AN extra opportunity for people to have their say on Chester's boundaries has been opened due to the strength of feeling in the city.

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England has opened a new phase of public consultation in its review of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s ward boundaries.

The consultation has now scrapped proposals to divide the Garden Quarter part of Chester between the Blacon and City Centre Wards.

Now people in Chester have until February 5 to have their say on the proposals before the Commission finalises its recommendations for new wards across the whole council area.

Earlier this year, the Commission held a public consultation on proposals for new ward boundaries across Cheshire West and Chester.

In response to the views put to it during consultation, the Commission now proposes to make changes to the plans to reflect local feeling

Due to the significance of the proposed changes in Chester, the Commission is opening an extra phase of consultation to see what local people think of the new recommendations.

The consultation is limited to new proposals in Chester.

Details of the recommendations, including maps of the proposals, are available on the Commission’s website at www.lgbce.org.uk and at https://consultation.lgbce.org.uk/node/9255.

The Commission’s draft recommendations had proposed that the Garden Quarter part of Chester should be divided between Blacon ward and Chester City ward. During public consultation, the Commission received strong evidence objecting to the plan. In light of local submissions, it has redrawn the proposals so that the whole of the Garden Quarter would be included in a Chester City & the Garden Quarter ward.

The new recommendations would mean Blacon ward would maintain its current boundaries and be represented by three councillors.

The Garden Quarter would be wholly contained in a three-councillor Chester City & the Garden Quarter ward. Alongside that ward, the Commission has made further changes to its previous recommendations and now proposes to merge its proposed Vicars Cross and Boughton Heath wards to create a Great Boughton ward which will be represented by two councillors. 

Professor Colin Mellors, chair of the Commission, said: “We listened carefully to all the views put to us on new ward boundaries last year and have made changes to the original recommendations in the Chester area.

“We are now asking local people to log on to our website to tell us what they think about these proposals before we publish final recommendations for the whole council area in March.”

Residents can have their say by writing to The Review Officer (Cheshire West and Chester), LGBCE, 14th floor, Millbank Tower, London SW1P 4QP, or by email to: reviews@lgbce.org.uk