The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE)
A ten week consultation on draft recommendations for new ward boundaries in Sefton has begun and closes 18 March 2024
Click on link to read: Draft recommendations for ward boundaries in Sefton Council
LGBCE draft recommendation on Thornton Parish Council’s request that Sefton MBC undertake a Community Governance Review to change the boundaries of Thornton to more accurately and better reflect the true geography of the parish – reported on Page 18 under item 72:
“Thornton Parish Council requested significant alterations to their parish boundaries. We cannot recommend any changes to parish boundaries as part of this electoral review; this responsibility lies with the Borough Council through a Community Governance Review. However, we note that the area Thornton Parish Council wishes to incorporate into the parish will fall entirely within our proposed Manor ward. This means that the ward will encompass the entirety of Thornton parish if a future Community Governance Review decides to adopt the exact boundary arrangement requested by Thornton Parish Council.”
Click on link to see: Draft recommendations for ward boundaries in Sefton Council map
Click on link to read: LGBCE overview_ who we are _what we do_timelines
COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE REVIEW
20 March 2022
Mr David McCullough
Chief Legal and Democratic Officer
Sefton MBC
In accordance with the provisions of
Local Government & Public Health Act 2007 (LG&PHA 2007), Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) and Guidance for Community Governance Reviews (CGRs)
We, undersigned residents of Thornton Parish, petition Sefton MBC to undertake a Community Governance Review.
In doing so, we ask Sefton MB Council to consider recommending the alteration, by extension, of the existing Thornton Parish Council boundary, to more accurately and better reflect the true geography of the parish and its long established and growing community: in doing so to harness residents’ collective pride and responsibility for its appearance and upkeep and to engender a positive identity within our neighbourhood.
The current boundary and our proposed extension are described below and form part of this petition.
Current boundary
Manor E Ward, polling area N5. The boundary’s northern edge follows Hunts Brook, through Homer Green, across the A565 and north of the perimeter of St Joseph’s Hospice. It continues, running at the side of Back Lane and south, across an unnamed watercourse to the edge of The Northern Club’s grounds. It then takes a south easterly course to Moor Place Tennis Club’s south perimeter and on to Moor Lane.
The boundary then turns a little up Moor Lane before it turns right, along part of Edgemoor Drive * and left on to Ronaldsway, to its junction with Edge Lane, it turns right and runs in a south easterly direction. The boundary turns left on to Stanneyfield Drive and takes a course across the back of the Lydiate Park estate on to Westbourne Ave, turning right on to Lydiate Lane and left after the Crematorium cemetery.
It follows the cemetery perimeter over Brooms Cross Rd, continuing on to Langdale Lane, Lunt Rd, right on to Moor Lane, across Harrison’s Brook and it probably continues along Moor Lane to its conjunction with the River Alt.
From that point it likely turns in a north westerly direction and follows the river to meet Hunts Brook, to complete the current PC Boundary.
Proposed Extension
A number of long established businesses etc. refer to themselves as being “Thornton” based, even though they are actually outside the current PC boundary, including:-
- Kings Church, Drummond Rd, L23 9YP
- LCFA, Drummond Rd, L23 9YP
- Rushtons Farm, Runnells Lane, L23 1TR
- Thornton Hall Care Home, Tanhouse Rd, L23 1U
- Thornton PCT Practice, Bretlands Rd, L23 1TQ
- Newfield School, Edge Lane, L23 4TG
- St William of York Church, School and Club, St William Rd, L23 4TG.
- Edge Farm, Edge Lane, L23 1TS
Many people, living in homes locally consider themselves to be Thornton residents and we identify with Thornton, as being where we live.
In addition, the new housing developments at Pleasant Hill Close and Sundial Place (and the land on Lydiate Lane, which until recently was proposed for development, as Rakes Park) are also described as being located in Thornton. Other new proposed Thornton developments that we are aware of to the north of the Parish (whether they are successful or not) are already within the current boundary.
In order to fix this, resulting in a Parish with a boundary which truly wraps itself around our recognised community in the 21st century, such boundary to include both defined natural geographical elements together with developed and proposed dwellings, businesses’ sites, paths, roads etc. we would suggest an extension to the Parish as follows:-
By reference to the above description the boundary would remain as before, to the point where it runs along Edgemoor Drive… noted with an * above…
From here, we propose it should continue along the length of Edgemoor Drive (taking in houses on both sides) to its end and all of Edgemoor Close (Cul de Sac), currently within Manor Ward, N4 then cross over on to Drummond Rd and incorporate the premises known as LCFA and also Edge Farm, beyond. The boundary would thus be routed beyond the farm’s south easterly edge, along the path known as Trawden Way, to Edge Lane, to include the two dwellings at 1 and 2 New Cottages, Edge Lane, which have an L23 1TS postcode. This route takes in a corner of St Oswalds Ward and continues into Manor Ward N6.
