PLANS before Redditch Borough Council could see established electoral wards carved up under a Boundary Commission review.
It would mean entire wards with their own identity like Matchborough, Crabbs Cross and Lodge Park would disappear and be merged with other areas.
The Commission is minded to reduce the number of borough councillors from 29 to 27 in nine wards with three councillors in each.
Proposals drawn up by council officers in the scenario before councillors would see:
1) Astwood Bank & Feckenham ward taking on the southern part of Crabbs Cross.
2) West ward taking on a large proportion of Headless Cross.
3) To compensate Headless Cross & Oakenshaw would gain the what’s left of Crabbs Cross and the Throckmorton polling station of Greenlands.
4) The Woodrow section of Greenlands ward would join with Matchborough West while Matchborough East would join with Winyates East.
5) The remains of Lodge Park, the very west of Winyates and and the Ipsley remains of Matchborough would form a new Lakeside ward.
6) Church Hill ward and the north of Abbey ward would become a new North ward.
7) A section of Abbey ward would join Batchley & Brockhill, while the rest of it would be added to Central ward.
Councillor Juliet Brunner (Ind, Matchborough) said: “These plans are dreadful – they will cut my community into pieces.
“There is no rhyme or reason to it but I think the only way we can stop it is to write to the Boundary Commission and say ‘this is all wrong’.”
The proposals go before Redditch full council on Monday, May 23 at 7pm and can be viewed here: https://moderngovwebpublic.redditchbc.gov.uk/documents/s44872/Appendix%201%20Draft%20Warding%20Pattern.pdf
People have until May 31 to register comments with the Boundary Commission at: https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/33249 or by e-mail at [email protected], and by post to: Review Officer (Redditch), LGBCE, PO Box 133, Blyth, NE24 9FE.
