Boundary Commission Press Release: Local views sought on number of councillors for Shepway

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England is asking local people how many councillors they think should represent Shepway in the future.

The six-week public consultation is the first part of an electoral review which will also consider changes to the number, names and boundaries of all the district council's wards.

The Commission has considered evidence submitted to it by the council and is now consulting local people on a proposal that would see the authority represented by 30 councillors in future, 16 fewer than the current arrangements.

The Commission is now asking local people whether they think 30 is the right number of councillors for Shepway. Max Caller, Chair of the Commission, said: "This is your chance to shape your council for the future.

"We are asking people across Shepway whether they agree that 30 councillors is the right number to represent Shepway District Council in the future.

"We want to know if you think 30 is the right number of councillors to be able to take decisions effectively and whether it's the right number to represent the interests of all communities in Shepway.

"If you don't agree that Shepway should be represented by 30 councillors, we'd like you to tell us your alternative and why you think there should be more - or fewer - members of the council in the future.

"Once we've taken a view on the number of councillors for Shepway, we will redraw ward boundaries to accommodate those elected members and we'll be asking local people to have their say during that process as well."

The current phase of consultation closes on 3 December 2012. Once it has considered the evidence provided by local people and organisations, the Commission will publish its proposal on the total number of councillors in January 2013 and then begin to gather information from local people and organisations on new ward boundaries across Shepway.

The Commission aims to publish its draft recommendations for a new pattern of wards for Shepway in June 2013 when it will consult local people again for twelve weeks. Final recommendations are due to be published in January 2014 and the new electoral arrangements would come into effect for the council elections in 2015.

Further information on electoral reviews and guidance on what sort of information the Commission is looking for, log on to our website at www.lgbce.org.uk.

To have your say, please write to:

The Review Officer (Shepway)
Local Government Boundary Commission for England
Layden House
76-86 Turnmill Street
London
EC1M 5LG

Email: reviews@lgbce.org.uk

Have your say directly through our consultation portal at: http://consultation.lgbce.org.uk