Alternative to shake-up of boundaries suggested by Ellesmere Port deputy mayor

THE deputy mayor of Ellesmere Port says keeping the Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency as it is would be impossible without splitting other towns across Cheshire.

Proposals written up by the Boundary Commission would split the current Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency into three.

The Mersey Banks constituency would take on most of Ellesmere Port, including Grange and Rossmore, Sutton and Manor, and Central and Westminster.

But Burton, Ness, Willaston, Elton, Mickle Trafford, Strawberry Fields, Groves, most of Whitby and Great and Little Sutton to the west of the A41 would join a Chester constituency.

A constituency of Hoylake and Neston would include Neston and Parkgate.

The public consultation ends on December 5.

Deputy mayor Cllr Gareth Anderson said: “They have had a difficult job to do and maintaining all of the outlying areas of Ellesmere Port in one constituency is impossible without changing just about every single other boundary in the region and also causing several other towns across Cheshire to be split.

“I support the need for the review, that is to reduce the number of MPs and to ensure all voters have the same influence no matter where they live.

“I recognise the difficulties they have had with our parts of the country because they are having to use the old ward boundaries. This has meant that they are very restricted in the boundaries they can draw in Cheshire and Wirral.”

Cllr Anderson accepts the inclusion of areas both sides of the Mersey in Mersey Banks ward is an ‘odd’ decision.

But he says Mersey Banks would be similar to the pre-1983 boundaries of Ellesmere Port and Bebington, and Neston and Parkgate are returning to a seat very similar to the former Wirral constituency.

Cllr Anderson added: “I have already had a number of residents from the Neston area contact me with energetic support for the Hoylake and Neston seat for that very reason and because rather than continuing as the smaller relations in the current Ellesmere Port and Neston set-up they become the largest town in the proposed new seat.

“Many of them always felt ignored as part of the former Ellesmere Port and Neston Borough Council which was dominated by Ellesmere Port and so there is quite a level of support so far for this new seat.”

Cllr Anderson has suggested removing Hale and Ditton wards from Mersey Banks and replacing them with Heath from southern Runcorn.

He said: “This ensures that almost all of those areas affected by many of the large-scale developments suggested by Peel Holdings over the next several years are united in one constituency.

“This will allow the waterfront areas to be united under one MP whereas they are currently split between four MPs and three councils.

“Also the current Ellesmere Port and Neston constituency includes large swathes of Cheshire villages from Little Stanney to Elton, Croughton, Wervin, Mickle Trafford, Hoole Village and others. From 1983-1997 it included Saughall and Mollington too.

“The current seat is not just the two towns by any means as we have never been anywhere near big enough to have our own MP.”

Cllr Anderson added: “It is no surprise that sitting MPs are worried about losing their seats, they would be against that wouldn’t they. However, if Mr Miller were to stand for Mersey Banks then he would, finally, be standing for the seat in which he lives.”