Proposals to change several electoral boundaries across the Burnham-On-Sea area have been formally uneveiled by the district council this week.
The Boundary Committee for England is reviewing the boundaries of Sedgemoor District Council’s electoral wards, along with the number of district councillors required to serve the wards.
“The review aims to try to ensure that each councillor represents around the same number of people and that every elector’s vote is worth the same, which is not currently the case,” council spokeswoman Claire Faun told Burnham-On-Sea.com.
Under the plans, a new two-member ward, known as Burnham North with an electorate of 3,579 would be formed. It would also create a further new two-member ward, known as Middle Burnham, with an electorate of 4,092 voters. Burnham South would also have two members and an electorate of 4,070.
There would also be changes in the Huntspill and Pawlett ward, while a new two-member ward, known as Wedmore and Mark, comprising of 4,062 electors would also be formed. At the same time, the Knoll Ward would be reduced in size by 273 voters to form a new one-member ward comprising of 2,104 electors.
Sedgemoor currently has 50 elected members and under the proposals it would reduce in overall size to 48.
The Boundary Commission for England will now consider the evidence provided by local people and organisations, and will publish a set of draft recommendations showing what the proposed new ward boundaries will be. Those draft recommendations will then be subject to further public consultation this summer and the review is likely to finish in autumn 2010.
