CHANGES to the Vale which would lead to it having fewer community councils will be in place for the next local government elections in 2027.
The Welsh Government has agreed to the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru’s recommendations to make changes to a number of communities in the Vale, following a process of review and consultation.
19 instead of 27
Some councillors raised concerns about the proposals, which will result in there being 19 community councils in the county instead of 27. They fear it will “dilute” local voices. The proposal will also see the number of community councillors drop from 269 to 205.
Photo: Vale Council.
Cllr Christine Cave (Conservative), said at a full council meeting in 2024 that the move would amount to “throwing dedicated community councillors on to the community council scrapheap”.
At the time, the boundary commission in Wales said it would make councils more resilient going forward and it was pointed out that many community councils rarely have elections, because of a lack of candidates.
Colwinston Community Council will be abolished
Colwinston Community Council is one of the communities that will be affected in the Vale. As a result of the changes it will be abolished, along with Llangan Community Council, and a new community will be created which will merge both.
Photo: Colwinston CC
The chair of Colwinston Community Council in 2024, Cllr Ed Lewis, said during a full Vale Council meeting at the time: “The activity that goes on in Colwinston is quite remarkable for the size of the village. If you reduce the number of representatives, you reduce the effectiveness of the new council.
“The new council is going to have seven councillors and there will be two schools in the arrangement whereas Colwinston has only got one school. With seven councillors we can just manage to cover putting a governor on to the school and have representation on various bodies around south Wales.
“Effectively the new council is going to be pushed to deliver the same level of services with a lot fewer people.”
At the same meeting, the leader of the Plaid Cymru group at the Vale Council, Cllr Ian Johnson, said the review of community boundaries was important.
Photo: Vale Council.
Cllr Johnson, who is also a Barry Town Council member, said: “I don’t agree with every single part of this report but this does respond to the challenge we have at hand.”
As a result of the changes in the Vale, Barry will have a new town council ward for the Waterfront area.
The chief executive of Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ said: “The Commission is delighted that the first of its community reviews will now be implemented without modification.
“Reviewing and updating the boundaries and electoral arrangements of communities is crucial in ensuring that people across the Vale continue to receive the best representation, and that local changes to populations, for example where new housing estates have been built, are reflected in the boundaries of communities.”
By Ted Peskett, Local Democracy Reporter
Have your say on these proposals by going here : Vale of Glamorgan Electoral Review | DBCC
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