MAY 2021 Summary Report The full report and detailed maps: www.consultation.lgbce.org.uk www.lgbce.org.uk

Have your say

We are now consulting local people on a new pattern of wards for Borough Council. We have an open mind about our final recommendations, and we will consider every piece of evidence we receive from local Bedford Borough Council groups and people, regardless of whom it is from or whether it relates to the whole council area or just a part of it. New Draft Recommendations on the new electoral If you agree with our recommendations, please let us know. If you don’t think our recommendations are right for Bedford we want to hear alternative proposals for a different pattern of wards. arrangements

We aim to propose a pattern of wards for Bedford Borough Council which delivers: • Electoral equality: each councillor represents a similar number of voters. • Community identity: reflects the identity and interests of local communities. • Effective and convenient local government: helping your council discharge its responsibilities effectively.

A good pattern of wards should: ● Interests: what issues bind the community ● Provide good electoral equality, with each together or separate it from other parts of your councillor representing, as closely as possible, the area? same number of voters. ● Identifiable boundaries: are there natural ● Reflect community interests and identities and or constructed features which make strong include evidence of community links. boundaries for your proposals? ● Be based on strong, easily identifiable boundaries. ● Help the council deliver effective and convenient Effective local government local government. ● Are any of the proposed wards too large or small to be represented effectively? Electoral equality ● Are the proposed names of the wards appropriate? ● Does your proposal mean that councillors would represent roughly the same number of voters as Useful tips Who we are Why Bedford? elsewhere in the council area? ● Our website has a special consultation area ● The Local Government Boundary Commission ● Bedford Borough Council currently has high levels where you can explore the maps. You can find it at for is an independent body set up by of electoral inequality: some councillors represent Community identity consultation.lgbce.org.uk. Parliament. many more - or many fewer - voters than others. ● Transport links: are there good links across ● We publish all submissions we receive on our ● We are not part of government or any political ● Therefore the value of your vote, in Bedford your proposed ward? Is there any form of public website. Go to: www.lgbce.org.uk party. Borough Council elections, varies depending on transport? ● We are accountable to Parliament through a where you live in Bedford. ● Community groups: is there a parish council, committee of MPs chaired by the Speaker of the ● We are seeking to improve levels of electoral residents association or another group that House of Commons. equality for local voters represents the area? ● Our main role is to carry out electoral reviews of ● Facilities: does your pattern of wards reflect local authorities throughout England. where local people go for shops, medical services, Our proposals leisure facilities etc? Electoral review ● We propose that the council should have 46 Write to: Our consultation area: An electoral review examines and proposes new councillors in future, representing three three- electoral arrangements for a local authority, including: councillor wards, 12 two-councillor wards, and 13 Review Officer (Bedford) consultation.lgbce.org.uk ● The total number of councillors representing the single-councillor wards across the council area. LGBCE Email: council’s voters (‘council size’). PO Box 133 [email protected] ● The names, number and boundaries of wards or Blyth You have until 05 July 2021 to have your electoral divisions. NE24 9FE Twitter: @LGBCE ● The number of councillors for each ward or say on the recommendations division. Summary of our recommendations Our new draft recommendations propose that Bedford Borough Overview of new draft recommendations Council should have 46 councillors, an increase of six from the existing arrangements.

Those councillors should represent 28 wards; 13 single-councillor for Bedford Borough Council wards, 12 two-councillor wards, and three three-councillor wards. View this map online: This is one more ward than there is now. consultation.lgbce.org.uk

Before drawing up the new draft recommendations, the Follow the review on Twitter: @LGBCE Commission carried out a public consultation inviting proposals for a new pattern of wards for Bedford. If you are viewing this page online, click on the map to go straight to our interactive consultation area. We have considered all of the submissions we received during that phase of consultation. The boundaries of all but one ward have been changed in our new draft recommendations. All have good electoral equality, with variances within 10% of the average.

An outline of the proposals is shown in the map to the right. A detailed report on the recommendations and interactive mapping is available on our website at: www.lgbce.org.uk.

We welcome comments on our new draft recommendations, whether you support the proposals or wish to put forward alternative arrangements. Riseley

Have your say at consultation.lgbce.org.uk:

Harrold ● view the map of our recommendations down to street level. ● zoom into the areas that interest you most. yoston Sharnrook ● find more guidance on how to have your say. ● read the full report of our recommendations. ● send us your views directly.

District Stage of Review Description Clapham Oakley Renhold Ravensden 2 Single-councillor ward Great Barford Two-councillor ward 25 February - Public consultation on warding 16 Three-councillor-ward Bromham 6 20 July 2020 arrangements 5 1 1. 2. 15 29 September 2020 - Public consultation on draft 1 14 3. Castle 1 4. Cauldwell 04 January 2021 recommendations 10 4 5. 6. 11 May - Public consultation on new 12 11 Shortstown . Great Denham 8. Harpur ootton empston Rural 05 July 2021 draft recommendations iams ilstead 9. empston Central East 10. empston North 31 August 2021 Publication of final 11. empston South recommendations 12. empston West 13. ingsbrook Subject to parliamentary 14. Newnham 15. Priory approval - implementation of May 2023 16. new arrangements at local 1. ueens Park elections