A MAYOR has accused border chiefs of “knocking back Teesside 50 years” by tweaking its political map.

Thornaby Mayor Steve Walmsley launched another broadside at the Local Government Boundary Commission on Wednesday night after tweaks were made to ward boundaries once again.

The outspoken independent has been unhappy with border bosses in the past over moves to split Thornaby across two Parliamentary constituencies. 

And he accused officials of setting the area back decades at a Stockton Council meeting. 

Read more: Two pedestrians taken to hospital after fail-to-stop crash in Hartlepool

Cllr Walmsley said: “We’re going to write to these people and tell them what planet they’re on. 

“For years and years boundary commissioners have come into this Teesside area – and they’ve probably knocked the area back about 50 years with tinkering and messing about. 

“It always seems as though Thornaby is fair game.

“If they want to reduce anything, they can start with the House of Lords.

“But if they want to reduce anything, get into some of these leafier suburbs and ask what the councillors do in these wards.

“Then get shot of them – then we might have some decent sort of representation.”

Ward boundaries are being reviewed in Stockton at the moment in a bid to offer better representation for residents as its population grows beyond 200,000. 

Fresh changes have seen Grangefield ward retained in the latest plans after almost 50 residents wrote to the commission to complain about the name being lost in previous plans. 

But the number of councillors set to represent Thornaby has been reduced from eight to six under new proposals. 

And calls from Thornaby independents for new homes off Thornaby Road to be included in the town’s wards have not been backed by boundary bosses.

The commission’s report added: “We have not been convinced that there is sufficient evidence to include these developments in Village ward.

“They do not appear to have any community links to the area and are divided from residents in Village ward by the Teesside Industrial Estate.”

The Thornaby mayor promised to “make more noise” about the changes and accused Stockton South MP Matt Vickers of being quiet on the issue. 

Cllr Walmsley added: “It’s absolutely appalling.

“They’re trying to make inroads into Thornaby by buttering us up one way, and then kicking us in the teeth with stuff like this.”

He later accused border officials of “living in cupboards and attics” and imposing boundary changes.

He said: “There’s nothing wrong with Thornaby – it’s the best little town in the North of England as far as we’re concerned. 

“We can do without this tinkering and interfering by faceless bureaucrats who’ve been doing a lot of these things virtually while missing the reality part out of it.”

Adjustments to the original recommendations have backed Stockton going from 56 councillors to 57 – drawing criticism from Conservative group leader Cllr Tony Riordan.

Changes are set in the south of the borough through a new Ingleby Barwick South ward – and a new “southern parishes” councillor earmarked to cover Kirklevington, Hilton, and Maltby.

Council leader Cllr Bob Cook believed the boundary commission had listened to residents as part of their overall changes.

The Labour chief told the chamber his group had called for Thornaby’s boundaries to be retained – but the commission “unfortunately didn’t take any notice”. 

Cllr Ross Patterson, member for Ingleby Barwick west, backed Cllr Walmsley’s stance. 

He added: “Just because someone comes along and builds 1,200 houses, it doesn’t mean someone has to move a town.

“I don’t think that’s right.”

Billingham councillor Barry Woodhouse also branded changes in Ingleby and Thornaby “a disgrace”. 

“I used to work in Thornaby and Bazzie Beck was always the boundary,” he added.

The LGBC is an independent body accountable to Parliament.

It has been contacted for comment on the latest criticisms.

This latest round of consultation will end on January 10 before final recommendations are agreed in March. 

Any changes would apply from the 2023 local elections.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054