By Grimsby and Cleethorpes set to become one constituency
Plans to merge Grimsby and Cleethorpes into a new, combined constituency could go ahead as the final round of consultation begins.
A proposal from the Boundary Commission would see Scartho, Humberston and New Waltham grouped together with Immingham, Barton and Brigg into the South Humber constituency.
However, these plans have received major backlash, with the majority of residents providing negative comments.
Many feel that Grimsby and Cleethorpes have different focuses and priorities and therefore wouldn’t benefit from one MP.
“The boundary commissions proposals to have Grimsby and Cleethorpes in one constituency is madness. I have lived in Cleethorpes all of my life and our area is unique to that of Grimsby. It is linked to the wider Lincolnshire area historically,” one wrote.
The goal of the merger is to balance MP’s seat sizes so that each has roughly 74,000 electors, ensuring votes have equal weight.
Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers has previously given his support for the plans, only objecting to the proposed South Humber name for the new boundary.
At the time he said: “The recommendations deal with local sensitivities as best as possible within the guidelines by which they are governed and, I believe, will lead to minimal disruption for local people.”
However, he suggested that the name ‘South Humber’ be swapped for Northern Lincolnshire, “Local opinion is quite clear; people regard themselves as from Lincolnshire and use of Humber or Humberside is widely disliked and is not acceptable.”
A recent review from the Boundary Commission suggested that the South Humber name be changed to Brigg and Immingham while Grimsby and Cleethorpes become known as Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes BC.
Visiting the area to understand locals complaints, the assistant commissioners “struggled to identify any obvious boundary between the suburbs of Grimsby and Cleethorpes, and observed that they instead appeared to be one continuous urban area.”
They therefore decided to keep their initial proposal of combining the two current constituencies and creating the new Immingham and Brigg seat.
Locals can submit their comments of the final round of consultation before plans are submitted to Parliament in July.
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