FINAL PROPOSALS

Community No. M19 -

Introduction

1. The of Llandrinio lies in the northeastern corner of , in a landscape that is defined by the confluence and flood plains of the rivers Efyrnwy and Severn. Settlement in this community is defined by the routes that lead eastwards, out of the county, with most settlement and considerable new development following the course of the B4392 through the large village of Arddleen, along the A483(T) and the B4393, through the community's other large village of Llandrinio. Away from these large villages, further settlement is found in the small village of Sarnau and in the rural settlements of , Deuddwr, Penrhos and Rhos Common. Both Arddleen and Llandrinio have seen a significant amount of development in recent years, and each large village has a good range of community services and facilities. Many of the communty’s boundaries follow watercourses: the in the south-east; and the river Vyrnwy and its tributary the Sarn Wen brook in the north, and the in the west. The key settlement of Four Crosses in the neighbouring community of abuts the community boundary at the Sarn Wen brook, and is separated by that brook from the continuation of settlement that leads through the rural settlement of Rhos Common into the large village of Llandrinio.

2. The community has a population of 1,137, an electorate of 1,115 (2005) and a council of 11 members. The community is warded: Arddleen with 652 electors and six councillors; Llandrinio with 463 and five. The precept required for 2005 is £13,020, representing a Council Tax Band D equivalent of £20.44.

3. In the 1986 Review, this community was enlarged westwards; a large eastern part of the then community of Without at Tirymynach, Maesydd, Rhyd- esgyn, Wern, through Burgedin to Sarnau was transferred to the new community along with the eastern part of the then community of at The Mount, Tan House and part of Sarnau. One of the main defining criteria in these transfers was that these areas all lay within the catchment of Arddleen County Primary School. The boundary with the then community of Llandysilio was also adjusted, with the area at Rhysnant Hall being transferred to Llandysilio and the Penthryn salient being transferred to this community. The warding arrangement was proposed by the Local Government Boundary Commission for . However, the allocation of councillors after the 1986 Review was Llandrinio - 7 and Arddleen - 3, based on the electorate at 1980. Within ten years, development at Arddleen had already made this allocation out of date, and Llandrinio Community Council requested the then Montgomeryshire District Council to review this allocation. That review was completed by County Council in 1996, when the allocation was adjusted to Llandrinio - 5 and Arddleen - 6 with effect from the 1999 ordinary elections.

Summary of representations received prior to preparation of Draft Proposals

Final Proposals – Montgomeryshire – Community M$jo2j3h2m.doc 4. No representations have been received for this community.

Assessment

5. The electorate of Llandrinio has increased from 640 in 1980 to 1,115 in 2005, but this increase will now tail off. The Unitary Development Plan allocates land in the large village of Arddleen for 12 further dwellings and land in Llandrinio for 30 further dwellings. However, these sites are now largely developed and have already had their impact on the electorate, and further development - both in these two large villages and in the small village of Sarnau - will be limited to infill development and opportunities for affordable housing development adjacent to the settlement development boundaries. There are also opportunities for affordable housing development in the rural settlements of Burgedin, Deuddwr, Penrhos and Rhos Common in accordance with Policy HP9 of the Plan, for a limited number of dwellings in the open countryside in accordance with Policy HP6 of the Plan, and for conversions in accordance with Policy GP6 of the Plan. We note that this community's electorate will therefore probably remain stable at about 1,150, suggesting a continued entitlement in accordance with Table 7 - Guide to Allocation of Councillors to Community Councils to eleven councillors.

6. We proceed to give consideration to the warding arrangement in this community. We consider that the warding arrangement continues to serve this community well and meets the criteria in the 1972 Act that (a) the number or distribution of the local government electors for the community is such as to make a single election of community councillors impracticable or inconvenient; and (b) it is desirable that areas of the community should be separately represented on the community council. We consider that this is particularly desirable in this community with its two large villages, each served by a good range of community services and facilities. The ward boundary follows the course of the Montgomery Canal and the Maerdy - Neath brook: a part-natural boundary that represents a very appropriate parting of local attachments.

7. We also note that the current allocation of councillors between wards continues to reflect broadly the distribution of the local government electors in the community; indeed, the projected stability of the electorate provides us with sure grounds on which to assess this allocation. (Schedule 11(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 requires us, in fixing the number of community councillors to be elected for each ward, to have regard to any change in the number or distribution of the local government electors of the community which is likely to take place.) The table below well-illustrates that the present allocation of councillors between wards is vindicable.

Draft Proposals

8. That no changes should be made to this community.

(Ward) Electorate No of Councillors Electors per Councillor

Final Proposals – Montgomeryshire – Community M$jo2j3h2m.doc Arddleen 652 6 109 Llandrinio 463 5 93

Responses to the Council’s Draft Proposals

9. No comments or submissions were received on the Draft Proposals.

Final Proposals

10. That no changes should be made to this community.

(Ward) Electorate No of Councillors Electors per Councillor

Arddleen 652 6 109 Llandrinio 463 5 93

Final Proposals – Montgomeryshire – Community M$jo2j3h2m.doc