Boundary Commission Proposes Chiswick Lose One Of Its Councillors
Backs Council submission recommending only two councillors for Homefields ward
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has proposed in its draft report, that Chiswick could be served by eight instead of nine councillors. It has backed the submission by Hounslow Council to decrease councillors in Chiswick by one, (Homefields ward) and instead increase representation in Brentford which has a higher projected population.
All three Chiswick wards have three councillors each. According to the draft report from the LGBCE, Riverside and Turnham Green wards should retain three councillors while Homefields should have two. The Commission recommends that 'a small number of electors' be moved from Homefields to Riverside wards.
While local councillors have argued hard to retain the current level of representation, Chiswick is entitled to no more than eight councillors under the new formula, which is based on population projection. The combined projected electorate for 2024 of Chiswick Homefields, Chiswick Riverside and Turnham Green wards, (27,000) will give an entitlement of 7.25 Councillors according the formula used by the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBCE).
The submission from Hounslow Council to the Commission proposed two three-councillor wards of Chiswick Riverside and Turnham Green, and a two-councillor ward of Chiswick Homefields. The submission from the Conservative Group proposed the three-councillor wards of Chiswick Homefields, Chiswick Riverside and Turnham Green should remain, but with slightly amended boundaries. A proposal from a member of the public proposed a three-councillor Chiswick Riverside ward and the two-councillor wards of Chiswick Homefields and Turnham Green.
The Commission says: "Our draft recommendations are based on the submission received from the Council that proposes a two-councillor Chiswick Homefields ward, and the three councillor wards of Chiswick Riverside and Turnham Green.
"These wards are similar to the existing wards in the area, subject
to the transfer of a small number of electors to Chiswick Riverside ward
from Chiswick Homefields and the Brentford area. This change is to provide
for better electoral equality. These wards will have electoral
variances of -4%, -7% and -7% respectively by 2024."
"We received other submissions that gave support to both the wards
proposed
by the Council and the Conservative Group. We also received a detailed
submission
from the West Chiswick & Gunnersbury Society with their view of where
the boundary between Chiswick and Brentford lies. We also received a submission
concerning the possible inclusion of the Strand on the Green area in Chiswick
Riverside ward rather than Turnham Green and the lack of access between
the two areas.
"Whilst we are conscious that the two areas do not share a great deal of access routes with each other there are some connections. We cannot include the Strand on the Green area in Turnham Green ward due to the extremely poor electoral equality that would result in both Chiswick Riverside and Turnham Green wards."
A new consultation has now started which will end on 12 August, 2019. You can read more here and Have Your Say. The publication of the final recommendations will be on 29 October. The proposals will not come into effect until after the next local government elections in 2022.
The draft report also recommends an increase of one councillor for the borough, from sixty to sixty-one.
The report for Ealing Borough has confirmed revised boundaries for Southfield ward but rejected suggestions to rename it North Chiswick or Acton Green.
The change in ward boundaries is a separate matter to changes in constituency boundaries for a general election.
| Name of ward | Number of Councillors per ward | Electorate 2018 | Variance 2018 | Electorate 2024 | Variance 2024 | Projected electorate increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedfont | 3 |
9,756 |
0% |
9,629 |
-13% |
-1.3% |
| Brentford | 3 |
12,106 |
24% |
17,565 |
58% |
45.1% |
| Chiswick Homefields | 3 |
8,511 |
-13% |
8,245 |
-26% |
-3.1% |
| Chiswick Riverside | 3 |
8,760 |
-10% |
8,393 |
-24% |
-4.2% |
| Cranford | 3 |
9,723 |
0% |
9,624 |
-13% |
-1.0% |
| Feltham North | 3 |
8,753 |
-10% |
11,531 |
4% |
31.7% |
| Feltham West | 3 |
11,029 |
13% |
11,511 |
4% |
4.4% |
| Hanworth | 3 |
8,952 |
-8% |
8,908 |
-20% |
-0.5% |
| Hanworth Park | 3 |
9,131 |
-6% |
10,009 |
-10% |
9.6% |
| Heston Central | 3 |
9,417 |
-3% |
10,395 |
-6% |
10.4% |
| Heston East | 3 |
9,314 |
-4% |
12,253 |
10% |
31.6% |
| Heston West | 3 |
9,527 |
-2% |
8,995 |
-19% |
-5.6% |
| Hounslow Central | 3 |
11,677 |
20% |
18,176 |
64% |
55.7% |
| Hounslow Heath | 3 |
10,494 |
8% |
11,471 |
3% |
9.3% |
| Hounslow South | 3 |
8,787 |
-10% |
8,787 |
-21% |
0.0% |
| Hounslow West | 3 |
10,280 |
5% |
11,353 |
2% |
10.4% |
| Isleworth | 3 |
8,977 |
-8% |
9,387 |
-15% |
4.6% |
| Osterley & Spring Grove | 3 |
10,175 |
4% |
10,337 |
-7% |
1.6% |
| Syon | 3 |
10,990 |
13% |
15,079 |
36% |
37.2% |
| Turnham Green | 3 |
8,573 |
-12% |
10,167 |
-8% |
18.6% |
July 3, 2019