REVISED proposals for a major shake-up of the electoral map will see the new Redditch constituency take in an extra 13,000 voters.
The Boundary Commission on Tuesday published its revised plans for parliamentary constituencies after it was tasked by the Government to slash the number of MPs from 650 to 600 in time for the next general election in 2022.
The revised plans will see the boundary of the Redditch constituency shift northwards to take in areas such as Alvechurch, Hopwood and all the way up to Hollywood on the outskirts of Birmingham.
Currently, the constituency stretches as far south as the Lenches, near Evesham. But the revised proposals will see the Redditch boundary end just south of Feckenham.
These major changes would see the size of the Redditch constituency grow from 64,071 voters to 77,689 if the proposals are approved.
However, it is not clear if these proposals will ever be approved.
In 2013 MPs approved in principle reducing the number of constituencies. But it is unclear whether these fresh proposals would get the backing of a majority of MPs as the DUP, who the Conservatives rely on for support, voted against the last boundary review.
Sam Hartley, Secretary to the Boundary Commission for England, said: “We’re delighted with the huge number of comments on our initial proposals that we’ve received from members of the public, many of which contain valuable evidence about people’s local communities. Based on what people have said to us, we have revised more than half of our initial proposals.
“The new map of the country we publish is, we think, close to the best set of Parliamentary constituencies we can achieve, based on the rules to which we work and the evidence given to us by local citizens.
“But we still want people to tell us what they think of this latest map before we make our final recommendations to Parliament next year. It’s so important to have your say in this fundamental democratic exercise.”
The Boundary Commission is now consulting on its proposals for eight weeks which ends on Monday, December 11.
Visit www.bce2018.org.uk to have your say.
