RESIDENTS may be celebrating the decision not to split Ben Rhydding in half - but other changes in electoral boundaries will mean a nightmare for election organisers in Wharfedale.

And among falling turn-outs for all elections, many politicians fear 'voting fatigue' among electors.

After months of public consultation, the Government's Boundary Committee has abandoned a plan to split Ben Rhydding between Ilkley and the Wharfedale electoral wards.

Next year Burley-in-Wharfedale and Menston will join together as Wharfedale Ward, meaning the existing Rombalds Ward will disappear.

It is just one of the many changes in the Bradford district suggested by the Boundary Committee which will be put forward to the Boundary Commission. Apart from minor details, the changes are expected to be approved by the Commission and the office of John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister.

The ward boundary changes mean that all 90 Bradford councillors will have to stand for election next year.

In Ilkley the councillor with the biggest majority will be elected for four years, the next biggest for three years and the one with the smallest majority will have to stand again in 2006. There will be no district council election in 2005.

Also next year the European elections are due with both polls expected to go ahead on the same day, June 10.

However, the Boundary Committee has also suggested changes to Ilkley Parish Council wards, which further complicates matters.

Election rules prevent more than two elections going ahead on the same day to stop voters becoming confused, so a parish council election would have to be held on a separate day, costing Bradford Council a further £30,000.

The decision on whether to hold parish council elections rests with Bradford Council but City Hall lawyer Tony Kilner said officers and councillors would consult with parish councillors and clerks.

Ilkley district and parish councillor Anne Hawkesworth said although the boundary changes affected only Ilkley, if the decision was made to hold elections all parish council seats across the district, including Addingham, would be up for grabs.

Coun Hawkesworth said: "The public is going to end up with election fatigue. There is one option for us, to postpone parish council elections until the year after."

It is also possible to postpone parish council elections until they are due as part of their normal cycle in 2007, but there is a complication.

Under the boundary changes, Burley and Menston would have a bigger representation on Ilkley Parish Council - ten councillors instead of the present nine. There would also be four parish councillors returned by Ben Rhydding instead of the present three.

There could be complaints that if the wards remain as they are for the next four years and no election is held soon, Burley and Menston would be denied their full democratic rights.

A further complication has been added by the desire of Burley and Menston to form their own parish councils.

Elections next year could be a complete waste of time and money if, within a couple of years, they have to be held again for the creation of new parish councils in the two villages.

The whole situation is very confusing and uncertain, just when consistency is needed in the face of seismic changes in the way parish councils are run, according to Addingham Parish Council chairman Gordon Campbell.

From next year Addingham residents will have to pay a parish council precept for the first time and members of the body are preparing to bid for Quality Parish Council status.

There is a lot of long-term preparation to be done by councillors who don't know for certain whether they will be around next year to carry on.

Councillor Campbell said: "We would just like some guidance as to exactly what is happening. Whether we sit for one year or another three years is not a concern but we would like to know where we stand to get organised for the future."

He said individual parish councillors were being given particular tasks on the basis they would be performing them for some time.

"We are going to have to have the same team in place for at least two years - we need a consistent approach as opposed to chopping and changing all the time," said Coun Campbell.