BOUNDARY COMMISSION PROPOSED PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY CHANGES AT A GLANCE
CRYSTAL PALACE WARD MOVES INTO CROYDON NORTH
KNIGHTS HILL WARD MOVES INTO STREATHAM AND LAMBETH
SHIRLEY WARD MOVES INTO BECKENHAM
New Boundary Commission proposals to alter Parliamentary constituencies have been unveiled. If they go ahead they would see Crystal Palace ward in Bromley borough become part of the Croydon North constituency.
Proposals which cover the London boroughs of Croydon, Lambeth, Southwark, Lewisham and Bromley are as follows:
CROYDON
In the borough of Croydon, we have been able to retain three constituencies with minor reconfiguration. The proposed Croydon South constituency lies in the southernmost part of the borough and includes five wards from the existing constituency and three wards from the existing Croydon Central constituency.
Our Boundary Commission for England proposed Croydon Central constituency retains three wards from the existing constituency, and includes the Broad Green ward from the existing Croydon North constituency, and three wards from the existing Croydon South constituency.
We also propose a Croydon North constituency, which retains six wards from the existing constituency, and adds the Bromley borough ward of Crystal Palace from the existing Lewisham West and Penge constituency, and the Woodside ward from the existing Croydon Central constituency.
In the centre of the South Thames sub-region, we noted that it was necessary to include wards from a number of boroughs in our proposed constituencies, in order to formulate a pattern of constituencies that was within five per cent of the electoral quota.
KNIGHTS HILL
Our proposed Streatham and Mitcham constituency retains four wards from the existing Streatham constituency and three Merton borough wards from the existing Mitcham and Morden constituency, and includes the Croydon borough ward of Norbury from the existing Croydon North constituency, and the Lambeth borough ward of Knight’s Hill from the existing Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.
THORNTON WARD MOVES TO BATTERSEA
We also propose a Battersea constituency, which retains all seven wards from the existing constituency, and is brought within the electoral quota by including the Lambeth borough ward of Thornton from the existing Streatham constituency. (Thornton ward councilors include Lambeth Labour leader Lib Peck and overview and scrutiny committee chairman Ed Davie.)
DULWICH AND WEST NORWOOD
We noted that the existing Dulwich and West Norwood constituency fell within the permitted electoral range, but minor changes are required to ensure that the adjacent constituencies also fall within the electoral range. Our proposed Dulwich and West Norwood constituency retains six wards from the existing constituency, the Lambeth borough ward of Tulse Hill from the existing Streatham constituency, and the Southwark borough ward of South Camberwell from the existing Camberwell and Peckham constituency.
CLAPHAM NORTH AND STOCKWELL
We also propose a Clapham North and Stockwell constituency, which includes five wards from the existing Vauxhall constituency, and the Lambeth borough wards of Clapham Common and Brixton Hill, from the existing Streatham constituency, and Coldharbour from the existing Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.
CAMBERWELL AND VAUXHALL BRIDGE
We propose a Camberwell and Vauxhall Bridge constituency, which retains five wards from the existing Camberwell and Peckham constituency, and adds the Lambeth borough wards of Prince’s and Vassall from the existing Vauxhall constituency, and the Newington ward from the existing Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency. Due to the inclusion of Vauxhall Bridge and the surrounding area along the south Thames embankment the constituency name has been changed to reflect this reconfiguration.
BERMONDSEY AND OLD SOUTHWARK
Initial proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries in London We propose a Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency, which retains eight wards from the existing constituency, and adds the Lambeth borough ward of Bishop’s, which provides a link to the adjacent Southwark borough Cathedrals ward.
PECKHAM AND LEWISHAM WEST
We also propose a Peckham and Lewisham West constituency, which includes three wards from the southern half of the existing Camberwell and Peckham constituency, and five Lewisham borough wards: three from the existing Lewisham West and Penge constituency and two from the existing Lewisham, Deptford constituency.
We noted that in the east of the South Thames sub-region we could formulate constituencies that could meet the electoral quota in the boroughs of Bromley, Bexley, Greenwich and Lewisham, but would require significant changes to existing constituencies.
We were able to retain three constituencies with different configurations in the borough of Bromley. Our proposed Orpington constituency retains all seven wards from the existing constituency, and adds the Cray Valley West ward from the existing Bromley and Chislehurst constituency.
BROMLEY AND CHISLEHURST
We propose a Bromley and Chislehurst constituency, which retains five wards from the existing constituency, and includes the two wards of Bromley Common and Keston, and Hayes and Coney Hall, from the existing Beckenham constituency.
BECKENHAM
We also propose a Beckenham constituency, which retains four wards from the existing constituency, and adds the wards of Clock House, and Penge and Cator from the existing Lewisham West and Penge constituency, and the Croydon borough ward of Shirley from the existing Croydon Central constituency.
LEWISHAM AND CATFORD
We propose a Lewisham and Catford constituency, which retains five wards from the existing Lewisham East constituency, and includes the Bellingham ward from the existing Lewisham West and Penge constituency, and the Ladywell, and Lewisham Central wards from the existing Lewisham and Deptford constituency.
The Commission will be hosting public hearings across England. In London the commission will be hosting five public hearings during the consultation period. “Our website (www.bce2018.org.uk) has more details of these hearings, and an opportunity to register to attend and give us your views in person” they say.
The hearings include: Bromley United Reform Church Hall, 20 Widmore Road, Bromley, BR1 1RY Thursday 20 – Friday 21 October 2016
The Boundary Commission for England is an independent and impartial non‑departmental public body which is responsible for reviewing Parliamentary constituency boundaries in England.
The commission are currently conducting a review on the basis of rules set by Parliament in 2011which say they must make recommendations for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries in September 2018.
The proposals would also result in a significant reduction in the number of constituencies in England (from 533 to 501), and require that every constituency – apart from two specified exceptions – must have an electorate that is no smaller than 71,031 and no larger than 78,507.
The London region has been allocated 68 constituencies – a reduction of five from the current number. The proposals leave four of the 73 existing constituencies unchanged.
Our website at www.bce2018.org.uk has more information about how to respond as well as details of where and when we will be holding public hearings in your area. You can also follow us on Twitter @BCE2018 or using #2018boundaryreview. (Source Boundary Commission).
