In response to the published parliamentary constituency changes from the Boundary Commission, the Stroud District Green Party has expressed concerns that local communities are being separated in the final recommendations.

Under proposals laid before Parliament last week, Wotton-under-Edge and North Nibley will rejoin the Stroud Constituency, while the neighbouring Kingswood ward will join a new 'South Cotswolds' constituency, which stretches from Lechlade to North Wiltshire.

Painswick, Bisley, Hardwicke and Minchinhampton will all join the new 'North Cotswolds' constituency. Chalford will remain in the Stroud constituency, following opposition to earlier proposals from the Boundary Commission that it be moved to the North Cotswolds.

Parliamentary constituencies have changed to make the number of electors in each one more equal, and the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543. The South West region will increase from 55 to 58 constituencies.

Pete Kennedy, the Green Party parliamentary candidate for the Stroud Constituency, said: "Instead of dividing up communities along artificial boundaries, the Green Party would like to see changes to the voting system so that the number of MPs each party wins is based on the percentage of the vote they receive."

"Under these recommendations from the Boundary Commission, neighbouring communities in Stroud district, like Kingswood and Wotton-under-Edge, are being separated to give each constituency the same number of voters at a General Election."

"The Conservatives say this will make elections fairer, but these proposals do nothing to fix the democratic deficit in our voting system. There will still be 'safe seats' like the previous Cotswolds Constituency, where MPs can get away with doing very little because the voting system makes it almost impossible to vote them out; and 'marginal constituencies' where people feel forced to choose between the least-worst of two parties, when neither represents their views."

"People across our communities are always telling me that we need to change the voting system because they are fed up with choosing between Labour and the Conservatives to run the country. The only way we can get fair votes, and better MPs, is by replacing our out-of-date voting system with Proportional Representation."

Catherine Braun, Green Party councillor for Wotton-under-Edge and leader of Stroud District Council, said: "I'm disappointed that the Kingswood ward, comprising Kingswood, Alderley, Hillesley and Tresham, will be moving into the new South Cotswolds constituency, despite the strong representations that we and many others made to the Boundary Commission. Kingswood ward will be the only part of our district moving into the South Cotswolds and it will be at the most westerly tip of the new constituency. I know that the local parishes will seek to make the best of this outcome, and as Leader of the Council, I will continue to work with all the MPs that represent our district.

"I'm also disappointed that the Government continues to resist calls for a fairer voting system. People need to know that their votes will count at a General Election, whichever party they choose to vote for. A recent survey showed that the public supports a move to Proportional Representation by a margin of more than two to one. A fairer voting system would also help to restore trust in politics, and bring in a more collaborative form of government, where the national interest always comes first, instead of narrow party-political interests."

A recent survey found general public support for changing the voting system, with only 1 in 5 saying the UK political system is working well.

The constituency review considered several issues including whether to:

• Create a new parish

• Alter the boundary of an existing parish

• Change the number of parish councillors

• Amend parish names or styles

• Group several parishes together to form a grouped parish council

Last autumn, a SDC spokesperson commented on why the review was required and said: "We are required to ensure that community governance within the area under review will be reflective of the identities and interests of the community in that area and is effective and convenient.

"In doing so, the Community Governance Review is required to take into account the impact of community governance arrangements on community cohesion and the size, population and boundaries of a community or parish."