(Title Image: via Google Earth)
Back in January, the Local Government Boundary Commission published draft proposals to make changes to the number of councillors and council wards in Bridgend county. Earlier this week, they published their final recommendations (pdf).
Under the final proposals, Bridgend will lose 3 county councillors, falling from 54 to 51. The draft proposals saw a reduction of 2 councillors.
There’s no public consultation on the final recommendations and any comments on the proposals need to be submitted to the Welsh Government – details here.
No change
- Aberkenfig (1 councillor)
- Blackmill (1 councillor)
- Llangynwyd (1 councillor)
- Maesteg East (2 councillors)
- Maesteg West (2 councillors)
- Nantymoel (1 councillor)
- Ogmore Vale (1 councillor)
- Oldcastle (2 councillors)
- Pen-y-Fai (1 councillor)
In the draft proposals, Aberkenfig and Pen-y-fai were to merge but that’s now been ruled out.
Wards which lose a councillor but retain their current boundaries
- Caerau – Decrease from 3 councillors to 2 councillors. A proposal to create two single-member wards of Caerau and Nantyfyllon was rejected.
Wards which gain a councillor but retain their current boundaries
- Bryntirion, Laleston & Merthyr Mawr – An increase from 2 councillors to 3 councillors.
- Cornelly – An increase from 2 councillors to 3 councillors.
Porthcawl Boundary Changes
Proposed boundary changes to Porthcawl wards remain in place.
- Anglesey Way and all the culs-de-sac off it (Ramsay Close etc), transfers from the Nottage ward to Rest Bay.
- Windsor Road transfers into Porthcawl West Central from Rest Bay.
- Pretty much everything south of Victoria Avenue and east of The Green Avenue (effectively Porthcawl town centre) transfers from Porthcawl West Central to Porthcawl East Central.
- As well as the town centre, Porthcawl East Central would gain Trecco Bay as well as streets to the west of Bridgend Road and the remainder of New Road – all of which are currently in the Newton ward. The new East Central ward would also gain an extra councillor, rising from 1 to 2.
New Single-Member Wards
Proposals to break up the four-member Brackla ward remain in place, but with alterations to the proposed boundaries of the new wards.
- Brackla West – A new ward including the Meadows estate, Haywain Court, Clos Tan-y-Fron, Erw Hir/Longacres and streets to the west and south of Princess Way (i.e. Gwaun Coed, Priory Oak).
- Brackla West Central – A new ward including Maes Dewi Pritchard (and the new development directly next to it), the Highfields, Briary Way and Tremains Court areas, streets accessed to the east and north of Princess Way (Georgian Way, Trem-y-Mor etc.) and all streets west of Archdeacon John Lewis school (Highfields, Maes Talcen, Cae Bracla, Min-y-Coed etc.).
- Brackla East Central – A new ward which includes the area immediately east of Archdeacon John Lewis School, the area around Tremains School (The Spinny, The Woodlands, Maes Tanrallt etc.), Foxfields, as well as all streets accessed off Channel View with the exception of Ty Gwyn Drive, Hawthorn Way and Maple Drive.
New Multi-Member Wards
- Brackla East & Coychurch Lower (2 councillors) – The existing Coychurch Lower ward combined with the whole of the “Coity End” of Brackla/area around The Hunters Lodge, including Lavender Court, Ty Gwyn Drive, Hawthorn Way, Maple Drive and all streets accessed off Church Acre. A proposal to retain Coychurch Lower as a separate single-member ward was rejected.
- Bridgend Central (3 councillors) – A merger of the existing Morfa and Newcastle wards. Bridgend Town Council were opposed but their rejections were overruled.
- Cefn Glas (2 councillors) – A merger of the existing Cefn Glas and Llangewydd & Brynhyfryd wards.
- Coity Higher (3 councillors) – A merger of Litchard, Pendre and Coity wards, effectively creating a single ward for the Coity Higher Community Council area.
- Garw Valley (3 councillors) – A merger of Bettws, Llangeinor, Pontycymer and Blaengarw wards into a single ward covering the entire Garw Valley Community Council area.
- Pencoed & Penprysg (3 councillors) – A merger of Hendre, Penprysg and Felindre wards (Pencoed) including the Coychurch Higher Community Council area (Heol-y-Cyw).
- Pyle, Kenfig Hill & Cefn Cribwr (3 councillors) – A merger of the Pyle and Cefn Cribwr wards.
- St. Bride’s Minor & Ynysawdre (3 councillors) – A merger of the Sarn, Bryncoch, Bryncethin and Ynysawdre wards. In the draft plans, Bryncoch and Bryncethin were going to remain separate wards.
Here’s how things look now:
Here’s how the ward map will look if the final recommendations are approved by the Welsh Government:
Proposed changes to Town & Community Councils
- Brackla Community Council – At the moment, all 11 members are elected from a single list. As well as a proposed increase to 12 members, they would now be elected from the four proposed Brackla wards (3 each from West, West Central, East Central and East) – Coychurch would remain a separate community council.
- Porthcawl Town Council – The number of town councillors would be reduced to 18 (from 19). The number of councillors per ward would be redistributed to: Newton (3), Nottage (3), Rest Bay (3), Porthcawl West Central (3), Porthcawl East Central (6).
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