RESIDENTS in five parishes are objecting strongly to proposals that would see them move into the Trowbridge Community Area.

People living in Steeple Ashton, Semington, Seend, Great Hinton, Keevil and Bulkington say they would prefer to stay in the Melksham Community Area.

On Tuesday, Trowbridge Town Council approved a recommendation to the Local Government Boundary Commission that the villages should be transferred.

Cllr Jonathon Seed, the Wiltshire Councillor for Summerham and Seend, which covers many of the villages, told Tuesday’s full Trowbridge Town Council meeting the five villages were united in their opposition.

He demanded to know why the villagers and their parish councils had not been consulted about the proposal. Cllr Seed said: “This was received out of the blue last week. You are quite entitled to put in any submission you like.

“But I am surprised that the proposal was put without any involvement or discussion with the communities involved.

“You have managed to do what I have failed to do in nine years and that is to get the villages talking to each other.

“I know that Semington and Steeple Ashton are unhappy about being included in this proposal. They have made it very clear they do not want to form part of your plan.”

The town council’s chief executive, Lance Allan, said he could not consult the parishes because the council itself is responding to a Boundary Commission consultation which ends on November 5.

He said: “Following discussions with Cllr (Richard) Clewer and officers at Wiltshire Council on September 12 there appears to be an aim within Wiltshire Council to align new development on the edge of towns with town wards, separate from their current parishes.

“I considered this option with regard to Trowbridge and concluded that it would have a significant impact on the electoral divisions and wards for the town council and is not therefore part of the option outlined.”

Some of the parishes - such as Poulshot and Seend - used to belong to the old Kennet district and some to Trowbridge.

As part of the boundary changes in 2009, when Wiltshire Council was formed, they were moved to the Melksham Community Area as a compromise.

Ginny Sherman, the chairman of Keevil Parish Council, said some parishes feel they are better off within the Melksham Community Area, where they have good access to grants and support from their local Wiltshire Council ward member, Cllr Seed, explaining: “The villages feel that we get a very good service from the Melksham Area Board and Cllr Jonathon Seed is very effective on our behalf in representing the small villages.

“The villages will get swallowed up if we are taken into Trowbridge. Seven of the councillors would be representing the interests of Trowbridge rather than the villages.”

In Trowbridge, Mr Allan is proposing seven Wiltshire Council wards, with some streets in larger wards being moved to the smaller ones to provide better balance.

A new ward, which he calls Ashton, is being proposed to represent the new housing developments in North Bradley and West Ashton parishes. The present Southwick ward covers North Bradley, Southwick and West Ashton.

Mr Allan said: “With the new housing developments that have taken place at Ashton Park that Division is now too big.

“The old parts of Southwick and North Bradley will stay in Southwick but the area of North Bradley where new developments are taking place will go with West Ashton to form a new Ashton Division.”

The Boundary Commission will make a final decision next year, which changes in place by 2021.

. Boundaries will change in time for the 2021 local government elections.