Agenda and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from the Chair, Councillor Melia.

Members to declare any interests in matters to be discussed at the meeting.

There were no interests declared at the meeting.

To determine whether there are any additional items of business to be considered as a matter of urgency.

There were no additional items of business to consider as a matter of urgency.

To note the report and recommend to Council that the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s (LGBGE) intention to carry out a periodic electoral review of Sandwell Council during the period October 2023 until September 2025 be noted.

The Electoral Services Manager updated the Committee on the Local Government Boundary Commission Periodic Electoral (LGBCE) Review of Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council. The LGBCE had informed the council of its decision to carry out an electoral review of Sandwell. The review covered both the council size (number of elected councillors) and the number of wards and ward boundaries.

The Committee was advised of the detailed timelines of the boundary review process, planned governance arrangements and the methodology to be used.

The review would take place from October 2023 through to September 2025. Any changes made regarding council size and ward boundaries for Sandwell MBC would come into effect for the Local Elections in May 2026. 

The successful delivery and implementation of the electoral review was a council-wide corporate priority. The delivery of the project would be overseen by the Council’s Chief Executive and Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) and the Council’s Monitoring Officer. A clear governance pathway for decision making and submission of the relevant information and proposals was necessary to ensure the successful delivery of the electoral review. 

In November 2022, the Council resolved to undertake a further public consultation on the electoral cycle (whether to retain the current frequency of elections or move to an all-out election once every four years) during 2024. It was now proposed that the LGBCE electoral review should be prioritised and completed first, which would conclude with an all-out election to the new warding pattern. Subject to the agreement of Full Council, its previous resolution would then be implemented and a further consultation on the electoral cycle undertaken.

In response to comments and questions from the Committee, the Electoral Services Manager explained that the delivery of the project would be overseen by the Council’s Chief Executive and there were adequate number of people to drive the process. A project lead would lead the process and there was a clear governance pathway for decision making and submission of the relevant information and proposals to ensure the successful delivery of the electoral review. The LGBCE would also look at other comparable Metropolitan Authorities.

The last electoral review of Sandwell MBC was conducted in 2002. The electoral changes and the arrangements came into effect at the borough-wide elections in 2004. In general, the purpose of the review, amongst others, was to ensure that there was electoral equality across all wards.