Councillor suggests alternative boundary changes in response to commission's shake-up

The Boundary Commission for England has proposed tweaks to the parliamentary map which would see The Wrekin constituency expand north, into current North Shropshire territory, but lose part of Hadley to neighbouring Telford.

Councillor Richard Overton proposed additionally moving all of Hadley, along with Leegomery, from The Wrekin into Telford and transferring Priorslee the other way. He said this would bring the electorate in both seats closer to each other and the national average.

Telford and Wrekin’s Boundary Review Committee approved his suggestion by a majority and unanimously opposed the BCE’s proposal to rename The Wrekin constituency “Newport and Wellington”. Both recommendations will be referred to a full meeting of councillors later this month and, if approved, will be submitted to the BCE as the borough’s consultation response.

A report by council Policy and Governance associate director Anthea Lowe explained the BCE aims to create constituencies which all have between 70,000 and 77,000 registered voters. Telford’s electorate is currently 69,331 and the BCE’s proposed change would raise it to 70,768, while the changes to The Wrekin would see it rise from 71,077 to 76,143.

Councillor Overton, a Labour member and deputy council leader, said the BCE’s proposals would leave the two constituencies at the lower and upper ends of the target range.

In 2012, then Prime Minister David Cameron proposed cutting parliament from 650 to 600 seats. This was later abandoned but Councillor Overton noted that, at the time “we were arguing Telford should have Donnington and Hadley and Leegomery wards added into it because of the links they have”.

He said: “I still think Hadley and Leegomery have strong links to Telford, especially through Oakengates. The doctor’s surgery has a satellite surgery in Hadley and Leegomery. The big employer there, GKN, has people from St Georges and Oakengates working there.

“That would probably go over the level that’s needed, because it would equate to losing about 7,000 electors from The Wrekin, putting Telford too high.”

To balance this, he said, Priorslee should be moved into The Wrekin because of its “affinity” with Shifnal, approximately two miles away, which is already in the constituency.

“A lot of people send their children to school in Priorslee,” he said.

“They’ve also got a doctor’s surgery and the new build in Priorslee has more in common with probably Muxton and Shifnal than Telford.”

He said those changes would leave The Wrekin with 74,000 voters and Telford on 72,000, “which is probably more of a balance”.

Councillor Nigel Dugmore, who leads the opposition Conservative group, said he supported the BCE’s proposed boundaries. He admitted “the proposed Telford numbers are towards the lower end of the approved range” but said this would “take into account future growth”.

“Telford is one of the fastest growing towns in the country and the proposed numbers need to take that into account,” he said.

Liberal Democrat councillor Karen Blundell, who represents the Apley Castle ward, asked Councillor Overton to clarify whether he included Apley within “Hadley and Leegomery”. He said he did not, his proposal included keeping Apley in The Wrekin.

“Good, because Apley has an affinity with Wellington and, therefore, The Wrekin,” she said.

The committee approved Councillor Overton’s proposal. Councillor Dugmore voted against and fellow Conservative Councillor Jayne Greenaway abstained.

All members opposed the name change, which Councillor Dugmore said “unfairly singled out” two towns. Councillor Blundell called the current name “inclusive and historic”.