South Staffordshire to lose seven councillors as new boundary plans finalised
The number of councillors in South Staffordshire will be slashed by seven under final plans to redraw the district's political map.
Under sweeping changes proposed by the Local Government Boundary Commission, South Staffordshire District Council's 25 wards will be reduced to 20 from the 2023 local elections onwards.
The number of councillors will fall from 49 to 42, while only three wards – Essington, Himley & Swindon and Huntington & Hatherton – will remain unchanged.
The plans have been finalised following a consultation and now need to be agreed by Parliament before coming into effect.
The commission says the changes will even up wards so that each councillor represents around 2,000 voters, a move it says will "guarantee electoral fairness".
There will be six three-councillor wards, 10 two-councillor wards and four one-councillor wards.
All of Cheslyn Hay will be amalgamated, with one seat going, while Codsall will become one ward with three councillors, a net loss of one.
A new ward of Brewood, Coven & Blymhill has been created, taking up the current Brewood and Coven ward, as well as Bishop's Wood, Weston-under-Lizard and Brineton, which are all currently part of the Wheaton Aston, Bishopswood and Lapley ward.
The commission had initially planned to omit the word 'Coven' from the ward name, but changed course following objections, including one from parish councillor Glen Sibley.
Another new ward, Penkridge North & Acton Trussell, will take in the current wards of Penkridge West, and Penkridge North East & Acton Trussell, with the loss of one councillor.
Professor Colin Mellors, chair of the Commission, said: "We are very grateful to people in South Staffordshire. We looked at all the views they gave us. They helped us improve our earlier proposals.
"We believe the new arrangements will guarantee electoral fairness while maintaining local ties."
A total of 81 people and organisations made comments to help decide the new wards.
The 20 council wards proposed for South Staffordshire are: Bilbrook (2 councillors), Brewood, Coven & Blymhill (3), Cheslyn Hay Village (3), Codsall (3), Essington (2), Featherstone, Shareshill and Saredon (2), Great Wyrley Landywood (2), Great Wyrley Town (2), Himley and Swindon (1), Huntington & Hatherton (2), Kinver & Enville (3), Lapley, Stretton & Wheaton Aston (1), Pattingham, Trysull, Bobbington and Lower Penn (2), Penkridge North & Acton Trussell (2), Penkridge South & Gailey (2), Perton East (1), Perton Lakeside (2), Perton Wrottesley (1), Wombourne North (3), Wombourne South (3).
Visit consultation.lgbce.org.uk to view an interactive map of the new boundaries.
