Rushcliffe Borough Ward Boundary Review 2021

Background Document - Prepared by USRAcic*

A ward is a geographical area which is defined as an electoral district of a borough council and is typically represented by one or more councillors. Rushcliffe Borough Council is currently split into 25 wards and is represented by 44 borough councillors. The council is initiating a review of ward boundaries in the first half of 2021, this gives us a window of opportunity to highlight that Upper Saxondale is currently split between two wards, and to change this situation by moving Upper Saxondale wholly into one ward.

USRAcic Proposals:

  1. To ensure improved representation for Upper Saxondale at local government level 

  2. To move Upper Saxondale wholly into one electoral ward. The proposed ward would be the Cropwell ward. This would also facilitate the creation of an Upper Saxondale Parish and thus an Upper Saxondale Parish Council.

Of the 326 homes in Upper Saxondale, 259 homes are represented in the Radcliffe on Trent electoral ward. However, 67 homes are positioned over the ward boundary line and are represented in the Cropwell electoral ward. This means that residents are divided between two wards and two parish councils.  

Upper Saxondale is a small, cohesive community with fewer amenities to maintain than Radcliffe on Trent. It is a more rural community and faces similar challenges to villages like Cropwell Butler and Cropwell Bishop, which are already represented within this ward.

Within the Cropwell ward our community would be represented as the village of Upper Saxondale, one amongst a number of similar villages as opposed to Upper Saxondale, part of the larger Radcliffe on Trent ward. 

The Radcliffe on Trent ward electorate is estimated to increase from 6,524 in 2020 to 8,031 by 2027, it is therefore likely that Upper Saxondale’s share of community voice would diminish over time. By comparison the Cropwell ward electorate is estimated to increase from 2,063 to 2,312 during this timespan.

As a village within the Cropwell ward, Upper Saxondale would benefit from its own village identity and a greater share of community voice. The Cropwell ward currently encompasses Cropwell Bishop, Cropwell Butler, Tithby, Wiverton and Wiverton Hall.

The change of ward boundary would also facilitate a change to parish boundaries and thus the opportunity to create the parish of Upper Saxondale and an Upper Saxondale Parish Council. A parish council is a statutory local authority and would give Upper Saxondale an independent voice at local government level. 

You can find a written description of the proposed boundary changes and visual representations of the current and proposed boundaries for the electoral ward and the parish council on Proposed Ward & Parish Boundary Changes page

For more information about the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s review of Rushcliffe Borough Council’s ward boundaries please visit www.lgbce.org.uk website