Boundary Commission recommendations Cheshire West & Chester 2017

We are Margaret and Stuart Parker, both Ward Councillors for Chester Villages Ward.

Thank you for providing this opportunity for us to comment on the proposed changes to Chester Villages Ward.

We are happy to support the Boundary Commission recommendations for the creation of two new Two Member wards from the existing Chester Villages Ward, to include Mickle Trafford and Elton, and a second Ward to include Christleton and Huntington. There have been long connections between Mickle Trafford and Elton, and all of the Chester Villages Parish Councils are in support of the Boundary Commission proposals to create the two new Wards, as there is good cohesion and transport infrastructure between each of the villages included

We would however, request the Boundary Commission to consider a new name for the Elton & Mickle Trafford Ward. We propose the name ‘Gowy Rural Ward’ instead of Elton and Mickle Trafford, as the River Gowy has got great local connectivity throughout the area, and the new name of Gowy Rural is fully supported by all the Parish Councils in Chester Villages.

We would further ask that the Boundary Commission consider moving the boundary slightly along Whitby Lane so that the last four houses, now in Saughall and Mollington are not left in isolation from the other houses in Whitby Lane, in support of the the submission from Ellesmere Port and Neston Conservative Group.

We are also happy that Guilden Sutton has been proposed to join this new ward as there are already close and shared connections between Guilden Sutton and Mickle Trafford

We are also supportive of the creation of a new two member ‘Christleton and Huntington Ward’, as there is synergy between the rural settlements included within the new ward. Each of the Chester Villages Parish Councils are supportive of this proposal, and we respectfully ask that the name of ‘Christleton and Huntington’ should not be extended to incorporate any other village names, as this would then become too cumbersome and contentious to the other smaller villages omitted in the ward name

We are obviously disappointed that the Chester Villages Ward, has had to be sacrificed, but we both appreciate the reasoning behind the proposed changes, and we are therefore both supportive of the Boundary Commissions recommendations for the creation of the two new two member wards, which will still retain a rural identity around Chester

Cllr Margaret Parker

Cllr Stuart Parker

November 2017