THE Boundary Commission for England is moving ahead with plans for ‘Devonwall’ — a cross border constituency that would include Bideford, Bude and Launceston.

This is despite last month’s reports where some suggested that Prime Minister Theresa May had decided to cancel the constituency boundary review — which is based on a previous government proposal to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) published its latest proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries on Tuesday as it opened its third and final consultation.

Its proposal for the Bideford, Bude and Launceston constituency containing electors from Cornwall and Devon remain unchanged from the initial proposal. The new constituency would include Holsworthy, Hartland and Bradworthy, Camelford and Tintagel.

The commission said it was aware there would be opposition to the creation of a constituency that crossed the Cornwall boundary, but said it had ‘no option’, as the average electorate of each constituency has to be within the permitted electoral range. The constituencies must have an electorate no smaller than 71,031 and no larger than 78,507. The BCE’s report added: “There were a number of objections from respondents in Cornwall to the combining of Cornwall and Devon, with many citing Cornwall’s separateness from the rest of England.

“While they [assistant commissioners] acknowledged the depth of feeling in Cornwall against our initial proposals, and were struck in particular by the eloquent and passionate way the views were expressed at the public hearing in Truro, they concluded that there was no valid alternative to a cross-county boundary constituency that would adhere to the statutory rules.”

However, Lord Paul Tyler, former MP for North Cornwall and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for constitutional and political reform, said he does not believe Devonwall will happen and ‘can’t see any MP voting for the abolition of their constituency’.

“I don’t think it will go through the House of Commons,” he said.

“As long as the MPs in Cornwall and in Devon are going to stick up for their own area, stop this ridiculous tinkering with the boundaries, I don’t think Devonwall is going to happen.”

He said people should ‘stick to their principles’ and make their views known.

Launceston’s mayor, Cllr Margaret Young, said: “I am against Cornwall’s identity being lost in any way. We have been individual in many ways and we need to keep being so. Not progress in my eyes.”

People can see the proposals, reports and maps and have their say by December 11 on the BCE’s website — www.bce2018.org.uk