Aycliffe Should Figure Prominently
The Boundary Commission is currently reviewing Constituency Boundaries. The law as it stands requires them to produce 600 Constituencies from the present 650 in England this means that in the North East 29 seats will be reduced to 25 seats in Parliament. The review is required to reduce the number of seats and try to make them around equal size.
Cllr Arun Chandran Secretary, on behalf of Great Aycliffe Residents’ Association (GARA), is suggesting that if the changes go through the name of the new constituency should be changed.
At present we are in the Sedgefield Constituency but the Boundary Commission have redrawn the political map and want to call the new one Billingham and Sedgefield.
In a statement Arun said “That in the event of the new Boundary Commission proposals for Parliamentary Constituencies for 2017 being approved by Parliament, we would want the name of the Constituency changed from Billingham and Sedgefield, to Aycliffe and Billingham. This would more adequately reflect on the importance of Aycliffe in the new constituency, politically, industrially as the biggest Business Park in the region and geographically.”
“Demographically and historically Aycliffe has more importance than Sedgefield in the Constituency name.” GARA has submitted this to the Commission and Cllr Arun Chandran will be asking Great Aycliffe Town Council to write to the Boundary Commission to request this be changed now and in any future change.
Newton News asked the views of our MP Phil Wilson who said: “I believe it should be called Aycliffe & Billingham and will put in a submission in the consultation to that effect.
