting AGAINST the MOTION: Councillors L Baker, M Barr, D Darch and V Stock-Williams.

Those ABSTAINING from voting: Councillors H Davies, R Habgood, S Pugsley and G Wren.