BOUNDARY changes that will see Okehampton and seven other nearby wards carved out of the West Devon and Torridge parliamentary constituency were this week slammed by the area?s Liberal Democrat MP. The final recommendations for changes in the distribution of parliamentary seats were published by the Boundary Commission for England last week. It says the changes are needed to address the county?s rising population. The following West Devon wards will be part of the new Central Devon constituency: Chagford, Drewsteignton, Exbourne, Hatherleigh, Lew Valley, North Tawton, Okehampton East, Okehampton West and South Tawton. MP John Burnett, who argued strongly against the recommendations at the Boundary Commission?s public inquiry, said he was ?extremely disappointed? at the decision. He said: ?To lose Okehampton will take the heart out of the constituency. ?Every MP for decades has had his constituency office in Okehampton, which is part and parcel of this constituency, far more than this amorphous seat that is going to be created ? it?s absolutely awful.? Mr Burnett said that despite West Devon and Torridge being large both geographically and in voter numbers, there was ?considerable cohesion and identity? in the constituency. The MP said that in his view, there should be fewer politicians in the House. ?I think really we do need to have a clear out ? we could do with a house of 450 MPs rather than 650,? he said. The Central Devon constituency will also be made up of one ward from East Devon, 12 wards from Mid Devon and eight from Teignbridge, making a total population of 63,563. The revised Torridge and West Devon constituency will contain a population 68,720 and will include 13 wards of the borough of West Devon: Bere Ferrers, Bridestowe, Buckland Monachorum, Brentor, Lydford, Mary Tavy, Milton Ford, Tamarside, Tavistock North, Tavistock South, Tavistock South West, Thrushel and Walkham. The final recommendations mean the return of Buckland Monachorum to the Torridge and West Devon constituency, after it was lost under a previous redrawing of the political boundaries. The creation of the large Central Devon constituency caused concern among a number of local politicians, who felt it would destroy traditional constituency ties, when it was first provisionally recommended last May and a public inquiry into objections was held last December. One member of the public suggested that Torridge and West Devon should be named West Devon or Tavy and Torridge. Three letters from members of the public objected to Okehampton being included in Central Devon instead of in Torridge and West Devon. The commission said ?no new, compelling evidence? was contained in representations about the revised boundaries and decided the small number and nature of objections to the exclusion of Okehampton from Torridge and West Devon did not justify any alteration to the recommendations. The changes will not come into force until after the next election.
