Agenda item

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

This report sets out the responses received during the second stage consultation and proposes final recommendations for adoption as the outcome of the review. 

During the discussion, the following points were raised:-

·       The Chair of the Working Group introduced the report and gave information that had been included in a presentation to Full Council, which included why certain areas had and had not been included in the Review.  He also reassured Full Council that the democratic process had been followed correctly and that he was proud of the result achieved.  He finished by thanking all the public speakers for their comments.

·       Councillor I Aldridge arrived part way through the debate, so would not be able to take part in the vote.

·       Councillor R Habgood proposed a recorded vote. The vote was taken and carried.

·       Councillors commended the officers and thanked the members of the Working Group for all their hard work.

·       Councillors highlighted that the Community Governance Review (CGR) had been part of the One Somerset Business Case.

·       Councillors agreed that Somerset West and Taunton Council (SWT) had not taken the easy route of simply parishing the unparished area.

·       Councillors highlighted that the addendum had included some minor changes to the maps.

·       Councillors highlighted that the CGR had consulted with the parishes but had not carried out a referendum.

·       Most councillors agreed that the CGR had been carried out with due diligence and care.

·       Some councillors believed that the area represented the 2022 version of Taunton and should include more than just the unparished areas.

·       Councillors N Thwaites, J Lloyd and T Venner left the meeting.

·       Councillors were pleased to see progress being made with the project, as Taunton had waited for 15 years for a Town Council to be created and they hoped that it would be a fully functional council that would service the town and surrounding parishes.

·       Councillors who had been part of the Working Group agreed that the cross-party composition had worked well together.  They also assured Full Council that there had been no assumptions made on the maps and that they had listened to the public consultation responses.

·       Some councillors believed that the unparished area should have been parished first, which would have sped up the process.  They then suggested a wider review could have taken place at a later date.

·       Some concern was raised that the CGR had been carried out as a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) ‘land grab’ and that very little democracy could be identified within the process.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer advised that he was confident that SWT had been compliant in the legal process of the CGR.

·       Councillors agreed that the Working Group had been given a difficult task to review as part of the CGR.

·       Councillors made comments on the council tax precept and that it related to services that would be provided for the county town.  Councillors also hoped that the Town Council would be able to provide services that the New Unitary Council would not.

·       Councillors agreed that the CGR had been about creating a great vision for Taunton.

·       Councillors queried what would happen if a Judicial Review was to take place.

The Deputy Monitoring Officer gave advice on the process that would be followed.

·       Councillors agreed that the work should have been carried out a lot sooner, however, they were happy it was being discussed now, as it was a very important matter for the residents of Taunton.

·       Councillors highlighted that communities were important but that they were not set in stone and were based on the people and not on maps.

·       Councillors agreed that the CGR should not be a party-political decision.

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

Resolved that Full Council:-

2.1That the Council confirms that it has considered and taken into account the responses received to the second stage consultation on the community governance review of the unparished area of Taunton and eight neighbouring parishes together with the considerations and recommendations of the Community Governance Review Working Group as set out in this report and appendices as required by the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

2.2That the Council notes that in the context of local government reorganisation it is the responsibility of Somerset West and Taunton Council to agree the final recommendations of the community governance review and the responsibility of Somerset County Council to make any Reorganisation Order to give effect to those recommendations.

2.3That Somerset West and Taunton Council seek Somerset County Council Executive’s agreement in principle to use a phased approach to transfer the assets and services starting with those identified in Appendix I, where reasonable practicable on 1 April 2023.

2.4That the Council adopts the Community Governance Review Working Group’s proposals for the final recommendations of the community governance review as follows:

A.    That a new parish be created to include the currently unparished area of Taunton and that in addition:

                        i.         Comeytrowe Parish Council be dissolved, 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 falls within Trull Parish, including the whole of the development north of Dipford Road, 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 urban area within the Maidenbrook Ward of Cheddon Fitzpaine Parish, including 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.         The remaining area of the existing Staplegrove Parish be included within the boundary of Kingston St. Mary Parish; ix) Staplegrove Parish Council be dissolved.

