Central Bedfordshire electoral review
Recommendations become law
The Central Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2011, to implement recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) for new boundaries in Central Bedfordshire, was made on 28 January 2011 and was published on 2 February 2011). New ward arrangements for Central Bedfordshire have now successfully completed a 40 day period of Parliamentary scrutiny and will come into force at the local elections on 5 May 2011.
The order for Central Bedfordshire can be viewed through the following link:
www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/162/contents/made
Draft order laid in Parliament
On 29 November 2010 the Central Bedfordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2011 was laid in draft in Parliament.
The draft order if made would give effect to the final recommendations that were consulted on during the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s review of electoral arrangements in Central Bedfordshire and published on 26 October 2010.
The draft order will be laid in Parliament for a period of 40 sitting days. Parliament can either accept or reject our recommendations. If accepted, the new electoral arrangements will come into force at the next scheduled elections for Central Bedfordshire in 2011.
The draft order refers to a map. The map comprises the following sheets:
- Sheet 1 (Overview of the district, PDF)
- Sheet 2 (Biggleswade, PDF)
- Sheet 3 (Leighton-Linslade, PDF)
- Sheet 4 (Dunstable and Houghton Regis, PDF)
Final recommendations on future electoral arrangements in Central Bedfordshire
On 26 October 2010 we published final recommendations for future electoral arrangements in Central Bedfordshire. These are available through the links below.
- Final recommendations for new local government electoral arrangements for Central Bedfordshire District Council (PDF)
- Summary of the report (PDF)
- Read our news release
You can see the maps of the proposed recommended boundaries below:
- Map 1 - overview (PDF)
- Map 2 - Biggleswade town (PDF)
- Map 3 - Leighton-Lindslade town (PDF)
- Map 4 - Dustable town and Houghton Regis town (PDF)
Please note: some of these maps may be very large and may take some time to download.
We have now completed our electoral review of Central Bedfordshire District Council. The changes we have proposed must be approved by Parliament. A draft Order – the legal document which brings into force our recommendations – will be laid in Parliament. The draft Order will provide for new electoral arrangements for the council to be implemented at the local elections in 2011.
Stage Three - draft recommendations
- Draft recommendations for Central Bedfordshire (PDF)
- Summary of the report (PDF)
- News release on draft recommendations for Central Bedfordshire
- Letter sent to the Chief Executive of Central Bedfordshire (PDF)
Maps of the area recommendations:
- Map 1 - overview of Central Bedfordshire(PDF)
- Map 2 - Biggleswade town (PDF)
- Map 3 - Leighton-Linslade town (PDF)
- Map 4 - Dunstable town and Houghton Regis town (PDF)
Please note: some of these maps may be very large and may take some time to download.
On 17 May 2010 we began a consultation on our draft recommendations in Central Bedfordshire. Between 17 May 2010 and 12 July 2010 we invited comments on the ward boundaries for the authority.
Consultation closed on 12 July 2010
Below are the representations we received:
Local authority
Central Bedfordshire Council (PDF)
Councillors
Political groups
Central Bedfordshire Labour Party (PDF)
Biggleswade Labour Party (PDF)
Dunstable Chiltern Conservative Party Ward Committee (PDF)
Leighton Lindslade Branch Labour Party (PDF)
The Liberal Democrat Group (PDF)
Parish and town councils
All the submissions are contained in one PDF document. At the front of the document there is a list of names with internal links to the relevant submissions.
Parish Councillor Brough (PDF)
Local residents
All the submissions are contained in one PDF document. At the front of the document there is a list of names with internal links to the relevant submissions.
Stage One - consultation on ward boundaries
On 27 October 2009, we began our consultation on ward boundaries in Central Bedfordshire. In the previous stage we consulted on the number of councillors in Central Bedfordshire and decided it should have 59 councillors. Between 27 October and 11 January, we invited comments on the ward boundaries for the authority.
Consultations closed on 11 January 2010
The representations we received are available to view below:
Local authority
Central Bedfordshire City Council (PDF)
Councillors
Political groups
Central Bedford Labour Party (PDF)
North Bedfordshire Liberal Democrats (PDF)
Leighton-Linslade Liberal Democrats (PDF)
Plantation Heath and Reach Conservative Association (PDF)
Plantation Heath and Reach Conservative Association 2 (PDF)
North East Bedfordshire Conservatives (PDF)
Plantation Heath and Reach Ward Committee for the Conservative Party (PDF)
Parish and town councils
We received 20 submissions from parish and town councils. All the submissions are contained in one PDF document. At the front of the document there is a list of names with internal links to the relevant submissions.
Parish councils submissions (PDF)
Local organisations
Bedfordshire and Luton Combined Fire Authority (PDF)
Heath and Reach Women's Institute (PDF)
Local residents
We received 13 submissions from local resident's. All the submissions are contained in one PDF document. At the front of the document there is a list of names with internal links to the relevant submissions.
Local residents submissions (PDF)
The below links contain more information.
Press release
Letter sent to the Chief Executive of Central Bedfordshire Council (PDF)
You can download the electorate figures for Central Bedfordshire (PDF). You may also find our guide on 'How to propose a pattern of wards' (PDF) useful.
Preliminary council size consultation
On 4 August 2009, we started the electoral review for the new Central Bedfordshire unitary authority. During this six week preliminary stage of the review, we invited proposals for the council size of the new Central Bedfordshire Council.
We only considered comments on council size at this time, and we will consider detailed electoral arrangements for Central Bedfordshire during two further periods of consultation later in 2009.
Below are the submissions we received:
Central Bedfordshire Council (PDF)
Further information received from Central Bedfordshire Council (PDF)
Letter from Boundary Committee to Central Bedfordshire Council (PDF)
Further submission from Central Bedfordshire Council (PDF)
Parish and town councils
Arlesey Parish Council (PDF)
Barton Le Clay Parish Council (PDF)
Biggleswade Town Council (PDF)
Chalton Parish Council (PDF)
Shillington Parish Council (PDF)
Westoning Parish Council (PDF)
Harlington Parish Council (PDF)
Houghton Regis Town Council (PDF)
Langford Parish Council (PDF)
Sandy Town Council (PDF)
Stondon Parish Council (PDF)
Stotfold Parish Council (PDF)
Streatley Parish Council (PDF)
Toddington Parish Council (PDF)
Political groups and MPs
North East Bedfordshire Constituency Labour Party (PDF)
Members of the public
B Golby (PDF)
J Gledhill (PDF)
J Hadfield (PDF)
M Smith (PDF)
A Winter (PDF)
We produced two different documents to support people where there is an electoral review being conducted in their area:
- Electoral reviews: what they are and how you can get involved (PDF) provides straightforward information for members of the public who want to get involved in the review.
- Electoral reviews: technical guidance (PDF) contains more detailed guidance on the review process and includes details of the legislation that reviews are conducted under.
Letter sent to Chief Executive of the Council at the beginning of the review (PDF)
Letter sent to Parish and local Councils at the beginning of the review (PDF)