CONTROVERSIAL plans to change electoral boundaries in the Wellington area have been dropped by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, it was announced yesterday.

The Commission published its final recommendations for new electoral arrangements following a seven-week public consultation on its draft proposals for new boundaries for each electoral division in Somerset.

The draft proposals, roundly criticised by local people in a campaign backed by the WWN, would have seen Rockwell Green removed from the Wellington Division and placed in a new seat running from the Devon border right over to Hatch Beauchamp and Ruishton on the other side of Taunton, some 18 miles away, while Tonedale would have been taken away from Wellington and placed in a rural ward with Wiveliscombe.

But in a statement issued yesterday afternoon, Max Caller, chairman of the Commission, said: "Our final recommendations propose to include the areas of Tonedale and Rockwell Green in a Wellington division as there are clearly strong community ties between them."

Some 800 pensioners in Wellington and Rockwell Green signed a petition protesting at the proposed boundary changes.

The petition was staged by Taunton and Wellington Pensioners Forum and handed to the then town mayor Andy Govier, who made a personal appeal to local people to support an alternative plan for local boundary changes.

Mr Caller added: "We're extremely grateful to the people who took the time and effort to send us their views.

"The Commission considered every piece of evidence it received before finalising these recommendations."

The Commission has also made changes to its proposed Black- down & Neroche division so that it covers a smaller geographic area while delivering electoral equality for voters.