The County of Monmouthshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2021 No. 1232 (W. 311)

Local Government, Wales

The County of Monmouthshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021

Made

3 November 2021

Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and (3)

The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales(1) has, in accordance with section 36(5) of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013(2) (“the 2013 Act”), submitted to the Welsh Ministers a report dated June 2021 containing its recommendations for change and the details of its review of the electoral arrangements for the County of Monmouthshire.

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 modifications.

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 of Monmouthshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021.

(2) For any purpose set out in regulation 4(1) of the Local Government Area Changes Regulations 1976(3), this Order comes into force on 9 November 2021.

(3) For all other purposes, this Order comes into force on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2022(4).

(4) In this Order—

“electoral ward” (“ward etholiadol”) means any area for which members are elected to Monmouthshire County 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 of Monmouthshire

2.—(1) The electoral wards of the County of Monmouthshire, as they exist immediately before the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2022, are abolished.

(2) The County of Monmouthshire is divided into 39 electoral wards each bearing the English language name listed in column 1 and the Welsh language name listed 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(5).

Rebecca Evans

Minister for Finance and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers

3 November 2021

Article 2

SCHEDULE NAMES AND AREAS OF ELECTORAL WARDS AND NUMBER OF MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL

Table

Column (1)	Column (2)	Column (3)	Column (4)
English language name of electoral ward	Welsh language name of electoral ward	Area of electoral ward	Number of members of the council
Bulwark and Thornwell	Bulwark a Thornwell	The Bulwark, Thornwell and Maple Avenue wards of the community of Chepstow	2
Caerwent	Caer-went	The community of Caerwent	1
Caldicot Castle	Castell Cil-y-coed	The Caldicot Castle ward of the community of Caldicot	1
Caldicot Cross	Croes Cil-y-coed	The Caldicot Cross ward of the community of Caldicot	1
Cantref	Cantref	The Cantref and Llanwenarth Citra wards of the community of Abergavenny	1
Chepstow Castle and Larkfield	Castell Cas-gwent a Larkfield	The Chepstow Castle and Larkfield wards of the community of Chepstow	2
Croesonen	Croesonnen	The Croesonen ward of the community of Llantilio Pertholey	1
Crucorney	Crucornau Fawr	The communities of Crucorney and Grosmont	1
Devauden	Devauden	The community of Devauden and the Llangwm and Llansoy wards of the community of Llantrisant Fawr	1
Dewstow	Llanddewi	The Dewstow ward of the community of Caldicot	1
Drybridge	Drybridge	The Drybridge ward of the community of Monmouth	1
Gobion Fawr	Gobion Fawr	The communities of Gobion Fawr and Llanarth	1
Goetre Fawr	Goetre Fawr	The community of Goetre Fawr	1
Grofield	Grofield	The Grofield ward of the community of Abergavenny	1
Lansdown	Lansdown	The Lansdown ward of the community of Abergavenny	1
Llanbadoc and Usk	Llanbadog a Brynbuga	The communities of Llanbadoc and Usk	2
Llanelly	Llanelli	The community of Llanelly	2
Llanfoist Fawr and Govilon	Llan-ffwyst Fawr a Gofilon	The community of Llanfoist Fawr	2
Llangybi Fawr	Llangybi Fawr	The community of Llangybi and the Gwernesney and Llantrisant wards of the community of Llantrisant Fawr	1
Llantilio Crossenny	Llandeilo Gresynni	The communities of Skenfrith and Whitecastle	1
Magor East with Undy	Dwyrain Magwyr gyda Gwndy	The Magor East and Undy wards of the community of Magor with Undy	2
Magor West	Gorllewin Magwyr	The Magor West ward of the community of Magor with Undy	1
Mardy	Y Maerdy	The Mardy, Pantygelli and Sgyrrid wards of the community of Llantilio Pertholey	1
Mitchel Troy and Trellech United	Llanfihangel Troddi a Thryleg Unedig	The communities of Mitchel Troy and Trellech United	2
Mount Pleasant	Mount Pleasant	The Mount Pleasant ward of the community of Chepstow	1
Osbaston	Osbaston	The Osbaston ward of the community of Monmouth	1
Overmonnow	Overmonnow	The Overmonnow ward of the community of Monmouth	1
Park	Y Parc	The Park ward of the community of Abergavenny	1
Pen Y Fal	Pen-y-fâl	The Pen Y Fal ward of the community of Abergavenny	1
Portskewett	Porthsgiwed	The community of Portskewett	1
Raglan	Rhaglan	The community of Raglan	1
Rogiet	Rogiet	The community of Rogiet	1
Severn	Hafren	The Severn and The Village wards of the community of Caldicot	1
Shirenewton	Drenewydd Gelli-farch	The communities of Mathern and Shirenewton	1
St Arvans	Llanarfan	The communities of St Arvans and Wye Valley	1
St Kingsmark	Llangynfarch	The St Kingsmark ward of the community of Chepstow	1
Town	Y Dref	The Town ward of the community of Monmouth	1
West End	West End	The West End ward of the community of Caldicot	1
Wyesham	Wyesham	The Wyesham ward of the community of Monmouth	1

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order implements the recommendations of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”), which reported in June 2021 on its review of the electoral arrangements for the County of Monmouthshire. The Commission’s report proposed a reduction in the number of electoral wards from 40 to 39, but an increase in the number of councillors from 45 to 46.

This Order implements the Commission’s recommendations, with modifications.

Article 2 of this Order abolishes the existing electoral arrangements for the County of Monmouthshire and introduces the Schedule, which sets out the new electoral arrangements for the County of Monmouthshire.

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.

(1)

The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales was established by section 53 of, and Schedule 8 to, the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) (“the 1972 Act”). Section 53 and Schedule 8 were repealed by section 73(2) of, and Schedule 2 to, the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 4) (“the 2013 Act”). The 2013 Act re-names the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales as the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (see section 2).

(2)

2013 anaw 4.

(3)

S.I. 1976/246. Section 74(3) of the 2013 Act provides that these Regulations continue to have effect in relation to orders made under Part 3 of the 2013 Act, as if those orders were made under Part 4 of the 1972 Act.

(4)

The Local Authorities (Change to the Years of Ordinary Elections) (Wales) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/1269 (W. 220)) amends section 26(1) of the 1972 Act to provide that the year in which the ordinary elections of councillors of local authorities shall take place is 2022 instead of 2021.

(5)

1972 c. 70; section 58 of the 1972 Act was repealed by section 73(2) of, and Schedule 2 to, the 2013 Act, subject to savings provisions specified in section 74 of the 2013 Act.