Proposals which will leave thousands of people changing Council wards went out today for public consultation.

The Boundary Commission for England wants to make changes to all 30 Council wards across Bradford - Britain's fourth biggest metropolitan district.

The most controversial planned change is in Ilkley where the tourist town's secondary school, health centre and main supermarket will be covered by a new ward of Wharfedale.

The proposal has sparked an immediate protest with Tory ward councillor Anne Hawkesworth and chairman of Ilkley parish Council Mike Gibbons spearheading a petition against it which they hope will attract thousands of signatures.

Coun Hawkesworth said it appeared people in London had been "sticking pins in maps" and Mr Gibbons said: "The lunatics have taken over the asylum."

Elsewhere part of Idle goes to Baildon, some of Baildon moves to Shipley West and a new City ward takes in parts of the existing Little Horton, Undercliffe and University wards.

A new Royds ward has been created with parts of the Queensbury, Wibsey and Wyke wards and a Bowling & Barkerend ward would comprise parts of Bowling, Little Horton and Undercliffe.

Heaton would take part of the existing ward, part of Bingley Rural and some of Shipley west and part of Toller.

Each ward would have an average 3,800 people eligible to vote per councillor.

Post codes and geographical areas would not change but there are fears communities would suffer because many activities and services are based on existing wards. People can make representations until April 7 and a final decision is expected to be announced in summer.

The "all-out" elections - expected to take place next year - would mean all 90 seats on the Council would become vacant. The polls would be based on the Electoral Committee's final decision for Bradford.

The aim of the review is to give each Council ward approximately the same number of electors and changes are recommended across the district because numbers vary between ten and 20 per cent in 11 wards.

The Commission has proposed the Council should retain 90 members but says there is little "persuasive evidence" about keeping that number and the Council has been invited to submit more evidence.

The seven-strong committee, which included Professor Colin Mellors of Bradford University, took into consideration an anticipated increase of people entitled to vote from 336,285 to 340,852.

But Coun Hawkesworth said: "As far as Ilkley is concerned, they seem to have been sitting in London and sticking pins into a map. Ilkley is a very self-contained town. It already has the right size electorate and it wasn't necessary to change.

"We now have Ilkley Grammar School, Ilkley Health Centre and Tesco outside the Ilkley ward. People are unhappy about this and there are petition forms out all across the area. I suppose we are lucky they have left the Cow and Calf in Ilkley. "

People can submit comments to The Boundary Commission for England, Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P, 2HW