The Boundary Commission for England has today published its initial proposals for new constituency boundaries.
The aim is to giving each MP a roughly similar number of voters. It means redrawing and renaming some seats. The number of MPs across the UK would remain at 650, but the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543.
Under the proposals the number of constituencies in South East England would increase from 84 to 91.
Hailsham & Crowborough
Crowborough is currently in the Wealden constituency created in 1983 (made up of the towns of Crowborough, Uckfield, Hailsham and surrounding villages).
The boundary of the Wealden parliamentary constituency differs from the boundary for the District Council (for example, Heathfield is in Wealden District but is part of the Bexhill & Battle parliamentary constituency.
If the proposals go ahead this time, a new constituency called “Hailsham & Crowborough” would be formed (which includes Heathfield) with an electorate of 70,015. Under the changes, Uckfield would be paired with East Grinstead.
Third Review
This is the third review of parliamentary boundary changes in recent years. The 2018 Review, which would have seen a new cross Kent-East Sussex constituency created, called Tunbridge Wells & Crowborough. The 2018 Review was not implemented after an Act of Parliament was passed to retain 650 MPs. The cost of that Review was £5m.
Submit Your Views
Each constituency must contain between 69,724 and 77,062. The Boundary Commission use local government wards as the building blocks.
This consultation runs until 2nd August. Click to submit your views: Boundary Commission 2023 Review.
There will be a further two rounds of consultation in 2022. Following the conclusion of all three consultation periods, the Commission will look at all the evidence received and will present final recommendations to Parliament by July 2023.
If only we could become, the sooner the better, part of Kent and Tunbridge Wells the better! Our council offices moved to Hailsham, lovely and convenient for us residents here. Crowborough sidelined and gets little given to them. Get the impression we are the “last outpost”, our roads are in a dreadful pot holed state, odd dob of tar slapped in in a hurry every now and again. We have two reported holes in road outside our house almost next to each other as we reported them, have put a bit of tarmac over one and not the other! Did they run out – will they ever come again!? In the winter pavements left ungritted/ salted ….and so on……