WINCHESTER’S election battlegrounds will be decided by Whitehall mandarins with little knowledge of the city after civic chiefs failed to decide on their preferred changes, councillors were warned.

Ward boundaries used in council elections are up for review next year but city councillors have left some major decisions to central government after political disputes ended hope of a consensus.

It comes despite a raft of negotiations between the council’s dominant political parties over the past year.

A limited list of approved adjustments includes changes in rural villages, where electoral splits are thought to misrepresent some communities.

Councillors agreed that Headbourne Worthy should rejoin Kings Worthy to create a ward for The Worthys, while Durley or Upham should join Bishop’s Waltham ward and the belt of villages around New Alresford should be captured by one Alresford ward.

They previously agreed that the number of councillors should be cut from 57 to 45.

Cllr Therese Evans said central government had “limited understanding” of Winchester communities and would end up playing a “numbers game” with boundaries when left to make decisions.

“I suspect we’re not going to like the outcome,” she said.

Cllr Stephen Godfrey, who led the review, said: “We have to accept what we are given. We will have to suck and see and hope that what comes out will be good for Winchester.”

Last month he told the Cabinet that failure to reach a consensus was “not unusual” for councils.

The Boundary Commission will publish its draft recommendations for the changes in February 2015.