Parliamentary Boundary Changes

How many of you know that there's a sizeable exercise going on looking at changing parliamentary constituency boundaries? Well, there is. And at the moment as far as my local ward is concerned it looks like a very flat-footed as-long-as-the-numbers-fit-that's-alright affair. We have until just Monday to send in representations. Mine, related to the Blackheath and Bramley ward is below:

Proposed Changes to Parliamentary Boundaries in England

South East England

 

The following concerns the proposed transfer of the ward of Blackheath & Wonersh from Guildford constituency to Mid Surrey (largely the current Mole Valley) constituency.

 

1.    I have been a resident of Wonersh since 1980 and a Parish Councillor for Wonersh since 2003 so these comments arise from a fair degree of local knowledge.

 

2.    I object to the proposed transfer as I believe it will marginalize residents of the ward from Westminster politics. The proposal removes them from a constituency centred on the town of Guildford with which they have a natural affinity, to one centred on Dorking for which no such affinity exists nor is likely to be created.

 

a.    The principle road connections (A281 & B2128) are with Guildford.

 

b.    The principle public transport connections (bus services 53 & 63) are with Guildford.

 

c.    The primary shopping centre for residents is Guildford.

 

d.    Access to the railway infrastructure is via Guildford station.

e.    Guildford provides the main local entertainment and leisure facilities (e.g. Yvonne Arnaud theatre, G-Live entertainment centre).

3.    The foregoing suggests that the assertion at paragraph 3.4 of your Revised Proposals document (“…….the revised proposals better reflect….local ties……”) cannot be substantiated.

4.    The proposed changes would appear to entail a net transfer of 2196 electors from Guildford constituency to Mid Surrey/Mole Valley. This is a modest change to result from a gross transfer out of 13996 electors!

5.    Much weight seems to have been placed upon the argument that the wards of Send, Clandon & Horsley, and Lovelace (currently in Mole Valley constituency) should naturally be in Guildford constituency given that they form part of Guildford Borough. These wards do, however, have much stronger links with other Mole Valley wards, and with Dorking than does Blackheath and Wonersh. There is thus likely to be a net marginalization of electors arising from the proposed changes.