Members received and considered Minute OSC20/13 arising from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) meeting held on the 20 July 2020 which considered the draft final recommendations of the Community Governance Review Steering Group (CGRSG).

The CGRSG had met on four occasions between October 2019 and May 2020.  At its last meeting held on 29 May 2020, the CGRSG had considered the outcome of the public consultation exercise that demonstrated 78% of all responders supported the creation of a Town Council for Bexhill-on-Sea.

In light of the public support for the creation of a Town Council, demonstrated through both the 2017 and 2020 consultation and in line with the Council’s stated objective of delivering a Town Council for Bexhill-on-Sea, the CGRSG recommended that the Council  established a Town Council for Bexhill-on-Sea.  The Town Council would be based on the current District Council external boundary of Bexhill, with nine wards, each appointing two Members and with the first elections taking place in May 2021.  The recommendation would result in the demise of the Bexhill Charter Trustees who would become defunct once the Town Council was established. 

Cabinet was supportive of the recommendations and noted that work on engaging with younger residents would be necessary, as support for a Town Council among this group had been disappointing. 

RECOMMENDED: That:

1)         a Parish Council be created for the whole of Bexhill-on-Sea, to be styled a Town Council based on the existing Bexhill Ward External Boundary; 

2)         the Town Council to contain nine Wards, based on the 2019 District Ward Boundaries and that two Town Councillors be elected to each Ward, making a total of 18 Bexhill Town Councillors;

3)         the first elections be held in May 2021;

Subject to the approval of 1), 2) and 3) above,

4)         the dissolution of the Bexhill Charter Trustees following the formation of the Bexhill Town Council be noted; and

5)         the consultation results be taken into account when the transfer of services / powers to Bexhill Town Council are discussed.

(Councillors Bayliss, Byrne, Coleman, Courtel and Gray each declared a Personal Interest in this matter in so far as they were former members of Democracy4Bexhill and supporters of a Town Council for Bexhill-on-Sea and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the meeting during the consideration thereof).