From Edge Lane, at the junction and turning left onto Buckley Hill Lane, B5422, we find the Shy Lowen Horse Sanctuary and Buckley Hill Playing Fields so to incorporate them within the parish, the proposed boundary should thus run along Buckley Hill Lane, across Lydiate Lane, B5207 and continue up to Brooms Cross Rd, A5758, where it would turn left along that road and continue until it meets up again with the current boundary, at the end of the Cemetery grounds. Again, this area is currently within Manor Ward, N6.
Thornton Manor Ward, civic parishes and the polling areas mentioned can be seen in the map below or you can use the link at https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/
It should be noted that although Sefton has ten parish councils, two other areas relevant here (neighbouring Crosby and Netherton) are not parished and so don’t currently attract a parish precept.
Some properties, which fall within our proposed new parish boundary are currently in Sefton & Lunt Parish. However for the majority, of properties that we propose be included, there would be a new contribution (precept) shown in their council tax demands.
The extension to the boundary is shown by a broken dark blue line. Thank you.
Submitted by Thornton Parish Council March 2022
You can us this link to the online petition:
Report to Thornton Parish Council – Meeting Wednesday 7 September 2022
TPC Community Governance Review – Summary to date.
Following the 21 June 2022 submission of Thornton PC’s petition to Sefton Council’s Electoral Services, it was checked, validated and forwarded to their Legal Services for attention in July.
On asking for an update, I was informed that the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) had, in the interim, contacted Sefton MBC, as the Council is due a statutory review of its internal boundaries. The last review was conducted in 2003.
The boundary review will look at Sefton Council’s governance arrangements, number of councillors to be elected and all its ward and polling district boundaries.
When looking at boundaries, the BCE basically strip out all existing boundary lines and start again. The review will start in March 2023 and conclude in April 2024. However, as 2025 is a fallow year in their current electoral cycle, the all-out elections to re-elect the new council won’t take place until May 2026.
Sefton scheduled a meeting with BCE at the end of July and one thing to be considered was whether it would be appropriate to run Community Governance Reviews at this time, as the final recommendations of the BCE may mean that the Parish Council’s proposals are no longer co-terminus with the new boundaries. The PC will be a consultee and be asked to make representations to the BCE.
Sefton Electoral Services appreciated this was not the response the PC wanted, but the Council had to consider the best way forward without duplicating work and cost.
They added that this was not great timing, but once Sefton had met with the BCE they would be able to advise me further on what the next steps would be, once they had a clearer picture on how this impacts on ours and other CGRs ongoing at this time.
Sefton Electoral Services have since confirmed that, following further discussions with the Boundary Commission for England, Sefton MBC will postpone all Community Governance Reviews which involve or impact on current electoral ward and polling district boundaries.
I was advised that the Boundary Commissioners are aware of our proposal, and Sefton will fully brief them on the content. We will then be able to make our submission, or make any revisions to our submission, as part of the review.
They reiterated that, as previously mentioned, this process will officially start in March 2023 and culminate in April 2024.
The Boundary Commissioners will then consider the wards in the borough based on the principles of equality of electors, community identity and the effectiveness and convenience of local government. The Commissioners will base their recommendations on the estimated borough population in 2029.
Sefton hoped that we would understand and accept this decision, as they would be considering our proposals on boundary lines which are unlikely to exist following the conclusion of a Community Governance Review. The Council stated that it will also give them an opportunity to look at some of the anomalies in their current ward and polling district boundaries.
Sefton again accept that the timing of this is not helpful in terms of our electoral cycle for the parishes and this is something they will need to consider in terms of any future elections on new parish arrangements. The May 2023 parish council elections will be run on existing boundaries.
In reply, I stated that we would await the “next steps” in the BCE review process, i.e. how we are to make our submission / representations to them? In reply, on 1st September, Sefton Electoral Services confirmed “that they had already spoken to the Commissioners about our submission, so at this stage, unless there was anything we want to change, then they’ll just take it as it is and keep us in the loop”.
Dot Hawkins
Councillor
Thornton Parish Council
Comments to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England review of Sefton MBC
Mr Jonathan Ashby
Review Officer (Sefton)
LGBCE
7 September 2023
Dear Sir,
In response to your invitation to members of the public and other interested parties and organisations to provide their views, for consideration as part of the Commission’s review of Sefton MBC’s Ward boundaries, herewith are set out the comments of Thornton Parish Council…
We make these comments against a background of actions already taken by the Parish Council in 2022. We had been aware, for some considerable time, that the current Thornton Parish boundary was essentially no longer fit for purpose and did not represent “Thornton’s” resident population, either today or in the near future.
