With the proposals for new Parliamentary constituency boundaries now published, I wanted to take this opportunity to outline the key changes proposed for South Northamptonshire, and to set out the next steps of the Boundary Commission’s consultation process.

The Commission’s report sets out that Northamptonshire, with its two new unitary authorities, has been treated as a ‘sub-region’, meaning they set out from the start that constituency borders would match the county border. This has resulted in keeping the number of constituencies to seven, while adjusting the boundaries between them to balance the size of the electorate in each. The revised population for South Northamptonshire as proposed would be 76,555, down nearly 10,000 from the current 87,516.

Under the plans, South Northamptonshire would include the villages of Gayton, Milton Malsor, Rothersthorpe, Bugbrooke, Nether Heyford, Kislingbury and Harpole, as well as Junction 16 on the M1, from the current Daventry constituency. This means the whole of the West Northamptonshire Council’s Bugbrooke ward would now fall within the constituency. However, the proposals include splitting the current Silverstone ward across the two constituencies, with 5 polling districts – including the villages of Upper and Lower Boddington, Aston le Walls, Eydon, Edgecote and Chipping Warden – moving to the Daventry constituency, with the remaining 22 polling districts staying in South Northamptonshire.

In Northampton, the parts of South Northamptonshire constituency which were previously within the Borough boundaries are proposed to move to the neighbouring Northampton South constituency. This includes St Crispins, Upton, Hunsbury Meadows, Pineham, the Hunsburys, Collingtree, Wootton, Hardingstone and Great Houghton, as well as Brackmills industrial estate.

The final changes set out in the plans are for the villages of Wollaston, Bozeat and Grendon on the outskirts of Wellingborough to join South Northamptonshire. This part of the constituency fall within the North Northamptonshire authority, and the proposals at present mean both South Northamptonshire and Daventry constituencies would straddle both the West and North Northamptonshire authorities.

In my eleven years as the Member of Parliament  for South Northamptonshire, I’ve supported families, businesses and communities right across the constituency. I have so many fond memories of every corner of our beautiful area that any changes to the boundaries would be a real wrench for me.

It’s important to note that these are the initial proposals and are subject to change through the Boundary Commission’s consultation process, which has now begun. I will be discussing the detail with my colleagues across the county to find a way forward we can all agree, and I urge everyone to visit the consultation website at www.bcereviews.org.uk to view the plans in full and have your say before the closing date of August 2nd.