Council Wards to Be Redrawn Across Hammersmith & Fulham
Residents consulted on plans which will also add four more councillors
The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England is set to draw up a new pattern of council wards for Hammersmith and Fulham Council - and is asking local people for their help.
The consultation is the first part of an electoral review which will re-draw ward boundaries across our borough.
The Commission has also announced that Hammersmith and Fulham should have 50 councillors in future: four more than the current arrangements.
Map showing wards in our borough. You can download a high resolution version here
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is responsible for reviewing local authority electoral arrangements, defining boundaries for local elections and the number of councillors to be elected, as well as conducting reviews of councils’ external boundaries and structures.
The Commission has a legal duty to carry out an electoral review of each council in England 'from time to time' and says Hammersmith and Fulham Council has not been reviewed since 2000 and the Commission has therefore decided that it should review Hammersmith and Fulham in advance of the elections in 2022.
The Commission says in drawing up new boundaries, the aim is to deliver electoral equality for voters in council elections so that each councillor represents roughly the same number of voters.
The review also aims to ensure that the new council wards reflect, as far as possible, the interests and identities of communities across Hammersmith and Fulham.
The types of questions the Commission is asking residents at this stage are:
Do you have suggestions about where your ward boundaries should be?
Which areas do you identify as your local community?
Where do people in your area go to access local facilities such as shops and leisure activities?
Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said: "We are asking local people and organisations to help us draw up new wards for Hammersmith and Fulham. As we develop the recommendations, we will take into account local community identities as well as ensuring electoral equality for voters.
"If you have a view about which communities or neighbourhoods should be part of the same council ward, then we want to hear from you. And if you think a road, river or railway makes for a strong boundary between communities in your part of Hammersmith and Fulham, then this consultation is for you.
"If you’re interested in the way the council is run, just log on to our website to explore our interactive maps and have your say.
"Your views will make a difference.
"We will carefully consider all evidence that is provided during this phase of the review, whoever it is from and whether it applies to the whole of Hammersmith and Fulham or just a small part of the council.
"Residents will then have a further chance to have their say after we publish our draft recommendations in December."
Residents have until 12 August 2019 to submit their views in this consultation. Further information on the review and interactive maps of the existing wards can be found at the consultation website and the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's website.
June 4, 2019