Boundary changes: parts of Chorley to move into South Ribble in spite of "considerable opposition"

The shift is part of a nationwide shake-up which has seen the borders of the current Chorley and South Ribble seats redrawn. The aim of the process – undertaken by the Boundary Commission for England - was to ensure that voting areas across the country are of broadly similar size.

The changes do not affect any local council boundaries - meaning all of the areas amended for parliamentary purposes will remain within their current local authority’s patch.

The revised map will see the whole of the Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard ward fall within the South Ribble seat - a total of almost 6,000 voters. Currently, only Eccleston is in the South Ribble voting area, while Heskin Green, Charnock Green and Charnock Richard are all in the Chorley constituency.

Meanwhile, the Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South ward is to remain in the South Ribble constituency, where it currently sits.

The commission acknowledged that both suggestions had been “very poorly received” and the subject of "considerable opposition". However, it said that in its final consultation late last year - the third to take place during the two-year process to decide the new boundaries - it had “not been persuaded” to amend the proposal, “not least as large parts of these wards are already in the existing South Ribble constituency”.

The organisation had previously reversed controversial plans in Chorley to hive off the Adlington & Anderton and Chorley North East wards from the borough seat and put them - and two wards from Hyndburn - in a proposed new West Pennine Moors constituency incorporating the current Rossendale and Darwen seat, a move which a Chorley Council meeting back in 2021 heard had reduced one resident to tears.

The South Ribble seat itself will keep hold all the wards in the South Ribble Borough Council area that currently sit within its borders, while gaining the Farington East and Farington West wards from Ribble Valley.

However, the Walton-le-Dale East, Walton-le-Dale West, Bamber Bridge East, Bamber Bridge West, Lostock Hall, Coupe Green & Gregson Lane and Samlesbury & Walton wards will all remain in the Ribble Valley seat, which the commission described as “a positive outcome” for most of those areas.

Following the boundary changes, almost all constituencies in England will now contain between 69,724 and 77,062 voters.

In making its proposals, the commission was able to consider factors including any local ties that may be broken by changes in constituencies, as well as special geographical characteristics and existing constituency and local authority borders. Although commissioners had sought to draw up constituencies "by reference to local authority external boundaries as far as practicable", it had "nevertheless often proved necessary to cross these boundaries in order to form constituencies that comply with the permitted electorate range", the organisation said.

The government will now draft an order containing the recommendations of all four Parliamentary Boundary Commissions across the UK. Once that is approved by the Privy Council, the new constituencies will be used for the next general election following that date – but for any by-election that may take place beforehand, existing constituencies will be used.

CONSTITUENCY COMPOSITIONS

This is how the newly-drawn constutuencies will look, presented in the format ward name - council area - total number of electors:

Chorley (total electorate – 74,568)

Adlington & Anderton – Chorley – 6,229

Buckshaw & Whittle – Chorley – 6,785

Chorley East – Chorley – 6,074

Chorley North & Astley – Chorley – 6,038

Chorley North East – Chorley – 5,590

Chorley North West – Chorley – 5,872

Chorley South East & Heath Charnock – Chorley – 6,902 –

Chorley South West – Chorley – 5,701

Clayton East, Brindle & Hoghton – Chorley – 6,678

Clayton West & Cuerden – Chorley – 6,566

Coppull – Chorley – 6,194

Euxton – Chorley – 5,939

South Ribble (total electorate – 72,029)

Croston, Mawdesley & Euxton South – Chorley – 6,187

Eccleston, Heskin & Charnock Richard – Chorley – 5,932

Broad Oak – South Ribble – 3,541

Broadfield – South Ribble – 3,667

Buckshaw & Worden – South Ribble – 3,761

Charnock – South Ribble – 2,932

Earnshaw Bridge – South Ribble – 3,473

Farington East – South Ribble – 3,316

Farington West – South Ribble – 3,188

Hoole – South Ribble – 3,360

Howick & Priory – South Ribble – 5,627

Leyland Central – South Ribble – 3,554

Longton & Hutton West – South Ribble – 4,685

Middleforth – South Ribble – 5,520

Moss Side – South Ribble – 3,107

New Longton & Hutton East – South Ribble – 3,864

Seven Stars – South Ribble – 3,080

St. Ambrose – South Ribble – 3,235

Ribble Valley (total electorate - 75,993)

Bamber Bridge East – South Ribble – 3,467

Bamber Bridge West – South Ribble – 3,095

Coupe Green & Gregson Lane – South Ribble – 3,491

Lostock Hall – South Ribble – 5,179

Samlesbury & Walton – South Ribble – 3,284

Walton-le-Dale East – South Ribble – 3,464

Walton-le-Dale West – South Ribble – 3,384

Greyfriars – Preston – 6,344

Preston Rural East – Preston - 6,027

Preston Rural North – Preston – 4,860

Sharoe Green – Preston – 6,206

Alston & Hothersall – Ribble Valley – 2,114

Billington & Langho – Ribble Valley – 2,674

Bowland – Ribble Valley – 1,286

Brockhall & Dinckley – Ribble Valley -1,304

Chipping – Ribble Valley – 1,188

Clayton-le-Dale & Salesbury – Ribble Valley -1,352

Derby & Thornley – Ribble Valley – 2,442

Dilworth – Ribble Valley – 2,196

Gisburn & Rimington – Ribble Valley – 1,205

Hurst Green & Whitewell – Ribble Valley -1,106

Mellor – Ribble Valley – 2,418

Ribchester – Ribble Valley – 1,294

Waddington, Bashall Eaves & Mitton – Ribble Valley -1,274

West Bradford & Grindleton – Ribble Valley – 1,367

Whalley Nethertown – Ribble Valley – 1,169

Wilpshire & Ramsgreave – Ribble Valley – 2,803

Source: Boundary Commission for England