Plans revealed for Telford ward boundary review

The number of council wards in Telford & Wrekin could increase to 33

Plans have been put forward to increase the number of wards at a council.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England was invited to review Telford & Wrekin Council following population shifts.

Changes proposed include splitting Newport into four single-councillor seats and creating new divisions for Lawley and Sutton Hill.

Residents can take part in a consultation on the plans, which will run until 7 February.

Telford and Wrekin currently elects 54 borough councillors in 30 wards.

It invited the LGBCE to conduct the review after the changes in population meant some councillors represented up to 25% more residents than some of their colleagues, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Under the plans, councillor numbers would remain the same, but the number of wards would increase to 33.

Council leader Shaun Davies said: "The shape and size of our communities change over time.

"It's important that we look at these changes and how they might affect the way local people are represented on the council.

"The changes put forward by the Commission aim to give balance to the number of people who are represented by each of our 54 councillors and reflect the unique nature of each of our communities and their identities."

The final recommendations will be published in March and, if adopted, they will be used in the 2023 local election.