OVER the course of the past three years, the district council has considered various options for changes to ward boundaries and how many district councillors are required to best serve a district council area of the size of Wycombe.

David Coe is correct in saying that at one time the council considered reducing the number of councillors from 60 to between 40 and 50. The district council is required by law to draw up a scheme to satisfy the statutory requirements of the Local Government Commission. It is the Local Government Commission that will make the final proposals, not the council.

The main requirements of any changes to boundaries are that they reflect the identities and interests of local communities, but at the same time provide effective and convenient local government with equality of representation.

Wycombe is a mix of large and small towns, villages and rural areas. It soon became apparent that a scheme that relied upon dividing the district into areas of roughly equal size in order to reduce the number of councillors and divide them into single member wards was just not practical.

The Local Government Commission does now tend to favour multi-member wards, particularly in urban areas, as this helps to ensure that there is cover available during absence.

The district council submitted its proposals to the Local Government Commission last year.

Several other proposals were also made, including one from David Coe as outlined in his letter to you last week. The Commission published its draft recommendations earlier this year, and dismissed David Coe's proposals, instead supporting the proposals put forward by the district council on the basis that these 'reflect the appropriate levels of representation to which the area is entitled'.

The Commission is now considering its final recommendations.

Janet Clements

Head of Corporate &

Committee Administration

Wycombe District Council