Final recommendations for new electoral arrangements in a Suffolk district have been published by the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBCE).

The Commission proposes that 42 councillors - 13 fewer than at present - should represent a total of 26 electoral wards in Suffolk Coastal.

February 2013 saw the launch of an electoral review of Suffolk Coastal District Council (SCDC) by the Boundary Commission, to assess how many councillors should be in the district council and to review the number of wards and the ward boundaries.

The aim was to ensure that each councillor represents approximately the same number of electors so that each person’s vote counts equally, prompted by changes in the ratio of councillors to electors, as in Kesgrave East and Rendlesham, whose respective councillors represent at least 40% more electors than the district’s average.

Draft recommendations were published this February, and after an eleven-week public consultation, the LGBCE published its final recommendations chiefly based on the plans drawn up and put forward by Suffolk Coastal.

A draft order is to be laid before both Houses of Parliament ahead of December and, subject to parliamentary approval, the new measures will come into being at next year’s local elections.

Ray Herring, leader of SCDC, expressed his satisfaction with the recommendations.

He said: “It is important that Suffolk Coastal has the optimum number of councillors to ensure we operate as efficiently and effectively as possible and, although it is almost impossible to get the perfect fit for every ward, I am satisfied that this is as close as we can get.”