Submission to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England by Rotherham MBC 1. Introduction Proposed New Ward Boundaries This paper sets out the response of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (RMBC) to the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) consultation on warding arrangements for Rotherham based on the agreed future council size of 59 councillors. At the Council meeting on 8 th March, the Chief Executive was authorised to respond to the LGBCE consultation, in consultation with the Constitution Working Group which is chaired by the Leader of Council and has representatives from both the majority Labour group and opposition UKIP group. The Constitution Working Group agreed draft warding proposals for internal consultation. Following consultation sessions attended by the majority of RMBC councillors and further other discussions, the working group met on 21 st April to agree revised proposals taking account of the views expressed where possible. The Leader of the Council and Leader of the Opposition have indicated that their groups support the final warding proposal as described below which are made on behalf of the Council. This does not preclude individual councillors from making representations about their own wards. 2. Proposed Pattern of Wards The LGBCE has agreed that Rotherham MBC should have fifty nine members from May 2020. This has determined the permitted size range of possible wards. Rotherham s move to all-out elections from 2016 means that wards with one, two or three members are possible in place of previous arrangements where only three-member wards were permitted. The Council s proposal is for twenty-five wards; nine three-member wards and sixteen two member wards. The location and boundaries of these are shown on the map below, referenced by the following table which sets out the reference number, suggested name, number of councillors, forecast 2022 electorate and variance from the average quotient for electoral equality. 1
Map Showing Boundaries of Proposed Wards Reference Table for Proposed wards Ward Name Councillors Electorate Variance 1 Anston and Woodsetts 3 9,675-7.8% 2 Aston and Todwick 2 7,269 +3.9% 3 Aughton and Swallownest 2 6,934-0.9% 4 Boston Castle 3 10,658 +1.6% 5 Bramley and Ravenfield 2 7,598 +8.6% 6 Brinsworth 2 7,682 +9.8% 7 Dalton and Thrybergh 2 7,507 +7.3% 8 Dinnington 3 10,137-3.4% 9 Greasbrough 2 6,568-6.1% 10 Hoober 3 10,049-4.2% 11 Keppel 3 11,072 +5.5% 12 Kilnhurst and Swinton 2 6,391-8.6% East 13 Maltby East 2 6,989-0.1% 14 Maltby West 2 6,429-8.1% 15 Rawmarsh East 2 7,194 +2.9% 16 Rawmarsh West 2 7,465 +6.7% 17 Rother Vale 2 6,552-6.3% 18 Rotherham East 3 10,829 +3.2% 19 Rotherham West 3 10,807 +3.0% 2
20 Sitwell 3 10,292-1.9% 21 Swinton Rockingham 2 6,454-7.7% 22 Thurcroft and Wickersley 2 7,575 +8.3% South 23 Wales 2 7,483 +7% 24 Wath 2 7,047 +0.8% 25 Wickersley North 3 9,693-7.6% 59 206,349 3. Overview of Proposed Arrangements This submission delivers the required electoral equality through the proposed warding pattern for Rotherham, forming wards which do not vary by more than 10% from the relevant electoral quotient / ratio. Eleven of the twenty-five wards proposed are within 5% variance whilst those with greater variance reflect the need to reflect community identity. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England have stated that they are minded to agree that a future council size of fifty-nine and this has been reflected in the preparation of this proposal. The forecast electorate of Rotherham in 2022 is 206,349, which divided by 59 gives an electoral quotient or ratio of 3,497 electors per councillor. The move to all-out elections in Rotherham, which took place in 2016, means that it is possible to have new wards with one, two or three members. The permissible ranges are as follows: A three-member ward must have an electorate of 9,442 to 11,540 A two-member ward must have an electorate of 6,295 to 7,693 A one-member ward must have an electorate of 3,147 to 3,847 This proposal uses two and three member wards only. No one-member wards are proposed as these are better suited to more rural areas and carry the risk that residents will go un-represented for some time in the event of the resignation, death or absence of their only councillor. Rotherham is a mixed metropolitan borough with a large urban area surrounded by a large number of small towns and villages which grew up around traditional industries such as coal mines and steelworks, as well as suburban developments and rural areas. Half of Rotherham s electorate live in civil parishes and these proposals take account of their boundaries where possible. The ward descriptions set out the areas covered by the proposed wards, their boundaries and changes from current arrangements. Consideration of the proposed wards addresses the three main principles: 3
