Have your say on a new political map for Buckinghamshire Council

News Release from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England New boundaries are being proposed for council wards in Buckinghamshire Council. The Local Government Boundary Commission wants to hear what residents and local organisations think about the proposals. A 10-week consultation on the proposals will run until 10 October 2022.

The Commission is the independent body that draws these boundaries. It is reviewing Buckinghamshire to make sure councillors will represent about the same number of electors, and that ward arrangements will help the council work effectively. The Commission has published proposals for changes to Buckinghamshire. It is proposing that Buckinghamshire Council should have 98 councillors. Those councillors should represent 51 wards, represented by 10 three-councillor wards, 27 two-councillor wards and 14 single-councillor wards. The boundaries of most wards will change.

Proposed changes include: • The creation of single councillor Sands and Downley wards in the High Wycombe area, as a result of strong community-based evidence

• The proposed warding arrangements for Amersham, Chesham, Chesham Bois, and the surrounding rural parishes.

The proposals reflect the local evidence the Commission received, which requested that the difference between urban and rural communities be recognised.

Launching the consultation Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said:

“We want people in Buckinghamshire to help us. We have drawn up proposals for new wards in Buckinghamshire. We want to make sure these new electoral arrangements reflect communities. We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people.

Residents and local organisations can help us do that. We would like them to let us know whether they agree with our proposals before we take final decisions. 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 see the detail of the proposals and comment on the names of wards and their boundaries:

https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/south-east/buckinghamshire/buckinghamshire-council

People can also give their views by e-mail at reviews@lgbce.org.uk, and by post:

Review Officer (Buckinghamshire) LGBCE PO Box 133 Blyth NE24 9FE