OVER 8,000 new voters could join the St Albans constituency in proposed parliamentary boundary changes set out this week.

The current St Albans constituency will not be split but see thousands of additional voters from Sandridge and Redbourn move into it, making it one of the larger constituencies in Hertfordshire.

The wards gained by St Albans would be lost from Harpenden and Hitchin which gains the wards of Shefford, Silsoe and Shillington, Langford and Henlow village from Central Bedfordshire and an estimated 18,000 new voters.

St Albans MP Anne Main welcomed the moves which will essentially slim down the number of parliament constituencies in the UK from 650 to 600.

She said: “I am pleased that the boundary commission has suggested that a hundred per cent of my original constituency remains within the same boundaries and indeed that it has suggested the boundaries be extended to include Sandridge and Redbourn areas which currently already have councillor representation on St Albans district council.

“I know the public are looking for a slim down of the House of Commons so it was inevitable that many seats would be expanded in numbers. Obviously, these proposals are at the early stage but I am delighted that they have not proposed to split up the St Albans constituency that I am privileged to serve.”

A 12-week consultation began on Tuesday and the proposals affecting the Eastern region will be available to see in the foyer of the council’s offices at the Civic Centre. A map showing the proposed boundaries for each constituency will be displayed and a full report and maps for each constituency in the region will be available to examine.

For more information, visit www.consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk The changes are proposed in a bid to ensure that each UK constituency holds five per cent of the UK’s electoral quota.