Boundary changes across Telford & Wrekin need to be re-thought, say councillors

A re-think is being urged over proposed changes to Telford & Wrekin Council’s ward boundaries.

Every ward in the borough is set to be altered next year under a re-drawn map being put forward by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE).

But the council’s boundary review committee, while welcoming the majority of the changes being suggested, says there are areas the commission has got wrong.

The committee will meet again later this month to agree the council’s final submission to the consultation, and has asked officers to come up with alternative proposals for a number of key areas.

Councillor David Wright, newly-elected chairman of the committee, said the review had been brought about by significant population growth in certain areas of the borough.

He said: “It’s really important that we get this right, not just for the council but for the whole community, so that they feel they are well-represented on the authority.

“I think there’s a lot of really good stuff in these proposals, much of which I think we collectively can support.

“Clearly we are a town that is growing and the ward structure within the council has to adapt to that change.”

Under the LGBCE’s proposals, the number of councillors will remain at 54 but the number of wards will increase from 30 to 33. Some wards will be merged and some will be split, while others will see only minor boundary shifts.

The revised boundaries will result in all wards being within within 10 per cent of the ‘optimum’ number of 2,723 voters per councillor by 2027, taking into account projected population growth.

One of the biggest changes being proposed is the creation of a three-member Lawley ward, reflecting the housing growth in that area in recent years.

It will encompass the northern part of the current two-member Horsehay & Lightmoor ward, as well as bits of Wrockwardine and Ketley & Overdale.

Horsehay & Lightmoor would be retained as a single-member ward at the south of the existing division, while the area around Horsehay Pool would be absorbed into Dawley & Aqueduct.

Ketley & Overdale will see other major changes, with the ward set to be split along the M54. It will also lose the town centre to Malinslee & Dawley Bank, which is to be renamed Great Dawley & Dawley Bank.

A single-member Overdale & The Rock ward will remain, along with a two-member Ketley division which would also encompass the Ketley Bank area.

This in turn would leave a renamed and much reduced Oakengates ward, which is also set to lose the Trench Lock area.

Hadley & Leegomery will also split, with Hadley to join with Trench Lock and Leegomery to be merge with Apley Castle.

In Wellington, disparity in elector numbers will be addressed through merging wards to create two-member divisions for Arleston & College and Haygate & Park.

Meanwhile Newport’s current two wards will be separated into four – Newport North, South, East and West – each represented by a single councillor.

Councillor Wright said there were four key areas of concern around the draft proposals.

He said: “Firstly, in the Oakengates area, I don’t honestly believe Oakengates and Ketley Bank should be separated.

“People in Ketley Bank very much look to Oakengates as their local centre.

“I think we need to ask officers to go away and look at that boundary to see whether there is a more suitable solution to make sure those communities continue to be connected.”

This was echoed by Oakengates & Ketley Bank councillor Gilly Reynolds, who said she was “shocked” by the plans to carve up her ward.

Councillor Reynolds said: “I have been a councillor there for a decade now and in that time nobody in Ketley Bank has ever told me they shop in Ketley or go to school in Ketley.”

The second area Councillor Wright said needed to be re-considered was the suggested separation of Sutton Hill from Madeley.

He said: “I think those communities are connected. We are getting feedback from Sutton Hill that they want a councillor who has a role in the management of Madeley centre.”

Councillor Wright continued: “The third area that needs to be looked at is Lawley and Horsehay.

“I think there is a real challenge there in making sure those wards are electorally balanced.

“There is clearly a significant amount of growth going on in the Lawley area and we need to make sure we get that right.”

Councillor Jayne Greenaway, who represents Horsehay & Lightmoor, said residents of Lawley Gate would prefer to be included in Horsehay than Lawley as proposed.

Councillor Wright said the fourth area he had concerns over was Brookside, which is set to be reduced to a single councillor representing just the area within the Brookside Avenue ring.

Councillor Wright said: “The Lake End Drive area has been moved into The Nedge. It seems logical that the area would remain within a Brookside ward.”

Other members voiced opposition to the LGBCE’s proposals for other areas of the borough, with Apley Castle councillor Karen Blundell saying she was “shocked” at the proposal to merge her division with Leegomery.

She said: “They are two totally separate identities, I can’t see that they are actually anything like each other.”

Councillor Nigel Dugmore said he did not agree with the proposals for Wellington, adding that two-member wards were being created “just for the sake of it”.

However Arleston councillor Angela McClements said: “If you look at the two-member wards that are being proposed, Arlseston & College and Haygate & Park, there are links.

“There are links in terms of schools, local centres, GP practices, so I have got no problems with the Wellington seats.”

Council officers will now prepare alternative suggestions based on to the committee’s comments, and which will be presented at a meeting on March 24 for members to sign off the council’s submission to the LGBCE.

The consultation closes on May 9 and the final changes will be announced later in the year, coming into effect for the 2023 local elections.