GEOFFREY Cox, MP for West Devon and Torridge, this week said he was both pleased and disappointed by the Boundary Commission's initial suggestions for its 2013 review of Parliamentary constituencies.

Mr Cox said while he was 'saddened and dismayed' by the proposals for Torridge, and for the West Devon and Torridge constituency to be divided up, he was pleased that West Devon's towns would be reunited again in a proposed new seat. He said: 'I have always argued that the borough and the towns of Okehampton and Tavistock needed to be represented by one MP who could concentrate on their interests closely, and although this does not quite achieve that, it comes close.

'However, these are merely initial suggestions and there is a very long way to go before they are adopted or final. 'I do not intend to be distracted from the essential task now of representing the communities of West Devon and Torridge vigorously and bringing the attention of the government to improving the opportunities for our market towns and rural areas.'

Under the Boundary Commission's suggestions, West Devon could be represented by a new Tavistock and Plympton seat, and a new Central Devon seat.

The plans are subject to two years' consultation before being finalised in October 2013.  The aim of the proposals to reduced the overall number of MPs from 533 to 502 in time for a 2015 General Election, all representing constituencies of roughly 75,000.