Still awaiting Powys boundary changes
Final proposals by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (LDBCW) on changes to PCC ward boundaries were submitted to the Welsh Government on March 21.
At the next election, the number of Powys County Councillors will drop from 73 to 68.
Several county councillors and community councils are unhappy at the way wards have been re-jigged as LDBCW endeavours to make sure that wards average 1,569 electors each.
Current numbers can range down to 790 voters in Llanbrynmair, to up to 2,658 voters in Brecon St John.
LDBC chief executive Shereen Williams said: “The report has now gone to the minister and is waiting for a decision, it’s now in the Government’s hands.”
A spokesperson for the Welsh Government said: “No decision has been taken on the final recommendations of the LDBCW in relation to the electoral review of PCC.
“A decision will be made in time for any changes to be implemented for the local government elections in 2022.”
Too late to make a difference to the recommendation, Powys councillors discussed the changes at a full council meeting on May 3. Several members believed they would have come up with better proposals themselves.
Concerns were raised in particular about putting Llanbrynmair and Trefeglwys together in a ward.
At that meeting Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan, said: “Geographically the ward will extend from Brigands Inn (Mallwyd) to Dylife, over the mountain to Trefeglwys.
“It’s about 30 miles from one end to the other and a big mountain in the middle, it’s bonkers on every level.”
PCC head of legal services and monitoring officer Clive Pinney explained at the meeting that he had written to all councillors on March 23 saying they could make their own comments.
He also said that councillors had “found it historically difficult to agree” on these issues.
The recommendations 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.
· By 2022 the number of voters in Powys is set to fall from 106,664 to 103,021.
· According to the commission, the average number of electors at the moment is 1,461.
· 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.
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter
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