Local electoral arrangements finalised for Islington

The independent Local Government Boundary Commission for England has published its final recommendations for new electoral arrangements for Islington Council.

Today’s publication follows two rounds of public consultation and draws new boundaries for each council ward across Islington.

All but one of the current council wards in Islington will change as a result of the review.

The Commission’s final recommendations propose that Islington should be represented by 51 councillors in the future: three more than the current arrangement. The recommendations also propose that those councillors should represent seventeen three-councillor wards.

Professor Colin Mellors, Chair of the Commission, said, “We are extremely grateful to people across Islington who took part in the review. The Commission has looked at all the evidence that was put forward during the consultation.

“We believe these recommendations deliver electoral fairness for voters as well as reflecting community ties throughout Islington.”

In response to local feedback during public consultation, the Commission has made changes to some of the proposals it published for consultation in July 2019.

In the north of the borough, the Commission has amended its draft proposals to make changes to the boundaries of Hillrise and Junction wards. We considered the evidence we received for these wards and we have decided to amend the boundary between Hillrise and Junction along the rear of Miranda Road as suggested to us. We consider that this reflects the community identity of the electors in the ‘Shakespeare Roads’ by not dividing them from other electors in the Whitehall Park Conservation Area. We consider that this reflects the community identity of the electors in the ‘Shakespeare Roads’ by not dividing them from other electors in the Whitehall Park Conservation Area.

The Commission’s draft recommendations had proposed to include electors between Highbury Grove and Highbury Fields in Mildmay ward. Following feedback from local people and organisations, the Commission has listened to strong evidence about community ties in this part of the borough and the final recommendations propose to maintain the whole of the area in the new Highbury ward. The Commission believes its final recommendations reflect the shape of local community interests and identities in the east of Islington.

Elsewhere in the borough, the Commission proposed minor amendments to its draft recommendations in the Canalside & St Peter’s ward. We propose to rename this ward St Peter’s & Canalside. A report on the full recommendations and changes made to the proposals is available on the Commission’s website at www.lgbce.org.uk.

The proposed new arrangements must now be implemented by Parliament. A draft Order – the legal document which brings into force the recommendations – will be laid in Parliament in the coming months. The draft Order provides for the new electoral arrangements to come into force at the council elections in 2022.