St Helens Council asks not to increase councillor numbers

The Boundary Commission is an independent parliamentary body responsible for conducting reviews of local authority electoral arrangements across England, and has ordered a review of the electoral arrangement in St Helens Borough Council.

The purpose of the review is to consider the number of councillors elected to each ward, as well as the names, number and boundaries of the wards.

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The last electoral review in St Helens was completed in 2003 and saw the number of councillors reduced from 54 to 48, and the wards cut from 18 to 16.

The preliminary period for the review, which sought views from all political groups on the council, was due to conclude int April 21, but was extended to July 22 due to the pandemic.

As part of this work, a cross-party working group was established to advise officers on the council’s response to the Boundary Commission.

The submission – which proposes to maintain the current number of elected members – was unanimously approved at full council on Wednesday.

“Whilst the council can make submissions on what it feels the optimum number should be, ultimately the decision will be one for the Boundary Commission to make,” said Cllr Kate Groucutt, cabinet member for corporate services, estates and communication said.

Cllr Groucutt said the council currently has a low number of members per resident, when measured against other similar councils.

The average for comparative councils, she said, was 55.

In their submission, St Helens Council has maintained that the optimum number of councillors is 48.

The submission also includes the findings from a survey of members on their workloads, which found that 80 per cent said it was manageable.

Cllr Groucutt said: “As the submission discusses, we do not believe that residents would consider it a priority to increase the number of councillors, with a consequential rise in costs for support services, elections and allowances, in the current financial climate.

“This authority is facing a multi-million-pound shortfall due to our response to COVID-19, and the loss of income as a result.

“There will be some very difficult decisions ahead and being forced to increase the number of councillors at this time would not help to increase trust and confidence in the political process.

“We therefore hope that the Boundary Commission will endorse our view and choose not to impose and increase upon us.”

St Helens Town Hall

Cllr Allan Jones, leader of the St Helens Conservatives, agreed that the council should not increase in size.

He added that the cost of increasing the size of the council would be “horrendous” at this current time.

Cllr Jones said: “I’ve been on the council for nine years. I’ve had no trouble with working with 47 councillors.

“At the previous council review our council was reduced from 54 to 48. There should be no reason why we should increase it again to say, that number.

“The cost involved would be horrendous at this time because we need all the funds we have for other purposes.

“We’re working well, we’re working well together. 48 is an ample number of councillors for this borough.”

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The next stage of the review will be for the Boundary Commission to give its initial opinion and then to invite views on ward boundaries.

The Boundary Commission was originally expected to reach its conclusions on its final recommendations by August 2021, although this is likely to be delayed as a result of the pandemic

Any changes that may be made will come into effect at the local election in May 2022.