Inquiry into new boundary plans

Areas like Dunblane would be included in the Clackmannanshire seat

An inquiry to discuss controversial plans to redraw Stirling's Scottish Parliamentary boundary is to be held.

The Boundary Commission for Scotland want to extract areas like Dunblane from the Stirling seat and include them in a new Clackmannanshire constituency.

The changes are being proposed to take account of shifting population patterns in the area.

The inquiry will take place at Stirling Municipal Building on 11-12 November under Sheriff Principal Dunlop.

The commission, which published its plans for the area in February, said the event would be a chance for locals to put forward their opinions.

Final report

Under the proposals, Dunblane, Deanston and Doune would join with Clackmannanshire to produce a constituency of about 51,000 voters.

The change would see a reformed Stirling seat left with a similar number.

However the proposals have proven unpopular with locals and Stirling's sitting SNP MSP Bruce Crawford.

In March, he said the plans to remove areas like Dunblane from the Stirling seat would disrupt historic and community links.

The commission is working to change the boundaries of Holyrood's 73 constituency seats to take account of population changes since the 1990s.

Scotland's 59 Westminster seats are unaffected by the new proposals.

A final report on the changes is expected by June 2010.