Agenda item

To approve the appointment of the My Neighbourhood Areas Chairs and Vice Chairs for 2019/20 (tabled at the meeting).

Council considered a report of the Interim Monitoring Officer that allocated the Chairs and Vice Chairs of the council’s My Neighbourhood Areas and proposed changes to the boundaries of the respective Neighbourhood areas.

The proposed new arrangements are as follows:

Western Parishes

Hoole, Longton and Hutton West and Hutton East

Penwortham

Broad Oak, Charnock, Howick and Priory and Middleforth

Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall and Walton-le-Dale

Bamber Bridge East, Bamber Bridge West, Lostock Hall, Walton-le-Dale East and Walton-le-Dale West

Leyland

Broadfield, Bucksahw and Worden, Earnshaw Bridge, Leyland Central, Moss Side, Seven Stars, St Ambrose, Farington East and Farington West

Eastern Parishes

Coupe Green and Gregson Lane, Salmesbury and Walton

As a consequence of these new arrangements, minor changes would be required to the council’s Constitution. It was also proposed that a more fundamental review of the way the My Neighbourhoods forums operate would need to be carried out and that a further detailed report would be brought back to Council for consideration.

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Margaret Smith thought that any reorganisation of My Neighbourhoods should first go through the Governance Committee for consideration. She stated that this had been done in previous years for any changes to the Constitution. She also stated that the recent Peer Review of the Council had recommended this way of working as good practice.

Members commented that a review of My Neighbourhoods was welcomed as they are not working in their current format, but some Members considered that these changes were being rushed and asked if the current arrangements could stay as they were pending a more formal review.

Councillors representing the Farington East and West wards of the borough also made a plea not to be included in the Leyland area for fear of their residents not actively engaging in the future as they do not recognise themselves as being part of Leyland.

Some members also commented that they felt that the membership of the Neighbourhood Areas were now unbalanced with the lowest being only four members, as opposed to the highest having 18 members.

The Leader responded by saying that the size of the membership was representative of the areas they served and that it was always the intention to hold a wider review of the neighbourhood arrangements that will be reported to a future meeting of Council.

It was proposed by Councillor Paul Foster, seconded by Councillor Mick Titherington and

RESOLVED (Yes 27, No 18):

That

1.    The boundaries and names of the following My Neighbourhood areas:

·         Western Parishes

·         Penwortham

·         Bamber Bridge, Lostock Hall and Walton-le-Dale

·         Leyland; and

·         Eastern Parishes be approved.

2.    The following appointments for the 12 month period until the First Business Meeting of the Council in May 2020 be approved:

3.    The Interim Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Chair of Governance Committee, be granted delegated authority to make any changes to the Constitution that are necessary as a consequence of the report.