Introduction

1 Coverage

1.1 This submission addresses the proposed Parliamentary Constituencies that are wholly or partially in Sheffield. These are the following proposed seats:

Penistone & Stocksbridge	Sheffield Brightside
Sheffield Central	Sheffield Heeley
Sheffield Hallam	Sheffield South-East

2.1 Sheffield was incorporated in 1843 and comprised the area covered by Sheffield Parish: Attercliffe Township, Brightside Bierlow, Sheffield Township, Ecclesall Bierlow, Upper Hallam and Nether Hallam. In 1893 Sheffield was awarded City status. In 1905 Sheffield expanded and took in parts of Ecclesfield Parish to the north and parts of Derbyshire to the south, deparishing the areas annexed. Over the rest of the 20^th century Sheffield took in more of Derbyshire eventually almost doubling its area by 1968. In 1968 Sheffield also took in another part of Ecclesfield at the north, slicing Ecclesfield village in two. In 1974 Sheffield was merged with the remainder of Ecclesfield Parish, and with Bradfield Parish and Stocksbridge Town to form the City of Sheffield Metropolitan District.

2.2 The city currently has a population of 530,600 and an electorate of about 380,000. The city covers approximately 36,333 hectares, more than 75% being open space or countryside. With the electoral quota of 69,935 Sheffield "qualifies" for about 5.5 Parliamentary constituencies.

2.3 Since 1983 Sheffield has been covered by exactly six Parliamentary constituencies. Prior to 1983 the north of Sheffield was in a Penistone constituency which encompassed most of the parts of the west of South Yorkshire that were not in Sheffield or Barnsley prior to local government reorganisation in 1974.

3. Geography

3.1 The geography of Sheffield distinctively arranges the city into sectors bounded by hard features. The main rivers, the Rivelin, the Don and the Sheaf, along with the Sheffield Parkway split the city into four major sectors. Any proposal must take account of these strong geographical features as communities and transport links are very much determined by these features.

3.2 The Upper Don Valley runs into the city center from the northwest. The Sheffield-to-Stocksbridge railway line and the A61 main road to Barnsley runs through the valley. The valley floor is fairly flat, rising quickly to steep hills to the east, becoming cliffs in places. There are only three crossing points, through narrow bridges.

3.3 The Rivelin Valley runs from the moors on the Derbyshire border in the west towards Malin Bridge. For most of its length it runs at the bottom of steep hills through open moorland, the Hallam Moors to the south and the Bradfield Moors to the north. The A57 Manchester Road runs through the valley into Derbyshire. There are no crossing points west of Hollins Bridge, near Malin Bridge, other than one road that is very narrow, very steep, and very twisty on both sides of the valley.

3.4 The Sheaf Valley runs from the Derbyshire border in the south northwards into Sheffield city center. The Sheffield-to-London railway line and the A625 road to Bakewell follows it along its length. The A61 road to Chesterfield runs along the valley bottom out of Sheffield city center, and then climbs steeply out of the valley. The land climbs gently out of the valley to the west, but steeply to the east, there being some 30m cliffs in places.

3.5 The Sheffield Parkway runs from the M1 along the eastern boundary of Sheffield into the city center. It is the major road corridor into Sheffield from the motorway network. The land is fairly level to the north, becoming the lower Don Valley basin, but rises steeply to the south up to Park Hill, Skye Edge and Sheffield Manor.

3.6 The recent ward review recognised these strong geographic features and the new wards follow them as close as practical within the limits required for electoral equality.

4. Electoral Figures and Forecasts

4.1 This report uses the electorate figures for 2000 provided in the initial Boundary Review documents, the actual electorates on the register in force from 1st December 2003 and in force for the elections in 2004, and forecasts supplied by Sheffield City Council’s electoral services section.

4.2 There is a noticeable error in the figures for 2000. East Ecclesfield is listed as having an electorate of some 10,000, while Southey is listed as having an electorate of about 16,000. The registers for 2004 show that East Ecclesfield has an electorate of about 14,000 and Southey about 13,000. It would seem most likely that the 3,000 or so electors in the southern end of East Ecclesfield ward have been mistakenly listed as being in Southey ward. This is an understandable mistake as this small area was transferred into the new East Ecclesfield ward in the ward boundary review, and previously was mostly in the old Southey Green ward, the precursor to the current Southey ward.

4.3 I have raised this issue with the Boundary Review and with Sheffield City Council’s electoral services. I have been told that I must use the figures as listed in the original Boundary Review proposals. Consequently, I have used these figures, but have also shown the current figures for 2004, and the electoral forecast for 2006.

5. About The Author

6. Contact Details