                     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 of Galmington Trading Estate and a small section south of the A38 near Rumwell, no part of Bishops Hull Parish be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish;

                     xi.         The small triangular residential area at the cross-section with Wellington Road, currently within the unparished area, be included within the boundary of Bishops Hull Parish;

                    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.         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;

                  xiv.         With the exception of the above, no part of the existing area of West Monkton Parish be included in the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

                    xv.         No part of the existing area of Norton Fitzwarren Parish be included within the boundary of the proposed new Taunton Parish.

                  xvi.         the boundary between West Monkton and Cheddon Fitzpaine parishes between Maidenbrook and Yallands Hill south of the Country Park be amended to following the A3259 and new relief road westwards to Maidenbrook Lane.

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

C.   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.

D.   That the proposed new Taunton Parish be divided into wards for the purposes of electing parish/town councillors.

E.    That the total number of councillors to be elected to the proposed Taunton Parish/Town Council be 20 and the warding arrangements for the council and the number of councillors to be elected to represent each ward, be as set out at section 9.19 of this report.

F.    That the electoral arrangements of certain other parish councils in the area under review be amended as set out at section 9.20 of this report.

G.   That save as set out at A to F above, the existing parishes in the review area and the names, boundaries, council size and other parish governance arrangements in respect of those parishes remain unchanged.

H.   That the budget requirement for the new Taunton Parish/Town Council for the financial year 2023/24 be set at £2.114m as set out at section 11.7 of this report.

I.      That temporary parish/town councillors as listed at section 11.20 of this report be appointed to serve as members of the new Taunton Parish/Town Council from 1 April 2023 until the councillors elected on 4 May 2023 take up office.

J.     That the Local Government Boundary Commission for England be requested to make changes to the boundaries of the relevant Somerset Council electoral divisions as necessary to ensure consistency between those boundaries and the revised Parish and Parish Ward boundaries made in this Community Governance Review.

2.5That accordingly Somerset County Council be recommended to make the Somerset (Somerset West and Taunton) (Reorganisation of Community Governance) Order 2022 as attached in draft form at Appendix ‘A’ to give effect to the above recommendations.

2.6That a Shadow Taunton Town Council be established with effect from 14 October 2022 and with membership as set out at section 13.6 of this report, to lead and oversee the work to establish on 1 April 2023 the new Taunton Parish/Town Council.

2.7That the Community Governance Review Working Group be wound up once the Reorganisation Order has been made, concluding the review.

2.8That authority be delegated to the SWTC Chief Executive Officer and SWTC Monitoring Officer or Deputy, after consultation with the Leader of Somerset West and Taunton Council and the Chair of the Shadow Taunton Town Council (if any), to take any action necessary to conclude the community governance review in accordance with legislation and statutory guidance and to secure the implementation of the final recommendations of the review as set out in the Reorganisation Order.

2.9That Council agrees Somerset County Council’s S151 Officer will notify the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities of the request Alternative Notional Amount for Council Tax purposes, reflecting the transfer of costs from current district council budget to the budget of the new parish/town council.

2.10       A plan illustrating the proposed changes to parish and ward boundaries that would result from implementation of the final recommendations above is set out at Appendix ‘B’ 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 ‘C’ to this report.

Those voting FOR the MOTION: Councillors B Allen, M Blaker, C Booth, S Coles, T Deakin, C Ellis, H Farbahi, S Griffiths, B Hall, J Hassall, N Hawkins, R Henley, J Hunt, D Johnson, 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 M Barr, D Durdan, R Habgood, S Pugsley and V Stock-Williams A Trollope-Bellew.

Those ABSTAINING from voting: Councillors L Baker, N Cavill, D Darch, H Davies, K Durdan, E Firmin, M Hill and A Milne.