Pomeroy moved to West Tyrone as part of final boundary proposals

The town of Pomeroy has been moved to West Tyrone under new final recommendations published yesterday (Wednesday) by the Boundary Commission for the North’s parliamentary constituencies.

An electorate of 2,596 in the area will now be voting in the new constituency, in which Sinn Fein’s Orfhlaith Begley is currently the MP.

It is among a host of recommendations made by the Boundary Commission. The decision follows consultation processes during the past 18 months.

In the report, it is stated that the Commissioners had considered representations, including those which objected to Pomeroy being located in West Tyrone instead of Mid Ulster.

However, their judgement was made in order to meet what they describe as the ‘statutory electorate range’ in all constituencies. The electorate from the Pomeroy ward helps to bring West Tyrone up to the 70,000 voters required.

The Commissioners also took into account physical features including the Sperrin Mountains and were mindful of spiltting constituencies across those features.

Also coming into West Tyrone is the Slieve Kirk ward, previously been located in the Foyle constituency.

Parts of Castlecaulfield and Killyman have been moved from Fermanagh and South Tyrone into Mid Ulster.