Extra chance for a say on Lincolnshire council boundaries

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England has opened a new phase of public consultation in its review of Lincolnshire County Council’s electoral division boundaries.

The consultation focuses on new proposals for division boundaries represented by county councillors in North Kesteven, South Kesteven, South Holland and West Lindsey districts.

Earlier this year, the commission held a public consultation on proposals for new division boundaries across Lincolnshire.

Plans indicate Lincolnshire County Council would have 70 county councillors in the future, seven fewer than the current arrangements.

Significant changes to the plans have been proposed in North Kesteven, South Kesteven, South Holland and West Lindsey.

Residents now have from May 10 until June 6 2016 to have their say about where division boundaries should be drawn.

Details of the recommendations, including maps of the proposals, are available on the Commission’s website.

Proposed boundaries for Lincolnshire.

The changes to the proposals based on local feedback are as follows:

• North Kesteven – the new recommendations seek to address local concerns about the previous proposal to split the parish of Cranwell, Brauncewell & Byard’s Leap between electoral divisions.
• South Kesteven – the new plans put forward an alternative way of dividing Market Deeping between electoral divisions as proposed during consultation.
• South Holland – the commission received local comments to its proposal for the inclusion of part of Spalding in the Crowland division and the separation of Crowland from parishes to its east. The further recommendations propose a different pattern in this part of the county.
• West Lindsey – the commission had proposed to divide the parish of Welton between electoral divisions. The proposed pattern has now been changed for divisions in the district.

The commission will consider all submissions and aims to publish its final recommendations in August 2016.

Once final recommendations are agreed 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 divisions will come into effect at the county council elections in 2017.

Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said: “We listened carefully to all the views put to us on new electoral division boundaries earlier this year and have made changes to the original recommendations.

“We are now asking local people to have their say on the revised proposals for North Kesteven, South Kesteven, South Holland and West Lindsey.

“There were some strong arguments made to us that an alternative pattern of divisions in the four districts might better reflect local community interests and identities.

“That is why we have changed our recommendations and we are now putting them forward for consultation.

“We are asking local people to log on to our website to tell us what they think about these proposals before we publish final recommendations for the whole county in August 2016.”

Residents can have their say in writing:

The Review Officer (Lincolnshire)
LGBCE
14th floor, Millbank Tower
London SW1P 4QP

Or email: [email protected]