People in Stone are being invited to have their say on proposals for new boundaries for council divisions in the county.
The Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) is the independent body that draws boundaries and divisions for councils. It is reviewing Staffordshire to make sure councillors will represent about the same number of electors, and that division arrangements will help the council work effectively.
The Commission is proposing that there should continue to be 62 divisions, with one councillor per division. It now wants to hear what residents and local organisations think about the proposals. A 10-week consultation will run until the 16th of October.
About the Stone area, the proposal says:
“Identifying a pattern of wards around Stone and Stafford was challenging. Stone has too many electors for one councillor and too few for two if it is to have an acceptable level of electoral equality. Therefore, we considered that an area of Stone should be included in a more rural ward. Similarly, Stafford town has too many electors for four councillors and too few for five if the divisions will also provide for a good level of electoral equality.
We received a district-wide proposal from Stone Constituency Labour Party (‘Stone Labour’) in addition to the Council’s proposals. This was supported by Councillor Pardesi.
The Council based its proposal on the existing divisions. Stone Labour proposed new boundaries. It was of the view the housing developments on the edge of Stafford were better included in urban wards.
Both schemes had merit, including good electoral equality. However, the boundaries of the divisions proposed were very different across the majority of the borough and it was not possible to adopt divisions proposed by one respondent in one area and those proposed by the other in the neighbouring area given the significant difference in their respective boundaries. Accordingly, we have used the scheme we considered provided the best balance of our statutory criteria.
In view of the additional evidence we received from others, in relation to the Eccleshall, Gnosall, Stone, Swynnerton, Barlaston and Fulford areas, we have based our draft recommendations on Stone Labour’s proposals. We note that the Council’s proposals were based primarily on existing divisions. We recognise that existing divisions may reflect community identities; however, we do not assume this and consider that generally the evidence of community identity in support of Stone Labour’s scheme was stronger.”
Alan White, Leader at Staffordshire County Council said:
“It’s really important that we have a fair and effective democratic process in Staffordshire that gives all our communities a say in how the council is run.
“The proposals will help make sure we have a fair and equal process when it comes to local council elections while helping us maintain community identity for years to come. All county councillors have been involved in the process and we continue to work closely with our district and borough colleagues. It’s vital that we get these proposals right and I would urge both residents and organisations to have their say.”
Launching the consultation, Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said:
“We want people in Staffordshire to help us. We have drawn up proposals for new divisions in Staffordshire. We want to make sure these new electoral arrangements reflect communities. We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people.
“Residents and local organisations can help us do that. We would like them to let us know whether they agree with our proposals before we take final decisions. It’s easy to get involved. Go to our website. Or you can e-mail or write to us.
“Just tell us what you think and give us some details why you think that. It’s really simple, so do get involved”.
Further details on the proposals, an interactive map showing the new divisions, and how to have your say are available here. Any changes will be implemented in 2025.