i) Electoral equality ensuring that wards electing the same number of councillors have broadly similar electorates and are within 10% of the electoral quotient. ii) Community identity wards reflect natural communities where possible and seek to unite communities rather than divide them. iii) Effective and convenient local government wards are internally coterminous and coherent, have regard for parish boundaries where applicable and use polling districts as building blocks where possible. In addition, account has been taken of the existing pattern of wards and historical associations of electors and communities with wards to maximise perceived continuity of representation, where practical to do so. For example, everyone living in Anston and Woodsetts ward will continue to live in a ward of the same name covering a broadly similar area. Although none of the proposed wards has the same boundaries as at present, the perception of 92% electors will be either that they will continue to live in the same or very similar ward or that they will live in a more appropriate ward. References to the electorate of any area in the ward descriptions below use the forecast electorates for 2022. These take account of new housing development which is why some are significantly higher than current electorates. 4. Description of Wards Ward 1: Anston and Woodsetts Anston and Woodsetts is a long standing ward in south east Rotherham which was created in 1980 and was unchanged in the 2004 boundary changes. The existing ward consists of the twin suburban villages of North and South Anston (forming a parish with 7,510 electors), and the rural village and parish of Woodsetts (1,461 electors) giving a combined electorate of 8,971. Whilst the existing ward provides a good level of community identity and continuity, is now too small to meet the new three-member electoral quotient range of 9,442 to 11,540. However, it can readily form the basis for a new three-member ward if additional electors from adjoining areas are included. These are proposed to be the small parish of Thorpe Salvin (377 electors), currently in Wales ward and Monksbridge polling district (326 electors) from Dinnington St John s parish, giving an electorate of 9,675. The Monksbridge residential area (off Rotherham Road) would join Anston and Woodsetts but the Brooklands Park Industrial Estate would remain in Dinnington. Whilst any division of the Dinnington parish is regrettable, such an addition is required for Anston and Woodsetts to meet the minimum size for a three- 4
member ward. Whilst a two-member ward would be viable for Anston, this would leave Woodsetts too small to form a one-member ward even with Thorpe Salvin (not that these two parishes share a common boundary). The proposed Anston and Woodsetts ward would be bounded by Bassetlaw District to the east, Bolsover District to the south, Wales and Aston & Todwick wards to the west, and Dinninton and Thurcroft & Wickersley South wards to the north. Ward 2: Aston and Todwick This two-member ward combines 5,800 electors from the existing Holderness ward in Aston (Aston cum Aughton parish) with the village and parish of Todwick (1,469 electors) which is currently in Wales ward. The remainder of Holderness ward would be in a new Aughton and Swallownest ward. This gives Aston and Todwick an electorate of 7,269 which is 4% over the electoral quotient. With 12,014 electors, the parish of Aston cum Aughton is slightly too large to form a viable three-member ward and therefore must be divided between wards as at present. In agreement with Aston cum Aughton Parish Council, is now proposed to divide Aston cum Aughton almost equally into two twomember wards. The eastern ward covers the urban and suburban area of Aston along with the separate rural village of Todwick. Whilst Todwick relates well to the villages of Kiveton Park and Wales, it is proposed to join Aston to allow the creation of viable two-member wards for both Wales and Aston and Todwick. The western half of Aston cum Aughton is proposed to form the majority of the new Aughton and Swallownest ward. The proposed Aston and Todwick ward would be bounded by Anston & Woodsetts to the east, Wales to the south, Aughton & Swallownest to the west and Thurcroft & Wickersley South to the north. Ward 3: Aughton and Swallownest As a counterpart to the ward of Aston and Todwick (see above), the twomember ward of Aughton and Swallownest is proposed based on 6,214 electors in the western part of Aston cum Aughton parish, together with the parish of Ulley (139 electors) and the southern part of Orgreave parish (582 electors). The proposed line of division (Holderness Drive and Workshop Road) within Aston cum Aughton has been agreed with the Parish Council. The resultant ward of Aughton and Swallownest would have 6,934 electors which is within 1% of the two-member quotient. 5
The new ward will cover a mixture of urban and suburban areas in Aughton, Swallownest and Fence, all within Aston cum Aughton parish. The small community of Orgreave (the older housing in the south of the parish) forms a natural continuation from Fence (being served by Aston Fence J&I School) up to the boundary with Sheffield. Consultation with Orgreave Parish Council supports dividing the parish to allow the whole of Waverley to join the Rother Vale ward to the north. The small village and parish of Ulley is included as its nearest neighbour is Aughton. The proposed Aughton and Swallownest ward would be bounded by Aston & Todwick to the east, Sheffield to the south west, Rother Vale to the north west, Sitwell to the north, and Thurcroft & Wickersley South to the north east. Ward 4: Boston Castle This three-member ward is based on the existing Boston Castle ward (9,932 electors), created in 2004 which in turn was based on the former Boston ward (1980-2004). The ward covers Rotherham town centre and a mixture of urban and suburban residential areas to the south. Many Rotherham landmarks are within the ward including the General Hospital, Rotherham