Siân Gwenllian MS has written to Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government Minister with responsibility over the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales that would see the city of Bangor dropping in representation by 4 councillors.

 

The commission’s changes are currently under review, but reforms have been ratified in the council areas of Merthyr Tydfil, Ceredigion, Powys, Wrexham, and Bridgend. Gwynedd’s changes have yet to be confirmed.

The Member of the Senedd for Arfon, Siân Gwenllian is the latest to voice her oppositions to the commission’s proposal for the city of Bangor.

It’s proposed that Glyder and Dewi wards will remain unchanged, the remaining Deiniol, Garth, Hendre, Hirael, Marchog, Menai and Pentir wards will be replaced by the ‘Canol Bangor’ and ‘Dwyrain Bangor’ divisions.

Also created will be the new “Y Faenol” ward, which will include more urban areas than currently form part of the Pentir ward.

The remainder of Pentir will join up with Aber, Llanllechid and Llandygai as part of an amended Arllechwedd ward.

According to the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, their figures are based on the number of registered electors and are meant to ensure voter parity across the county – targeting an average of 1,208 voters per councillor.

The ward names and number of councillors in Bangor currently stand at:

  • Garth ward: 1 councillor
  • Menai ward: 2 councillors
  • Glyder ward: 1 councillor
  • Pentir ward:  1 councillor
  • Dewi ward: 1 councillor
  • Hendre ward: 1 councillor
  • Deiniol ward: 1 councillor
  • Hirael ward: 1 councillor
  • Marchog ward: 2 councillors

The changes proposed by the Boundary Commission for Wales suggest that the city of Bangor could be distributed accordingly.

  • Faenol ward: 1 councillor
  • Glyder ward: 1 councillor
  • Dewi ward: 1 councillor
  • Canol Bangor ward: 2 councillors
  • Dwyrain Bangor ward: 2 councillors

In a letter to Welsh Government Minister Rebecca Evans MS, Siân Gwenllian MS has reiterated previous concerns about the commission’s proposal for the city of Bangor.

In a previous letter she wrote to Alun Davies MS, then Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public Services in the Welsh Government, she said: “I wish to reiterate concerns expressed regarding Bangor in particular, for which a reduction in the number of councillors from 10 to 6 is recommended in the Report.

“It appears that the recommendations are based solely on numbers and I feel that this shows complete disregard of the city’s unique socio-economic circumstances in terms of the provision of local services and the workload of councillors.

“For example, Bangor is home to the fourth largest university in Wales and in term time the city’s population swells to around 26,000. Students do not necessarily appear on the electoral register for Bangor wards but for the majority of the year, they reside in Bangor and make use of local services, including the help of their local elected representatives.

“Also, wards such as Marchog are home to a higher percentage of low-income and disadvantaged residents who consequently need more help via local council services and the assistance of their councillors to address housing, education and other issues.

“A large number of these residents are not registered to vote and so, again, the numbers on the electoral register do not accurately reflect the amount and nature of work undertaken by councillors representing these wards.

“Many challenges arise as a result of Bangor’s particular make-up, in terms of social, economic, education, housing, health, environment and language issues. The workload taken on by councillors does not, as a matter of course, relate directly to the number of people on the electoral register and yet the Report seems to base its findings purely on numbers.

“To not give consideration to the very real concerns raised by the people of Bangor would be unjust and undemocratic. I therefore ask that you do everything in your power to review the recommendations for the city and to implement changes to the Report’s recommendations that better and more fairly reflect Bangor’s unique standing.”

At the time of those comments (2018), the MS for Arfon also referred to the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The MS claims that the proposal for Bangor boundary changes is in violation of that act, and that “reducing residents’ access to elected representatives goes against the fundamentals of this Act, risks silencing the voice of residents and prevents fair access to basic services and rights.”

Today, Siân Gwenllian MS has once again raised the issue with the current Minister responsible for the changes, stating: “I understand that no announcement has been made about the changes to ward boundaries within the Gwynedd Council area. I note that you have accepted most of the recommendations for the local authorities that have already been announced.

“I would like to re-iterate what I said in a letter to Alun Davies, the relevant Minister at the time, during the consultation in 2018, about the situation with the wards in Bangor. The concerns persist and a number of electors have been in touch with me worried that the Welsh Government is not listening to their voices.

“I kindly ask you to look carefully at the unique case of the wards in Bangor. I am happy to meet you to explain further if you think that would be useful.”