Former council chief appointed chair of Boundary Commission board

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A former council chief has been appointed to lead a key Welsh electoral body.

Ian Bancroft, previously Chief Executive of Wrexham Council, is to head the Electoral Management Board of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru (DBCC).

Mr Bancroft stepped down from his role in December 2024 after overseeing the authority through the Covid pandemic.

From April 1 he became chair of the DBCC’s Electoral Management Board as the 2026 Senedd Election period got underway and his role will be critical as he will chair the board responsible for coordinating and administering devolved elections in Wales.

He is one of three new Commissioners appointed by the DBCC for the next four years. Aberystwyth University’s Dr Anwen Elias and former Deputy Chief Executive of the Senedd Siwan Davies will join him in their new posts on May 1.

“The Commission is grateful to Welsh Government for making these new apointments and looks forward to benefiting from the expertise and experience of our new commissioners,” said a spokesperson for the DBCC.

“The new commissioners join at an exciting time for the DBCC as we work towards building people’s voting confidence with the new information website – vote.wales – and look ahead to the next Senedd constituencies reviews after the May election.”

During his time with Wrexham County Borough Council, Mr Bancroft was invoved insetting up the Electoral Management Board he will now chair.

When Mr Bancroft – currently vice-chair of Sport Wales – stepped down as Chief Executive of Wrexham County Borough Council, the Mayor at the time Cllr Beryl Blackmore paid tribute, saying: “Thank you from all of the groups on my behalf.

“Ian served as Chief Executive through some very tough times, particularly through the Covid pandemic. He helped us navigate our way through those dark days using his experience and leadership skills to keep our services running and our communities safe.

“He also helped usher in a golden time for Wrexham. Under his guidance Wrexham has achieved city status, was a City of Culture finalist and benefited from millions of pounds of government investment to help regenerate our city centre.”