A public consultation has been launched to help shape new council divisions for North Yorkshire Council. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England wants to hear people’s views on where they live, to help make sure that the new divisions reflect the size and shape of local communities.
An electoral review is being carried out to make sure that each local councillor represents about the same number of electors, and that the divisions they represent reflect community identities.
The Local Government Boundary Commission has decided that the number of councillors in North Yorkshire Council should be 89. This is a change from the current number of 90.
Launching the consultation on the electoral review of North Yorkshire, Andrew Scallan CBE, Deputy Chair of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, said:
We are looking for your views, as local people, on how you think North Yorkshire should be represented in divisions that reflect local communities and identities.
By telling us about where you live and where you access local services, it will help us to create appropriate and meaningful boundaries.
It might be something as straightforward as where you go for shops, schools or a sporting venue, whether you see a road, park or river as a dividing feature or the heart of a community, or which areas have joint projects.
Hearing from local residents will give us important evidence to inform our recommendations for a pattern of divisions for North Yorkshire that ensures each councillor represents about the same number of electors.
The consultation on this stage of the electoral review of North Yorkshire lasts for ten weeks and closes on 9 December 2024. The Commission will use local views to help draw up its proposals for new division boundaries, which will come into effect at the 2027 local elections.
North Yorkshire Council’s chief executive, Richard Flinton, said:
It is vital that our residents take part in this consultation so that the new division boundaries reflect their views. When North Yorkshire Council was created last year, we set out to create the most “local” local authority and we are committed to making sure that every community is fairly represented and has a voice through their councillors.
This electoral review provides a clear way forward to ensure that local democracy can work as efficiently as possible, while making sure the public’s voice is heard.
There will be a further round of consultation once the Commission has drawn up their proposals. This second stage of the public consultation is expected to start on 1 April 2025.
Local people can provide their views via the Commission website at: https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/north-yorkshire
by emailing reviews@lgbce.org.uk
or by post to:
The Review Officer (North Yorkshire)
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England
7th Floor
3 Bunhill Row
London
EC1Y 8YZ
