Agenda item

This report presents the findings of the Community Governance Review’s Phase 1 consultation regarding the creation of Civil Parishes and associated Parish Councils in the Borough of Epsom and Ewell. It also provides information related to the potential financial implications, including estimated precepts and the implications of the possible transfer of key community assets.

Members of the Council are asked to review this information and make a decision as to whether the Council proceeds to the next stage of its Community Governance Review (CGR), or whether the CGR process is stopped now following the completion of the Phase 1 consultation. If Members decide to continue to the next stage of CGR, they are invited to consider what the recommendations should be that are consulted upon, based upon the outcome of the Phase 1 consultation and the further information contained within this report.

Council received a report presenting the findings of the Community Governance Review’s Phase 1 consultation regarding the creation of Civil Parishes and associated Parish Councils in the Borough of Epsom and Ewell. It also provided information related to the potential financial implications, including estimated precepts and the implications of the possible transfer of key community assets.

The report requested the Council to make a decision as to whether to proceed to the next stage of its Community Governance Review (CGR), or whether the CGR process is stopped following the completion of the Phase 1 consultation.

If the Council decided to proceed to the next stage, the report invited Members to consider what the recommendations should be that are consulted upon, based upon the outcome of the Phase 1 consultation and the further information contained within the report.

Councillor John Beckett MOVED and Councillor Rachel King SECONDED the motion.

An amendment to recommendation 2 was MOVED by Councillor Steven McCormick and SECONDED by Councillor Bernice Froud. The proposed amendment was as follows:

“Replace wording of Recommendation 2 (vii) with text as follows:?

?(2) (vii) Authorise the Chief Executive and Head of Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Chair of Standards and Constitution Committee, to approve the Phase2 Consultation Questions and Terms of Reference once final typographical changes have been completed and to take all and any necessary action to progress the Community Governance Review(which for the avoidance of doubt, does not empower those named officers to make the final decision on whether to make a Reorganisation Order)?”

The amendment was accepted by the proposer of the original motion and it became part of the substantive motion under FCR 17.8 of Appendix 4 of the Council’s Constitution

Following debate the recommendations of the substantive motion were put to the vote. A recorded vote was requested by 8 members of the Council and in accordance with FCR4.6 was held for this item.

The recommendations of the report were CARRIED, as detailed below:

It was resolved with 17 votes in favour, 6 against  and 6 abstentions to:

(1)       Agree that the Community Governance Review should proceed to a Phase 2 consultation.

It was resolved with 17 votes in favour, 7 against and 5 abstentions to:

(2)       Agree the recommendations to be subject to a further public consultation, as follows:

(i)             Arrangements - The creation of two civil parishes for which there will be two parish councils (one for each parish), which would be responsible for the legal minimum (e.g. allotments) and could be responsible for more services in the future (where this is agreed with the new unitary East Surrey Council at some future date)

(ii)           Names and style of the two parishes –

a.    The Community of Epsom, and

b.    The Community of Ewell

(iii)         Warding (and names of wards) – The external boundaries of the two parishes to be created shall be co-terminus with existing ward boundaries; existing borough wards will be adopted as will their existing names –

a.    Epsom Community – College, Court, Horton, Stamford, Town, Woodcote and Langley Vale

b.    Ewell Community – Auriol, Cuddington, Ewell Court, Ewell Village, Nonsuch, Ruxley, Stoneleigh, West Ewell

(iv)         Proposed number of councillors – Two councillors per ward per newly created parish resulting in:

a.    Twelve councillors to be elected to Epsom Community Council (there are six wards) and

b.    Sixteen councillors to be elected to Ewell Community Council (there are eight wards).

(v)           Agree to the establishment of a potential precept payable for the Council Tax Financial Year 2027-28, to support the general parish administration and running of services. 

(vi)         Agree and adopt the updated Terms of Reference, as set out in Appendix 8

(vii)         Authorise the Chief Executive and Head of Legal and Democratic Services, in consultation with the Leader of the Council and Chair of Standards and Constitution Committee, to approve the Phase 2 Consultation Questions and Questionnaire of Reference once final typographical changes have been completed and to take all and any necessary action to progress the Community Governance Review