RESIDENTS are being urged to have their say on local government boundaries, which could see a change in the way Liphook is represented on Hampshire County Council.

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is currently consulting on its draft proposals for new electoral-division boundaries across Hampshire. The consultation closes next Monday, January 11.

Looking east, the Liphook and Headley division, held by Ferris Cowper, who is also leader of East Hampshire District Counci, is not set to see any alterations.

However, the LGBCE have received a submission which suggested a name change to include the settlements of Liphook and Grayshott. 

But an LGBCE spokesman said: “As the electorates of Liphook and Headley comprise the majority of the population of the division, we consider both areas should be reflected in the division name. We consider this division reflects community identity and provides for good electoral equality.”

The commission’s draft recommendations propose that the county council should have 78 county councillors in the future – the same as the current arrangements.

The proposals mean those councillors would represent 72 single-member electoral divisions and three two-member electoral divisions across the county. 

Commission chairman Max Caller said: “We are asking people to log on to our website or visit their local library to have a look at our proposals for new division boundaries for Hampshire.

“We are keen to hear what people think of the recommendations and to tell us if they agree with the proposals. If you don’t agree with the boundaries we have drawn, we would like to hear alternatives. 

“Our review aims to deliver electoral equality for voters in elections to Hampshire County Council.

“This means that each county councillor represents a similar number of electors so that everyone’s vote in county council elections is worth roughly the same regardless of where you live.

“We also aim to ensure that the council’s divisions reflect, as far as possible, the interests and identities of local communities across the county.

“We will consider all the submissions we receive whoever they are from and whether your evidence applies to the whole of Hampshire or just a part of the county.”

People can visit the commission’s interactive consultation portal at consultation.lgbce.org.uk to look at detailed maps of the proposals and get all the advice they need to make a submission during the consultation.

Hard copies of the commission’s report and maps have also been made available to view at council buildings and libraries.