Response to Boundary Commission Proposals for Devon
The boundary commission proposals have several flaws with them including the proposal of a seat that straddles Somerset and Devon, the Central Devon seat covering 4 local authorities when it could only cover 2, and the splitting of the Plymouth Peverell ward between two constituencies. The constituencies should be aligned with local authority areas as much as possible to best represent communities. Here are an alternative 13 constituencies for Devon (in alphabetical order) which are all fully in Devon with no ward anywhere split between two constituencies. There has not been a seat which straddles Devon and Somerset for at least a very long time if ever and there should not suddenly be one now!
With the exception of the proposed Tiverton and Honiton and Sidmouth constituencies, which are effectively two constituencies created out of the old Tiverton and Honiton constituency, all the proposed seats have at least 60% of the electorate of an existing seat.
The average electorate for each Devon constituency is 70727. This is 1003 electors above the minimum allowed electorate of 69724. The knock on effect of having 13 whole Devon constituencies for the broader South West is that the 17 constituencies in the Somerset and Avon areas would have an average electorate of 75283 which is 1779 electors below the maximum allowed electorate of 77062 but those constituencies should be possible to construct. The rest of the South West region should be unaffected.
(Brackets suggest alternative constituency name)
Central Devon (or Dawlish and Dartmoor) CC
All Teignbridge wards in the proposed Central Devon constituency plus Dawlish North East, Dawlish South West, and Kenton and Starcross.
All West Devon wards in the proposed Central Devon constituency plus Bridestowe, Burrator, Dartmoor, and Mary Tavy and except Exbourne.
Electorate: 69883
Exeter (or Exeter West) CC
All Exeter wards in the proposed Exeter constituency plus Priory and except Pinhoe.
Electorate: 71713
Exmouth (or Exeter East and Exmouth) CC
The Exeter wards of Pinhoe, St Loyes, and Topsham.
All East Devon wards in the proposed Exmouth constituency plus Exe Valley and except the wards of Budleigh and Raleigh and Newton Poppleford and Harpford.
Electorate: 70022
Honiton (or Honiton and Sidmouth) CC
All East Devon wards in the proposed Honiton constituency plus the wards of Budleigh and Raleigh, and Newton Poppleford and Harpford.
Electorate: 70318
Newton Abbot CC
The South Hams wards of Dartington and Staverton, Marldon and Littlehempston, and Totnes.
All Teignbridge wards in the proposed Newton Abbot constituency except Dawlish North East, Dawlish South West, and Kenton and Starcross.
Electorate: 70573
North Devon CC
All North Devon wards except for Bishop's Nympton, Chulmleigh, and Witheridge.
Electorate: 70895
Plymouth East BC
The Plymouth wards of Drake, Efford and Lipson, Plympton Chaddlewood, Plympton Erle, Plympton St Mary, Plymstock Dunstone, Plymstock Radford and Sutton and Mount Gould.
Electorate: 70735
Plymouth North and Ivybridge CC
The Plymouth wards of Budshead, Eggbuckland, Honicknowle, Moor View and Southway.
The South Hams wards of Bickleigh and Cornwood, Ermington and Ugborough, Ivybridge East, Ivybridge West, South Brent, and Woolwell.
Electorate: 70381
Plymouth West BC
The Plymouth wards of Compton, Devonport, Ham, Peverell, St. Budeaux, St. Peter and the Waterfront and Stoke.
Electorate: 70326
South Devon CC
All South Hams wards in the proposed Totnes constituency plus Newton and Yealmpton and Wembury and Brixton and except Dartington and Staverton, Marldon and Littlehempston, South Brent, and Totnes.
All Torbay wards in the proposed Totnes constituency plus Goodrington with Roselands.
Electorate: 70541
Tiverton CC
All Mid Devon wards.
The North Devon wards of Bishop's Nympton, Chulmleigh, and Witheridge.
The West Devon ward of Exbourne.
Electorate: 71825
Torbay BC
All Torbay wards in the proposed Torbay constituency except Goodrington with Roselands.
Electorate: 69783
Torridge and Tavistock CC
All Torridge wards.
All West Devon wards in the proposed Torridge and Tavistock constituency plus Buckland Monachorum and except Bridestowe, Dartmoor, and Mary Tavy.
