Liverpool's redrawn city electoral map revealed

The electoral map of the city of Liverpool will be completely redrawn by next May, with fewer councillors and more electoral wards.

Many of the city's residents could find themselves living in a new electoral ward, or a ward with a new name.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has published its final plans for the city council.

If approved by the government it will be in place for next May's council elections.

The city, of 500,000 residents, is currently split in to 30 electoral wards with three councillors representing each ward.

The new map sees Liverpool divided up into 64 wards, 46 of which would be represented by just one councillor.

Fifteen areas will be represented by two councillors and three larger areas will elect three councillors, with each councillor representing an average of 4,300 residents.

A third of councillors are up for election every three years and serve a four-year term.

Following a damning inspection report last year, it was recommended that Liverpool City Council move to "all out" elections, where every seat is contested every four years.

Government inspector Max Caller proposed the change to ensure more stability and to ensure long-term planning took precedence over short-term electioneering.

The authority has been working with the Local Government Boundary Commission for England on the new boundaries, including gathering feedback from the public.

Claire Hamilton, BBC Radio Merseyside Political Reporter,

For lots of us, the name of our council ward is tied to a sense of place.

It's not as big a deal as the parliamentary constituency in which we live - that's often a much stronger connection - but there can still be a snobbery, an aspiration or a clear identity to a council ward which people like or loathe.

Ward names change over the decades, some no longer make sense.

Penny Lane is now an electoral ward in its own right, and the city's Festival Gardens - soon to be home to thousands of new houses - will have its own representative too.

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