Council faces review of boundaries

Peter Davies, the English Democrat mayor of Doncaster, vowed to slash the number of elected representatives on Doncaster Council by a third when elected in 2009.

The review has been announced by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which is responsible for ensuring councils across the country properly represent electors.

Mr Davies said: “As a local authority we are spending in the region of £1.3m on 63 councillors over 21 wards and in my opinion this is money that could be better spent elsewhere.”

Labour currently hold the majority of seats on Doncaster Council and gained another seven in the local elections in May this year.

The group’s leader Glyn Jones said he would “work with” the Boundary Commission and said councillors played an “important role” in the democratic process”.

He added: “They are often the eyes and ears of their communities, allowing the council’s resources to be best targeted while providing people with important services and access to vital information.”

The Boundary Commission’s final recommendations are expected in January 2015, with any recommendations implemented in elections in May 2016.