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e to get walking again!
At this time of year we start to think about the mud drying up and getting out to walk in the beautiful English Countryside again, but where to find new and interesting walks? Walking in Lincolnshire https://www.walkinginengland.co.uk/lincs has hundreds of walks to download and print, free, it also has books of walks, details of all the walking groups in the county and much more. Whether you want to walk on your own or with a group all the information is there in one place. John Harris (the custodian of the website) said 'There is so much walking information on the web but it is difficult to find. Walking in Lincolnshire (part of the Walking in England website) has brought it together in one place so whether you are walking from home, or away on holiday, you will be able to find a walk suitable for you'. With walks from half a mile to twelve miles plus long, and a note of suitability for pushchairs and wheelchairs, everyone can find a walk to enjoy. So home or away, check out the websites and get walking! John Harris This website uses marketing and tracking technologies. Opting out of this will opt you out of all cookies, except for those needed to run the website. Note that some products may not work as well without tracking cookies. Opt Out of Cookies |
Parliamentary Boundary Review
You may be aware of the ongoing 2023 REVIEW OF PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY BOUNDARIES IN ENGLAND. Apologies for a lengthy email but hopefully it explains the next stage in this Review by the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) which will set boundaries for 650 constituencies of which 47 are in the East Midlands region and aims to achieve improved electoral balance arrangements so that a constituency contains no less than 69,724 Parliamentary electors, and no more than 77,062 (except two ‘protected’ constituencies for the Isle of Wight). PROPOSALS FOR NORTH KESTEVEN The ‘Sleaford and North Hykeham Constituency’ is within the East Midlands Region and has just under 95,000 ELECTORS. As a District, the initial Review proposes that North Kesteven is split between THREE constituencies of ‘Sleaford and North Hykeham’, ‘Grantham’ and ‘Lincoln’. Maps of the three proposed constituencies that cover the North Kesteven District area can be accessed below https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/2023-review/east-midlands/ The review is based on the local authority ward boundaries as at 1 DECEMBER 2020. For the first time in this type of review it will include use of boundaries that were legally ‘made’ by that date, even though not yet implemented at a subsequent election. However, it is worth noting that NKDC has recently undergone an Electoral Review - Opens in a new window [2] by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE). This was approved by Parliament in SEPTEMBER 2021 and the new boundaries from the Electoral review will only take effect in MAY 2023 for the full District and Parish Council elections. NKDC submitted comments in the first consultation stage and will see if these have resulted in any changes when the BCE release their latest proposals on 22 FEBRUARY. The NKDC submission highlighted that the initial constituency boundary proposals from the ‘2023 review’ will not align to the new ward boundaries coming into effect next year. NKDC has asked the ‘2023 review’ to take these into account and requested wards are not split at constituency level. The council is aware the BCE can only take into account boundary changes ‘legally made’ by 1 December 2020. However, NKDC highlighted how the different reviews will impact the ward and constituency level boundaries across the District and requested changes are made in line with the wards already legally adopted and to avoid wards being split. The BCE will publish all submissions they received during the first consultation stage on 7 FEBRUARY 2022, to give people time to consider them in advance of the secondary consultation period LAUNCHING ON THE 22 FEBRUARY 2022. HOW DO I GET INVOLVED? During the second six-week stage of consultation (TUESDAY 22 FEBRUARY UNTIL MONDAY 4 APRIL 2022) you will be able to make written consultation submissions and the BCE will publish the different ways this can be done at the start of the consultation period on their website. The BCE attaches just as much significance to representations made in writing and through its website as to those made orally at public hearings – the content of the representation is more important than the form it takes. The BCE will also host between two and five public hearings in each region. The booking system for the public hearings is now open, with details of the specific venue for each location where hearings will be taking place. There needs to be careful management of the conduct of the hearings, since they are strictly limited by statute to last for no more than two days each. Anyone wishing to make an oral representation at a public hearing needs to book a timed slot in advance. To book, visit the dedicated public hearings page on the BCE website and click on your chosen hearing. You will then be invited to register via the booking platform Eventbrite. A step-by-step guide for booking via Eventbrite is published on the BCE public hearings webpage. TIMETABLE FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF THE 2023 REVIEW * 7 February 2022: Publish submissions made in the first consultation * 22 February 2022: Publish responses to initial proposals and conduct six-week ‘secondary consultation’, including between two and five public hearings in each region * Late 2022: Publish revised proposals and conduct four-week written consultation * June 2023: Submit and publish final report and recommendations. Full details of the 2023 Review timetable and more information can be viewed on the Boundary Commission for England website - Opens in a new window [3]. SOME FAQS WILL THE CHANGES AFFECT MY LOCAL COUNCIL SERVICES, BIN COLLECTIONS OR SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE? No. The boundary changes only relate to Parliamentary constituencies (the area an MP is elected to represent in Parliament). Services and council tax in your local area are set by your local authority and this review does not change local authority boundaries. WHEN WILL THE NEW CONSTITUENCIES TAKE EFFECT? When the BCE has decided on its final recommendations for the whole of England, it then drafts and submits a formal written report to the Speaker of the House of Commons and will contain a description of the review in each region, a textual description of all the final recommendations, and a set of maps to illustrate the existing boundaries and those proposed by the final recommendations. The procedure to subsequently implement new constituencies is the responsibility of the Government. After the final report from all four Parliamentary Boundary Commissions has been laid by the Speaker, the Government is required to submit to the Privy Council an Order that gives effect to all four Commissions’ recommendations. After the Privy Council approves the Order, the new constituencies take effect at the next General Election. Any by-elections held in the meantime have to be held on the basis of the old (existing) constituencies. WILL THE NAME OF MY CONSTITUENCY CHANGE FOLLOWING THE REVIEW? Possibly. As well as looking at where the boundaries of constituencies should be, the BCE will recommend a specific name for each constituency. Generally, the more a constituency has changed, the more likely it is that the BCE will recommend a change of name. The Commission welcomes views on the naming of proposed constituencies during the consultation. [4] [5][6] DEMOCRATIC SERVICES MANAGER WWW.N-KESTEVEN.GOV.UK |