Local Government Act 1972

54 Proposals for changes in local government areas in Wales. E+W

(1) Subject to subsection (2) below, the Welsh Commission may in consequence of a review conducted by them or a [F1 principal] council under this Part of this Act make proposals to the Secretary of State for effecting changes appearing to the Commission desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government by any of the following means or any combination of those means (including the application of any of the following paragraphs to an area constituted or altered under any of those paragraphs):—

(a) the alteration of a local government area;

[F2 (b) the constitution of a new local government area by—

(i) amalgamating two or more principal areas or two or more communities;

(ii) aggregating parts of principal areas or parts of communities; or

(iii) separating part of a principal area or part of a community;

(c) the abolition of a principal area and its distribution among other principal areas;

(cc) the abolition of a community and its distribution among other areas of the like description;]

(d) the constitution of a new community by—

(i) the establishment of any area which is not a community or part of one as a community;

(ii) the aggregation of the whole or any part of any such area with one or more communities or parts of communities;

(e) a change of electoral arrangements for any local government area which is either consequential on any change in local government areas proposed under the foregoing paragraphs or is [F3 a change (hereafter in this Part referred to as a substantive change) which is independent of any change in local government areas so proposed][F4 (f) a change in police areas (including a change resulting in a reduction or increase in the number of police areas) in connection with a change in local government areas]

[F5 (1A) The Welsh Commission may, in consequence of a review conducted by them under this Part of this Act make proposals to the Secretary of State for effecting changes in the area of a preserved county which appear to the Commission to be desirable having regard, in particular, to the purposes for which the preserved counties are retained.]

[F6 (1B) Where the Welsh Commission make proposals for the constitution of a new principal area, those proposals shall specify whether the new area should be a county or a county borough.]

(2) The Welsh Commission shall not make any proposals to the Secretary of State under this section for a substantive change of electoral arrangements for a community except in accordance with section 57(7) below.

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 54(1) substituted (24.10.1994) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(5), Sch. 15 para. 7(1) (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1994/2790, art. 2(1), Sch.

F2 S. 54(1)(b)(c)(cc) substituted (24.10.1994) for s. 54(1)(b)(c) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(5), Sch. 15 para. 7(1) (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1994/2790, art. 2(1), Sch.

F3 Words in s. 54(1)(e) substituted (31.10.1992) by Local Government Act 1992 (c. 19), s. 27(1), Sch. 3 para. 12; S.I. 1992/2371, art. 2

F4 S. 54(1)(f) added (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 29, s. 40(2); S.I. 1994/3262, art. 4(1), Sch.

F5 S. 54(1A) inserted (24.10.1994) by 1994 c. 19, s. 1(3), Sch. 2 para. 4 (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1994/2790, art. 2(1), Sch.

F6 S. 54(1B) inserted (24.10.1994) by 1994 c. 19, s. 66(5), Sch. 15 para. 7(2) (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1994/2790, art. 2(1), Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 54: power to transfer or modify functions conferred (30.11.2000 for specified purposes otherwiseprosp.) by 2000 c. 41, ss. 20(3)(b), 163(2)(3)(d) (with s. 156(6))