Boundary changes: why thousands of Preston residents will be in Ribble Valley by the next general election

The shift is part of a nationwide shake-up which has seen the borders of the current Preston seat redrawn and the other constituency bearing the city's name - Wyre and Preston North - disappear altogether. 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 authority boundaries - meaning all of the areas of Preston amended for parliamentary purposes will remain within the city council’s patch.

Elsewhere in Central Lancashire, parts of Chorley will move into the neighbouring South Ribble constituency - in spite of opposition to the change - while the northern parishes of West Lancashire are bound for an expanded Southport seat.

In Preston, the Greyfrairs, Sharoe Green, Preston Rural North and Preston Rural East wards - totalling more than 23,000 residents - will all shift into the Ribble Valley constituency from their current home in Wyre and Preston North.

However, two other wards from that soon-to-be-defunct seat - Garrison and Cadley - will join the Preston constituency, a move which will put the whole of Cadley in the same parliamentary patch; the majority of it is currently in Wyre and Preston North, but a small western portion already sits in the Preston voting area for general elections.

Previous proposals to send the Fishwick & Frenchwood and Ribbleton wards to Ribble Valley had already been abandoned after opposition during the multiple consultation processes that have taken place during the two-year process to decide the new boundaries. .

The commission said that it had taken into account earlier feedback that the two wards were “undeniably part of the core of urban Preston and…of a similar character to the city centre”, whereas Greyfriars and Sharoe Green - which were initially earmarked to join the Preston seat - were “of a fundamentally different character to urban Preston”.

However, the organisation acknowledged that there was also “some opposition to our exchanging of the Fishwick & Frenchwood and Ribbleton wards with the Greyfriars and Sharoe Green wards, which comprise the Fulwood area…but there was also significant support”.

On the western edge of the city, the Preston seat will gain from the Fylde constituency those parts of the Ingol & Cottam and Lea and Larches wards that it does not already contain - which is the majority of them.

To the north, the Brock with Catterall, Calder, Garstang and Great Eccleston wards - currently within Wyre and Preston North - will become part of a new Lancaster and Wyre seat.

Meanwhile, in West Lancashire, the wards of Hesketh-with-Becconsall, North Meols, Rufford, and Tarleton will all move into a broadened Southport seat. The commission said it had “noted the calls for the Rufford ward to be included within the West Lancashire constituency” - its current home - but decided against that option as there had also been representations that the four areas should all remain together.

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:

Preston (total electorate – 72,946)

Ashton – Preston – 6,354

Brookfield – Preston – 5,490

Cadley – Preston – 6,022

City Centre – Preston – 6,939

Deepdale – Preston – 6,051

Fishwick & Frenchwood – Preston – 5,432

Garrison – Preston – 6,682

Ingol & Cottam – Preston -6,451

Lea & Larches – Preston – 6,454

Plungington – Preston – 6,504

Ribbleton – Preston – 5,420

St. Matthew's – Preston – 5,147

Ribble Valley (total electorate - 75,993)

Greyfriars – Preston –6,344

Preston Rural East – Preston - 6,027

Preston Rural North – Preston – 4,860

Sharoe Green – Preston – 6,206

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

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

Lancaster and Wyre (total electorate – 74,992)

Bulk – Lancaster – 6,714

Castle – Lancaster – 4,848

Ellel – Lancaster – 3,600

John O'Gaunt – Lancaster – 6,129

Marsh – Lancaster – 4,205

Scotforth East – Lancaster – 3,389

Scotforth West – Lancaster – 5,646

Skerton East – Lancaster – 4,912

Skerton West – Lancaster – 5,163

University & Scotforth Rural – Lancaster – 3,238

Brock with Catterall – Wyre – 3,501

Calder – Wyre – 1,913

Garstang – Wyre – 5,747

Great Eccleston – Wyre – 3,408

Hambleton & Stalmine – Wyre – 3,757

Pilling – Wyre – 2,116 –

Preesall – Wyre – 4,827

Wyresdale – Wyre – 1,879

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

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

Fylde (total electorate – 75,114)

Ansdell – Fylde – 3,479

Ashton – Fylde – 3,745

Central – Fylde – 3,341

Clifton – Fylde – 3,395

Elswick and Little Eccleston – Fylde – 1,291

Fairhaven – Fylde – 3,463

Freckleton East – Fylde – 2,449

Freckleton West – Fylde – 2,225

Heyhouses – Fylde – 4,038

Kilnhouse – Fylde – 3,136

Kirkham North – Fylde – 3,501

Kirkham South – Fylde – 2,024

Medlar-with-Wesham – Fylde – 3,053

Newton and Treales – Fylde – 2,519

Park – Fylde – 4,147

Ribby-with-Wrea – Fylde – 1,446

Singleton and Greenhalgh – Fylde – 1,174

St. Johns – Fylde – 3,656

St. Leonards – Fylde – 3,604

Staining and Weeton – Fylde – 2,489

Warton and Westby – Fylde – 4,721

Breck – Wyre – 3,303

Hardhorn with High Cross – Wyre – 5,444

Tithebarn – Wyre – 3,471

Source: Boundary Commission for England