AFTER rejecting proposals to include Frodsham in a new Parliamentary constituency as ‘a big mistake’, the town council has turned the spotlight on its ward boundaries which, they say, are ‘democratically unfair’ and in need of urgent review.
The town council have officially objected to the Boundary Commission’s proposal to create a new Mersey Banks constituency that would join Frodsham with Bromborough and Eastham on the Wirral, Hale and Ditton in Halton, and Ellesmere Port.
“The Boundary Commission have made a big mistake, we belong in rural Mid Cheshire,” said Mayor Andrew Dawson.
Cllr John Nield said: “People have approached me in person about this, there’s a lot of strong feeling in Frodsham about it.”
Now the town council is focusing on potential changes to improve its own grass-roots democracy.
Councillors noted that Cheshire West and Chester Council has started a Governance Review for the borough, and are thinking about asking the authority to look at changing the four town wards covered by Frodsham Council.
Cllr Dawson said: “There are inequalities in our ward arrangements, where the North ward has 2,500 residents electing four town councillors, while East ward has 1,963 electors for five councillors.”
He said although in recent years there has been more house building in the North of the town, there were similar disparities in South and West, adding: “We should also look at whether we have the right number of councillors.”
Cllr Dawson has joined Cllrs John Nield, Graham Bondi and Darren Kelly on a special task group to consider the issue.
