Powys Council Boundary Reforms Confirmed

Welsh Government accepts LDBCW recommendations

Reforms to Powys Council’s ward boundaries are to go ahead after the Welsh Government decided to accept the recommendations of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales with minor modifications only made to some recommended ward names.

The Commission’s Final Recommendations were submitted to the Welsh Government 21 March 2019 and minister for finance and local government, Rebecca Evans MS, has today confirmed that the decision has been made to accept the recommendations.

The changes accepted by the Welsh Government mean that Powys’s number of councillors will reduce by 5, taking the council from 73 to 68 members. This results in an average of 1,569 electors per councillor.

Meanwhile the number of wards will be reduced from 73 to 60, with 8 of those being multi-member wards, electing two councillors each.

26 current wards will see no change under these reforms.

A small number of recommendations on ward names were not accepted by Welsh Government.

Responding to the Welsh Government’s decision, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ, Chief Executive of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales 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.

“I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the review, the members of the public, councillors, Powys Council, and everyone else who sent us a representation or contributed in any other way.”

The boundary changes are expected to take effect from the 2022 local government elections.

The full list of retained wards:

• 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

Recommendations not accepted by Welsh Government:

• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower is given the Welsh language name of Crucywel gyda Chwmdu a Thretŵr. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Crucywel gyda Chwm-du a Thretŵr
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Llan-gors with Bwlch is given the Welsh language name of Llangors gyda Bwlch. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Llan-gors gyda Bwlch
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Ysgir with Honddu Isaf and Llan-ddew is given the Welsh language name of Ysgir gyda Honddu Isaf a Llanddew. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Ysgir gyda Honddu Isaf a Llan-ddew .
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Glasbury is given the Welsh language name of Y Clas ar Wy, The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Y Clas-ar-Wy .
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Newtown Central and South is given the Welsh language name of Y Drenewydd Canol a De. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Canol a De’r Drenewydd.
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Newtown East is given the Welsh language name of Y Drenewydd Dwyrain. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Dwyrain y Drenewydd.
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Newtown North is given the Welsh language name of Drenewydd Gogledd . The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Gogledd y Drenewydd.
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Maescar and Llywel is given the Welsh language name of Maescar a Llywel. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Maes-car a Llywel.
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward which is known in English as Talybont-on-Usk is given the Welsh language name of Talybont ar wysg. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Tal-y-bont ar Wysg.
• The Commission proposed the electoral ward of Tawe Uchaf is given the single name of Tawe Fellte. The electoral ward will be given the single name of Tawe Uchaf.

The Final Recommendations report for Powys Council can be found here, along with maps of each proposed ward.

The Welsh Government Written Statement announcing the decision can be found here.