Local electoral arrangements finalised for Harborough District Council

Today’s publication follows public consultation on its draft proposals earlier this year and draws new boundaries for each council ward across Harborough.

The Commission’s final recommendations propose that Harborough should be represented by 34 councillors in the future: three fewer than the current arrangement. The recommendations also propose that those councillors should represent three three-councillor wards, nine two-councillor wards and seven one-councillor wards across the district.

Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said, “We are extremely grateful to people across Harborough who took part in the review. The Commission has looked at all the evidence that was put forward during the consultation.

“We believe these recommendations deliver electoral fairness for voters as well as reflecting community ties throughout Harborough.”

In response to local feedback during consultation, the Commission has made changes to its proposals in the north of district. In its draft recommendations, the Commission had proposed that the parish of Stoughton should be part of the Glen ward. However, local people and organisations told the Commission that the parish shared closer community ties with Houghton on the Hill and Thurnby & Bushby parishes.

The Commission was persuaded by the evidence presented in relation to the parish of Stoughton and has changed its recommendation so that it will be part of the Thurnby & Houghton ward.

Full details of the final recommendations are available on the Commission’s website at www.lgbce.org.uk.

The proposed new arrangements must now be implemented by Parliament. A draft Order – the legal document which brings into force the recommendations – will be laid in Parliament in the coming months. The draft Order provides for the new electoral arrangements to come into force at the council elections in 2019.