Plans for two Newtown county council wards to be merged under plans put forward by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales are to be discussed by councillors.
Powys county councillors will be given the opportunity to have their say on the new electoral arrangements recommended for the county.
It will see the number of county councillors reduce from 73 to 68 members, saving the council £68,000 a year. The number of county councillors in Newtown will not be affected.
The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales has now published its final recommendations report.
Members now know what the wards could look like when they contest the next council election in 2022.
The commission recommends the authority shrinks from 73 to 68 members, which would be a saving of £68,000 a year.
County council solicitor Clive Pinney asks members in his report: “That the council considers any comments it may wish to make as a response to the proposals.”
He also notes that eight wards will be deleted wholly under the proposals while others are amalgamated and re-drawn.
These are:
Newtown Llanllwchaiarn North
Newtown Llanllwchaiarn West
Llanbadarn Fawr
Brecon St David Within
Brecon St John
Brecon St Mary
Tawe-Uchaf
Ystradgynlais
Commission chairman, Owen Watkin, said: “In working up our proposals, we have considered local ties and those who wish to retain current boundaries.
“However we need to balance these issues and representations against all other factors we have to consider, and the constraints. In particular, the requirement for electoral parity.
“Democratic fairness for all electors, is the dominant factor in law and this is what we have tried to apply.”
The proposals are:
68 members down from 73
Average of 1,569 voters per councillor
60 electoral wards (down from 73)
Eight two councillor multi-member wards
These would be some two-member wards: Aber-craf and Ystradgynlais, Knighton and Beguildy, Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower, Llandrindod South, Llanidloes with Llangurig, Newtown Central and South, Brecon East and Brecon West.
Proposals for a three-member electoral ward for Brecon have been dropped.
The commission forecast that by 2022 the number of voters is set to fall from 106,664 to 103,021.
But, the Office of National Statistics estimates that 1,048 people who could vote are not registered.
According to the commission, the average number of electors at the moment is 1,461.
But the numbers can range down to 790 voters in Llanbrynmair. And up to 2,658 voters in Brecon St John.
By bringing the number of councillors down to 68 the ratio of voters per councillor comes to 1,569 and the ward boundaries have been re-jigged to get as close to that figure as possible.
The commission said: “We are satisfied that it would be difficult to achieve electoral arrangements that keep the existing combination of communities and community wards, without having a detrimental effect on one or more of the other issues that we must consider.”
Councillors need to discuss the changes before the annual general meeting in a couple of weeks time.
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter
