How proposed boundary changes will impact Macclesfield
Macclesfield looks set to get new electoral boundaries.
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has published its final recommendations for changes to boundary wards in Cheshire East.
Under the proposals, the total number of wards will be decreased from 52 to 47, while keeping the same number of councillors, 82.
Below you will find details of the recommendations for each of the wards in Macclesfield.
Macclesfield Tytherington
The LGBCE received over 70 responses to their draft recommendations for Macclesfield, the majority of which relate to the proposed Tytherington ward.
Bollington Town Council supported the proposed boundary between Bollington & Rainow and Macclesfield Tytherington but requested that the Springwood Estate have its own polling district.
"We were unable to adopt this request as the commission has no role in creating polling districts and this is the responsibility of the council," reads the report outlining the LGBCE's final recommendations.
Opposition to the plans came from current ward councillors, the Liberal Democrats, the Macclesfield Conservative Association, the Dumbah Association, 33 residents and a petition signed by 167 people.
Concerns were raised over plans to exclude the Bollinbrook area, the Springwood Estate and the Beech Farm Drive area from a Macclesfield Tytherington ward.
The report adds: "After considering all of the feedback across both rounds of consultation, we were persuaded by the compelling community evidence received that reverting back to the existing arrangements of a two-councillor ward here will better reflect our statutory criteria.
"Our final recommendations therefore reflect the submissions made to include the entirety the Springwood Estate and retain Bollinbrook and the Beech Farm Drive areas within a Macclesfield Tytherington ward.
"We note the request from Bollington Town Council to include the entirety of Bollington parish within Bollington & Rainow ward, along with the supporting evidence provided.
"However, we were ultimately persuaded to partially adopt The Silk Road as the boundary between Macclesfield Tytherington and Bollington & Rainow wards, as we consider it to be clear and identifiable.
"However, we have retained the electors of Dumbah Lane and west of Tytherington Lane that are within Bollington parish within Bollington & Rainow ward. This is based on the submissions received from the Dumbah Association, which expressed that these electors did not consider themselves as part of Macclesfield."
Macclesfield West
Macclesfield Conservative Association proposed including Broken Cross Community School, the electors north of the school and a section of Gawsworth Road within a Broken Cross & Upton ward.
They argued that this would allow Broken Cross Junction to be entirely contained within a single ward and reflects that the above-mentioned electors look to Broken Cross for services and amenities.
However, councillors Mary Brooks and Nick Mannion called this 'illogical', raising concerns that it divided the Weston Estate.
"We were not persuaded that the Macclesfield Conservative Association's proposals for this area would effectively reflect community identities and interests, based on the evidence received," reads the LGBCE's report.
"We also did not consider their proposed boundary to be particularly strong or identifiable and as a consequence, did not adopt their suggestions as part of our final recommendations. "
It adds: "Our decision to retain Bollinbrook within Macclesfield Tytherington ward results in an anticipated forecast variance of -15 per cent for Broken Cross & Upton ward, which we consider too high and would thus not provide for the best balance of our statutory criteria.
"Therefore, as part of our final recommendations, we have therefore decided to merge Broken Cross & Upton and Macclesfield West & Ivy wards to form a three-councillor Macclesfield West ward.
"While this moves away from our proposed wards that garnered support during consultation, we consider that this decision facilitates a warding pattern for the broader Macclesfield area that effectively balances our statutory criteria."
Macclesfield Central and Macclesfield South
Macclesfield Conservative Association proposed a single-councillor Central ward bordered by Park Lane, Hibel Road, Crompton Road and The Silk Road.
However, councillor Liz Braithwaite felt this ward would be 'artificially compressed'.
"We are not convinced by the evidence presented to us that their proposals for Macclesfield Central and Macclesfield South wards would more effectively represent community identities and interests than our draft recommendations," reads the LGBCE report.
"We therefore decided not to adopt their proposals as part of our final recommendations. Despite the support received for our proposals in this area, it is necessary to make changes to these wards as a result of our amendments to Macclesfield Tytherington and Macclesfield West wards to ensure good electoral equality in this area.
"Therefore, as part of our final recommendations, we have decided to retain the existing arrangements of Macclesfield Central and Macclesfield South wards, with the additional inclusion of Moss parish ward of Gawsworth parish in Macclesfield South ward."
Macclesfield East and Macclesfield Hurdsfield
The commission received no responses relating to the East ward.
"We are content that this ward reflects a good balance of our statutory criteria and confirm it as final," the report states.
Meanwhile, Higher Hurdsfield Parish Council objected to the LGBCE's recommendation to transfer the parish into the Hurdsfield ward.
"They reiterated their previous submission that advocated for the retention of the parish within the existing Bollington ward, as they feel more aligned to the rural communities that this ward is comprised of, than the more urban Macclesfield Hurdsfield ward," reads the report.
"We carefully considered the evidence received. However, as explained in our draft recommendations report, including Higher Hurdsfield parish in Bollington & Rainow ward would produce a -17 per cent forecasted variance for Macclesfield Hurdsfield ward.
"We remain of the view that this electoral variance is too high for us to accept and would not provide for good electoral equality. Consequently, we confirm our proposed Macclesfield Hurdsfield ward as final."
For further information, including details of the boundary changes in neighbouring wards such as Sutton and Prestbury, view the report in full here.
The changes will become law once Parliament has approved them.
Staff at the council will then ensure that the arrangements are in place for the 2027 elections.
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