Community Governance Review - stage 2 - Stotfold

Responses from consultation

Town council: see Appndix B – pages 233 to 234.

12 responses

Comments:

“Stotfold Town Council has liaised with neighbouring parish and town councils to consider how best the boundaries can reflect the needs of the residents of Stotfold. This includes amalgamating the parish meeting of Astwick as a ward of Stotfold Town Council with its own representative and redrafting the boundary between Arlesey and Stotfold to include Etonbury School and Woods into Stotfold, incorporating the man-made boundary of the A507.”

“Our local councillors are very insular and don’t reflect the changing nature of the town. The new estates would benefit from being encouraged to sit on their council by additional seats being made available for them.”

“Far fewer, more useful council members”

“As a resident I think this question is beyond my ability, but it would help to ensure the council reflected the town if councillors came from specific wards. At the moment the council’s make up is very traditional and blinkered. It needs younger people looking to the future, not like it is now with some people sitting on their council because their family always had a seat. As a result they just look after themselves and their friends and don’t care about the rest of us.”

“All I can say is that this parish needs wards to ensure all areas are represented.”

“3 wards, the green end, Arlesey Road and Hitchin Road end”

“Our council needs modernising. At the moment several of the councillors are only on the council because a member of their family has always had a seat. They get on unopposed because none of them make any effort to engage with the community, thereby ensuring that no one is interested in replacing them. They then only look after their own interests, which include substantial property ownership. They survive on apathy, and it needs to stop.”

Feedback received through the public consultation indicated a preference to retain the current level of representation although there were various responses in relation to warding arrangements. This view has been considered alongside the working group’s rationale to ensure that any final draft recommendation reflects the aims of the terms of reference as well as the views of the community.

Draft recommendations

1. that the parish name of Stotfold should remain unchanged
2. that the number of parish councillors on Stotfold Town Council is reduced from 15 to 11

Reason for recommendations

The recommendation to reduce the number of councillors is made in accordance with the terms of reference due to the number of councillors being disproportionate to the electorate or to avoid uncontested elections and the subsequent need to co-opt members to fill the outstanding vacancies.