NO PARLIAMENTARY SEAT FOR CHISWICK

The Boundary Commission's proposals disappoint those who wanted a Chiswick seat but the chance remains to make your views known.

The Boundary Commission has released details of the changes it is proposing to make to parliamentary constituencies. These proposals remain provisional and will be subject to an enquiry to which members of the public can make representations.

For Hounslow, the Commission proposed to make only the minimum amount of change necessary to realign constituency boundaries with the new ward boundaries. This would place all three divided wards (Heston Central, Heston East, and Hounslow West) entirely in the Feltham and Heston constituency and result in the transfer of 3,633 electors. The electorate of the Brentford and Isleworth constituency would be 79,344 and that of the Feltham and Heston constituency would be 77,606, resulting in a reduced disparity of 1,738. Prior to this the Brentford and Isleworth was the largest constituency in London and remains one of the largest even after the reduction.

Hounslow's two seats one of the highest average electorates for London Boroughs and the Conservative party have proposed pairing the borough with Hillingdon to bring the average size down. These proposals would move a one ward out of Brentford and Isleworth into Feltham and Heston and a couple of Feltham and Heston wards into a new seat of Hayes, Hillingdon and Heathrow.

In order to make the parliamentary consituencies a similar size in population terms it is sometimes necessary to pair London boroughs so that a constituency would take includes wards from both boroughs. It is not the policy of the boundary commission to split wards.

At this stage of the proposal both Ealing and Hounslow Borough are not paired with any other borough.

The Labour party is proposing that the borough be paired with Hammersmith and Fulham. This would mean that the three Chiswick wards would be combined with seven from the Hammersmith and Fulham area. At this stage there is no indication who the Labour party would nominate for the seat but it is likely that Ann Keen would prefer a seat further to the West.

Cllr. Thompson wants the constituency to have Chiswick in its name and says "what does Chiswick have to do with Shepherd's Bush?"

Local Conservative Councillor Peter Thompson said: "We are obviously very unhappy with Labour's plan - what does Chiswick have to do with Shepherd's Bush?"

The Conservatives are also proposing that the constituency be renamed Brentford, Chiswick and Isleworth.

Currently the Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush seat contains 43,773 electors of Ealing borough and 27,416 electors of Hammersmith and Fulham borough. The Commission have provisionally decided to review Ealing individually and to allocate three seats to the borough with the Southfield ward which comprises much of the North of Chiswick being put in a new Ealing Acton seat which is made up of wards from Ealing borough.

Many local residents on both side of the Borough boundary feel a seat with a greater Chiswick identity could be achieved by including Southfield ward with the other Chiswick wards in Hounslow Borough. One resident commented: "clearly it would make sense that all the Chiswick wards were combined in one constituency but it will only happen if enough people ask for it." According to the Boundary Commission report this was not a significant issue in terms of the submissions received so far. Ealing residents should contact chris.ault@ons.gov.uk

These provisional recommendations will now be subject to an inquiry before final implementation. The inquiries will be held in public and any interested person, whether a supporter of, or
objector to, the Commission's proposals may attend and be heard.

The Commission would urge all interested parties to attend and make their views known. It should not be assumed that the inquiry will only discuss those matters raised in representations submitted during the representation period allowed, or that the Commission's provisional recommendations will
remain unchanged.

The inquiry into the Hounslow recommendations is to commence on the 29th October and an Ealing inquiry will be held by the Assistant Commissioner, David Altaras. It will open on:- Monday 12 November 2001 at 09.30am in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, New Broadway, Ealing.

A Local Inquiry on the plans for Hounslow – where anybody can go along and contribute – will be held on Thursday, 8 November 2001 at 10.00am in the Council Chamber, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge

Peopleshould make their comments and views known as soon as possible.

Hounslow residents should contact alan.banister@ons.gov.uk

Ealing residents should contact chris.ault@ons.gov.uk

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