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LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR

REVIEW OF THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES OF , AND ABBEY CWMHIR IN THE COUNTY OF

REPORT AND PROPOSALS

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR WALES

REVIEW OF THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES OF LLANBADARN FYNYDD, LLANBISTER AND ABBEY CWMHIR IN THE COUNTY OF POWYS

REPORT AND PROPOSALS

1. INTRODUCTION

2. ’S PROPOSALS

3. THE COMMISSION’S CONSIDERATION

4. PROCEDURE

5. DEFINING THE BOUNDARY

6. ASSESSMENT

7. PROPOSALS

8. CONSEQUENTIAL ARRANGEMENTS

9. RESPONSES TO THIS REPORT

The Local Government Boundary Commission For Wales Caradog House 1-6 St Andrews Place CF10 3BE Tel Number: (029) 20395031 Fax Number: (029) 20395250 E-mail: [email protected] www.lgbc-wales.gov.uk

Edwina Hart AM MBE Minister for Finance, Local Government and Communities The National Assembly for Wales

REVIEW OF THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE COMMUNITIES OF LLANBADARN FYNYDD, LLANBISTER AND ABBEY CWMHIR IN THE COUNTY OF POWYS

REPORT AND PROPOSALS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Powys County Council have conducted a review of the boundaries between the Communities of Llanbadarn Fynydd, Llanbister and Abbey Cwmhir under Section 55(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (the Act).

1.2 We have considered Powys County Council’s report in accordance with Section 55(3) of the Act and submit the following report on the County Council’s recommendations.

2. POWYS COUNTY COUNCIL’S PROPOSALS

2.1 Powys County Council have conducted a review of Town and Council Electoral Arrangements throughout the County. As part of this review the Council have proposed that four properties be transferred from the Community of Abbey Cwmhir to the Community of Llanbadarn Fynydd and two properties to be transferred from the Community of Llanbister to the Community of Llanbadarn Fynydd.

2.2 Powys County Council’s proposals were submitted to the Commission on 8 May 2001.

3. THE COMMISSION’S CONSIDERATION

3.1 We first considered whether the County Council had conducted their review in accordance with the procedure set out in the Act. We then considered whether the proposals recommended were apt for securing effective and convenient local government.

4. PROCEDURE

4.1 We are satisfied that the Powys County Council have conducted the review in accordance with the procedure set out in Section 60 of the Act.

4.2 As part of their review of Town and Community Council Electoral Arrangements throughout Powys, the County Council consulted interested parties including local Members and community councils.

4.3 Powys County Council considered Draft Proposals which were adopted by the Council’s Strategy and Resource Committee on 12 October 2000. The Draft proposals were published, and the consultation process included a notice in the local press together with letters to the relevant local Members and community councils. Copies of the Draft Proposals were also sent to all those persons who had written to the Council during the research period.

1 4.4 The County Council’s Draft Proposals were to transfer an area comprising Upper Green, Lower Green, Sign, Tyn-y-bryniau and Fron from Llanbister community to Llanbadarn Fynydd community and to transfer an area comprising Porth, Porth Bungalow, Brynrhyg and Croft yr Onen from Abbey Cwmhir to Llanbadarn Fynydd. The Draft Proposals stated that ‘ these minor changes will be in the interests of more effective and convenient local government for the affected residents, without unduly affecting the viability of or the balance between these three closely linked and comparable communities’.

4.5 In response to the Draft Proposals a letter was received from the occupants of Upper Green, Lower Green and Tyn-y-bryniau expressing their close links with the Community of Llanbister and that they wished to remain within that community. The occupants of Sign indicated, before the Draft Proposals that they wished to transfer to Llanbadarn Fynydd. Indeed the occupants of Sign are mistakenly included on the electoral register for Llanbadarn Fynydd and take a very active role in the affairs of that community. The occupant of Fron submitted no comment on the Draft Proposals (and had made no comment at the initial stage).

4.6 The occupants of Porth, Porth Bungalow indicated in the period leading up to the publication of the Draft Proposals that they favoured a transfer of their dwellings to Llanbadarn Fynydd.

4.7 Powys County Council considered the comments received following the publication of their Draft Proposals at the meeting of their Strategy and Resources Committee on 13 February 2001. In light of these comments it was:

RESOLVED that the draft proposals be modified adhering to the original proposed transfer of properties between Abbey Cwmhir and Llanbadarn Fynydd but reducing the transfer from Llanbister to Llanbadarn Fynydd to Sign. Fron to be included in the transfer from Llanbister.

