From previous posts on this site you will be aware of a campaign I have been running to keep the villages of the Blackhall ward in the Easington constituency (see posts dated 19 January, 5 February, 5 April & 12 April 2012 for further information).
Last year the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) initially recommended that Blackhall ought to remain in the Easington constituency but has now published its revised proposals as part of the ongoing review of parliamentary boundaries. Unfortunately it has overturned its original position and has now recommended that the Blackhall ward be transferred into the Hartlepool constituency.
Please note that if it is ever implemented this recommendation will affect most of our villages in parliamentary constituency terms alone. In other words the villages of the Blackhall ward will remain part of County Durham and will continue to be part of Durham County Council. Parish councils and parish boundaries will not be affected. Curiously though the village of Castle Eden (currently in the Wingate ward but which will be in the Blackhall ward by 2013) is recommended to be part of the Easington constituency because the Wingate ward is recommended to transfer from the Sedgefield constituency into Easington as part of the BCE proposals. That means that the Blackhall ward will be split between two separate constituencies, Easington and Hartlepool, yet the BCE offers no rational explanation or justification for this proposal.
This revised recommendation will now be subject to a further 8-week consultation period to 10 December 2012, and whilst I feel that the BCE has already made its final decision I think it is important that as many people from our area contact them to let them know how we feel about their proposal.
It is of note however that these recommendations may never be implemented because the current coalition government continues to squabble over the format of parliamentary reform. This is not to say of course that we should be complacent. I would urge everyone in our area to ensure that the BCE is made aware of their concerns over these revised proposals.
My thanks are due to the many people and organisations from our communities who have taken the trouble to contact the BCE as part of the campaign to date.
Finally, throughout my campaign I have received the full backing and unswerving support of the Blackhall Labour Party and along with the local party I will make further submissions to the BCE on behalf of our communities in due course. The people of the Blackhall ward are justifiably angry and disappointed that their identity, culture and heritage appear to be of secondary importance in the pursuit of political expediency. I will ensure that our voice is heard.
