By Maria Zaccaro, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to review the city’s electoral boundaries are to move a step closer as councillors are asked to indicate their preferred option at a full council meeting.
As reported in August, the number of councillors as well as the number and size of wards in the city could change from 2023.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) said it will carry out a review of wards in Southampton “to ensure that councillors represent about the same number of people across the city”.
An initial public consultation is expected to take place between November 23 and January 31, 2022.
They will have to decide whether they prefer to: retain 48 councillors across 16 wards – as it currently is; increase the number of councillors by three with an extra ward; or increase the number of councillors to 54 across 18 wards.
They will also have to decide whether to maintain the current electoral cycle of elections by thirds – a four-year cycle in which a third of the council is elected each year for three years with one blank year – or change it to all-out elections every four years.
According to an official report, changing from thirds to all-out elections would save the council £880k between 2023 and 2032.
Councillors are set to decide their preferred options at the full council meeting on Monday (Oct 11).
If they decide to change the electoral cycle a public consultation will have to be undertaken.
According to official documents the overall population in Southampton is due to increase by 6.1% (15,940 people) from 260,084 in 2020 to 276,024 in 2027.
A city council report revealed that when comparing Southampton and similar local authorities the city is the second smallest in terms of council size.
“For these reasons it is not recommended that the council size reduces below existing levels (48 councillors and 16 wards)”, it states.
Any changes are set to be implemented in May 2023 following an all-out election.
Electoral boundaries in Southampton were last reviewed 20 years ago.
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