Electoral review briefing – Parish & Town Councils 30 March 2016 Cornwall Council Electoral review briefing – Parish & Town Councils 30 March 2016 Website: www.lgbce.org.uk Have your say: consultation.lgbce.org.uk Follow us: @lgbce Contact us: reviews@lgbce.org.uk

37 out of 122 electoral divisions (30%) in Cornwall have an electoral variance of greater than 10% There are also three divisions with variances above 30%. The greatest outliers are Liskeard North, with an electoral variance of -60% and Redruth North, with an electoral variance of 35%.

How? Council size: Electoral division boundaries: Effective representations at every stage: Tell us why you are putting forward your view: your rationale. Put forward an alternative, not just registering an objection. Provide evidence to support your argument. Consider the future. Effective representations will address: Governance and decision making Scrutiny and outside bodies Representational role of councillors Effective representations will address: Electoral equality for voters Community interests and identities Convenient and effective local government

Electoral Equality Basic democratic principle. Each persons vote should be of equal weight across a local authority area The ‘electoral variance’ is the % figure by which a electoral division deviates from the councillor: elector ratio for the authority Bear in mind the Commission aims to have all electoral divisions having variances of less than 10% where possible

Community identities and interests The higher the electoral variance you propose, the stronger the evidence of community identities needs to be Evidence should not be assertion but have a basis in practical examples Community identity is hard to define and often subjective

Effective & convenient local government Electoral divisions are coherent Clearly identifiable boundaries Reflect transport and communication links Councillors and electors can engage in the affairs and activities of the divisions without having to travel through an adjoining division.

Rules relating to parishes We cannot create or abolish parishes, or amend their boundaries If we divide a parish between electoral divisions, we must create parish wards We can change parish electoral arrangements only as a direct consequence of our electoral division proposals Rules relating to parishes

What counts as evidence? Historical associations are useful, but we need to know how communities interact now. Practical examples are important: Shared community events Shared amenities and facilities Public facilities such as doctors’ surgeries, hospitals, libraries or schools. What defines it and marks it out as a distinct community or communities Show how facilities provide a focus for community interaction

How to get involved Website: www.lgbce.org.uk Have your say: consultation.lgbce.org.uk Follow us: @lgbce Contact us: reviews@lgbce.org.uk

When? Preliminary period March 2016 – April 2017 Consultation on ward patterns 16 May 2017 – 31 July 2017 When? Consultation on draft recommendations 24 October 2017 – 19 December 2017 Publish final recommendations March 2018 Order – coming into force at elections in 2021 Website: www.lgbce.org.uk Have your say: consultation.lgbce.org.uk Follow us: @lgbce Contact us: reviews@lgbce.org.uk