LAUNCESTON town councillors have agreed to propose a two-member ward for their area to Cornwall Council.

From May 2021, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is minded to recommend the number of Cornwall Councillors will reduce by 36. This means that the current electoral divisions across Cornwall have to be redrawn to reflect that reduced number.

Although the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) is the ultimate decision-maker, and consultation on division boundaries is underway now until February 19, Cornwall Council established an electoral review panel to lead the council’s work on the LGBCE review.

The local authority said it was keen to hear the opinions of anyone with an interest in the review.

Launceston Town Council too set up its own working party to discuss where division boundaries should be, and to enable it to put together a response to the consultation.

This working party consisted of Cllrs Dave Gordon, Rob Tremain and Paul O’Brien, who said they were ‘greatly assisted’ by the involvement of Liberal Democrat Cornwall Councillor for Launceston South Jade Farrington and Kate Stark from the town council office.

The town council working group said it favoured a possibility in which both Launceston based councillors should represent an even division of electors from the town and its rural hinterland.

It suggested the inclusion of the parishes of Lawhitton, South Petherwin, St Stephens by Launceston, St Thomas the Apostle and Werrington with the town centre and the creation of a two-member ward, adding: “Although Cornwall Council appears to dislike the concept of multi-member wards we see little wrong with the principal. We would point out that a failure to accept this approach will require a significant amount of work to identify where the boundary between both resultant wards should lie.”

The group suggested another ward for the community network area would include Altarnun, Boyton, Egloskerry, Laneast, Lewannick, Lezant, North Hill, North Petherwin and Trewen, with the omission of Stoke Climsland and suggestion that it move to the Callington community network, to produce a ward with an electorate number that would be acceptable to the LGBCE.

They said Cornwall Councillor Farrington advocated a ‘purely town seat’, plus two rural seats.

The town council at its meeting on December 19, presented with the report by their colleagues’ working party, agreed to reject the proposal by Cllr Farrington, voted to exclude Stoke Climsland from the current community network area and in support of setting out Launceston town as a two member ward.

Cllr O’Brien said: “We are very grateful indeed for Cllr Farrington working alongside us. She has a different version of events. I understand her perspective but it’s not one members of the group agree with.”

Cllr John Conway said: “A two-member ward for the centre of Launceston makes absolute sense. If we have a problem with Cornwall Council we don’t start thinking which Cornwall councillor do we want, they all work as one for the council, which is great. In effect we have got a three-member ward running for Launceston.

“The county council don’t like the thought of two member wards. They have got one in Bude and it works brilliantly.”

Bude is currently the only division that elects two Cornwall councillors.

For more information from Cornwall Council on the electoral review, visit www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections/electoral-review-of-cornwall-council-2016-18/

To respond to the LGBCE’s consultation on division arrangements before February 19, visit www.lgbce.org.uk/current-reviews/south-west/cornwall/cornwall