College, Thomas Rotherham College, Magna Science Adventure Centre, Clifton Park, Town Hall, Riverside House (council offices), Rotherham Minster and New York Stadium. The ward is socially diverse with significant areas of both high and low deprivation, and the highest proportion of minority ethnic residents in Rotherham. Neighbourhoods covered are the Town Centre, Canklow, Broom Valley, Wellgate and parts of Moorgate, Clifton and Broom. To facilitate a two-member ward in Brinsworth, it is proposed that Boston Castle extend slightly to take in a small part of the Phoenix polling district (36 electors) at Canklow Bridge, currently in Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward. This area is not part of Brinsworth parish and was previously part of Boston ward between 1980 and 2004. Although Canklow Bridge adjoins Brinsworth, it is also closely linked to Canklow on the other side of the railway bridge. It is further proposed to add part of the Shenstone polling district, south of Wickersley Road, around Broom Avenue and Ledsham Road (690 electors) from the existing Valley ward. Before 2004, this area was divided between the Boston and Broom wards and has a similar character to the area across Broom Lane currently within Boston Castle. This addition brings the new Boston Castle electorate to 10,658, which is 1.6% above the electoral quotient. 6
The proposed Boston Castle would be bounded to the east by Rotherham East and Sitwell, to the south by Brinsworth, Sheffield to the west and Rotherham West to the north west. Ward 5: Bramley and Ravenfield This two-member ward is proposed to cover most of the parish of Bramley (5,029 out of 6,262 electors) along with the parishes of Ravenfield (2,291 electors) and Hooton Roberts (161 electors). This would create a ward with 7,481 electors, 7% above the electoral quotient. Bramley is currently divided between three wards with 2,992 electors (48%) in Wickersley ward, 2,214 electors (35%) in Hellaby ward and 1,056 electors (17%) in Silverwood ward. The new ward brings together 80% of Bramley into a single ward with the remainder being in Wickersley North. Bramley forms a continuous suburban area with Ravenfield Common, the main community of Ravenfield parish so this is also included. The northern part of the ward is a very sparsely populated rural area featuring two small villages. Hooton Roberts is close to and similar to the village of Ravenfield and its addition to this ward has less impact on electoral equality than in would have if added to Dalton and Thrybergh (9.6% over). The proposed Bramley and Ravenfield ward would be bounded by Maltby West and Doncaster to the east, Thurcroft & Wickersley South to the south, and Wickersley North and Dalton & Thrybergh to the north. Ward 6: Brinsworth The parish of Brinsworth (6,914 electors) is proposed to form the basis for a two-member ward with 7,682 electors. Brinsworth forms a compact urban and suburban area in the west of the borough between the main urban areas of Rotherham and Sheffield. The northern boundary takes in the Phoenix area north of Bawtry Road whilst the M1 motorway separates Brinsworth from Catcliffe to the south. The parish of Catcliffe is proposed to join Rother Vale ward along with the neighbouring parish of Treeton. Whilst the Phoenix polling district in the north of Brinsworth is not part of the parish, it does form part of the urban area. A small area at Canklow Bridge (36 electors) is proposed to join Boston Castle to keep Brinsworth within 10% of the electoral quotient (9.8% above). The proposed Brinsworth ward would be bounded by Rother Vale to the south, Sheffield to the west and Boston Castle to the north. 7
Ward 7: Dalton and Thrybergh This two-member ward is proposed to cover a grouping of three areas to the north east of Rotherham. The proposed Dalton and Thrybergh ward is based on the northern part of the existing Valley ward but extends further out to include additional areas in the existing Silverwood ward. To the east of Herringthorpe Valley Road is the council estate of East Herringthorpe with 1,523 electors (unparished). Adjoining this to the north east is the urban area of Dalton (2,638 electors), which is part of the parish of Dalton which has three distinct built-up areas, two of which are proposed to join Wickersley North. Adjoining Dalton to the north is the urban and suburban parish of Thybergh (3,346 electors) which features Thrybergh Country Park and a steel mill. Thrybergh is currently split between Valley and Silverwood wards, a situation this proposal seeks to address. Dalton and Thrybergh formed the basis for a Rotherham ward between 1973 and 2004 and the proposed new ward would unite Thrybergh as part of cohesive linear ward based on Doncaster Road. The electorate of 7,507 would be 7.3% above the electoral quotient but avoids dividing any community. The proposed Dalton and Thrybergh ward would be bounded by Bramley & Ravenfield to the east, Wickersley North and Sitwell to the south, and Rotherham East and Rawmarsh East to the west. Ward 8: Dinnington A three-member ward is proposed for Dinnington based on the existing Dinnington ward which was previously known as St John s ward (1980-2004).The proposed ward includes 95% of the parish of Dinnington St John s (7,129 electors) plus the neighbouring parish of Laughton-en-le-Morthen (1,049 electors), the village of Laughton Common (1,514 electors) and the small parishes of Firbeck (260 electors), Letwell (102 electors) and Gildingwells (83 electors). The total electorate would thus be 10,137 which is 3.4% below the electoral quotient. Almost all of the existing Dinnington ward would be included but the residential area of the Monksbridge polling district is proposed to join Anston and Woodsetts to make the latter a viable three-member ward. The adjoining village of Laughton Common is in the parish of Thurcroft but is closer to Dinnington in terms of both distance and use of services. Dinnington ward includes a wide variety of urban, suburban and rural environments, from the deprived central Dinnington to new housing estates and extensive rural areas to the east. All are served by Dinnington town 8
