Boundary commission revised constituency proposals leave the borough carved up into three constituencies

The boundary commission has produced revised constituency proposals, following months of public consultation, that leave the borough carved up into three constituencies. 

The initial proposals, published on 2016, split the current two local constituencies of Rochdale, and Heywood and Middleton, into three new constituencies, Rochdale, Prestwich and Middleton, and Littleborough and Saddleworth.

https://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/105053/the-borough-could-be-carved-up-into-three-constituencies-under-boundary-commission-proposals

Rochdale Borough Council were amongst a number of objectors to the initial proposals, citing the fact that the current two local constituncies are within the permitted electoral range and hence proposed that both constituencies should remain unaltered.

The boundary commission were not moved by this argument because the proposal did 'not address how neighbouring constituencies could be modified to bring them within the permitted electorate range'.

Hence, the revised proposals do not change either of the initial proposals for the new Rochdale constituency or the new Prestwich and Middleton constituency, however, there is a change to the Littleborough and Saddleworth proposal, in that the Saddleworth West and Lees ward should now be included, and the Royton North ward should be transferred from the proposed Littleborough and Saddleworth contituency.

A spokesperson for the Boundary Commission said: "We are consulting on our revised proposals for an eight-week period, from 17 October 2017 to 11 December 2017.

"We encourage everyone to use this last opportunity to help finalise the design of the new constituencies – the more public views we hear, the more informed our decisions will be before making final recommendations to [the] government."

Have your say at:

https://www.bce2018.org.uk/

Rochdale Constituency
Bamford
Castleton
Central Rochdale
Healey
Kingsway
Milkstone and Deeplish
Norden
North Heywood
Spotland and Falinge
West Heywood

Prestwich and Middleton Constituency
Besses Bury
Holyrood Bury
Pilkington Park Bury
Sedgley Bury
St. Mary’s Bury
East Middleton
Hopwood Hall
North Middleton
South Middleton
West Middleton

Littleborough and Saddleworth Constituency
Crompton Oldham
Saddleworth North
Saddleworth South
Saddleworth West and Lees
Shaw Oldham
Balderstone and Kirkholt
Littleborough Lakeside
Milnrow and Newhey
Smallbridge and Firgrove
Wardle and West Littleborough

The boundary commission has the task of periodically reviewing the boundaries of all the Parliamentary constituencies in England. It is currently conducting a review on the basis of new rules laid down by Parliament. These rules involve a significant reduction in the number of constituencies in England (from 533 to 501), resulting in the number of constituencies in the North West reducing by seven, to 68. The rules also require that every constituency – apart from two specified exceptions – must have an electorate that is no smaller than 71,031 and no larger than 78,507.

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