Welsh Statutory Instruments
2021 No. 1139 (W. 276)
Local Government, Wales
The County Borough of Torfaen (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021
Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and (3)
The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales() has, in accordance with section 36(5) of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013() (“the 2013 Act”), submitted to the Welsh Ministers a report dated November 2018 containing its recommendations for change and the details of its review of the electoral arrangements for the County Borough of Torfaen.
The Welsh Ministers have, after consideration of the matters referred to and set out in section 37(2)(a) and (c) of the 2013 Act, decided to give effect to those recommendations with modification.
In accordance with section 37(3) of the 2013 Act, more than 6 weeks have elapsed since those recommendations were submitted to the Welsh Ministers.
The Welsh Ministers make the following Order in exercise of their powers conferred by section 37(1) of the 2013 Act.
Title, commencement and interpretation
1.—(1) The title of this Order is the County Borough of Torfaen (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021.
(2) For any purpose set out in regulation 4(1) of the Local Government Area Changes Regulations 1976(), this Order comes into force on the second day after the day on which it is made.
(3) For all other purposes, this Order comes into force on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2022().
(4) In this Order—
“electoral ward” (“ward etholiadol”) means any area for which members are elected to Torfaen County Borough Council;
words and expressions used in this Order have the same meaning as they have in Part 3 of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013, except so far as a contrary intention appears.
Electoral arrangements for the County Borough of Torfaen
2.—(1) The electoral wards of the County Borough of Torfaen, as they exist immediately before the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2022, are abolished.
(2) The County Borough of Torfaen is divided into 18 electoral wards each bearing the English language name listed in column 1 and the Welsh language name listen in column 2 of the Table in the Schedule to this Order.
(3) Each electoral ward comprises the areas specified in relation to that electoral ward in column 3 of the Table in the Schedule to this Order.
(4) The number of members of the council to be elected for each electoral ward is the number specified in column 4 of the Table in the Schedule to this Order.
(5) The provisions in this Order take precedence over any conflicting provision in any previous statutory instrument made under section 58(2) of the Local Government Act 1972().
Rebecca Evans
Minister for Finance and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers
11 October 2021
Article 2
SCHEDULENAMES AND AREAS OF ELECTORAL WARDS AND NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL
Table
Column (1) | Column (2) | Column (3) | Column (4) |
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English language name of electoral ward | Welsh language name of electoral ward | Area of electoral ward | Number of members of the council |
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Abersychan | Abersychan | The community of Abersychan | 3 |
Blaenavon | Blaenafon | The community of Blaenavon | 3 |
Coed Eva | Coed Efa | The Coed Eva ward of the community of Fairwater | 1 |
Croesyceiliog | Croesyceiliog | The community of Croesyceiliog | 2 |
Fairwater | Fairwater | The Fairwater and Ty Canol wards of the community of Fairwater | 2 |
Greenmeadow | Greenmeadow | The Greenmeadow ward of the community of Fairwater | 1 |
Llanfrechfa and Ponthir | Llanfrechfa a Phont-hir | The community of Ponthir and the Llanyrafon East ward of the community of Llanyrafon | 1 |
Llantarnam | Llantarnam | The community of Llantarnam and the Southville ward of the community of Cwmbran Central | 3 |
Llanyrafon | Llanyrafon | The Llanyrafon West ward of the community of Llanyrafon | 1 |
New Inn | New Inn | The community of New Inn | 3 |
Panteg | Pant-teg | The community of Panteg | 3 |
Pontnewydd | Pontnewydd | The community of Pontnewydd and the Northville ward of the community of Cwmbran Central | 3 |
Pontnewynydd and Snatchwood | Pontnewynydd a Snatchwood | The Pontnewynydd and Snatchwood wards of the community of Pen Tranch | 2 |
Pontypool Fawr | Pont-y-pŵl Fawr | The community of Pontymoile and the Wainfelin ward of the community of Pen Tranch | 3 |
St. Dials | St. Dials | The St. Dials ward of the community of Cwmbran Central | 2 |
Trevethin and Penygarn | Trefddyn a Phen-y-garn | The community of Trevethin | 2 |
Two Locks | Two Locks | The community of Henllys and the Two Locks ward of the community of Cwmbran Central | 3 |
Upper Cwmbran | Cwmbrân Uchaf | The community of Upper Cwmbran | 2 |
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Order implements the recommendations of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”), which reported in November 2018 on its review of the electoral arrangements for the County Borough of Torfaen. The Commission’s Report proposed a reduction in the number of electoral wards from 24 to 18, and a reduction in the number of councillors from 44 to 40.
This Order implements the Commission’s recommendations, with modification.
Article 2 of this Order abolishes the existing electoral arrangements for the County Borough of Torfaen and introduces the Schedule, which sets out the new electoral arrangements for the County Borough of Torfaen.
The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to this Order. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with this Order.