Cardiff to get four extra councillors in boundary shakeup

Alex Seabrook, local democracy reporter

Cardiff will get four extra councillors in the next local elections in May as the city’s ward boundaries have been redrawn.

The number of councillors representing the city will increase from 75 currently to 79 under the new plans.

Changes to the ward boundaries are needed as Cardiff’s population grows, it has been claimed. The next local elections will be the first to include 16 and 17 year olds, expanding the electorate.

The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, which redrew the map, made its final recommendations last November.

Shereen Williams, chief executive of the commission, said: “I’m delighted the Welsh Government has accepted the majority of the commission’s recommendations. These changes will mean greater electoral parity for the people of Cardiff.”

The challenge in redrawing the map is getting every councillor to represent as close to the average number of voters each as possible — 3,078 is the target — while also paying attention to local geography and keeping community ties intact.

As Cardiff’s population grows and who can vote changes, the current map means some councillors represent many more voters, or much fewer, than the target average — leaving some voters overrepresented and others underrepresented.

‘Approved’ 

The recommendations were approved by the Welsh Government on Friday, October 1, with one slight change. The commission had proposed combining Llanrumney with Old St Mellons, but these will be kept as they are.

Pentyrch and Creigiau/St Fagans, both represented by one councillor each, will combine to form one ward with three councillors. Radyr will go from one councillor to two.

Lisvane, currently represented by one councillor, will take in the area Thornhill to make a new ward called Lisvane and Thornhill, with three councillors. The Thornhill area is currently part of the Llanishen ward. Llanishen will go from three councillors to two.

Elsewhere, Butetown will go from one councillor to three councillors, and Grangetown will go from three councillors to four. Pentwyn will go from four councillors to three.