October 01, 2012 -- The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has launched an online tool which gives councillors, council staff and members of the public unprecedented access to maps of ward and electoral division boundaries which are under review.

The Commission’s consultation portal delivers the most detailed and comprehensive mapping of local authority boundaries ever used for electoral reviews in England whilst guiding visitors through its consultation process.

The portal uses the latest online geographic technology to allow visitors to take a detailed look at parish, ward and division boundaries across their local authority. Users of the new site can examine proposed boundaries at street level and the service makes it easier than ever to contribute to the Commission’s consultations.

The site can be accessed at consultation.lgbce.org.uk.

The portal has been developed in partnership with spatial information and systems specialists, Informed Solutions, and aims to make electoral reviews of local authorities more accessible to anyone who wants to have their say about the electoral arrangements of their council.

Chair of the Commission, Max Caller CBE said, “If you’ve ever used an online mapping service to plan a journey or find a location, you will have no problem finding your way around the portal or having your say on the future of your council.

The new service makes the electoral review process more accessible than ever. It will help councillors and members of the public make the most effective case to the Commission whether they want to challenge our boundary recommendations or support them. It represents a major breakthrough in the way we consult and engage with elected members and communities during reviews.

The site is extremely sophisticated on the inside but accessible and intuitive on the outside. We hope it will help and encourage elected members and others to have their say during consultation.”

Notes:

1. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is responsible for reviewing local authority electoral arrangements. An electoral review examines and proposes new electoral arrangements for a local authority. These include:

• The number of councillors to be elected from each ward or division. 
• The names, number and boundaries of wards or divisions. 
• The total number of councillors to be elected to the council.

2. The Commission carries out around 30 electoral reviews of local authorities across England each year. Electoral reviews determine ward and electoral division boundaries that deliver electoral equality for voters and aim to reflect community interests and identities. Reviews usually mean changes to ward boundaries across an authority.

For further information contact:

Marcus Bowell, Communications and Public Affairs Manager: 020 7664 8530 or marcus.bowell@lgbce.org.uk