COUNCILLORS will vote on plans to redraw council ward boundaries across Richmondshire next week.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is carrying out an electoral review of Richmondshire District Council which will mean some alterations to ward boundaries in time for the May 2019 elections.

The aim of the review is to try and deliver electoral equality by ensuring that wards have roughly the same number of residents so that each councillor represents approximately the same number of voters.

Richmondshire District Council has made its own submission for consideration by the LGBCE and councillors will discuss the proposals at an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday, September 5.

The council’s submission is based on 24 councillors serving the district and aims to incorporate existing town and parish boundaries.

Councillors are expected to approve the plans and there will then follow a consultation period along with draft and final recommendations from the LGBCE.

Members of the public have also been able to submit their own boundary review proposals and councillor John Blackie is among those who have submitted their own version.

Cllr Blackie wants to ensure that any changes to ward boundaries will not adversely affect the Upper Dales community and is concerned that the council’s proposals, which will see a number of rural parishes incorporated into urban wards, will mean that some Upper Dales communities will lose their voice.

He said: “As a member of RDC (Richmondshire District Council) I will be voting against the official RDC submission as I cannot support the issues, concerns, well-being, shared interests and identities of some of the Upper Dales parishes I have been very proud to represent these last 20 years being stifled in new urban-centric wards where their small numbers do not count.”

He added: “We are in danger of having district councillors who are speaking for more than the Upper Dales and parts of their new wards will be smaller in numbers and will be completely overwhelmed by urban residents.”

If the council’s official review is approved, the LGBCE’s draft recommendations will be up for consultation from October 31 to January 15, 2018.