Thursday
25
April
The number of county councillors is to be cut
22/07/2021 @ 01:27
Changes are to be made to Powys County Council wards in Newtown.
In an announcement by the Welsh Government today, the number of county councillors in the county will drop from 73 to 68. And the number of electoral wards will fall from 73 to 60 through the merger of some wards.
In Newtown, the number of electoral wards will drop by combining Newtown Central and Newtown South. Two members will still represent the ward.
The names of two wards is also to be changed. Newtown Llanllwchaiarn North will become Newtown North / Gogledd y Drenewydd, while Newtown Llanllwchaiarn West will become Newtown West / Gorllewin y Drenewydd.
Dolfor will be taken from the Kerry ward and added to the Llandinam ward, while Blaen Hafren ward will cease to exist, with Llangurig added to a large two councillor Llanidloes ward.
Welsh Government minister for finance and local government, Rebecca Evans MS has said that she had accepted the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (LDBCW) recommendations for Powys.
Ms Evans, said: “On 21 July I wrote to the leader and chief executive of the County of Powys to confirm my decision.”
In June, Ms Evans announced that all 22 local authorities in Wales would find out by September what changes to their boundaries would be made ahead of next year’s elections.
LDBCW chief executive Shereen Williams said: “I’m delighted that the Welsh Government has accepted these recommendations with only minor modifications.
“These changes will mean greater electoral parity for the people of Powys.”
The changes will mean the number of councillors falls from 73 to 68.
At present each councillor represents, on average, 1,461 electors. By bringing the number of councillors down to 68 the ratio of voters per councillor increases to 1,569. The ward boundaries have also been rejigged to get as close to that figure as possible.
The number of electoral wards will decline further, from 73 to 60, as a number of current wards would be merged and will elect two councillors.
These multi-member wards will be Aber-craf and Ystradgynlais, Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower, Knighton with Beguildy, Llandrindod South, Llanidloes, Newtown Central and South, Brecon East and Brecon West.
There will be no change in 26 wards.
These are:
Builth, Caersws, Churchstoke, Cwm-twrch, Dolforwyn, Glantwymyn, Gwernyfed, Hay,Llandrindod North, Llandrinio, Llandysilio,Llanfyllin,
Llanrhaeadr-ymMochnant/Llansilin, Llansantffraid, Machynlleth, Maescar/Llywel, Newtown East, Newtown Llanllwchaiarn North, Newtown Llanllwchaiarn West, Old Radnor, Rhayader,Rhiwcynon, Talgarth, Talybont-on-Usk, Tawe-Uchaf, Ynyscedwyn.
However, there will be some changes to the names of these and others.
The Welsh name for the area or town will be added to the ward name.
The ward of Forden ward will be split between Montgomery and Trewern bringing the number of councillors down from three to two.
Castle Caereinion will be taken out of the Guilsfield ward and added to Berriew.
Some councillors had sent their own arguments for and against the proposals.
The councillors discussed the proposals and described them as “bonkers” in May 2019.
This was after the deadline for formal submission had passed in March 2019.
In an announcement by the Welsh Government today, the number of county councillors in the county will drop from 73 to 68. And the number of electoral wards will fall from 73 to 60 through the merger of some wards.In Newtown, the number of electoral wards will drop by combining Newtown Central and Newtown South. Two members will still represent the ward.
The names of two wards is also to be changed. Newtown Llanllwchaiarn North will become Newtown North / Gogledd y Drenewydd, while Newtown Llanllwchaiarn West will become Newtown West / Gorllewin y Drenewydd.
Dolfor will be taken from the Kerry ward and added to the Llandinam ward, while Blaen Hafren ward will cease to exist, with Llangurig added to a large two councillor Llanidloes ward.
Welsh Government minister for finance and local government, Rebecca Evans MS has said that she had accepted the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (LDBCW) recommendations for Powys.
Ms Evans, said: “On 21 July I wrote to the leader and chief executive of the County of Powys to confirm my decision.”
In June, Ms Evans announced that all 22 local authorities in Wales would find out by September what changes to their boundaries would be made ahead of next year’s elections.
LDBCW chief executive Shereen Williams said: “I’m delighted that the Welsh Government has accepted these recommendations with only minor modifications.
“These changes will mean greater electoral parity for the people of Powys.”
The changes will mean the number of councillors falls from 73 to 68.
At present each councillor represents, on average, 1,461 electors. By bringing the number of councillors down to 68 the ratio of voters per councillor increases to 1,569. The ward boundaries have also been rejigged to get as close to that figure as possible.
The number of electoral wards will decline further, from 73 to 60, as a number of current wards would be merged and will elect two councillors.
These multi-member wards will be Aber-craf and Ystradgynlais, Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower, Knighton with Beguildy, Llandrindod South, Llanidloes, Newtown Central and South, Brecon East and Brecon West.
There will be no change in 26 wards.
These are:
Builth, Caersws, Churchstoke, Cwm-twrch, Dolforwyn, Glantwymyn, Gwernyfed, Hay,Llandrindod North, Llandrinio, Llandysilio,Llanfyllin,
Llanrhaeadr-ymMochnant/Llansilin, Llansantffraid, Machynlleth, Maescar/Llywel, Newtown East, Newtown Llanllwchaiarn North, Newtown Llanllwchaiarn West, Old Radnor, Rhayader,Rhiwcynon, Talgarth, Talybont-on-Usk, Tawe-Uchaf, Ynyscedwyn.
However, there will be some changes to the names of these and others.
The Welsh name for the area or town will be added to the ward name.
The ward of Forden ward will be split between Montgomery and Trewern bringing the number of councillors down from three to two.
Castle Caereinion will be taken out of the Guilsfield ward and added to Berriew.
Some councillors had sent their own arguments for and against the proposals.
The councillors discussed the proposals and described them as “bonkers” in May 2019.
This was after the deadline for formal submission had passed in March 2019.
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporting Service and content from MyNewtown editorial
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|