centre and other services such as the secondary school, library and children s centre located in Dinnington. The proposed Dinnington ward would be bounded to the east by Bassetlaw, to the south by Anston and Woodsetts, to the west by Thurcroft & Wickersley South and to the north by Maltby East and Maltby West. Ward 9. Greasbrough A two-member ward is proposed for Greasbrough, based on the existing Wingfield ward but with a reduced electorate of 6,568 which is 6% below the electoral quotient. The existing Wingfield ward is too small to form a threemember ward and also divides the community of Kimberworh Park in half. It is proposed to unite Kimberworth Park within the Keppel ward which will create a viable three-member ward there with 2,643 additional electors from the existing Wingfield joining a similar number of Kimberworth Park electors already in Keppel. This leaves Greasbrough ward as a distinct urban area surrounded by open space which separates it from the rest of Rotherham town to the south, whilst to the north there is open countryside. Greasbrough ward would cover the mainly council housing areas of Wingfield, Rockingham and Munsbrough, together with the older community of Greasbrough which has mainly private housing. Much of the open land in the south of the ward is allocated for the large Bassingthorpe housing development which will mainly impact on the electorate after 2022. This proposal provides longer term growing room for 1,125 additional electors before the ward would exceed 10% above the quotient. The proposed Greasbrough ward would be bounded by Rawmarsh West to the east, Rotherham West to the south, Keppel to the south west and Hoober to the north west. Ward 10: Hoober A three-member ward is proposed for Hoober, based on the present ward of the same name. Hoober ward covers a large area in the north west of Rotherham, a mixture of small former mining communities, new suburban developments and sparsely populated rural areas. The ward includes the parish of Brampton Bierlow (4,014 electors), neighbouring West Melton (4,078 electors) and the rural parish of Wentworth (1,069 electors), all in the existing Hoober ward. Hoober ward would have 10,049 electors, 4% below the electoral quotient. In the north of the ward is the former mining community of Brampton, location of Cortonwood Colliery (now a retail park). Set in an extensive rural area to the south is the large stately home of Wentworth Woodhouse and the historic tower of Hoober 9
Stand. Both are in the parish of Wentworth which also includes the village of Harley and the hamlet of Hoober which gives its name to this ward. The unparished Manor Farm area (1,490 electors) of the existing Hoober ward is physically part of the Rawmarsh urban area and therefore proposed to be included in Rawmarsh West ward. In place of Manor Farm, it is proposed to add most of the Manvers polling district (889 electors), currently in Wath ward. New housing in Manvers is currently divided between the two wards so this proposal unites the whole area either side of Manvers Way within Hoober. The proposed Hoober ward would be bounded by Wath and Rawmarsh West to the east, Greasbrough and Keppel to the south, Sheffield to the east and Barnsley to the north. Ward 11: Keppel A three-member ward is proposed for Keppel based on the existing ward of the same name which was created in 2004. To achieve better electoral equality and community identity, it is proposed to include the eastern half of Kimberworth Park (3,534 electors), currently divided between Wingfield and Rotherham West, in Keppel ward. This will unite all of Kimberworth Park within a single ward which is preferable to being divided between three wards as at present. To compensate for this addition, most of the Toll Bar polling district would join Rotherham West where it merges with the area of Kimberworth, which is also divided at present. The new Keppel Ward would cover the suburban village of Thorpe Hesley and large urban council estate of Kimberworth Park, plus the small village of Thorpe Common, the hamlet of Scholes and modern estates around Keppel s Column in the centre of the ward, after which it is named. None of these areas are parished and the communities are linked by the A629 Upper Wortley Road. Keppel would have an electorate of 11,072 which is 5.5% above the electoral quotient, and have a similar boundary to the former Thorpe Hesley ward which existed between 1980 and 2004. The proposed Keppel ward would be bounded by Greasbrough to the east, Rotherham West to the south, Sheffield to the west and Hoober to the north. Ward 12. Kilnhurst and Swinton East Swinton is small town in the north east of Rotherham borough, bordering the Mexborough area of Doncaster. Swinton has formed the basis of a threemember ward since 1973 but this is proposed to change in 2020. The Swinton urban area covers the town of Swinton (8,527 electors) and the adjoining community of Kilnhurst (4,033 electors). A three-member ward cannot cover the whole area although it is possible to cover the wider Swinton 10
