Parliamentary Constituencies Boundary Review 2023
You an now find out about the proposed changes to the Saffron Walden Parliamentary Constituency.
How to give your feedback
The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) published its initial proposals and maps for the nine English regions on their website on 8 June 2021.
The eight-week public consultation closed on 2 August 2021.
You can still see the initial proposals on the Boundary Commission consultation website.
The next consultation period runs from 22 February to 4 April 2022. You can comment direct on the Commission's website or send your comments by letter or email. The Commission has published the responses received from the first consultation on this website. Public hearings are also being held across the country, where you can tell us your views in person.
Saffron Walden Parliamentary Constituency
Uttlesford District Council is currently represented by the Saffron Walden Parliamentary Constituency which had an electorate of 87,000 at the last parliamentary general election in December 2019, this included nearly 18,000 electors taken in from Chelmsford City Council.
You can see maps of the:
- current Saffron Walden Parliamentary Constituency electoral boundary on parliament.uk
- proposed boundaries in the Eastern region on the BCE website
Questions and answers
Why are you reviewing constituency boundaries?
We have been asked by Parliament to review constituencies in England to ensure that there is a more even distribution of electors across them.Due to population changes since the last review, the number of electors in some constituencies is much higher than in others.The 2023 Boundary Review, which was launched in January this year, will make the number of electors in each constituency more equal, thus ensuring individual votes are of broadly equal weight. In making these required changes, the number of constituencies in England must increase from 533 to 543.
How do you work out the proposed changes to boundaries?
The Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 requires the Commission to base this review on electorate data from 2 March 2020. According to the UK's electorate figures published on 5 January 2021 by the Office for National Statistics, each constituency that we recommend must contain no less than 69,724 Parliamentary electors, and no more than 77,062 (except two 'protected' constituencies for the Isle of Wight).This is essentially the mean average number of electors for each constituency. England will be allocated 543 constituencies for the new review, which constitutes an increase of ten constituencies.
Will my MP or constituency be affected by the boundary changes?
The number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543, and each will need to have a similar number of electors. To implement these requirements, there will be wide scale change to the majority of constituencies. View the proposals online at www.bcereviews.org.uk for your particular area to find out more.
When would the proposed changes take effect?
The Boundary Commission will make its final recommendations to Parliament by 1 July 2023. The Government must turn the recommendations of the BCE (and those of the equivalent Commissions for the other three parts of the UK) into an 'Order in Council' that implements the recommendations. The constituencies set out in the Order will then be implemented for the next General Election after the date on which the legislation is approved.
Will this review favour one political party over another?
The Boundary Commission for England is independent and impartial and will not take into account patterns of voting or the results of elections when reviewing constituency boundaries. Nor do the political parties' views on where boundaries should be have any more weight than those of members of the public.
How long will the review last?
Initial proposals are published on 8 June 2021, with final recommendations submitted to Parliament in the summer of 2023.
Why do you need my views?
We want to make sure that the final recommendations have taken local views and knowledge into consideration.
How can I share my views?
You can visit the 2023 Review of Parliamentary consistencies on the Boundary commission for England site to view the proposed map of constituencies and share your views.
Will the changes affect my local council services, bin collections or schools, for example?
No. The boundary changes only relate to Parliamentary constituencies (the area an MP is elected to represent in Parliament). Services and council tax in your local area are set by your local authority and this review does not change local authority boundaries.
When will the new constituencies take effect?
After the final report from all four Parliamentary Boundary Commissions has been laid by the Speaker, the Government is required to submit to the Privy Council an Order that gives effect to all four Commissions' recommendations. After the Privy Council approves the Order, the new constituencies take effect at the next General Election. Any by-elections held in the meantime have to be held on the basis of the old (existing) constituencies.
Will the name of my constituency change following the review?
Possibly. As well as looking at where the boundaries of constituencies should be, the BCE will recommend a specific name for each constituency. Generally, the more a constituency has changed, the more likely it is that the BCE will recommend a change of name. The Commission welcomes views on the naming of proposed constituencies during the consultation.
Additional Information
► Uttlesford electoral boundary maps
► Guide to the 2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies on the Boundary Commission for England (independent.gov.uk)