Boundary Commission for England share details of this first public hearing. Ed
The Boundary Commission for England is reviewing Parliamentary constituency boundaries across England. In September, we published initial proposals showing what the new boundaries might look like – these proposals are now open for consultation and the Commission wants to hear from you.
Have your say
Next week open public hearings will begin in the South East. These are your chance to come along in person and tell us what you think about the proposals for your region. Our Assistant Commissioners will be there, listening to people’s views, and they want to know whether the proposals reflect the communities you live in.
So you can comment on anything from whether the boundaries run between your home and the community centre you use every week to the suitability of the constituency’s name.
A choice of venues
The public hearings are taking place across England throughout October and November.
The first hearing in the South East will be in Guildford on 20-21 October, followed by hearings in Oxford, Portsmouth, Brighton and Maidstone.
Sam Hartley, Secretary to the Boundary Commission for England said:
“We know that the public are the experts when it comes to local knowledge, so we want to hear what they think of our proposals. We really want to hear not only what they do or don’t like but also why and what we can do to make them better.
“This is a really important stage of our work and people’s comments can make a difference. The initial proposals are just a starting point; at the last review the Commission changed almost two-thirds of the initial proposals based on what the public said to us. So have your say and help us shape the new map of constituencies.”
Open to all
Anyone can come and speak or listen at the public hearings but the Commission
recommends you book a slot if you want to make a representation – this guarantees your opportunity to have your say regardless of how busy the session is. All dates, locations and booking details are available on the Commission’s Website.
It is also easier than ever to get involved if you’re unable to attend a public hearing, just visit the Website where you can compare the proposed boundaries with existing ones and submit any comments.
The consultation is open until 5 December.
