A TOTAL of 14 Somerset councillors are set to be axed due to upcoming changes to council divisions.

A public consultation has been launched to help shape new council divisions for Somerset Council in order to better reflect the size and form of local communities.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is inviting members of the public to share their views on where they live to help draw up their proposals for new division boundaries.

With an electoral review, the Commission will ensure that each local councillor represents about the same number of electors, and that the divisions they represent reflect community identities. 

The Local Government Boundary Commission has decided that the number of councillors in Somerset Council should be 96, a 13 per cent change from the current council which has 110 members.

Launching the consultation on the electoral review of Somerset Council, Professor Colin Mellors, chair of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, said: “We are looking for your views, as local people, on how you think Somerset should be represented in divisions that reflect local communities and identities.  

“By telling us about where you live and where you access local services, it will help us to create appropriate and meaningful boundaries.   

“It might be something as straightforward as where you go for shops, schools or a sporting venue, whether you see a road, park or river as a dividing feature or the heart of a community, or which areas have joint projects. 

“Hearing from local residents will give us important evidence to inform our recommendations for a pattern of divisions for Somerset that ensures each councillor represents about the same number of electors.”

The consultation on this stage of the electoral review of Somerset Council will last for ten weeks and closes on Monday, January 20.

Residents can provide their views via the Local Boundary Commission for England website, by emailing [email protected] or by post to: Review Officer (Somerset), The Local Boundary Commission for England, 7th Floor, 3 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YZ.