Have your say on new council ward boundaries
Birmingham residents: have your say on new council ward boundaries
The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England is asking people across Birmingham to comment on its draft proposals for new council ward boundaries.
An eight-week public consultation on the recommendations begins today and will end on 8 February 2016. The consultation is open to anyone who wants to have their say on new council wards, ward boundaries and ward names across Birmingham.
The Commission’s draft recommendations propose that Birmingham City Council should have 101 city councillors in the future, nineteen fewer than the current arrangements. The recommendations also outline how those councillors should represent 53 single-member wards and 24 two-member wards across the city.
The full recommendations and detailed interactive maps are available on the Commission’s website at www.consultation.lgbce.org.uk and www.lgbce.org.uk
Max Caller CBE, Chair of the Commission, said: “We are publishing proposals for a new pattern of council wards across Birmingham and we are keen to hear what local people think of the recommendations.
“Over the next eight weeks, we are asking local people to tell us if they agree with the proposals or if not, how they can be improved.
“Our review aims to deliver electoral equality for local voters. This means that each city councillor represents a similar number of electors so that everyone’s vote in city council elections is worth roughly the same regardless of where you live.
“We also want to ensure that our proposals reflect the interests and identities of local communities across Birmingham and that the pattern of wards can help the council deliver effective local government to local people.
“We will consider all the submissions we receive whoever they are from and whether your evidence applies to the whole city or just part of it.
The Commission wants to hear as much evidence as possible in order to develop final recommendations for Birmingham City Council. If you would like to make a submission to the Commission, please write or email us by 8 February 2016:
The Review Officer (Birmingham)
LGBCE
14th floor, Millbank Tower
London
SW1P 4QP
Email: [email protected]
Follow us on Twitter @LGBCE
Have your say directly through the Commission’s consultation portal:
https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/5688
Link to the dedicated web page for the Birmingham electoral review:
www.lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews/west-midlands/west-midlands/birmingham
For further information contact:
Press Office: 0330 500 1250 / 1525
[email protected]
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Notes to editors:
1. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is responsible for reviewing local authority electoral arrangements, defining boundaries for local elections and the number of councillors to be elected, as well as conducting reviews of local government external boundaries and structures.
2. The Commission is carrying out an electoral review of Birmingham City Council following Lord Kerslake’s report on the governance and organisational capabilities of Birmingham City Council. The report recommended that an electoral review should be conducted ‘to help the council produce an effective model of representative governance.’
3. The types of questions the Commission is asking residents at this stage are:
a. Do the proposed electoral wards reflect local communities?
b. How do you think the proposals can be improved whilst maintaining electoral equality?
c. Are the names of the proposed wards right?
4. Residents have from 15 December 2015 until 8 February 2016 to have their say about where ward boundaries for Birmingham should be drawn. The Commission will consider all submissions and aims to publish its final recommendations in May 2016. Once the Commission agrees its final recommendations it will lay a draft order in both Houses of Parliament. Parliament will then have 40 days in which to consider the recommendations. If both Houses are satisfied with the recommendations, the draft order will be ‘made’ and the new wards will come into effect at the city council elections in 2018.
