The Parliamentary Boundary Commission have decided in an announcement today (17th October) to keep with their original proposal for the Lichfield Parliamentary Constituency: that Streethay and Whittington be moved to the Tamworth Parliamentary Constituency and that Haywood and Hixon be moved into Lichfield from the Stafford constituency.

Michael Fabricant says “I am very disappointed with this decision. It cuts a corner of Lichfield off with the nonsense of the London Platform of Lichfield Trent Valley Station being moved to Tamworth while the Manchester and Crewe platform will remain in Lichfield. How I would have been able to argue for the lifts to be fitted at the Lichfield Trent Valley with my only having responsibility for half the station, I do not know!” The lifts will start to be installed next year.

Michael adds: “It will also be a huge shame to lose Whittington and I hope I will be able to maintain my close ties with St Giles Hospice.”

The Parliamentary Boundary Commission undertakes this work regularly to take into account population shifts. In addition, new rules set by Parliament will mean a reduction from 650 constituencies in the United Kingdom to 600 and, with two island constituency exceptions, each constituency will have 74,769 voters (ie everyone aged 18 or over at the time of the election) give or take no more than 5% (ie to create constituencies varying in size no more than between 71,031 and 78,507 electors). At present the range is far greater than 5% with London, Wales, and other urban areas being over-represented in Parliament per head of population.

“The Boundary Commission will take and consider responses to their proposals from 17th October until 11th December and I urge residents – particularly those in Streethay and Whittington – to make their views known to the Boundary Commission. You can do so either on their website www.bce2018.org.uk or by writing to them at the Boundary Commission for England, 35 Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BQ. I shall certainly be doing so” Michael adds. It had been proposed that Hammerwich join Wall which is already in the Tamworth constituency.

“I note that the Boundary Commission say ‘Hammerwich looked to Burntwood for many of its services’ and ‘the town of Burntwood should not be divided between constituencies to allow for the villages of Streethay and Whittington’s ties to Lichfield to be recognised’. I would say that Streethay with all its new housing is an integral part of Lichfield and the Boundary Commission fails to understand this” Michael concludes.

These changes will need to be approved by Parliament and would then only come into effect at the next General Election. Until then, everything remains as it is.

Photos show the new map of the Lichfield constituency as proposed by the Boundary Commission for England.