5. DEFINING THE BOUNDARY

5.1 We noted that although Powys County Council’s proposals identified properties to be transferred, the lines of the new boundaries were not defined. The Council confirmed that it was content for the Commission to define the boundaries.

5.2 We agreed that in order to identify amendments to the boundaries it would be necessary to make a site visit to the area. We noted however, the restrictions in place due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease and decided that the site visit be postponed until the restrictions were lifted.

5.3 Accordingly, officers of the Commission, in conjunction with Ordnance Survey, made a visit to the area in October 2001. As a result of this visit we made proposals for changes to the boundaries between the communities (Appendices 1 and 2). These proposals were sent to Powys County Council, Llanbadarn Fynydd Community Council, Llanbister Community Council, Abbey Cwm Hir Community Council and the residents involved for their comments.

5.4 In response to the proposals, Powys County Council, Llanbister Community Council and one of the residents informed the Commission that they were content with the suggested boundaries. Llanbadarn Fynydd Community Council were in general content with the proposal but still considered that the properties of The Greens (Upper and Lower) and Tyn-y-briniau should also be transferred, with The Fron and Sign, from Llanbister community to Llanbadarn Fynydd community.

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6. ASSESSMENT

6.1 We have noted the general support for the proposals from the Community Councils and residents involved.

6.2 We have noted that Llanbadarn Fynydd Community Council considered that additional properties should also be transferred from Llanbister to Llanbadarn Fynydd as the residents of these properties have to travel through Llanbadarn Fynydd to vote at their polling station in Llanbister. We noted however the letter from the residents of these properties in response to Powys County Council’s Draft Proposals expressing their close links with the Community of Llanbister and their wish to remain within that community.

6.3 We have weighed the inconvenience of the distance travelled to the polling station by the residents of these additional properties compared to the benefits to effective local government brought about by their strong sense of identity with the Community of Llanbister. In all the circumstances, we have concluded that these residents’ wishes to remain within the Community of Llanbister outweigh any minor inconveniences that may arise from the distance they have to travel to the centre of that community.

7. PROPOSALS

7.1 We have considered Powys County Council’s proposals and have decided that they are apt for securing effective and convenient local government in the area. We have modified the proposals to define an amendment to the boundary between the Community of Llanbadarn Fynydd and the Community of Llanbister and to define an amendment to the boundary between the Community of Llanbadarn Fynydd and the Community of Abbey Cwmhir. Accordingly, we make the proposals as modified, to the National Assembly for Wales. Maps showing the areas under review can be found at Appendices 1 and 2.

8. CONSEQUENTIAL ARRANGEMENTS

8.1 Under Section 54(1) (e) of the Act, the Commission may make proposals for change of electoral arrangements for any local government area, which is consequential on any proposed change in local government areas.

8.2 The Community of Llanbadarn Fynydd and the Community of Llanbister are included together in the electoral division. The proposed transfer of two properties from the Community of Llanbister to the Community of Llanbadarn Fynydd will therefore have no consequential effect on the electoral arrangements for the County of Powys.

8.3 The Community of Abbey Cwmhir is included, with the Communities of and St. Harmon in the Nantmel electoral division. The proposed transfer of four properties (two unoccupied) from the Community of Abbey Cwmhir to the Community of Llanbadarn Fynydd will however have little consequential effect on the electoral divisions of Nantmel and Beguildy due to the small number of electors involved. We therefore propose no change to the electoral arrangements for the County of Powys.

8.4 In considering the consequential effects on the electoral arrangements for the Communities of Abbey Cwmhir, Llanbadarn Fynydd and Llanbister we again noted the small number of electors involved and therefore propose no change to the electoral arrangements for the Community Councils.

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9. RESPONSES TO THIS REPORT

9.1 Having completed our consideration of the review of the boundaries between the Communities of Llanbadarn Fynydd, Llanbister and Abbey Cwmhir in the County Of Powys and submitted our recommendations to the National Assembly for Wales, we have fulfilled our statutory obligation under the Act.

9.2 It now falls to the National Assembly for Wales, if it thinks fit, to accept them or to direct the Commission to conduct a further review.

9.3 Any further representations concerning the matters in the report should be addressed to the National Assembly for Wales. They should be made as soon as possible, and in any event not later than six weeks from the date that the Commission’s recommendations are submitted to the National Assembly for Wales. Representations should be addressed to:

Local Government Modernisation 2 Division National Assembly for Wales Cathays Park Cardiff CF10 3NQ

MRS S G SMITH LLB (Chair)

J E DAVIES (Deputy Chair)

D H ROBERTS BSc DMS MBCS MIMgt (Member)

E H LEWIS BSc. DPM FRSA FCIPD (Secretary)

April 2002

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