WORCESTER'S newest estates pose a problem as the city council considers how to represent people in future.

The Local Government Commission has begun looking at how the city's political representation might be altered to fit Worcester's growth.

The 36-member council is likely to be expanded or reduced in order to spread councillors more evenly.

At the moment, the north-east and east are particularly under-represented because the ward boundaries have not been updated since the 1970s.

St Martin's ward, covering Warndon and Warndon Villages, has about three times as many voters as the smallest wards, in Brickfields and Tolladine.

"St Martin's ward might be split into two, and lose part to 'old' Warndon," said council leader Robert Rowden.

"Meanwhile, St Peter's Parish - which is mainly the new part of St Peter's - could get two councillors of its own, and the remainder might be included in All Saints."

Notices have been posted outside the Guildhall, advertising the proposed options for change.

"We've had a seminar about this and the matter is now out to consultation," Coun Rowden said.

"A special council is arranged for Monday, October 15, to discuss the council's view.

"We would also like to hear what the public thinks."

Worcester is expected to grow by 388 homes a year in the next five years, according to a city council report about boundary changes.

The projected yearly building rate up to 2006 is 388, but the council says the "natural increase" is about 260 houses a year as about 120 houses would be used by migrants rather than people coming to settle in the Faithful City.

"This suggests that the population will grow by about 1,400 or 1,500 and that there will be about 1,100 migrants," said the report.