Fewer South Gloucestershire wards means fewer councillors in electoral carve-up

Thousands of people will cast their vote in a new ward next month.

May’s council elections will take place along new electoral lines following a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission.

The county is now split into nine three-councillor wards, 15 two-councillor wards and four one-councillor wards.

Commission chair Colin Mellors has said the redrawn boundaries would ensure “electoral fairness” and reflected “community ties” in South Gloucestershire.

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Nine new wards were created in the electoral carve-up, but 17 were scrapped, reducing the total number of elected representatives from 70 to 61.

The newly-named wards – which include Stoke Park and Cheswick, Frenchay and Downend and Severn Vale – replace existing wards such as Almondsbury, Westerleigh and Winterbourne.

The changes were made after a 10-week consultation in 2017 which allowed residents to comment on the proposals.

Current South Gloucestershire ward boundary map, April 2019 (Copyright Unknown)

In response to public feedback, the commission changed the name of a newly created ward from the proposed University ward to Stoke Park & Cheswick ward.

It also included the whole parish of Stoke Lodge & The Common in Bradley Stoke North ward instead of dividing it between two wards after local people and organisations argued such as split would not reflect local community ties.

The commission also capitulated on a proposal to have two separate wards of Chipping Sodbury and Sodbury Vale, which residents argued would divide Chipping Sodbury from its surrounding communities, and instead created one large Chipping Sodbury and Cotswold Edge ward.

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Wards that have been scrapped

King's Chase

Parkwell

Siston

Cotswold Edge

Thornbury North

Thornbury South & Alveston

Severn

Ladden Brook

Westerleigh

Almondsbury

Downend

Frenchay and Stoke Park

Staple Hill

Chipping Sodbury

Bitton

Oldland Common

Wards that have been introduced

New South Gloucestershire ward boundary map, May 2019 (Copyright Unknown)

Stoke Park & Cheswick

Frenchay and Downend

Staple Hill & Mangotsfield

Bitton and Oldland Common

Severn Vale

Charlton & Cribbs

New Cheltenham

Thornbury

Chipping Sodbury and Cotswold Edge

The new boundaries will result in new polling stations for some residents. Voters will be able to find their polling station via a link on the council’s website, a spokesman said.

Electors in new wards do not have to re-register to vote, he said.