Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge’s MP has given his first reaction to the news that he will not be representing the two towns after the next general election due to constituency boundary changes.
As reported here, residents in Burnham-On-Sea, Highbridge, Berrow and Brean are set to be part of the newly-formed Bridgwater constituency which will have a new MP after the next election. Mr Heappey will represent the reshaped Wells constituency as a candidate.
Speaking to Burnham-On-Sea.com, Mr Heappey says: “Burnham-On-Sea, Highbridge, Berrow and Brean have been a wonderful set of communities to represent for the last eight years and I continue to represent them until the next election when the boundaries change.”
“I am excited about what can still be achieved in the year that remains. But I will miss these communities enormously – there is a ‘real sense of place’ here. Burnham and Highbridge really know what they are about and that makes them fantastic communities to represent.”
“They are very clear about what is going wrong and what is going right, and what they are as a seaside area with a proud history of welcoming people to this part of the world. I will enormously miss not being the MP after the next election.”
His comments come as The Boundary Commission for England is proposing changes to boundary lines across Somerset as part of its plans to redraw the UK’s parliamentary constituency lines ahead of the next general election, making their sizes more aligned.
Three rounds of public consultation have been held and the final proposals have been presented to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle MP. Parliament has four months to formally consider and appove the changes, meaning the new boundaries will take affect at any general election called after November 1st.
Burnham and Highbridge will be included in the new Bridgwater seat, shown above, but nearby parishes such as Brent Knoll, Burnham Without and Mark will remain in the Wells constituency seat.
Bridgwater’s current MP Ian Liddell-Grainger will not be the MP for the new constituency, as we first reported here, since he will be standing for election in the new Tiverton and Minehead constituency instead.
The next general election must be held by January 2025.
