Welsh Local Government boundary reviews should not have a ‘significant impact’ on the current running of community councils in affected wards across the locality, the county councillor for both Penally and St. Mary Out Liberty villages has said.

With the Welsh Local Authority boundary reviews having been underway over the last four years, the Boundary Commission for Wales will now work with Pembrokeshire County Council to finalise arrangements for next year’s Local Authority elections.

Reporting to a meeting of St. Mary Out Liberty Community Council (New Hedges) recently, county councillor for the ward Clr. Jon Preston said that the main aim of the Local Authority boundary review was to create wards that averaged an electorate of approximately 1,500 voters.

“As I have reported previously the proposal made for the St. Mary Out Liberty community is that it becomes amalgamated with St. Florence to create a new ward,” said Clr. Preston.

“I wrote to the Welsh Minister Rebecca Evans AS/MS to reiterate my original objection and to draw the minister’s attention to the significant growth that has taken place in the New Hedges area ward due to two large residential developments.

“Also, that the proposals would create one much larger Manorbier/Penally ward of around 1,800 electorate and a smaller St. Florence/St Mary Out Liberty ward of around 1,200 electorate - effectively creating two new wards that have a greater variance to the target 1,500 voters than the current ward arrangement provides.

“The minister has responded by saying she is grateful for the highlighting of concerns in respect of the proposal to combine Penally with Manorbier and St. Mary Out Liberty with the community of St. Florence and that she had noted the Commission had received representation about this proposal during the review process, as reflected within its Final Recommendations Report,” continued Clr. Preston.

“Despite this, the Minister has now confirmed that the proposals for the new ward arrangements have been accepted and will be in place in time for the May 2022 Local Authority elections.

“It is important to make it clear that these changes whether they are considered unnecessary or welcomed should not have any significant impact on the current running of community councils in the affected wards, apart from the fact that the County councillor elected in May 2022 will represent the communities of St. Florence and St. Mary Out Liberty,” he added.