At the meeting of the Electoral Arrangements Committee on 27 October 2011 it was recommended that a community governance review be undertaken in respect of the whole of the Sevenoaks District Council area.  A timetable and terms of reference were agreed with the review commencing on 30 November 2011 with the publication of notices, a news release, an item on the District Council’s website, a letter (and submission form) to parish councils and to known community groups, a letter to elected representatives and a letter to Kent County Council.

The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act (LGPIH) 2007 devolved the power to take decisions relating to the creation, abolition or grouping of parishes, the boundaries of parishes and the electoral arrangements of parish councils from the Secretary of State and the Electoral Commission to principal councils. With effect from February 2008, district councils had the responsibility for undertaking community governance reviews and have been able to decide whether to give effect to recommendations made in those reviews.

The Committee noted that no submissions affecting the following parishes had been received: Chiddingstone, Cowden, Edenbridge, Farningham, Fawkham, Halstead, Hever, Horton Kirby & South Darenth, Kemsing and Knockholt.

The Chairman stressed that no decisions were due to be taken at the meeting and the Committee were approving recommendations for a further stage of consultation.  The Committee considered each of the recommendations in turn.

In considering recommendations (n) and (o), the Chairman noted that Well Hill Residents’ Association had not yet addressed issues raised by the District Council in 2006.  The Chairman suggested that before a decision could be taken it would be helpful for the Well Hill Residents’ Association and the Badgers Mount Residents’ Association to address the following issues:

1.      The degree of support amongst Well Hill/ Badgers Mount electors;

2.      The number of electors subscribing to the Well Hill Residents Association / Badgers Mount Residents Association;

3.      A financial strategy/ business plan drawn up to demonstrate viability of a new Parish Council;

4.      A plan to manage legal issues, planning issues and issues arising from the Localism Act 2011.

The Committee acknowledged that Badgers Mount Residents’ Association had addressed some of the issues in their submission, but Members felt it would be helpful to have further clarity.

            Resolved:

(a)       that a revised timetable be approved;

(b)       that the boundaries and electoral arrangements of the Parishes of Chiddingstone, Cowden, Edenbridge, Farningham, Fawkham, Halstead, Hever, Horton Kirby & South Darenth, Kemsing and Knockholt be unchanged;

(c)       that the Ash-cum-Ridley Parish Council proposal be adopted;

(d)       that the Eynsford Parish Council proposal be adopted;

(e)       that no change be made to the electoral arrangements of Hartley Parish;

(f)         that the proposals of Hextable Parish Council and Swanley Town Council be adopted;

(g)       that the two properties North Lodge, Redleaf and Woodside Kennels transfer from Leigh Parish to Penshurst Parish;

(h)        that the proposals of Otford Parish Council and Shoreham Parish Council in respect of Row Dow Lane be adopted;

(i)         that the proposal of Otford Parish Council that the whole of the hamlet of Twitton be included in Otford Parish thereby transferring properties (containing 12 electors) from Shoreham Parish be adopted;

(j)         that the proposal for Penshurst Parish to be unwarded be adopted and to seek views specifically on a change of name from Penshurst Parish to Penshurst and Fordcombe Parish;

(k)        that the proposal of Sevenoaks Town Council is not adopted;

(l)         that the proposal of Shoreham Parish Council in the vicinity of Well Hill are not progressed until further discussions between Shoreham Parish Council and Crockenhill Parish Council take place;

(m)      that the status quo in the vicinity of East Hill be maintained;

(n)        that further information be sought from the Badgers Mount Residents Association on their proposal to form a separate parish of Badgers Mount;

(o)       that further information be sought from the Well Hill Residents Association on their proposal to form a separate parish of Well Hill;

(p)       that the proposal by the Shoreham Society to form a separate parish of Shoreham (without Badgers Mount and Well Hill) not be moved forward until such time as the outcome of recommendations (n) and (o) are known;

(q)       that (provided the three wards of Shoreham Parish are retained) the proposal by Shoreham Parish Council to reduce the number of parish councillors representing Shoreham ward from 6 to 5 be adopted; and

(r)        that the Westerham Parish Council proposal be adopted.