THE final recommendations for new Parliamentary boundaries in East Lancashire have kept controversial proposals to carve up the Ribble Valley and Pendle constituencies.

The electoral blueprint which could be in place by the next General Election confirms the success of Tory Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry to keep Blackburn South and Lower Darwen ward in his seat and out of Blackburn constituency.

It also sees Blackamoor, currently in Labour MP Kate Hollern's Blackburn, move to Rossendale and Darwen.

The latest map confirms that the original proposal in 2021 to enlarge Hyndburn to include three wards from Ribble Valley has been dropped.

Tory backbencher Sara Britcliffe's seat keeps Greenfield and Worsley wards in Haslingden but the Boundary Commission for England has rejected her request to add the town's name to the constituency title.

The biggest changes in the voting map are the creation of a Pendle and Clitheroe seat will include ten wards from the Ribble Valley, including Clitheroe areas and a redrawn Ribble Valley County seat.

This will retain Fulwood, Bamber Bridge and Walton-le-Dale but Whalley is split between the two constituencies.

The new recommendations will add the two Pendle District wards of Brierfield East and Clover Hill and Brierfield West and Reedley to a new Burnley seat.

Overall the proposals, which require Parliamentary approval before being implemented, will cut the number of seats in the North-West from 75 to 73 in a bid to to draw up seats with 69,724 to 77,062 electors.

The new constituencies in Lancashire will be Blackburn; Blackpool North and Fleetwood; Blackpool South; Burnley; Chorley; Fylde; Hyndburn; Lancaster and Wyre; Morecambe and Lunesdale; Pendle and Clitheroe; Preston; Ribble Valley; Rossendale and Darwen; South Ribble; and West Lancashire.

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans, who has already been selected to fight the new Ribble Valley County seat at the next election, said: "Whilst being extremely disappointed that in the future I will not be able to represent the whole of the Ribble Valley local authority, I will continue to represent the people of Clitheroe with diligence."

Mrs Hollern said: "I am sorry to be losing constituents from the Blackamoor area. Nevertheless I appreciate the challenge to create constituencies with more equalized populations. As a consequence it was inevitable there would be some movement. I am glad that the commission – at least from Blackburn’s point of view – has sought to minimise the disruption/"

Sir Jake said: "Overall I welcome the changes proposed by the boundary commission and I am delighted that they have seen sense and agreed with me that Lower Darwen is part of Darwen and not Blackburn."

Miss Britcliffe said: “I am disappointed that the commission didn’t see fit to change the constituency name officially to Hyndburn and Haslingden.
“I know many in Haslingden will be disappointed by this and the fact that they are not being reunited with Rossendale."

Pendle MP and government whip Andrew Stephenson said: "I am disappointed that the current Pendle constituency will be split up. I will continue serving the area to the best of my abilities until the next general election when I will be standing for the new Pendle and Clitheroe constituency."

Burnley MP Antony Higginbotham said: "Now we know that the Burnley constituency includes everything already in it, along with two new wards from Brierfield, I’m looking forward to continuing my work."

The Commission's report says about these final proposals: "The configuration of the following constituencies in our revised proposals were largely the same as the existing constituencies: Preston; Blackburn; Hyndburn; Rossendale and Darwen; and Burnley.

"We do not consider there are sufficient grounds to alter our revised proposals for either the Ribble Valley, or Hyndburn constituencies.

"As the Hyndburn constituency would be unchanged from the existing constituency, we do not recommend that its name be changed to include reference to the town of Haslingden.

"There continued to be opposition to our proposed Ribble Valley, and Pendle and Clitheroe constituencies, although there was some support, particularly from the proposed Pendle and Clitheroe constituency.

"We acknowledge that the inclusion of the town of Clitheroe and the Whalley area in Pendle and Clitheroe, instead of a Ribble Valley constituency, is not popular with some residents and noted the alternative suggestions that had been made.

"However, we consider that there had to be change in this area, and, although both constituencies are significantly reconfigured, we judge that our revised Ribble Valley, and Pendle and Clitheroe constituencies both better meet the statutory factors for the whole of Lancashire than did our initial proposals or the alternatives that have been suggested."

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Blackburn constituency made up of the following wards: Audley & Queen’s Park; Bastwell & Daisyfield; Billinge & Beardwood; Blackburn Central;Blackburn South East; Ewood; Little Harwood & Whitebirk Livesey with Pleasington; Mill Hill & Moorgate; Roe Lee; Shear Brow & Corporation Park; and Wensley Fold.

Rossendale and Darwen constituency made up of the following wards: Blackburn South & Lower Darwen; Darwen East; Darwen South; Darwen West; West Pennine; Cribden; Eden; Facit and Shawforth; Goodshaw; Greensclough; Hareholme; Healey and Whitworth; Helmshore; Irwell; Longholme; Stacksteads and Whitewell.

Hyndburn constituency made up of the following wards: Altham; Barnfield; Baxenden; Central; Church; Clayton-le-Moors; Huncoat; Immanuel; Milnshaw; Netherton; Overton; Peel; Rishton; Spring Hill; St. Andrew’s; St. Oswald’s; Greenfield and Worsley.

Pendle and Clitheroe constituency made up of the following wards: Barnoldswick; Barrowford & Pendleside; Boulsworth & Foulridge; Bradley; Earby & Coates; Fence & Higham; Marsden & Southfield; Vivary Bridge; Waterside & Horsfield; Whitefield & Walverden; Chatburn; East Whalley, Read & Simonstone; Edisford & Low Moor; Littlemoor; Primrose; Sabden; Salthill; St. Mary’s; Whalley & Painter Wood; and Wiswell & Barrow.

Ribble Valley constituency made up of the following wards: Greyfriars; Preston Rural East; Preston Rural North; Sharoe Green; Alston & Hothersall; Billington & Langho; Bowland; Brockhall & Dinckley; Chipping; Clayton-le-Dale & Salesbury; Derby & Thornley; Dilworth; Gisburn & Rimington; Hurst Green & Whitewell; Mellor; Ribchester; Waddington, Bashall Eaves & Mitton; West Bradford & Grindleton; Whalley Nethertown; Wilpshire & Ramsgreave; Bamber Bridge East; Bamber Bridge West; Coupe Green & Gregson Lane; Lostock Hall; Samlesbury & Walton; Walton-le-Dale East and Walton-le-Dale West .

Burnley constituency made up of the following wards: Bank Hall; Briercliffe; Brunshaw; Cliviger with Worsthorne; Coal Clough with Deerplay; Daneshouse with Stoneyholme; Gannow; Gawthorpe; Hapton with Park; Lanehead; Queensgate; Rosegrove with Lowerhouse; Rosehill with Burnley Wood; Trinity; Whittlefield with Ightenhill; Brierfield East & Clover Hill; and Brierfield West & Reedley.