New consultation on plans to redraw boundaries

Picture: contains Ordnance Survey data (c) Crown copyright and database rights 2019

The number of local councillors representing Putney looks set to drop under the latest proposals from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).

Population growth in the area has not match that seen in Nine Elms and Battersea as a result of the large number of new developments in the east of the borough. So it is proposed to create more wards but reduce the number of councillors with two wards in and around Putney now to be represented by just two councillors - East Putney and Southfields.

There are also some changes to boundaries within the Putney area with West Putney ward being extended to take in Putney Heath leading to the renaming of Roehampton and Putney Heath ward to plain Roehampton. West Putney also takes over part of the area currently covered by East Putney.

Wandsworth currently has 60 councillors across 20 wards, which would change to 58 councillors across 22 wards if the plans are accepted. The council has not been reviewed since 1999. The recommendations outline how those councillors should represent 14 three-councillor wards, and 8 two-councillor wards across the council.

There are key changes to the north-east of the borough near Battersea and the new Nine Elms development.

Currently this all comes under Queenstown ward, which has three councillors. However, the new plans would roughly split this into three new wards – Battersea Park, Nine Elms and part of Shaftesbury and Queenstown.

To reflect the density of this part of the borough, both Battersea Park and Shaftesbury and Queenstown would have three councillors each, while the smaller Nine Elms would have two.

The new plans aim to ensure each councillor represents roughly the same number of electors as others across the council.

A public consultation into these changes launched this Tuesday (October 29) and will last until January 13 2020.

It is open to anyone who wants to have their say on the new wards, boundaries and even ward names across the borough.

Riverside, Lavender, Falconbrook, Tooting Broadway and Tooting Bec have all been proposed as new ward names with slightly different boundaries that are easier for residents to understand.

The second consultation follows one held in August 2019 on new boundaries.

The review also aims to ensure that the new council wards reflect, as far as possible, the interests and identities of communities across the borough.The types of questions the

The full recommendations and detailed interactive maps are available on the Commission’s website at consultation.lgbce.org.uk and www.lgbce.org.uk. Hard copies of the Commission’s report and maps will also be available to view at council buildings.

Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said: “We are publishing proposals for a new pattern of wards across Wandsworth and we are keen to hear what local people think of the recommendations. Over the next 11 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 councillor represents a similar number of people, so that everyone’s vote in 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 Wandsworth and that the pattern of wards can help the council deliver effective local government for local people.

Residents have until 13 January 2020 to submit their views in this consultation. Further information on the review and interactive maps of the existing wards can be found at the consultation website and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's website.

Final recommendations will be published on 31 March 2020

What do you think? Why not comment on our forum?

November 1, 2019