We successfully raised a petition, seeking a Community Governance Review, which was submitted to Sefton MBC in June 2022. In its response, we were advised of your intention to conduct a LGBCE review and thus the petition remains in abeyance at this time. We were also advised that you would be made aware of the petitioners’ request… what follows stems from that and our comments are effectively addressed to you now.
We ask you to consider recommending the alteration, by extension, of the existing Thornton Parish Council boundary, to more accurately and better reflect and recognise the true geography of the parish and its long established and growing community: in doing so to harness residents’ collective pride and responsibility for its appearance and upkeep and to engender a positive identity within our neighbourhood. We don’t want people to feel like outsiders because of an ancient and seemingly arbitrary boundary.
The current boundary and our proposed extension are described below and formed part of that petition, as did the attached map.
Current boundary
Manor Ward, polling area N5. The boundary’s northern edge follows Hunts Brook, through Homer Green, across the A565 and north of the perimeter of St Joseph’s Hospice. It continues, running at the side of Back Lane and south, across an unnamed watercourse to the edge of The Northern Club’s grounds. It then takes a south easterly course to Moor Place Tennis Club’s south perimeter and on to Moor Lane.
The boundary then turns a little up Moor Lane before it turns right, along part of Edgemoor Drive * and left on to Ronaldsway, to its junction with Edge Lane, it turns right and runs in a south easterly direction. The boundary turns left on to Stanneyfield Drive and takes a course across the back of the Lydiate Park estate on to Westbourne Ave, turning right on to Lydiate Lane and left after the Crematorium cemetery.
It follows the cemetery perimeter over Brooms Cross Rd, continuing on to Langdale Lane, Lunt Rd, right on to Moor Lane, across Harrison’s Brook and it probably continues along Moor Lane to its conjunction with the River Alt.
From that point it likely turns in a north westerly direction and follows the river to meet Hunts Brook, to complete the current PC Boundary.
Proposed Extension
A number of long established businesses etc. refer to themselves as being “Thornton” based, even though they are actually outside the current PC boundary, including:-
Kings Church, Drummond Rd, L23 9YP
LCFA, Drummond Rd, L23 9YP
Rushtons Farm, Runnells Lane, L23 1TR
Thornton Hall Care Home, Tanhouse Rd, L23 1UB
Thornton PCT Practice, Bretlands Rd, L23 1TQ
Newfield School, Edge Lane, L23 4TG
St William of York Church, School and Club, St William Rd, L23 4TG
Edge Farm, Edge Lane, L23 1TS
Many people, living in homes locally consider themselves to be Thornton residents and identify with Thornton, as being where we live.
In addition, the new housing developments at Pleasant Hill Close, together with Sundial Place and Rakes Park which are currently under construction are also described locally as being sited in Thornton. Other new proposed Thornton developments that we are aware of to the north of the Parish are already within the current boundary.
In order to fix this, resulting in a Parish with a boundary which truly wraps itself around our recognised community in the 21st century, such boundary to include both defined natural geographical elements together with developed and proposed dwellings, businesses’ sites, paths, roads etc. we would suggest an extension to the Parish as follows:-
By reference to the above description the boundary would remain as before, to the point where it runs along Edgemoor Drive… noted with an * above…
From here, we propose it should continue along the length of Edgemoor Drive (taking in houses on both sides) to its end and all of Edgemoor Close (Cul de Sac), currently within Manor Ward, N4 then cross over on to Drummond Rd and incorporate the premises known as LCFA and also Edge Farm, beyond. The boundary would thus be routed beyond the farm’s south easterly edge, along the path known as Trawden Way, to Edge Lane, to include the two dwellings at 1 and 2 New Cottages, Edge Lane, which have an L23 1TS postcode. This route takes in a corner of St Oswalds Ward and continues into Manor Ward N6.
From Edge Lane, at the junction and turning left onto Buckley Hill Lane, B5422, we find the Shy Lowen Horse Sanctuary and Buckley Hill Playing Fields so to incorporate them within the parish, the proposed boundary should thus run along Buckley Hill Lane, across Lydiate Lane, B5207 and continue up to Brooms Cross Rd, A5758, where it would turn left along that road and continue until it meets up again with the current boundary, at the end of the Cemetery grounds. Again, this area is currently within Manor Ward, N6.
Thornton Manor Ward, civic parishes and the polling areas mentioned can be seen in the map below or you can use the link at https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/election-maps/gb/
It should be noted that although Sefton has ten parish councils, two other areas relevant here (neighbouring Crosby and Netherton) are not parished and so don’t currently attract a parish precept.
Some properties, which fall within our proposed new parish boundary are currently in Sefton & Lunt Parish. However for the majority of the properties that we propose be included, there would be a new contribution (precept) shown in their council tax demands.
The extension to the boundary is shown by a broken dark blue line on the attached map.
Thank you.
Cllr Bob McGill
Chairman
Thornton Parish Council