SALTDEAN UNDER CONSIDERATION AGAIN

The need for a review of the Saltdean boundary was one of the key issues being considered by Brighton and Hove City Council this week.

Councillors at the Council's ruling Cabinet received a deputation and a discussion was held about whether the City Council should commission a survey of its own of Saltdean residents.

Information was provided that showed that the Boundary Committee, which is the national body which decides whether a boundary review should take place and then considers whether the boundary is changed or not, has no current guidance as to whether a survey would lead to a boundary review and because the need for a change has to be 'evidence based' whether a survey would even count as evidence.

As mentioned in an earlier post the Council's Governance Committee had decided to keep an eye on the matter and consider a further report in the Autumn of 2010 (the Boundary Committee is not likely to consider a review for some years).

This was affirmed by the Cabinet with an additional undertaking given by City Council Leader, Mary Mears, that the Cabinet would agree to a survey at the appropriate time  taking into account any guidance on boundary reviews published by the Boundary Committee and to liaise with Lewes District Council and East Sussex County on such a survey as the town is administered by the three local authorities,