Decision details

To consider and determine the Council’s response to proposed Warding arrangements for the new Unitary Council. The Secretary of State will ultimately make the decision on what the warding arrangements will be for the new unitary authority. This decision will be taken by the Leader at the Informal meeting of Executive Members on 21 September 2021.

The Leader considered the report presented at the informal meeting of Executive Members held on 21 September 2021 together with the additional suggestions on ward boundaries submitted by Members.
Having taken account of the views expressed by Executive Members, other Members and officers at the meeting and all supporting documentation provided at the meeting, he approved:
(a)The submission of interim Ward boundaries for the new North Yorkshire Council, in line with the working group’s proposals as amended by the suggestion (A2) made by County Councillor John Weighell.
(b)The response to MHCLG with regard to the contents of the Structural Change Order, including a 12-month moratorium on holding elections prior to the vesting date in April 2023.
This decision was taken in consultation with Executive Members.

The Leader chose to take the decision, in consultation with Executive Members, under the delegated power to all Executive Members in paragraph 5 of the Executive Members’ Delegation Scheme “To make a formal response on behalf of the County Council, following appropriate consultation, to any White Papers, Green Papers, Government Consultation Papers or other consultative document where it is appropriate that the response should be a member response.”
It had previously been agreed by the Chairman, on 1 September 2021, that the decisions should be treated under the Council’s special urgency and call in exemption procedures given the urgency of the timescales involved to meet the Government deadline of 21 September 2021 for responding to the consultation on warding arrangements.
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The Leader gave due consideration to a number of alternative suggestions put forward by Members in relation to a number specific ward boundaries, but chose to reject those in support of the proposals made by the Working Group, with the exception of the suggestion made by County Councillor John Weighell (A2).