To make recommendations following the Ross-on-Wye Community Governance Review.

The Assistant Director, Governance, presented a report following the Ross-on-Wye Community Governance Review. The principal recommendations were that Ross Rural Parish Council and Ross Town Council cease to exist and a new Ross-on-Wye Parish Council be formed all with effect from 1 April 2015.

Following the results of the consultation with Ross Rural Parish Council and Ross-on-Wye Town Council the Assistant Director, Governance, explained he had made an amendment to the recommendations as published in the agenda. He recommended that Point (n) be replaced with a recommendation that the new parish be represented by the councillors of Ross Rural Parish Council and Ross-on-Wye Town Council, as at 31 March 2015, for the period 1 April 2015 until the councillors for the new council, to be elected on 7 May 2015, come into office. As currently one councillor sits on both councils this will mean there will be 18 councillors representing the new parish for this period. Any councillor representing both councils on 31 March 2015 will only have one vote.

It was confirmed an effective date of 1 April 2015 is preferred as this ensures a consistent precept will be set for 2015/2016 for the whole of the new parish council’s area. If the commencement date of the new council is later than 1 April 2015 there is a risk that different precepts could be charged. A precept can only be set once for the whole financial year.

For legal reasons, the name of the new council is recommended to be Ross-on-Wye Parish Council. However, it was confirmed the new council has the right to change its name and could change it to ‘Town Council’ if it so wished. If this were to happen the Chairman of the new council would have the right to be called Mayor.

It was pointed out that practical matters, such as staffing structure and financial issues, will need to be resolved by the new council. It would be very sensible if joint working between the two existing councils takes place prior to the commencement of the new council for practical arrangements to be discussed to ensure a smooth transfer. If any legal or administrative advice is required Legal and Governance Services at Herefordshire Council will provide this if requested.

Resolved: That

Audit and Governance Committee recommends to Council that with effect from 1 April 2015 (‘the effective date’):

(a)        The existing parishes of Ross-on-Wye Rural and Ross-on-Wye Town shall be amalgamated to constitute a new parish;

(b)       The new parish shall be known as ‘Ross-on-Wye’;

(c)        The existing parishes of Ross-on-Wye Rural and Ross-on-Wye Town shall cease to exist;

(d)       The parish councils for the parishes of Ross-on-Wye Rural and Ross-on-Wye Town shall be dissolved;

(e)        There shall be a parish council for the new parish of Ross-on-Wye;

(f)        The name of that new council shall be ‘Ross-on-Wye Parish Council’;

(g)       The first election of all parish councillors for the new parish of Ross-on-Wye shall be held on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2015;

(h)       The term of office of every parish councillor elected on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2015 for the new parish of Ross-on-Wye shall be four years;

(i)         The existing Ross Rural East and Ross Rural West wards of the parish of Ross-on-Wye Rural; and the existing Ross-on-Wye East and Ross-on-Wye West wards of the parish of Ross-on-Wye Town, shall all be abolished;

(j)         The number of parish councillors to be elected for the new parish of Ross-on-Wye shall be eighteen;

(k)        The new parish of Ross-on-Wye shall be divided into three wards which shall be named: Ross-on-Wye East, Ross-on-Wye North, and Ross-on-Wye West; and shall comprise the respective areas of the district wards bearing the same names;

(l)         The number of parish councillors to be elected for each ward in the new parish of Ross-on-Wye shall be six;

(m)      All the land, property, rights and liabilities of Ross-on-Wye Rural Parish Council and Ross-on-Wye Town Council shall transfer from those councils to the new Ross-on-Wye Parish Council;

(n)       From the effective date until the councillors to be elected to the new parish council come into office, the new parish shall be represented by those persons who were councillors for Ross-on-Wye Rural Parish Council and/or Ross-on-Wye Town Council on the 31 March 2015 provided that any person who was a councillor for both of those councils on that date shall have only one vote on the new Ross-on-Wye Parish Council.

(o)       That no recommendations be made to the Electoral Commission to request consequential alterations be made to any electoral areas of the County of Herefordshire District Council;

(p)       The Assistant Director, Governance be given delegated authority to execute The County of Herefordshire District Council (Reorganisation of Community Governance) (Ross-on-Wye) Order 2014 (‘the Reorganisation Order’) (to be substantially in the form set out in Annex 3 to this report, subject to any necessary typographical and/or technical amendments) and publicise the outcome of the community governance review in accordance with section 96 of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007; and

(q)       The Electoral Registration Officer be requested to commence preparatory electoral administrative work from 15 October 2014 as a consequence of the above changes; and that the Reorganisation Order shall have effect from that date for those purposes.