Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh slams constituency boundary plans

The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) is currently conducting a second round of public consultation into its proposals to redraw the parliamentary constituency boundaries ahead of the next general election, which must be held by December 2024.

The Yeovil seat, which has been represented by Marcus Fysh, will see relatively few significant changes, with the major settlements of Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster and Yeovil itself all continuing to be represented by the same MP.

But Mr Fysh has attacked the BCE’s proposals to move Ham Hill and other villages near the A303 into the proposed new Glastonbury and Somerton seat, claiming the proposal “makes no sense” given the villages’ close ties to Yeovil.

The current Yeovil constituency includes a number of villages on the immediate outskirts of Yeovil, including Montacute, Norton-sub-Hamdon and Stoke-sub-Hamdon to the west of the town as well as the Ham Hill monument which is managed by South Somerset District Council.

The constituency also extends to the east to include the village of Ilchester and RNAS Yeovilton, along with a small section of the A303 which is currently being dualled by National Highways.

Under the BCE proposals, all of these settlements – except the neighbouring village of Odcombe – would be transferred to the Glastonbury and Somerton seat, which would also include Castle Cary, Langport and Wincanton.

In his official response to the first round of the BCE consultation, Mr Fysh was deeply critical of this idea, arguing the villages around Ham Hill had close ties to Yeovil which should be reflected at a constituency level.

He said: “The hamstone villages to the south of the A303 in close proximity to Yeovil, and Ham Hill itself, are an integral part of the community and travel to work area of Yeovil and should remain within the Yeovil constituency.

“Much of the Hamdon ward [on the district council] is part of the Coker division on Somerset County Council, which surrounds Yeovil to the south as well, and it makes no sense for this ward and the neighbouring areas of St. Michaels to be severed from Yeovil, as they are strongly linked to Yeovil and no other town in every respect and effectively form one community.

“Similarly Yeovilton and Ilchester form part of the Yeovil community and have the additional strong community, work and industrial/ economic interest links of the operation of helicopters at RNAS Yeovilton, which are built in Yeovil and maintained in Yeovil and at the Yeovilton base, with many personnel who work there and service the base living in Yeovil and having their families in Yeovil when based at home or abroad.”

Proposed boundaries for the Yeovil constituency

Mr Fysh added that these villages “rely overwhelmingly” on Yeovil for local education and health facilities, and said the value of Ham Hill as a communal focal point should not be underestimated.

He said: “Ham Hill is an iconic recreation area for the residents of Yeovil in particular, and it is very well used by and inspiring to them, with the deepest of local history and linkage to the places and heritage buildings surrounding Yeovil.

“These are direct community-linking and historic identity factors that are stronger than for other parts of the Yeovil constituency, which look often to services located in Taunton and mid-Somerset, and should be considered to be part of a “mid” Somerset constituency like Glastonbury and Somerton.”

The BCE review intends to create constituencies which represent approximately the same number of residents – ideally between 69,724 and 77,062 people.

To address this issue, Mr Fysh suggested that Ilminster and settlements north of the A303 – including South Petherton – could be moved into the new seat instead, since they “do not have such strong and direct Yeovil community links”.

The second round of public consultation on the new general election boundaries runs until April 4. For more information – including how to attend the remaining public hearings – visit www.bcereviews.org.uk.