Several proposed changes to electoral boundaries in Northern Ireland have been reversed.
The revisions have been made by the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland (BCNI) in light of public consultation responses that expressed concern about some of its initial proposals.
The independent commission is tasked with making alterations to the region’s 18 constituencies to reflect recent demographic changes.
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On Thursday, it announced the outcome of the second consultation process on its original proposals. The commission has made revisions to eight out of the 18 constituencies.
Some of the most noteworthy revisions include:
*Proposal to move Downpatrick from South Down to Strangford has been reversed.
*Proposal to move Dungannon from Fermanagh and South Tyrone to Mid Ulster has also been reversed.
*Proposed renaming of Strangford constituency to Strangford and Quoile has been abandoned.
The decisions to keep Downpatrick and Dungannon within their existing constituencies were influenced by consultation responses highlighting concerns.
The changes to the configuration in South Down and Strangford mean the Quoile area is no longer a key component of the Strangford constituency, so the name change has been dropped.
The commission has now launched its third and final consultation exercise on the revised proposals.
The consultation ends on December 15. The commission must submit its final recommendations to the Speaker of the House of Commons by July 2023, with the changes due to come into law in November 2023.
The new boundaries should be in effect for the UK’s next general election, unless a snap poll is called prior to November next year.
Deputy chairman of the BCNI, High Court judge Mr Justice Michael Humphreys, said: “Following two previous periods of consultation, the Commission has considered the representations made to it, and revised its initial proposals.
“The Commission is grateful to all those who made representations during the initial and secondary consultation periods.
“We encourage everyone with an interest to consider the revised proposals and share their views, whether to support the proposals, or to suggest alternatives which also take into account the requirements of the legislation.”
Written representations must be received by the commission by December 15 and can be submitted using the online portal, by email, or by post.
These representations will be published online after the end of the third consultation stage.
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