Stone councillors welcome reunification of Walton in county council boundary shake-up
A Stone community is set to rejoin the rest of the town after more than a decade, as part of a shake-up of county council boundaries.
Walton was split in two as part of a previous review of Staffordshire County Council divisions, meaning residents living north of Eccleshall Road were represented by a different councillor to the rest of the town in recent years.
Stone town councillors fiercely opposed the changes when they were proposed in 2011, which meant Walton North became part of the Stone Rural division in 2013. Walton South is part of the Stone Urban division.
But Walton North is set to return to the Stone Urban fold from 2025 if the latest proposals put forward by the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBC) are approved. A public consultation is currently under way and runs until October 16.
The LGBC is reviewing Staffordshire County Council’s electoral boundaries to ensure each councillor represents a similar number of residents. Professor Colin Mellors, chair of the commission, said: “We want to make sure these new electoral arrangements reflect communities.
“We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people. Residents and local organisations can help us do that – we would like them to let us know whether they agree with our proposals before we take final decisions.”
On Tuesday Stone town councillors welcomed the plans for all of Walton to come under the same division. But they were not so pleased with the prospect of the Aston Lodge area, to the east of the town, changing from Stone Urban to Stafford Trent Valley.
Town, borough and county councillor Jill Hood, who currently represents the Stone Urban division, said: “County councillors have met with officers and right from the beginning I said I didn’t understand why Walton North was split from Walton South. I said that should be one section.”
Councillor Jim Davies said: “I think we have the least worst solution. We are grateful Walton North has been brought into Stone Urban.
“But we are disappointed as the impact of that is part of Stone beyond the railway line is being moved into Stafford Trent Valley, and we don’t wish that to be a permanent feature. We understand the reason why, but we ask that during the next review that is reconsidered and hopefully resolved.”
For more information on the proposed boundary changes, and to have your say, visit lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/staffordshire
Comments can also be submitted by emailing reviews@lgbce.org.uk or writing to LGBCE, PO BOX 133, Blyth, NE24 9FE.
