Somerset residents have just ten weeks to speak up before the political map of the county is completely redrawn – potentially changing who represents you, what issues get heard, and how easy it is to get help from your local councillor.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) has released its draft plans for a massive electoral shake-up ahead of the 2027 local elections – and every division in Somerset is up for change.

Under the current system, most areas – including Glastonbury, Street and Frome – have two councillors. That's being scrapped. The Commission wants to cut the total number of councillors from 110 to 96, with just one councillor per division. That means entirely new boundaries – and in some cases, new names, new neighbours, and a very different idea of what counts as your local patch.

This isn't just paperwork. It could affect who champions your local issues, how visible your councillor is, and whether your area is grouped with places that share your priorities – or not.

Here's what the proposals mean locally:

• Frome will be split into five separate divisions – including a Frome South area that stretches way beyond the Keyford development, across the A361 and right up to the Wiltshire border.

• Glastonbury and Street will each be split into two new divisions, while the Glastonbury Festival site itself will land in the Shepton Mallet West and Pilton division.

• Shepton Mallet will also be divided into two, potentially changing how the town's needs are represented at county level.
• Wells will be split down the middle, with the villages around it carved into two large rural zones.

The rest of Somerset is seeing big changes too: Yeovil's being split into nine parts, Taunton into 11, and Bridgwater into seven – or eight if you count Stockmoor and Willstock separately. Smaller towns like Wincanton, Bruton and Castle Cary will get their own stand-alone divisions.

The LGBCE says it wants all councillors to represent roughly the same number of voters, and that boundaries should reflect real communities. But only you can tell them if they've got that right.

LGBCE chair Professor Colin Mellors said: We want to make sure these new electoral arrangements reflect communities. We also want them to be easy to understand and convenient for local people."

This is your chance to weigh in. Do the new divisions reflect your community – or carve it up? Should your local area be grouped with the next village over, or kept separate? Once these lines are drawn, they'll decide how Somerset is governed for years to come.

To see the draft maps and have your say by 11 August:

• Visit: www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/somerset
• Email: [email protected]
• Or post a response to: The Review Officer (Somerset), LGBCE, 7th Floor, 3 Bunhill Row, London, EC1Y 8YZ

Final recommendations will be published on 2 December. The new divisions will be used in the next full Somerset Council elections on 6 May 2027.

H/T: LDRS