REVIEW OF COMMUNITY BOUNDARIES AND COMMUNITY ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS IN THE COUNTY BOROUGH OF NEATH PORT TALBOT
REPORT AND PROPOSALS
- INTRODUCTION
- NEATH PORT TALBOT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL'S PROPOSALS
- THE COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION
- PROCEDURE
- PROPOSALS
- RESPONSES TO THIS REPORT
Sue Essex AM
Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services
The National Assembly for Wales
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council have conducted a review of the community boundaries and community electoral arrangements under Sections 55(2) and 57 (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (the Act).
1.2 We have considered Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council's report in accordance with Section 55(3) of the Act and submit the following report on the Council's recommendations.
2. NEATH PORT TALBOT COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL'S PROPOSALS
2.1 Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council's proposals were submitted to the Commission on 7 September 2006 ( Appendix A). The Commission have not received any representations about the proposals.
2.2 As a result of their review the Council have recommended that they have no proposals to make with regard to community area changes and that no changes be made to community council electoral arrangements.
3. THE COMMISSION'S CONSIDERATION
3.1 We first considered whether the County Borough Council had conducted their review in accordance with the procedure set out in the Act. We then considered whether the proposals recommended were apt for securing effective and convenient local government.
4. PROCEDURE
4.1 Section 60 of the Act requires the Council to take such steps as they think fit to secure that persons who may be interested in the review are informed of the proposal to conduct the review and subsequently of the draft proposals which are to be placed on deposit at the Council's offices. The final proposals report is also required to be placed on deposit at the Council's offices for a period of six months.
4.2 We are satisfied that the Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council have conducted the review in accordance with the procedure set out in Section 60 of the Act.
5. PROPOSALS
5.1 In respect of changes to community boundaries the Council received two suggested changes from Dyffryn Clydach Community Council: one in the area of Primrose Bank and Wernddu currently included in the Bryncoch North ward of the Community of Blaenhonddan; and one in the area of Neath Abbey to the boundary with the Community of Coed-ffranc. The Council considered that there had been no material change to either area in the period since the present boundary was drawn and concluded that no change was required.
5.2 In respect of changes to Community electoral arrangements the Council received one suggested change to the boundary between the wards of Gwaun-cae-Gurwen and Lower Brynamman in the Community of Gwaun-cae-Gurwen. The Council again concluded that as there were no new circumstances since the last review they decided that no changes would be made to the community electoral arrangements, including those of Gwaun-cae-Gurwen.
5.3 We have inspected the latest maps of the areas in question and are in agreement with the Council that, as no significant developments appear to have taken place in these areas, there are no benefits in terms of effective and convenient local government for changes to either the community boundaries or the community electoral arrangements.
6. RESPONSES TO THIS REPORT
6.1 Having completed our consideration of the review of the community boundaries and the County Borough Council's decision on community electoral arrangements in the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and submitted our recommendations to the National Assembly for Wales, we have fulfilled our statutory obligation under the Act.
6.2 It now falls to the National Assembly for Wales, if it thinks fit, to accept them or to direct either the Commission or the County Borough Council to conduct a further review.
6.3 Any further representations concerning the matters in the report should be addressed to the National Assembly for Wales. They should be made as soon as possible, and in any event not later than six weeks from the date that the Commission's recommendations are submitted to the National Assembly for Wales. Representations should be addressed to:
Democracy Team Local Government Policy Division National Assembly for Wales Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQMRS S G SMITH LLB (Chair)
J E DAVIES ICSA IPFA (Deputy Chair)
D H ROBERTS BSc DMS MBCS MCMI (Member)
E H LEWIS BSc. DPM FRSA FCIPD (Secretary)
December 2006