Have your say on Melton’s proposed electoral split from Rutland

The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) announced last summer it was suggesting Melton links up with Syston instead of Rutland.

The mooted changes would also see a new association between Rutland and Stamford.

The new Melton and Syston constituency area would only go as far east as Wymondham under the proposals and extend to the west to include villages such as Seagrave, Thrussington, East Goscote, Barkby, Thurmaston, Queniborough and Syston.

The towns of Oakham and Uppingham would pass into the new area of Rutland with Stamford, if the plans go ahead.

A public consultation. which ran from June to August last year, prompted 34,000 responses from people across the country and these views will be published before a second consultation is launched next month.

There will be 32 public hearings between February 22 to April 4 - including locally at Leicester (March 10 and 11) and Nottingham (March 7 and 8) - to allow the public to provide their feedback in person.

Viewpoints will then be fed into the commission’s final report and recommendations to the Speaker of the House of Commons in July next year.

If the proposals are adopted it will have major implications for Rutland and Melton MP, Alicia Kearns, who won the seat by a 27,000 majority in December 2019 to consolidate the Conservative Party’s domination of it since it was configured as the local electoral area nearly 40 years ago.

Similarly, fellow Tory, Edward Argar, also a Conservative, was elected MP for Charnwood with a 22,000 majority but many of the villages in his constituency would pass into the new Melton and Syston one.

Gareth Davies won a 26,000 majority for the Conservatives in Grantham and Stamford and his seat would revert to just Grantham under the proposals.

One prominent Meltonian who believes a new Melton and Syston constituency is a logical change is Matthew O’Callaghan, chair of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association and organiser of the town’s various food festivals.

Mr O’Callaghan, who is a former leader of Melton Borough Council and a past Labour parliamentary candidate for the Rutland and Melton seat, told the Melton Times: “Melton works far more closely with Charnwood Borough Council, our neighbour to the west, than ever it does with Rutland to the east.

“Many of those Leicestershire villages to the west that will be transferred into the new Melton and Syston Constituency already see Melton as their natural focus being closer to them than Loughborough, which is where Charnwood Borough Council is headquartered.

“Loughborough is becoming a mini-city while these villages are more rural in character, similar to the villages surrounding Melton.

“Many of them use Melton Mowbray as their main shopping centre.

“Most would regard Melton as a better fit than the current arrangements.”

From his time as both a borough and county councillor, Mr O’Callaghan has experienced the challenges of working across the current constituency, which straddles three different local government authorities.

He believes a switch to a Melton and Syston constituency would solve many of these issues.

“For 100 years prior to the establishment in 1983 of the current parliamentary constituency of Rutland and Melton, the parliamentary arrangement for Melton was for a Melton constituency which included parts of the neighbouring villages to the west in Leicestershire,” Mr O’Callaghan added.

“This in essence returns to that arrangement which will be for the benefit of the people of Melton and surrounding villages.

“It will also allow Rutland to seek its closer ties with Stamford and Lincolnshire and will also mean a welcome return of the villages of the Harborough district to the Harborough constituency.”

The commission is required by Parliament to undertake an independent and impartial review of all constituencies in England, to rebalance the number of electors in each constituency.

The 2023 Boundary Review also requires that the number of constituencies in England increases from 533 to 543.

In a message to residents, Secretary to the Boundary Commission for England, Tim Bowden, said: “The Boundary Commission for England is redrawing the map of constituencies in England so that it represents local communities as best as possible, while keeping to the legal requirements - and you can help us.

“We received a fantastic number of responses during our first consultation - over 34,000 - and we want as many people as possible to get involved in our upcoming secondary consultation.

“Between 22 February and 4 April, we want you to tell us your thoughts on our proposed new map of constituencies.

“You can provide feedback in person at a public hearing in your region, or in writing via our consultation website bcereviews.org.uk, letter, or email.

“Booking is now open for speaking slots at our 32 public hearings across the country, and we’re looking forward to hearing your views.”

Members of the public are invited to visit bit.ly/bcepublichearings to view information about where and when the hearings will be held, on the commission’s website.

People can click the link on their chosen date to book a 10-minute speaking slot via Eventbrite.

Feedback can also be provided in writing via the consultation website: bcereviews.org.uk by email or by letter during the consultation.

l What do you think? Do you support proposals for a new Melton and Syston constituency or do you prefer the current Rutland and Melton set-up? Email us your views via [email protected] and we will publish them in next week’s paper.