Comment BCE-59706
The boundary commission proposals have several flaws with them including the proposal of a seat that straddles Somerset and Devon, the Central Devon seat covering 4 local authorities when it could only cover 2, and the splitting of the Plymouth Peverell ward between two constituencies. The constituencies should be aligned with local authority areas as much as possible to best represent communities. Here are an alternative 13 constituencies for Devon (in alphabetical order) which are all fully in Devon with no ward anywhere split between two constituencies. There has not been a seat which straddles Devon and Somerset for at least a very long time if ever and there should not suddenly be one now!
With the exception of the proposed Tiverton and Honiton and Sidmouth constituencies, which are effectively two constituencies created out of the old Tiverton and Honiton constituency, all the proposed seats have at least 60% of the electorate of an existing seat.
The average electorate for each Devon constituency is 70727. This is 1003 electors above the minimum allowed electorate of 69724. The knock on effect of having 13 whole Devon constituencies for the broader South West is that the 17 constituencies in the Somerset and Avon areas would have an average electorate of 75283 which is 1779 electors below the maximum allowed electorate of 77062 but those constituencies should be possible to construct. The rest of the South West region should be unaffected.
(Brackets suggest alternative constituency name)
Central Devon (or Dawlish and Dartmoor) CC
All Teignbridge wards in the proposed Central Devon constituency plus Dawlish North East, Dawlish South West, and Kenton and Starcross.
All West Devon wards in the proposed Central Devon constituency plus Bridestowe, Burrator, Dartmoor, and Mary Tavy and except Exbourne.
Electorate: 69883
Exeter (or Exeter West) CC
All Exeter wards in the proposed Exeter constituency plus Priory and except Pinhoe.
Electorate: 71713
Exmouth (or Exeter East and Exmouth) CC
The Exeter wards of Pinhoe, St Loyes, and Topsham.
All East Devon wards in the proposed Exmouth constituency plus Exe Valley and except the wards of Budleigh and Raleigh and Newton Poppleford and Harpford.
Electorate: 70022
Honiton (or Honiton and Sidmouth) CC
All East Devon wards in the proposed Honiton constituency plus the wards of Budleigh and Raleigh, and Newton Poppleford and Harpford.
Electorate: 70318
Newton Abbot CC
The South Hams wards of Dartington and Staverton, Marldon and Littlehempston, and Totnes.
All Teignbridge wards in the proposed Newton Abbot constituency except Dawlish North East, Dawlish South West, and Kenton and Starcross.
Electorate: 70573
North Devon CC
All North Devon wards except for Bishop's Nympton, Chulmleigh, and Witheridge.
Electorate: 70895
Plymouth East BC
The Plymouth wards of Drake, Efford and Lipson, Plympton Chaddlewood, Plympton Erle, Plympton St Mary, Plymstock Dunstone, Plymstock Radford and Sutton and Mount Gould.
Electorate: 70735
Plymouth North and Ivybridge CC
The Plymouth wards of Budshead, Eggbuckland, Honicknowle, Moor View and Southway.
The South Hams wards of Bickleigh and Cornwood, Ermington and Ugborough, Ivybridge East, Ivybridge West, South Brent, and Woolwell.
Electorate: 70381
Plymouth West BC
The Plymouth wards of Compton, Devonport, Ham, Peverell, St. Budeaux, St. Peter and the Waterfront and Stoke.
Electorate: 70326
South Devon CC
All South Hams wards in the proposed Totnes constituency plus Newton and Yealmpton and Wembury and Brixton and except Dartington and Staverton, Marldon and Littlehempston, South Brent, and Totnes.
All Torbay wards in the proposed Totnes constituency plus Goodrington with Roselands.
Electorate: 70541
Tiverton CC
All Mid Devon wards.
The North Devon wards of Bishop's Nympton, Chulmleigh, and Witheridge.
The West Devon ward of Exbourne.
Electorate: 71825
Torbay BC
All Torbay wards in the proposed Torbay constituency except Goodrington with Roselands.
Electorate: 69783
Torridge and Tavistock CC
All Torridge wards.
All West Devon wards in the proposed Torridge and Tavistock constituency plus Buckland Monachorum and except Bridestowe, Dartmoor, and Mary Tavy.
Electorate: 72459
Type of respondent
Member of the publicPersonal details
Alistair PhilpotPlymouth
Comment type