Today the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner for Northern Ireland Sarah Havlin has published her Revised Recommendations. The Commissioner’s task is to review and make recommendations in respect of the number, boundaries and names of the 11 local government districts in Northern Ireland and the number, boundaries and names of the wards into which each district is divided, in line with the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 (as amended).
The Commissioner published her Provisional Recommendations on 27 July 2021 for an 8 week consultation period. A series of public hearings were held during September and October, one for each District. The Commissioner has subsequently formulated Revised Recommendations taking into consideration representations received from councils, political parties, associations, organisations and individual members of the public, and in line with the statutory rules of her Review.
The Revised Recommendations report includes a number of new maps for the districts, based on the Commissioner’s consideration of the consultation responses received and the Assistant Commissioners’ reports for each district.
Today’s publication starts an additional 6 weeks consultation period where people can provide feedback and suggestions about the revised recommendations. The closing date for written submissions about these proposals will be 1st March 2022. Following conclusion of the consultation, the Commissioner will analyse the representations received, and a final recommendations report will be provided to the Department for Communities by 31st May 2022.
Information on the Review including this timeline is detailed on the Commissioner’s website, www.lgbc-ni.org.uk.
Speaking about the publication of the Revised Recommendations, The Commissioner Sarah Havlin said:
“I am pleased to progress to the next stage of my Review where we can now share the Revised Recommendations of local government boundaries in Northern Ireland with the public. I am grateful to those who participated in the consultation thus far, particularly those with a local knowledge of the districts and wards who brought to my attention issues pertinent to them and informed my recommendations to achieve the best outcomes for those living in the districts and wards. It is important that these revised recommended changes are consulted upon and that local people and their representatives can see where I have taken their views into account. Working with colleagues in Ordnance Survey NI (OSNI) we have delivered leading mapping technology which we are confident will make the process more user friendly, accessible and transparent.
“I hope that these Revised Recommendations will resolve some longstanding issues and that public engagement will provide assurance of this. I would encourage anyone who is interested or participated previously to consider the revised recommendations and share their views with us. We will receive written submissions online and by email. I hope that as many people and organisations as possible will take the opportunity to respond to the Revised Recommendations and contribute to the shaping of Local Government.”
Full details on how to access and respond to the consultation can be found at /consultation where the Revised Recommendations report and maps can also be found. The Revised Recommendations report can be accessed digitally in all public libraries. For further details of your local library including opening times please visit https://www.librariesni.org.uk/Libraries/
The closing date for responses is 1st March 2022.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Kieran Donnelly, Morrow Communications
Tel: 07769702275 or k.donnelly@morrowcommunications.com
Notes to editors
- The appointment of the Commissioner, the terms of the Review procedure that applies to the Commissioner’s recommendations are set out in Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, as amended.
Local Government Act (Northern Ireland)1972
- There is a statutory duty to appoint the Commissioner within 12 years of the last review, which was completed in 2009.
- While Department for Communities (DfC) is the sponsor Department for LGBC, the Commissioner and the Review is independent of Government Departments and Ministers.
- The Commissioner published her Provisional Recommendations report on 27th July 2021 for an 8 week consultation period. This Report is available on the Commissioner website www.lgbc-ni.org.uk
- Views are sought now on all aspects of the Local Government Boundaries Commissioner’s Revised Recommendations, including the boundaries and names of the eleven new local government districts and the number, boundaries and names of the wards into which each district is divided.