COUNCILLORS are fighting proposals to redraw ward boundaries they feel would carve up communities.

The Boundary Committee for England is reviewing Durham County Council's electoral divisions following the creation of a unitary authority in April.

It wants the 126 members to represent a similar number of electors, ideally 3134, and have two members per ward.

Any changes should also reflect community identity and be convenient.

At a special meeting of Spennymoor Town Council on Tuesday members slammed plans for the town saying they would join areas with no affinity with each other.

The proposal would move Byers Green and most of Middlestone Moor to the Coundon ward and transfer Low Spennymoor and Tudhoe Grange from Tudhoe to Spennymoor.

Coun Bill Waters said: "Its about the numbers game not people which it should be."

Coun Liz Maddison said: "Because of the relationship we have with other villages they are part of our township and should be included with us and represented by our unitary member."

She also felt future developments in the town had not been properly considered and hoped consultation improves.

Coun Ian Harrington said: "Elected representatives are supposed to represent communities, carving up and throwing together settlements ad hoc and zigzagging through gardens to make boundaries fit is nonsense."

Members agreed two preferred options to submit to the county council to consider this morning.

They want the Spennymoor and Middlestone Moor division to include North Close, Kirk Merrington and part of Tudhoe and for the rest of Tudhoe to stand alone.

The second choice would be to take Binchester and Newfield into the Spennymoor ward.

In both scenarios members felt residents would be best served by three members for the Spennymoor ward and two for Tudhoe.

Coun Jim Graham said: "This should be about community not numbers, this way would preserve recognisable communities and be close to the golden number of 3134."

The county council will consider countywide proposals today (thurs) so it can offer views to the Boundary Committee.

The Committee will publish draft recommendations this summer before a final proposal goes to the Electoral Commission in spring.

The proposals put forward by the town council would leave the Coundon ward with just one councillor.

Coun Jim Smith said: "All we can do is our best to protect communities and represent the Spennymoor township."

Durham County Councillors for Spennymoor, Ben Ord and Kevin Thompson, have also challenged the proposals saying if approved it will split the community of Spennymoor.