Memorandum by the Association of Electoral
Administrators (AEA) (WB 03)
The criteria imposed on the Electoral Commission
in considering local government ward boundaries is too restrictive
and allows areas of local community interests to be taken into
account only if the ratio of electors to elected members throughout
the whole of the local authority area are as nearly as may be
the same.
The criteria needs to be more flexible to allow
a local community to be wholly contained within a ward. Having
multiple member wards can avoid dividing areas of common interests
and placing electors in an area with which they have no affinity.
Too great an emphasis is placed on the number of electors in order
to secure equality of representation, often resulting in voters
being placed in a ward with which they have no connection. The
mixing of urban and rural areas within a ward should be considered
only in circumstances where this would meet with local agreement.
Because ward boundaries are used as the building
blocks for forming parliamentary constituencies, reviews of local
government areas and parliamentary constituencies should be undertaken
simultaneously, so as to provide for changes to be implemented
at the same time. This could avoid causing confusion to voters
and to polling arrangements in the instance of a parliamentary
and local government poll being combined, and indeed at combined
polls for local government elections.
It is difficult to visualise how the formation
of ward areas can by themselves meet criteria (b) "to secure
effective and convenient local government". Surely that criteria
can only be met by uniting areas where common interest of local
communities exists and the local authority acting in a responsible
manner.
Wherever appropriate equal representation should
be sought, but not necessarily at the expense of dividing areas
of community interests and placing areas within a ward with which
they have little in common.
Use of particularly features, such as roads,
streams and rights of way, can assist in the demarcation of a
boundary but should not necessarily be used where this would divide
an area of community interest. The placing of electors on different
sides of a particular street unless is it a major trunk route
should be avoided.
There would appear to be an extensive desire
to reach an equal member /elector ratio sometimes impacting on
and creating unusual boundaries. Greater weight should be applied
to local and geographical circumstances. The five year projected
electorate assessment is too short. This should be extended to
ten years as very often ratios become distorted in a relatively
short period after implementation.
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