PLANS to ditch proposals to group Windermere in with Whitehaven as part of a proposed shake-up of constituency boundaries in England have been welcomed by a south Cumbria MP.
The initial proposals last year were to see Windermere join a Copeland and the Western Lakes constituency.
This plan has now been scrapped, with the town to remain part of Westmorland and Lonsdale. Eden towns such as Appleby and Kirkby Stephen, currently in the Penrith and The Border area, would join Westmorland and Lonsdale.
Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said he was glad the 'bonkers' prospect of Windermere and Whitehaven being grouped together had been shelved.
“If the updated proposals announced today are to be the final new boundaries, then I’m determined to fight for those communities in Eden who are coming into my constituency and who have been taken for granted by the Conservatives for far too long," he said.
The changes, as per the current plan, would see the Barrow and Furness voting area expanded to incorporate Millom, and Sedbergh become part of the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency.
Broughton and Kirkby-in-Furness were initially to join the Copeland and the Western Lakes constituency but have been returned to Barrow and Furness.
The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) is undertaking the independent review of all constituencies in the country at the request of Parliament.
A BCE spokesman said the rejig would 'rebalance' the number of voters each MP represented.
The review is to see the number of constituencies in the country rise from 533 to 543.
Simon Fell, MP for Barrow and Furness, said: "A good part of me is relieved about this new proposal.
"While the Boundary Commission's initial proposal made historical sense, this new one retains the entirety of Furness, which is much preferred – it would be a great shame to not have the opportunity to continue to represent the same fantastic community come the next election."
Tim Bowden, BCE secretary, said: "We still want people to tell us what they think of this latest map before we submit our final recommendations to Parliament next year.
"This is our final consultation and I encourage you to participate in the 2023 Boundary Review.”
Members of the public can comment on the map at bcereviews.org.uk
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