and Wath area using three two-member wards. At present, a large part of Swinton town is in Wath ward, which was also the case between 1980 and 2004, although using a different boundary. In neither case was this felt to be a satisfactory arrangement by the electors and representatives of Swinton. It is proposed to divide the Swinton urban area into two two-member wards. The new Kilnhurst and Swinton East ward would unite south Kilnhurst (400 electors) from the existing Silverwood ward with the greater part of Kilnhurst (3,633 electors), currently in Swinton ward. Kilnhurst adjoins Swinton and both are clearly separate from Rawmarsh. The northern part of the ward would cover Swinton east of the railway along with south eastern parts of Swinton around Fitzwilliam Street and Lime Grove. The inclusion of these areas would add 2,358 Swinton electors to those from Kilnhurst. Kilnhurst and Swinton East would have 6,391 electors, 8.6% under the electoral quotient, with 94% coming from the existing Swinton ward. The proposed Kilnhurst and Swinton East ward would be bounded by Doncaster to the north east, Bramley & Ravenfield to the south east, Rawmarsh East to the south and Swinton Rockingham to the north west. Ward 13. Maltby East The town and parish of Maltby lies on the eastern edge of Rotherham borough and, with 12,602 electors, is too large to form a three-member ward but can form the basis for two two-member wards. Maltby East would be entirely in Maltby parish, with 55% of the electorate and include most of the existing Maltby ward. The whole eastern side of the town would be included, east of Braithwell Road plus a sparsely populated rural area to the east, including Roche Abbey and the former Maltby Main colliery. Maltby is a former mining town and most of the housing in the ward relates to this history, either council estates such as White City, south of Tickhill Road or former coal board housing at the Model Village west of Muglet Lane. The electorate of Maltby East would be 6,989 which is almost exactly equal to the electoral quotient. The ward would be bounded by Doncaster and Bassetlaw to the east, Dinnington to the south and Maltby West to the west. Ward 14. Maltby West The two-member Maltby West would cover the western 45% of Maltby parish (5,612 electors) along with the adjoining small parishes of Hellaby (710 electors) and Hooton Levitt (106 electors). Hellaby and the western suburbs of Maltby (around Addison Road) are currently in Hellaby ward, linked with the southern parts of Bramley and Wickersley. They are better placed as part of Maltby West ward which would have 6,429 electors, 8% below the electoral quotient, but there is no convenient additional small area to include. 11
Maltby west of Braithwell Road is a diverse area with mix of council and private housing at Cliff Hills off Addison Road along with extensive modern private housing estates either side of Dale Hill Road. Just along Bawtry Road is Hellaby which has older suburban housing and a large industrial estate to the north. Hooton Levitt is a small village just to the south of Maltby and is currently in Maltby ward. The proposed Maltby West would be bounded to the east by Maltby East, by Dinnington to the south, by Bramley and Ravenfield to the west and Doncaster to the north. Ward 15. Rawmarsh East Rawmarsh is a substantial urban area to the north of Rotherham which until 1974 formed a separate Urban District. With an electorate of 14,658, Rawmarsh is much too large to form a three-member ward but can readily be accommodated by two two-member wards. Indeed, two Rawmarsh wards existed between 1980 and 2004, one of which also included Kilnhurst. However, the existing Rawmarsh ward only covers part of the urban area, the remainder of which is in either Silverwood or Hoober. Rawmarsh is broadly Y shaped with the majority of the population in the northern part, which makes it easier to divide into east and west wards. Rawmarsh East would include the eastern part of the existing Rawmarsh ward along with the western part of the existing Silverwood ward. The ward lies to the east of the A633 and includes east Parkgate, Ryecroft, Roundwood and Sandhill plus the Aldwarke steelworks. The steel industry remains the largest local employer although Rawmarsh East also includes Retail World at Parkgate, in the far south of the ward. With an electorate of 7,194, the proposed Rawmarsh East would cover half of Rawmarsh and be 2.9% above the electoral quotient. An electoral balance has been achieved by dividing the Rockcliffe polling district (751 electors) which places central Rawmarsh, around Bellows Road, in Rawmarsh West. The ward would be bounded to the east by Dalton & Thrybergh, to the south by Rotherham East, to the west by Rawmarsh West and to the north by Kilnhurst & Swinton East and Swinton Rockingham. Ward 16. Rawmarsh West The urban area of Rawmarsh (14,658 electors) forms a sound basis for two two-member wards and the western side, largely west of the A633, is proposed to be covered by RawmarshWest ward. Most of this area is currently in the Rawmarsh ward, including west Parkgate, central Rawmarsh, Monkwood, Rosehill Victoria Park, Warren Vale and the Barbot Hall Industrial Estate in the south. 12
