Councillor Karen Buckley, Leader of the Council said:
“I am pleased to hear that the Boundary Commission has accepted in full the proposals from Fylde Council members to reduce the size of the council from 51 to 37 councillors and to streamline the committee system.
“Now we know the size of the council we can turn our attention to the warding arrangements. As we draw lines across the map of Fylde to create new wards our focus will be on equal representation and keeping communities together. The consultation is open to all so I hope many residents and partner organisations will take an interest and put forward their own proposals.”
News release from the
Local Government Boundary Commission for England
A new pattern of wards is being developed for Fylde.
The Local Government Boundary Commission has decided that the number of councillors in Fylde should be 37. This is a change from the current council which has 51.
The Commission wants to hear what residents and organisations think about their local area. A 10-week consultation on the proposals will run until 5 April 2021.
Current wards in Fylde Borough Council
Credit: contains Ordnance Survey data (c) Crown copyright and database rights 2021
High resolution map available here
The Commission is the independent body that draws these boundaries. It is reviewing Fylde to make sure councillors represent about the same number of electors, and that ward arrangements help the council work effectively. It wants to be sure that its proposals reflect community ties and identities.
The Commission is interested in views on which communities should be part of the same ward. What facilities do people share, such as parks, leisure centres or schools and shopping areas? What issues do neighbouring communities face that they have in common, such as high numbers of visitors or heavy traffic? Have there been new housing or commercial developments that have changed the focus of communities? And are there roads, rivers, railways or other features that people believe form strong boundaries between neighbourhoods?
The Commission will use local views to help it draw up proposals for new ward boundaries. There will be a further round of consultation once the Commission has drawn up those proposals.
Launching the consultation Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said:
“We want people in Fylde to help us.
“We are starting to draw up new wards for Fylde. We want our proposals for new electoral arrangements to reflect communities. We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people.
“Residents and local organisations can help us understand community ties and identities at this early stage of the process.
“It’s easy to get involved. Go to our website. Or you can e-mail or write to us.
“Just tell us what you think and give us some details why you think that. It’s really simple, so do get involved.”
The Commission has a dedicated section on its website where people can give their views: https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/24729
People can also give their views by e-mail at reviews@lgbce.org.uk, and by post:
The Review Officer (Fylde)
LGBCE
PO Box 133
Blyth
NE24 9FE
