Public views sought on plan to split two Telford election wards
Draft plans to split two council wards in Telford will be tested at public events this weekend.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is currently holding a boundary review, which will impact on the boundaries of all wards within the Telford and Wrekin borough.
People in the Ketley Bank and Oakengates ward and the Madeley and Sutton Hill ward are being invited to have their say on the proposals at public consultation sessions on Saturday.
Councillor David Wright, who chairs Telford &Wrekin Council’s cross-party boundary review committee, said: “The changes put forward by the Boundary Commission aim to balance the number of people represented by our 54 councillors and reflect the way our borough has changed over time.
“Electoral equality is important, but having reviewed the proposals, our cross-party committee feels that there is a strong argument for these two wards to remain unchanged, given the strong connection and synergy between the communities, and to ensure effective and convenient local governance.
"We are not sure that separating these communities is the best thing for residents, so want to hear your thoughts."
Councillor Wright added: “For those people and businesses in Madeley and Sutton Hill, and Ketley and Oakengates, the consultation sessions this Saturday are a great opportunity for you to find out more about the proposals and let us know what you think in person.
“We’re on the side of our residents and local businesses and your views matter, so we want to hear what you think, before we finalise our comments on the commission’s draft proposals. You can also let us know your thoughts on the wider proposals too.”
Telford & Wrekin Council’s cross-party boundary review committee says it is keen to hear what affected residents thinks.
To do this, the council is holding two public engagement sessions, where residents can find out more about the commission’s proposals, the council’s position on these proposals, and share their own views.
The events are at:
11am – 2pm The Place, Theatre Square, Oakengates, ideal for people and businesses in the Ketley Bank and Oakengates ward
11am – 2pm at The Anstice, 1 Anstice Square, Madeley, ideal for people and businesses in the Madeley and Sutton Hill ward
Full details of the proposals for Telford and Wrekin can be found online at consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/27836, where people can also leave their feedback about the plans. The consultation closes for feedback on May 9.
