BCS Paper 2017/64 2018 Review of UK Parliament Constituencies Draft
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Boundary Commission for Scotland BCS Paper 2017/64 2018 Review of UK Parliament Constituencies Draft Revised Proposals for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Dundee City council areas Action required 1. The Commission is invited to consider responses to the initial and secondary consultation on its Initial Proposals and whether it wishes to make changes to its proposals for Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus and Dundee City council areas. Background 2. The Commission's Initial Proposals for this area comprise 5 constituencies which exactly cover Aberdeenshire, Angus and Dundee City council areas and 2 constituencies which exactly cover Aberdeen City council area. A map of the constituencies is at Appendix A. Initial Proposals Constituency Council areas Wards (2007–2017) electorate parity Aberdeen North Aberdeen City 1-6, 7(part) 75,791 1.3% Aberdeen South Aberdeen City 7(part), 8-13 74,444 -0.4% Angus Glens and Angus (part) 1-5, 6(part) 78,156 Dundee East Dundee City (part) 6, 8 4.3% Banff and Buchan Aberdeenshire 1-7, 8(part), 9(part) 76,878 2.7% Dundee Dundee City 1-5, 7 76,317 2.0% Gordon and Deeside Aberdeenshire 8(part), 9(part), 10- 74,069 15 -0.9% Kincardine and Angus Aberdeenshire (part) 16-19 76,784 East Angus (part) 6(part), 7, 8 2.6% 3. The Commission considered revised proposals for these areas at its meeting of 13 April 2017, see Paper 2017/62. The Commission considered that Option 1 presented more of an improvement on its Initial Proposals than Option 2 and deferred consideration of Option 3. The Commission asked the Secretariat to further develop Option 1, with a view to incorporating as much of Deeside as possible within Gordon and Deeside; without causing excessive disruption to local ties at Peterculter, and without necessitating unmanageable consequent disruption to local ties in Angus. 4. Option 1 (Appendix B): aimed to place Banchory within the Dee Valley and minimise change to the Initial Proposals by retaining the proposed Banff and Buchan and Dundee constituencies. Option 1 also placed Midstocket within Aberdeen South and adopted constituency boundaries suggested by Angus Council. However Option 1 created a constituency covering 3 council areas, some areas of the Dee Valley were still out-with Gordon and Deeside and it transferred a large number of electors between Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire council areas. Document name 1 BCS_2017_64_(Aberdeen_Aberdeenshire_Angus_Dundee_Revised_Proposals) Boundary Commission for Scotland BCS Paper 2017/64 Option 1 Constituency Council area Wards Electorate Parity (2007-2017) Banff and Aberdeenshire 1-7, 8(part), 76,878 2.7% Buchan 9(part) Gordon and Aberdeenshire 10-12, 14-16, Deeside 8(part),9(part), 73,753 -1.4% 13(part) Aberdeen North Aberdeen City 1-6 78,063 4.2% Aberdeenshire 13(part) Aberdeen South Aberdeen City 7, 8, 10-13, 77,326 3.3% 9(part) Kincardine and Aberdeen City 9(part) Angus North Aberdeenshire 17-19 72,309 -3.4% Angus 2, 3, 8, 6(part), 7(part) Angus South Angus 1, 4, 5, 6(part), and Dundee 7(part) 77,793 3.9% East Dundee City 6, 8 Dundee Dundee City 1-5, 7 76,317 2.0% 5. Option 3 (Appendix D) designed 2 constituencies for Aberdeen City council area and 5 constituencies for Aberdeenshire, Angus and Dundee City council areas. The purpose of the suggestion was to prove that it is possible to design constituencies throughout Scotland without splitting any wards but the author admits the suggestion does not consider local ties. Option 3 does not split any wards but it separates Banchory from other communities in Deeside. Option 3 Constituency Council area Wards Electorate Parity (2007-2017) Aberdeen North Aberdeen City 1-2, 4-8 78,274 4.5% Aberdeen South Aberdeen City 3, 9-13 71,961 -3.9% Banff and Buchan Aberdeenshire 1-7, 9 77,582 3.6% Gordon and Mar Aberdeenshire 8, 10-15 73,365 -1.9% Kincardine and Aberdeenshire 16-19 76,952 2.8% Arbroath Angus 6-8 Forfar Angus 1-5 76,693 2.5% Dundee City 1, 6 Dundee Dundee City 2-8 77,612 3.7% Representations received 6. A more detailed record of representations received for these areas was described in Paper 2017/62, but to summarise approximately 280 responses were received during the two consultation periods for these areas. 7. Approximately 240 of these responses were received from Banchory electors opposing the Commission’s proposals as they split Deeside between constituencies. However there was also some support for the Deeside boundary from the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Document name 2 BCS_2017_64_(Aberdeen_Aberdeenshire_Angus_Dundee_Revised_Proposals) Boundary Commission for Scotland BCS Paper 2017/64 8. Angus Council suggested an alternative boundary that they believe better reflects local ties and Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries. Aberdeenshire Council suggested creating constituencies based on using whole wards which come into effect in May 2017. 