To create a viable two-member ward, the Manor Farm area on the north western edge of Rawmarsh is proposed to be included. Manor Farm (1,490 electors) is currently in Hoober ward but it forms part of the Rawmarsh urban area and has far less in common with rural Wentworth parish in Hoober ward. The proposed Rawmarsh West would have 7,465 electors which is 6.7% over the electoral quotient. To achieve the best division of electorate between the two Rawmarsh wards, the Rockcliffe polling district (751 electors) would be divided, with three quarters, around Bellows Road and High Street, joining Rawmarsh West. The ward would be bounded to the east by Rotherham East, to the west by Wingfield and Hoober, and to the north by Wath and Swinton Rockingham. Ward 17. Rother Vale The proposed two-member Rother Vale ward covers part of the valley of the River Rother to the south of the M1 near Junction 33. This covers the parishes of Catcliffe (2,227 electors) and Treeton (2,541 electors), together with the northern part of Orgreave parish (1,783 electors). Treeton and Orgreave are both currently in Rother Vale ward which was created in 2004. Rother Vale is an area of economic regeneration and new housing development which has affected most of the parishes. Orgreave is well known as the site of a former coking works but together with the southern side of Catcliffe parish, is now dominated by the Waverley regeneration area. This includes the Advanced Manufacturing Park and Research Centre and a growing area of new housing to the south. The former coal mining village of Treeton has also seen significant new housing development in recent years which, together with Waverley have caused the electorate of Rother Vale to grow. The inclusion of Catcliffe will facilitate a two-member ward in Brinsworth and link the village with its close neighbour Treeton. Waverley straddles the boundary between Catcliffe and Orgreave parishes which makes it sensible to unite the new community in the same ward. Whilst the electorate of Waverley will continue to grow at a significant rate after 2022, the electoral impact of long term growth will have to be addressed in a future review. However, with 6,552 electors, Rother Vale provides growing room for an additional 1,141 electors before the ward exceeds 10% over the quotient. The southern part of Orgreave parish is proposed to join Aughton and Swallownest to which it relates better. The proposed Rother Vale ward is bounded by Aughton & Swallownest to the south east, Sheffield to the west, Brinsworth to the north and Sitwell to the north east. 13
Ward 18. Rotherham East Rotherham East is proposed as a three-member ward based on the existing ward of the same name. The existing ward has too small an electorate to be viable so it is proposed to add similar areas to the south which are currently in Valley ward to create a ward with 10,829 electors, 3.2% above the quotient. Rotherham East covers a largely residential area to the east of Rotherham town centre covering Eastwood, East Dene, Herringthorpe, Springwell Gardens and part of Clifton. These are mostly estates of council housing or former council housing although there are also enclaves of private terraced and suburban housing. Most parts of the ward have high levels of deprivation and there is much ethnic diversity, especially in Eastwood. The areas additional to the existing Rotherham East are currently in Valley ward, namely the Chaucer polling district (994 electors) and the part of the Shenstone polling district north of Wickersley Road (788 electors). This would bring greater unity to the suburb of Herringthorpe which is currently divided between the two wards. The proposed Rotherham East ward would be bounded to the east by Dalton and Thrybergh, to the south by Sitwell, to the west by Boston Castle and to the north by Rawmarsh East. Ward 19. Rotherham West A three-member ward is proposed for Rotherham West based on the existing ward of the same name. As the existing ward is too small to meet the electoral quotient, an area from Keppel is proposed to be added to create a ward with 10,807 electors, 3% above the electoral quotient. Rotherham West covers a variety of residential areas to the west of Rotherham town centre. These include the inner, mainly terraced and ethnically diverse areas of Masbrough, Ferham, Holmes, Thornhill and Meadowbank and the more suburban areas of Kimberworth, Bradgate, Richmond Park, Hill Top and Blackburn, all in the existing ward. The additional areas would be Toll Bar & Dropping Well, currently in Keppel which adds 1,880 electors. These fit well with Rotherham West and both areas were previously in the Kimberworth ward from 1980 to 2004. The Toll Bar polling district includes a large part of Kimberworth which is currently divided between the two wards, and Winterhill School which serves the whole area. A small area at the eastern end of Kimberworth Park (Warren Hill 891 electors), currently in Rotherham West, would join the rest of Kimberworth Park in Keppel ward to unite the community in one ward. 14
