by Iain Robinson

A YEAR-LONG consultation exercise aimed at reshaping council ward boundaries will swing into action next month.

The Electoral Commission's Boundary Committee for England has been asked to draw up plans for smaller wards in Stoke-on-Trent.

The move is part of a wider strategy to give Stoke-on-Trent City Council single-member wards and enable it to switch to all-out four-yearly elections.

The changes were part of the package of Government intervention in the city council which was announced in May.

They were also among the 14 recommendations laid down last year in the Stoke-on-Trent Governance Commission's highly critical report on the state of the city's political system.

The Government stepped in and ordered the consultation after councillors failed to implement the switch from annual to four-yearly polls at a crucial vote in January.

Many were unhappy that the change meant there would be no council elections until 2011.

The Electoral Commission has said that it is approaching the ward boundary shake-up with an open mind.

It will only form an opinion on the likely sizes and number of wards once it has received responses from voters, councillors, political parties and other organisations in the city.

Electoral Commission chairman Jenny Watson said: "It is clear from the Governance Commission's review that there are significant challenges that face local governance in Stoke-on-Trent in the next few years.

"An electoral review is not, on its own, going to solve all of those problems.

"But there is considerable evidence that a review could be part of a package of reforms that can help to rebuild the confidence of residents who rely on key services."

"In this case, we believe carrying out an electoral review could be the first step in enabling the people of Stoke-on-Trent to secure effective and convenient local government in their city."

Max Caller, chairman of the Boundary Committee for England, said: "Our job when carrying out reviews like this is as much to listen and learn as it is to decide."

The first phase of consultation, looking at the overall size of the council, will run from August 4 until September 13.

Phase two, from October 27 to January 17, will focus on future electoral arrangements, including the switch to all-out four-yearly elections.

The committee will then produce draft recommendations between March 30 and June 21 next year.

Final recommendations will be presented to the Electoral Commission on October 5 2010.

An Electoral Commission spokesman said: "The consultation is expected to involve extensive visits to the city to meet with councillors, political parties and other stakeholders effected by the decision.

"We'll also be encouraging members of the public and stakeholders to submit their evidenced views to the committee by post or email."

Stoke-on-Trent City Council will play no formal role in the consultation.

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Story filed in: Council | News