The St Albans District Council (Electoral Changes) Order 2021 was made on 28 July 2021. It is a law to implement recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) for new electoral arrangements in St Albans District Council.
New ward arrangements for St Albans District Council have now successfully completed a 40 day period of Parliamentary scrutiny and will come into force at the local elections in May 2022.
The Order for St Albans District Council can be viewed through the following link.
Until May 2022, the civil parish of St Michael remains entirely within Redbourn Ward and is represented at District level by Redbourn Councillors. From the local elections in May 2022, you will vote, depending on which ward you live in, for the District Councillors standing in Redbourn or Verulam or St Stephen.
Here is a summary of the recommendations affecting St Michael civil parish:
- Both the St Michael parish boundary and the overall number (seven) of St Michael Councillors are unaffected by the LGBCE’s review.
- Parliamentary boundaries are also unchanged; St Michael will still be part of the constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden. (Update June 2021 – LGBCE propose that the constituency change to Harpenden and Berkhamsted in 2023)
- The existing, larger, St Michael Ward to be split into two wards:
- St Michael North Ward – remaining in Redbourn district ward, with three St Micahel Parish Councillors;
- St Michael South Ward – to come under Verulam district ward, also with three St Michael Parish Councillors.
- The existing, smaller, St Michael SE Ward to be retained but to come under St Stephen district ward, with one St Michael Parish Councillor.
Following LGBCE’s review, St Albans will be conducting its own Community Governance Review (CGR) of the parish and town councils’ electoral arrangements in the District, starting around October 2021. Any changes arising from the CGR will take effect from the next scheduled parish council elections in May 2023 . Unlike the LGBCE review, a CGR can alter the outer boundaries of parishes.