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Economic Development

Birmingham shake up will see 19 councillors removed

Major overhaul of city council's political structure will also involve the removal of some traditional ward names such as Soho and Longbridge

Major political changes are on the horizon at Birmingham City Council(Image: Adam Fradgley/Exposure)

A shake up of Birmingham's political map will see 19 councillors removed from the chamber amid the creation of dozens of new wards and districts.

Communities such as Alum Rock, Birchfield, Garrett's Green, Glebe Farm and Tile Cross, Monyhull, Newtown, Saltley and Boldmere will get their own council wards and councillors under draft plans unveiled by the Local Government Boundary Commission.

The 40 giant, three-member wards, which currently exist, will be replaced with 77 smaller wards - 53 of them will have one councillor each and the remaining 24 larger areas, two each.

It means there will be 101 councillors, 19 fewer than at present, when the new boundaries are introduced in 2018.

And residents and councillors will have a host of new names and boundaries to get used to while some existing ward names, such as Soho and Longbridge, will be removed from the ward map.

Commission chairman Max Caller said: "We are keen to hear what local people think of the recommendations and how they can be improved.

"Our review aims to deliver electoral equality for local voters. This means that each city councillor represents a similar number of electors so that everyone's vote in city council elections is worth roughly the same regardless of where you live.

"We also want to ensure that our proposals reflect the interests and identities of local communities across Birmingham and that the pattern of wards can help the council deliver effective local government to local people."