The proposed Rotherham West would be bounded by Boston Castle to the east and south east, Sheffield to the south and west, and Keppel and Wingfield to the north. Ward 20. Sitwell This three-member ward is based on the existing Sitwell ward which was created in 2004 and covers a large suburban area to the south east of Rotherham. The ward includes the parish of Whiston (4,176 electors) to the south of East Bawtry Road along with suburban areas of Rotherham which lie opposite, namely Moorgate, Broom and Stag. An additional suburban area in the St Bernards polling district (870 electors) is included from the existing Valley ward, to bring the new ward total to 10,292 electors, within 2% of the electoral quotient. The St Bernards polling district covers the eastern side of Herringthorpe and is an area of private suburban housing which merges seamlessly with the neighbouring area of Stag in the vicinity of Dovedale Road and Far Field Road. The Sitwell ward is both geographically and socially very cohesive, being mainly private suburban housing with low levels of deprivation. The proposed Sitwell ward would be bounded to the north by Rotherham East and Dalton & Thrybergh, to the east by Wickersley North, to the south east by Thurcroft and South Wickersley, to the south by Aughton & Swallownest and Rother Vale, and to the west by Boston Castle. Ward 21. Swinton Rockingham Swinton has formed the basis of a three-member ward since 1973 but this is proposed to change in 2020. It is proposed that the Swinton and Wath area be covered by three two-member wards rather than continue to include a large part of Swinton within a three-member Wath ward, to the disquiet of both electors and their representatives. The new Swinton Rockingham ward would straddle the existing boundary between the Swinton and Wath wards and include a small part of the latter town. The ward would cover north Swinton (Bow Broom) around Thomas Street and Queen Street and new housing off Golden Smithies Lane. Also included would be the areas west of Swinton Academy, off Valley Road and either side of Rockingham Road, all of which are very much parts of Swinton. To create two viable two-member wards for Swinton, it is necessary to include 248 electors from Wath at Flintway, Boyd Road and Wath Wood Road. These are currently in the Racecourse polling district which overlaps the two towns. The nearby streets of Rig Drive, Racecourse Road and Warren Vale Road are in Swinton so naturally form part of Swinton West. 15
The proposed ward name derives from the former Rockingham Pottery, an ancient monument on Blackamoor Road, linked to the centre of Swinton by Rockingham Road. Swinton Rockingham would have 6,454 electors, 7.7% under the electoral quotient, with 56% coming from the existing Swinton ward and 44% from Wath ward. The proposed Swinton Rockingham ward would be bounded by Swinton East to the east, Rawmarsh East and Rawmarsh West to the south and Wath to the west and north. Ward 22. Thurcroft and Wickersley South Thurcoft is a former coal mining village located in the south central part of Rotherham borough, surrounded by open countryside which makes it a very distinct community. Thurcroft is currently in the Rother Vale ward but does not fit well with Treeton, Swallownest and other communities which are proposed to form the basis of the new wards of Rother Vale and Aughton & Swallownest. With 4,484 electors, the village of Thurcroft is too small to form a two-member ward but too large to form a one-member ward. It is therefore necessary to link Thurcroft with a neighbouring area to form a viable ward. The parish of Thurcroft includes the separate village of Laughton Common which is in Dinnington ward. With 5,998 electors, the parish is still too small to form a viable ward and Laughton Common allows Dinnington to form a viable threemember ward. It is therefore proposed to include 3,091 electors from south Wickersley to give a proposed ward electorate of 7,575 which is 8.3% above the electoral quotient. The area of Wickersley included is entirely to the south of Bawtry Road, currently in Hellaby ward, which is proposed to be divided into three. Wickersley is an older and more prosperous community than Thurcroft but the two have built up areas only a mile apart and are linked by Morthen Road. The proposal does divide Wickersley parish but no more so than at present, following the creation of the Hellaby and Wickersley wards in 2004. The proposed Thurcroft and Wickersley South ward would be bounded by Bramley & Ravenfield to the north east, Dinnington to the east, Anston & Woodsetts and Aston & Todwick to the south, Aughton & Swallownest to the south west, Sitwell to the west and Wickersley North to the north. Ward 23. Wales The parish of Wales forms the basis of a existing ward in the far south of Rotherham borough, along with three smaller parishes. This ward is too small to form a three-member ward and it is proposed to reduce the size to form a two-member ward. 16
