A MAJOR shake-up of political boundaries for York and North and East Yorkshire has been unveiled.

Voters in York, Tadcaster, Malton, Selby, and Pocklington all face upheaval under initial proposals revealed by The Boundary Commission for England yesterday.

The commission is reviewing all constituencies in the country, to enable a reduction in the number of MPs in England from 533 to 502. It is trying to reduce the number of Yorkshire seats from 54 to 50.

The only change in York Central would be the addition of the Heworth Without ward, which would move from York Outer, the seat currently held by Julian Sturdy. But there are potential major changes elsewhere.

Under the plans, which are subject to consultation, the York Outer area would be redrawn to include Tadcaster, as well as six wards from Selby and 11 new ones from City of York.

A new Selby and Castleford seat would also be formed, containing 12 Selby wards and extending south-west to include part of Wakefield, while Eggborough and Whitley would be reallocated to the Wakefield East and Pontefract seat.

Malton also faces a further shake-up, just a few years after it was moved from the old Ryedale seat to a new Thirsk and Malton one.

Under the commission’s latest plans, a new Malton constituency would be formed, extending to the county boundary in the north. It would contain all of Ryedale; nine wards from Hambleton district, including Easingwold, Shipton by Beningborough, Huby and Tollerton; two wards from Scarborough and the Strensall ward from City of York Council’s area.

Elsewhere in North Yorkshire, the towns of Northallerton and Thirsk would both be contained in the new Thirsk and Richmond constituency to the north of the county, while a Skipton and Ripon constituency would include all of Craven, and nine wards from Harrogate District.

Of the remaining 26 Harrogate district wards, 21 would go into an enlarged Harrogate and Knaresborough seat, and five into Leeds North West and Nidderdale.

In East Yorkshire, Pocklington, Driffield and the Wolds Weighton area would move into a new Beverley constituency. The old East Yorkshire constituency would be retained in a revised form, and a new Bridlington seat would be created, running the length of the East Riding along the North Sea coast.

Elsewhere in East Yorkshire, the Goole North and Goole South wards would move from Brigg and Goole to Haltemprice and Howden, and that seat would then be renamed as Goole and Cottingham.

A consultation on the changes, billed as the 2013 Review, begins today and runs until December 5. The commission will then publish final recommendations in 2013.

To submit your views, write to: Boundary Commission for England, 35 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BQ or email yorkshumber@bcommengland.x.gsi.gov.uk

Public meetings will also be held in Northallerton, Sheffield, Leeds and Hull next month.

Parliament has said all constituencies, except those on the Isle of Wight, must have no fewer than 72,810 voters and no more than 80,473.

To view the Boundary Commission's full initial proposals for Yorkshire and the Humber, click here.