South Cambridgeshire District Council are running a ten-week consultation to ask how often elections should be held to appoint councillors to South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Local residents, businesses and other organizations are being asked whether there should be a move to ‘all-out’ elections of the whole Council once every four years, or preservation of the current ‘by thirds’ system of electing one-third of Council seats each year for three successive years out of four.

The change is being considered ahead of a scheduled boundary review later this year by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE). The review will see wards – the geographical area councillors cover – adjusted to ensure that all district councillors represent approximately the same number of electors.

As part of the review, LGBCE will consider how many councillors are needed to effectively represent South Cambridgeshire residents. If the Council continues to elect ‘by thirds’, the Commission will look to introduce three-councillor wards across the district. An ‘all-out’ election cycle – which would begin in 2018 at the earliest – would see a mixed ward pattern, favouring single-councillor wards where possible.

Currently, 57 councillors serve four-year terms representing 34 wards across South Cambridgeshire. Depending on their size, some wards have one councillor while others have two or three, meaning that some residents are eligible to vote in district council elections more frequently than others.

Milton is currently a two member ward so, if electing ‘by thirds’ were to continue, then it sounds like the Commission would be looking to make our ward bigger so as to justify it having three members. You may have a view on this.

Cllr Sue Ellington, Chair of South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Civic Affairs Committee, said:

There are pros and cons to both options for running our elections in the future. We’d like as many residents, partners and other organisations as possible to give us their views, and all feedback will be considered ahead of a vote on the matter by all Councillors later this year.

The consultation closes on 18th September. More background information and an online survey form can be found at www.scambs.gov.uk/local-elections-consultation.

Paper surveys are also available from richard.may@scambs.gov.uk or by calling 01954 713366.