There has been a great deal of speculation and discussion about the Parliamentary Boundaries in Lancashire announced by the Independent Electoral Commission and how they will effect the Ribble Valley Parliamentary Constituency. 

 

The officers and management team of the Ribble Valley Conservative Association met yesterday evening to consider the Commission's proposals and decided on a 4 fold strategy;

 

1. To argue as far as possible to preserve the current Ribble Valley constituency. 

 

2. To consult all our members on their views and listen to those expressed by the public. 

 

3. To circulate plans put forward for the parliamentary boundaries in Lancashire and Cumbria by the Conservative Party nationally to all our members in order to seek their views and work co-operatively with other areas on solutions.

 

4. To put together a proposal for the future boundaries for the Ribble Valley once our consultation has finished and put our agreed plan to the  Independent Electoral Commission who will  decide on the future shape of the  Parliamentary Constituency.  

 

We emphasie the parliamentary boundary changes  will have no impact on the  Ribble Valley and South Ribble Borough Council boundaries which make up the current Parliamentary Constituency of the Ribble Valley. Similarly, Lancashire County Council will not be effected either by the proposed changes.

 

This process is part of a periodic review of parliamentary boundaries which, in light of population movements, seeks to equalise parliamentary representation whilst  taking into account local community links. 

 

This is the first of two rounds of consultations carried out by the Independent Electoral Commission. We urge residents to access the Independent Electoral Commission web site to read the proposals and express their views. It is only by doing this that residents’ views will be considered by the decision makers at the Commission. It also means that residents will have a direct impact on the formulation of future boundaries. The Independent Electoral Commission’s proposals can be found at the following link: https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/

The changes proposed for the Ribble Valley Parliamentary Constituency by the Independent Electoral Commission are as follows: 

 

Wards taken moved to a South Ribble Constituency;

South Ribble Borough Council wards - Walton le Dale East, Lostock Hall, Bamber Bridge East and West, Farington East and West (21,073 voters).

 

Wards moved to a new Hyndburn constituency;

Ribble Valley Borough Council wards - Whalley and Painter Wood, East Whalley, Read and Simonstone, Langho and Billington (7102 voters).

 

These are replaced by;

Preston wards - Ribbleton and Fishwick, (11293 voters) 

Preston North and Wyre Wards - Preston Rural North and Preston Rural East (including Grimsagh, Goosnagh Woodplumpton Catforth and Whittingham) (10,446 voters).

 

The areas remaining in the Ribble Valley Constituency as proposed by the Independent Electoral Commission are;

 

Ribble Valley Borough  - Whalley Nethertown (Caldertones), Sabden, Worston, Chatburn, Downham, Toss Side, Rimington, Gisburn, Paythorne, West Bradford , Grindelton, Waddington, Slaidburn, Newton, Dunsop Bridge, Bolton by Bowland, Great Mitton, Little Mitton, Bashall Eaves, Dinkley, Sawley, Ribchester, Chipping, Alston, Hothersall, Thornley, Longridge, Clitheroe, Mellor, Mellorbrook, Balderstone, Salesbury, Osbaldeston, Salmesbury, Brockholes, Hurst Green, Knowle Green, Whitewell, Barrow, Wiswell, Clayton le Dale, Wilpshire and Ramsgreave.  

 

South Ribble Borough - Coupe Green, Gregson Lane, Walton le Dale West, Salmesbury and Walton (10,245 voters) 

 

Of the present existing constituency in the Independent Electoral Commission's proposals- 51,070 voters remain, and 28,075 moved to other Parliamentary Constituencies. 

 

The Independent Electoral Commission is trying to create Parliamentary Constituencies with an of average of 73,400 voters, and the proposed Parliamentary Constituency of Ribble Valley meets this figure with a total of 73,302 voters. The Independent Electoral Commission's tolerance is between 69,724 and  77,062 voters. The current Ribble Valley Parliamentary Constituency is too large at 79,245 voters.   

 

The Independent Electoral Commission has realigned the constituencies moving from East to West across Lancashire and part of West Lancashire has been added to a Merseyside seat. As a result, Southport are to make up the shortfall in numbers in the Merseyside region.