AN inquiry got underway this week into a planned shake-up of the parliamentary boundaries which would see all three of the districtÕs towns in the same ward.

The Boundary Commission for England, which put forward the proposals, began the public inquiry on Tuesday after it received a number of objections to the plans which affect the whole of Hampshire.

Currently the county has 17 parliamentary constituencies but under the provisional plans, unveiled in February, this will be increased to 18 because of an increase in the local population.

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

The North East Hampshire Constituency, currently represented by James Arbuthnot, will be split into two.

Bordon and many of the villages in the north east of the district will be moved into the existing East Hampshire Constituency, which includes Petersfield and Alton, which is represented by Michael Mates.

The proposed East Hampshire seat will have an electorate of 67,452 and comprise of 31 of the 38 new East Hampshire District Council wards. The remaining seven district council wards, all located in the Horndean and Clanfield areas, will be put into a new Meon Valley Constituency.

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

A report from the Boundary Commission says: 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 have tried to keep these changes to a minimum and have endeavoured to follow existing constituency boundaries where possible when forming constituencies.Ó

However, the plans have now been put on hold after the Boundary Commission received a large number of objections from different areas of Hampshire opposing the proposed changes.

Some residents in the Bordon area have expressed great disappointment at the prospect of loosing popular MP James Arbuthnot because of the interest that he has shown in the issues affecting his constituency.

East Hampshire District Council has also expressed concern at the plans to put Alton and Bordon in a ward which Petersfield because of the issues surrounding the proposed South Downs National Park.

Some councillors fear that the East Hampshire MP may have to sacrifice the interests of Alton and Bordon, which are outside of the proposed park, in favour of the interests of Petersfield which is inside the proposed park boundary.

A spokesman for the Boundary Commission has said that these viewpoints will be among those taken into consideration at the inquiry.

Final proposals affecting Hampshire and the whole of England are not expected to be put forward for ministerial approval until 2005.