BORDON will have a new MP after the next general election under plans to shake up the parliamentary constituencies in Hampshire.

The county has 17 constituencies at the moment but under provisional plans, unveiled last Thursday by the Boundary Commission for England, this will be increased to 18.

It will be achieved by shifting the boundaries for the current constituencies to ensure that MPs all represent around the same number of people.

Bordon and its surrounding villages, currently represented by James Arbuthnot in the North East Hampshire Constituency, will be moved back to the East Hampshire Constituency for which Michael Mates was re-elected MP in June last year for the eighth successive time.

At the last boundary review in 1995 Bordon and Whitehill, along with villages including Bramshott and Liphook, Headley, Lindford and Grayshott, was moved to the North East Hampshire constituency for the same reasons.

The proposed East Hampshire seat will have an electorate of 67,452 and comprise 31 of the 38 new district council wards.

It will mean that Bordon, Alton and Petersfield will all be represented by the same MP.

The remaining seven district council wards, all located in the Horndean and Clanfield areas, will be put into a new Meon Valley Constituency.

A report by the Boundary Commission said: ÒThe allocation of an additional seat and the realignment of constituency boundaries where wards are divided will mean that there will have to be major changes to some of the existing seats.

ÒHowever, the commission has tried to keep these changes to a minimum and has endeavoured to follow existing constituency boundaries where possible when forming constituencies.

ÒThe changes will ensure that where high seat electorates currently exist, these will be reduced to a level nearer to the electoral quota.

ÒThe commission wishes to stress that its provisional recommendations relate solely to parliamentary constituencies and do not affect county, district or parish boundaries, taxes or services.

ÒThe commission will therefore not take account of any representation made about those local issues.Ó

Residents and local councils have one month to comment on the proposed new constituencies.

East Hampshire district councillor Yvonne Parker-Smith has already written to the Boundary Commission to complain about the proposed changes.

She explained: ÒIÕm very disappointed that we could lose our MP, James Arbuthnot, who I believe has served his constituency very well.

ÒIÕve met him on several occasions when we had to deal with issues like the Chase Hospital and the Tesco application. It will be a great shame to lose him.Ó

She added: ÒI know things change, but I donÕt necessarily think this will be a change for the good. It makes me wonder if there is a hidden agenda here.Ó

The change may close the gap between Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the battle for the East Hampshire seat.

In previous years Michael Mates has won his seat relatively comfortably, but with the addition of Bordon, a Lib Dem stronghold, into the electorate of his constituency, the contestlooks likely to be closer than ever before.

If there are no significant objections to the proposed new constituencies they could be adopted later in the year - although they will not come info effect until the next general election is called.

However, if a local authority or group of 100 or more electors object to the provisional recommendations, then the Boundary Commission cannot proceed with its final recommendations to the Secretary of State until a local inquiry has been held.

The report explains: ÒThose who make representations are requested to say whether they approve of, or object to, the commissionÕs proposals and to give their reasons for their approval or objection.

ÒIn particular, objectors are advised to say what they propose in place of the commissionÕs recommendations and should note that an objection accompanied by a counter-proposal is likely to carry more weight than a simple statement of objection.Ó

Copies of the proposals can be viewed at the Forest Community Centre in Bordon.

East Hampshire District CouncilÕs cabinet will be examining the plans on March 6.

Anyone wishing to comment on the proposals should write to the Boundary Commission for England by March 14 at PO Box 31060, London, SW1V 2FF or by email to [email protected]">[email protected].