Trafford is set for a shake-up with new boundaries and names for its council wards.
Most wards in the borough have been redrawn by the Local Government Boundary Commission (the independent body that draws these political boundaries).
The LGBC has reviewed Trafford to ensure councillors represent roughly the same number of residents, and ward arrangements ‘help the council work effectively’.
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The commission has published final recommendations for changes in the borough and said residents should be represented by 63 councillors (as they are currently).
There will be 21 wards, each with three councillors to represent them. The boundaries of most wards will change.
Professor Colin Mellors, chairman of the commission, said: “We are very grateful to people in Trafford. We looked at all the views they gave us. They helped us improve our earlier proposals.
“We believe the new arrangements will guarantee electoral fairness while maintaining local ties.”
A number of existing wards are set to be renamed and shuffled around.
Village ward will be split to form part of the new Timperley North and Timperley Central wards.
Priory ward is set to be renamed Sale Central, St Mary’s will become Manor ward, Davyhulme East will become Lostock and Barton and Clifford ward will become Old Trafford.
Gorse Hill will be renamed Gorse Hill and Cornbrook and Stretford ward will become Stretford and Humphrey Park.
Initially, the commission also proposed ‘Western Parishes’ wards made up of the current Bucklow-St-Martins and Bowdon. One of the most disadvantaged and affluent wards of the borough respectively.
Following community feedback, the commission is now recommending the Bucklow-St Martins and Bowdon wards remain distinct, ‘to better represent community identity’.
The commission has also been persuaded by resident feedback to alter the boundary between its initially proposed Timperley Central ward and Hale Barns & Timperley South ward.
The new proposals are set to unite the Broomwood Estate in a single ward ‘following strong community evidence’.
Parliament now needs to agree the changes and the new arrangements will apply for the May 2023 all-out council elections, where all 63 council seats will be up for contention.
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