Wales is a semi-rural suburban parish with an electorate of 5,906 in the twin villages of Wales (3,523 electors) and Kiveton Park (2,383 electors). At the western end of the parish is the Rother Valley Country Park. To the south of Wales is the rural parish of Harthill with Woodall (1,578 electors in the village of Harthill and hamlet of Woodall). Together, these parishes would form a twomember ward with 7,483 electors, 7% above the electoral quotient. Of the existing Wales ward, the northernmost parish of Todwick would join Aston in a new two-member ward and Thorpe Salvin would join Anston and Woodsetts, to make a viable three-member ward. The proposed Wales ward would be bounded by Anston & Woodsetts to the east, North East Derbyshire to the south, Sheffield to the west and Aston & Todwick to the north. Ward 24. Wath Wath upon Dearne is a small town in the north east of Rotherham borough and has formed the basis for a three-member ward since 1973. Wath was a historic village which expanded to become an important centre of coal mining. Wath has experienced large scale regeneration to the north in the Manvers area, largely for new employment but also for housing. New housing has increased the electorate of Wath to become the largest ward in Rotherham. With 8,184 electors (including Manvers), the town of Wath is too large to be a two-member ward and too small to be a three-member ward. To form a viable new Hoober ward, it is proposed that 889 electors from Manvers join Hoober. The remaining 7,295 electors in Wath could therefore form a two-member ward but a small amount of Wath s electorate is required to provide two viable two-member wards for Swinton. A two-member Wath ward is therefore proposed with 7,047 electors, within 1% of the electoral quotient. The proposed Wath ward would include 97% of Wath town excluding the new housing to the north of Manvers Way. As the new housing south of Manvers Way is already in Hoober ward, it makes sense to include the whole area in Hoober. The new housing north of Tesco at Marvell Way and Stables Way would remain in Wath ward. All of Wath to the south of this would be included apart from a few streets around Wath Wood Road, included in Swinton Rockingham. Wath ward would also include the Manvers employment area, Wathwood Hospital and Dearne Valley College campus. The proposed Wath ward would be bounded to the east by Doncaster, to the south east by Swinton Rockingham, to the south west by Rawmarsh West, by Hoober to the west and north, and by Barnsley to the north east. 17
Ward 25. Wickersley North Wickersley is a small suburban town about three miles east of Rotherham town centre and is also a civil parish. The area merges with neighbouring urban areas to the north but is more open to the south. The parish is currently divided almost equally by the A631 Bawtry Road between the Wickersley (north side) and Hellaby (south side) wards. This division is proposed to continue, to facilitate two new wards. Wickersley is the focal point of a larger urban area which includes Bramley, Flanderwell, Sunnyside, Woodlaithes and Ravenfield Common with a total of 19,351 electors. The eastern part of this area is proposed for the Bramley and Ravenfield ward and south Wickersley is proposed to link with Thurcroft. Wickersley North would include 3,276 electors from northern Wickersley, 1,448 from Flanderwell, 1,519 from Sunnyside, 1,464 from Woodlaithes and 1,233 from west Bramley. Also included are 870 electors from Brecks which lies just west of Wickersley along Bawtry Road, and like Flanderwell, Sunnyside and Woodlaithes, is part of Dalton parish. 76% of the electorate would be from the existing Wickersley ward. The proposed Wickersley North ward would be bounded to the east by Bramley & Ravenfield, to the south by Thurcroft & Wickersley South, to the south west by Sitwell and to the north west by Dalton & Thrybergh. 5. Comparison of Proposed New Wards and Existing Wards The proposed wards involve changes affecting every existing ward boundary so all would in theory be new wards. However, the perception of 66% of electors will be one of no change in their ward and for a further 13% a change in ward name, generally a more appropriate one. In addition, 13% of electors will find themselves in a more appropriate ward to where they live, e.g. Rawmarsh electors from Silverwood to Rawmarsh East. Thus it is anticipated that 92% of electors will be content with their new ward following the boundary changes. Whilst all wards would in theory be new, only a few are clearly new creations which would inherit less than 66% of their electorate from a single existing ward. These new wards would be: Aughton and Swallownest (from parts of Holderness and Rother Vale) Bramley and Ravenfield (largest share from Silverwood) Rawmarsh East (from parts of Rawmarsh and Silverwood) Swinton Rockingham (from parts of Swinton and Wath) Thurcroft and Wickersley South (from parts of Rother Vale and Hellaby) 18
Proposed Ward Electors Predecessor Ward* Electors in common Percent from predecessor Anston & Woodsetts 9,675 Anston & 8,972 93% Woodsetts Aston & Todwick 7,269 Holderness 5,801 80% Aughton & 6,934 Holderness 4,080 59% Swallownest Boston Castle 10,658 Boston Castle 9,932 93% Bramley & 7,481 Silverwood 3,508 46% Ravenfield Brinsworth 7,682 Brinsworth & 7,682 100% Catcliffe Dalton & Thrybergh 7,507 Valley 5,659 75% Dinnington 10,137 Dinnington 10,137 100% Greasbrough 6,568 Wingfield 6,568 100% Hoober 10,049 Hoober 9,160 91% Keppel 11,072 Keppel 7,537 68% Kilnhurst & Swinton 6,391 Swinton 5,991 94% East Maltby East 6,989 Maltby 6,989 100% Maltby West 6,429 Hellaby 4,357 68% Rawmarsh East 7,194 Rawmarsh 3,983 55% Rawmarsh West 7,465 Rawmarsh 5,975 80% Rother Vale 6,552 Rother Vale 4,324 66% Rotherham East 10,829 Rotherham East 9,047 84% Rotherham West 10,807 Rotherham West 8,927 83% Sitwell 10,292 Sitwell 9,667 94% Swinton 6,454 Swinton 3,639 56% Rockingham Thurcroft & 7,575 Rother Vale 4,484 59% Wickersley South Wales 7,483 Wales 7,483 100% Wath 7,047 Wath 7,047 100% Wickersley North 9,810 Wickersley 7,359 76% * A predecessor ward is an existing ward from which the largest part of the electorate of a proposed new ward would be drawn. Rotherham MBC 8 th May 2017 19