Published on
5 July 2023
Final recommendations for new boundaries set out
The proposed changes will only become law once Parliament has approved them
Wokingham Borough Council is set to have new boundaries for its council wards as part of a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
The commission is the independent body that draws these boundaries. It has reviewed Wokingham Borough to make sure councillors will represent about the same number of electors, and that ward arrangements will help the council work effectively.
It has published final recommendations for changes in the borough and says residents should be represented by 54 councillors. This is the same as there are currently. There will be 18 three-member wards.
The changes become law once Parliament has approved them. The council will ensure that the arrangements are in place for the local elections in May 2024.
Delivering 'electoral fairness while maintaining local ties'
Publishing the recommendations, Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said: “We are very grateful to people in Wokingham Borough. We looked at all the views they gave us. They helped us improve our earlier proposals. We believe the new arrangements will deliver electoral fairness while maintaining local ties."
A total of 208 people and organisations made comments to help decide the new wards. Changes in response to what local people said include:
- Renaming the wards in Earley and Woodley, reverting to more specifically local names.
- Renaming Northern and Southern wards, as Thames and Spencers Wood & Swallowfield, respectively
Further details can be found on the commission's website.
