People's views sought in council boundary review

The public consultation could lead to council ward boundary changes in North Yorkshire

People in North Yorkshire are being asked for their views about where they live and what services they use as part of a consultation which could see council boundaries redrawn.

The consultation has been launched by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which said it wanted to ensure each councillor represented the same number of people and better reflected community identities.

The proposals, which include reducing the number of North Yorkshire councillors, could be put in place by the next local elections in 2027.

Richard Flinton, North Yorkshire Council's chief executive, said it was "vital that our residents take part in this consultation".

A Local Government Boundary Commission for England spokesperson said: "By telling us about where you live and where you access local services, it will help us to create appropriate and meaningful boundaries.

"It might be something as straightforward as where you go for shops, schools or a sporting venue, whether you see a road, park or river as a dividing feature or the heart of a community, or which areas have joint projects. "

'Fairly represented'

When North Yorkshire Council was created in 2023, the commission decided there should be 90 councillors, but it has since proposed this should be reduced to 89.

However, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, there have been concerns from some councillors about their workloads - particularly when compared to the smaller wards on the former borough councils which were merged as part of last year's changes.

Mr Flinton said: “It is vital our residents take part in this consultation so the new division boundaries reflect their views.

"When North Yorkshire Council was created last year, we set out to create the most 'local' local authority, and we are committed to making sure every community is fairly represented and has a voice through their councillors."

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England consultation will run for 10 weeks and is due to close on 9 December.

A further round of consultation is expected to get under way in April next year, once the commission has drawn up its proposals.

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