THE Local Government Boundary Commission came out several weeks ago with its findings in the re-drawing of wards for the Hampshire County Council.

For those of us who are electoral wonks (psephologists in the lingo of the trade) the findings held some surprises.

Chief amongst these was turning most of the Andover- centred HCC wards into town/country wards with villages predominating.

This is a stark contrast to the policy in Winchester and Basingstoke where town wards predominate.

A TVBC councillor turned up at the last Andover Town Council meeting and helpfully explained that his reading of the findings was that Test Valley Borough may see a 25 per cent reduction in councillor numbers in its upcoming review and that Andover Town Council may see a move to single member wards.

The town currently has five wards, some with as many as four councillors (Millway for example).

The LGBC report talked of maintaining the ATC councillor numbers at 18. This is a ridiculous bloat and inimical to good government.

The ATC should have fifteen councillors at most (after all that is how many TVBC councillors the town has).

This is the perfect opportunity to shrink the Andover Town Council numbers and to redraw ALL the wards as single member wards that better reflect the interests of discrete communities within the town’s borders.

My appeal to the LGBC findings says as much.

Cllr Christopher Ecclestone, Millway Ward, Andover