Plans to change the number of councillors for Welsh communities face scrutiny

Alec Doyle, Local democracy reporter

An electoral ward could soon have an additional community councillor as its population is predicted to more than double within five years.

Flintshire County Council will on Tuesday present its draft Community Review – an assessment of the changing population and the rebalancing of democracy in community council areas required under the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2025.

The proposals went out to public consultation and feedback from members of the public and key stakeholders has been combined with data gathered by Flintshire’s Electoral Services team to produce the draft plan.

It will recommend the creation of two additonal town and community councillors – one for Sealand and one for Flint – and the removal of one from the Aston Ward in Hawarden.

In Sealand, the justification for increasing the size of the community council is the expectation that the town will grow over the next five years.

Currently it has 2,736 residents, but that is expected to grow to 4,973 as the Airfields housing development progresses.

More modest projected population growth in Flint – from 10,453 residents to 10,985 – has seen it pass the threshold where fair representation means an additional town councillor is needed, increasing the number from 15 to 16.

Predictions are that Hawarden’s population will also increase – by around 1,000 – from 11,200 to 12,228.

Nevertheless Flintshire County Council has recommended reducing the number of town councillors by taking one away from Aston Ward.

Under the draft proposals most other wards across Flintshire remain unchanged.

Penyffordd Community Council has requested that its boundaries be changed so that Little Mountain Road and Stryt Isa each fall completely into a single council area so that key services can be more easily delivered.

For Little Mountain Road that would mean being within either Penyffordd or Hope while for Stryt Isa it would be Penyffordd or Buckley/Bistre Town Council.

Cilcain Community Council has asked the authority to include eight rural properties between Cilcain and Pantymwyn within the Cilcain electoral boundary.

Similarly Connah’s Quay Town Council has requested that the sections of Hillside Avenue and River View that are within Golftyn Ward be moved to Central Ward.

Flintshire County Council has also recommended removing a number of wards in some town and commmunity councils.

In Bagillt it has proposed scrapping the East and West Wards while in Saltney it suggests removiong the Mold Junction and Stonebridge Wards.

Both councils would retain the same number of councillors – they would in future be equally responsible for the entire community they represent rather than just their ward members.

Finally Northop Hall is documented without a Welsh name, as the village waits for the authority to make a decision on what it should be.

There is still time for everyone, including the public, to feed back on the proposals. The deadline for feedback is Friday, March 27.

Flintshire County Council will debate the initial draft proposal on Tuesday, January 27.