9. The Scottish Labour Party and Scottish Liberal Democrats support the Commission's Initial Proposals in this grouping. The Conservative and Unionist Party suggest that Banchory be placed in a constituency with other communities in Deeside but they did not provide any alternative constituency boundaries. Consideration of representations 10. The majority of responses to the consultations oppose the division of Deeside between constituencies in Aberdeenshire. There were very few comments on the Initial Proposals regarding Angus, Aberdeen and Dundee. 11. The main issues raised by respondents opposing the Initial Proposals are strong links between communities within Deeside and no ties between Angus and Deeside as the Cairngorms act as a natural boundary between the areas. However the Scottish Liberal Democrats support the Initial Proposals and historically Banchory has been split between constituencies in Deeside (West Aberdeenshire and North Angus and Mearns constituencies between 1974- 1983). 12. The Commission received no alternative suggestions to improve the Initial Proposals in Deeside. 13. Banchory has an electorate of approximately 7,800 and adding these electors to the proposed Gordon and Deeside constituency (74,069 electors) would create a constituency with an electorate exceeding the quota for this review. 14. Further consideration of these areas was described in Paper 2017/62. Options 15. Option 1 added Westhill from Aberdeenshire to an Aberdeen North constituency. As there are approximately 8,900 electors in Westhill, Peterculter from Aberdeen City with approx. 3,700 electors was included in a Kincardine and Angus North constituency. Option 1 also adopted suggested boundaries in Aberdeen and Angus. 16. Option 3 designed constituencies based on using whole wards. 17. The Commission asked the Secretariat to further develop Option 1 and deferred making a decision on Option 3. 18. Option 4 aims to improve Option 1 by also placing Banchory within a Deeside constituency but minimising changes to the Initial Proposals elsewhere. 19. Option 4 amends the boundary between the proposed Banff and Buchan and Gordon and Deeside constituencies by following a river. The boundary splits a single ward between these constituencies while the Initial Proposals split 2 wards. Document name 3 BCS_2017_64_(Aberdeen_Aberdeenshire_Angus_Dundee_Revised_Proposals) Boundary Commission for Scotland BCS Paper 2017/64 20. Option 4 transfers approximately 2,000 electors by Blackburn and 980 electors by Potterton in Aberdeenshire, to an Aberdeen North constituency. The proposed boundary by Blackburn follows a railway line, historic ward and community council boundary and the A96 dual-carriageway. The boundary by Potterton follows natural features (river and hilltop). Option 4 transfers a smaller number of electors than Option 1 so does not necessitate a balance of electors elsewhere in Aberdeen. 21. Option 4 places Banchory within a Gordon and Deeside constituency but a small area of Deeside (Drumoak) is separated. This area has also been split in Option 1. There are approximately 1,300 electors by Drumoak (between Banchory and Peterculter) and adding these electors to a Gordon and Deeside constituency would exceed the electoral quota. However Drumoak could be added to an Aberdeen South constituency as the Dee flows into Aberdeen. 22. In Aberdeen City, Option 4 only makes a minor change to the boundary between the proposed Aberdeen North and South constituencies in ward 7 (Midstocket/ Rosemount). It places Midstocket within an Aberdeen South constituency. The initial proposals also split Aberdeen ward 7 but it followed a different boundary. 23. In Angus Option 4 places the Glens within a single constituency and adopts suggestions: linking Arbroath with the proposed Angus Glens and Dundee East constituency to create a constituency named Angus South and Dundee East; linking Brechin and Forfar with the proposed Kincardine and Angus East constituency; and following new ward boundaries by Friockheim. 24. Option 4 also retains the existing Dundee constituency. Option 4 Constituency Council area Wards Electorate Parity (2007-2017) Aberdeen City 1-6, 7(part), Aberdeen North 77,351 3.3% Aberdeenshire 8(part), 12(part) Aberdeen South Aberdeen City 7(part), 8-13 75,961 1.6% Angus South and Angus 1,4,5, 6(part), 7(part) 71,402 -4.7% Dundee East Dundee City 6 and 8 Banff and Buchan Aberdeenshire 1-7, 8(part), 9 78,079 4.2% Dundee Dundee City 1-5, 7 76,317 2.0% Gordon and 8 (part), 10, 11, Aberdeenshire 78,354 4.6% Deeside 12(part), 13-16 Kincardine and Aberdeenshire 17-19 74,975 0.3% Angus North Angus 1-3, 6(part), 7(part), 8 Summary of Options 25. The advantages of the Initial Proposals are: they created 2 constituencies within Aberdeen City council area; aimed to retain a Banff and Buchan constituency; and during the consultations there was little opposition to the proposals in Aberdeen, Angus and Dundee. However there was strong opposition to the Initial Proposals in Banchory as Deeside was split between constituencies.