Local electoral arrangements finalised for Stratford-on-Avon District Council

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England has published its final recommendations for new electoral arrangements for Stratford-on-Avon District Council.

Today's publication follows a ten-week public consultation on its draft proposals and draws new boundaries for each council ward across the district.

The Commission's final recommendations propose that Stratford-on-Avon should be represented by 36 councillors in the future: seventeen fewer than the current arrangements. The recommendations also propose that those councillors should represent 36 single-member wards across the district.

Max Caller, Chair of the Commission, said, “We are extremely grateful to the people of Stratford-on-Avon who took the time and effort to send us their views. The Commission considered every piece of evidence it received before finalising these recommendations.

“We have sought to balance the views expressed to us by local people with the criteria we must apply when we are deciding on new electoral arrangements. As such, we believe these recommendations deliver electoral equality for voters as well as reflecting the identities of communities across the district."

In response to views expressed by local people and organisations, the Commission has made changes to some of the recommendations it put forward for consultation last year. In particular, the final recommendations propose to re-name Studley North and Studley South wards as Studley with Mappleborough Green and Studley with Sambourne respectively. Similarly, in the east of the district, the Commission proposes to re-name Wellesbourne North and Wellesbourne South as Wellesbourne East and Wellesbourne West respectively as a result of feedback provided during consultation.

Elsewhere in Stratford-on-Avon, the Commission's final recommendations propose minor boundary modifications to its draft proposals in Stratford-upon-Avon town and Shipston to ensure that each councillor represents a similar number of voters.

The proposed new arrangements must now be implemented by Parliament. A draft order – the legal document which brings into force the recommendations – will be laid in Parliament in the coming months. The draft Order provides for the new electoral arrangements to come into force at the council elections in 2015.

1. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is responsible for reviewing local authority electoral arrangements, e.g. defining boundaries for local elections and the number of councillors to be elected and – separately - for conducting reviews of local government external boundaries and structure.

2. Full details of the Commission's final recommendations (including maps) can be viewed at www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/west-midlands/warwickshire/stratford-on-avon-fer. or at https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/796/la=194.

News release issued from The Local Government Boundary Commission for England.