Gwynedd is set to lose six county councillors under proposals presented by the Boundary Commission for Wales.
The final report, which has now been presented to the Welsh Government for approval, recommends that the number of county councillors in Gwynedd should be cut from 75 to 69 after the next elections.
A series of boundary changes have also been proposed in a bid to even out the number of eligible voters across the proposed 65 electoral wards, with four set to elect two members each.
One of the biggest shake-ups will be seen in Bangor, which is blamed on the number of non-registered voters in the city.
Although it’s proposed that Glyder and Dewi will remain unchanged, the remaining Deiniol, Garth, Hendre, Hirael, Marchog, Menai and Pentir wards will be replaced by the ‘Canol Bangor’ and ‘Dwyrain Bangor’ divisions, which will have two members each.
Also created will be the new “Y Faenol” ward, which will include more urban areas than currently form part of the Pentir ward.
The remainder of Pentir will join up with Aber, Llanllechid and Llandygai as part of an amended Arllechwedd ward.
According to the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, their figures are based on the number of registered electors and are meant to ensure voter parity across the county – targeting an average of 1,208 voters per councillor.
Claims by Bangor City Council that the city was taking a disproportionate hit and that its special status as a university town and the large number of residents not registered to vote should be taken into account fell on deaf ears.
Gwynedd Council, in its response to the earlier draft proposals, had also urged the commission to retain the existing Marchog ward, which contains Maesgeirchen, as its large population coupled with the deprived nature of the ward placed an additional burden on its local representatives.
Elsewhere in the county, changes will also be implemented in Bethesda and Caernarfon with a new ward being created in each town due to their current under-representation.
Elsewhere, a new ‘Tryfan’ ward is proposed, made up of Carmel, Cesarea and Rhosgadfan.
Talysarn, meanwhile, would disappear from the map by becoming part of an amended Llanllyfni division, with the existing Morfa Nefyn and Tudweiliog wards also merged into one.
Llŷn will continue to see its representation cut, with Aberdaron and Botwnnog merged as part of a new “Pen draw Llŷn” ward, as well as Mynytho with Llanbedrog and Abersoch with Llanengan.
The community of Llanfrothen, meanwhile, will be removed from the Penrhyndeudreth ward and join up with the renamed “Glaslyn” ward which will be made up of the existing “Tremadog” electoral unit.
Controversially, the community of Nebo will be cut out of the Llanllyfni ward and join up with Clynnog, meaning that the new division would straddle the existing parliamentary boundaries of Arfon and Dwyfor Meirionnydd.
New multi-member wards will also be established for “Bethel a’r Felinheli” and “Harlech a Llanbedr, ” replacing the previous single entities in both areas.
The commission’s final proposals have now been presented to the cabinet secretary for local government who will rubber stamp the proposals.
If accepted, the new boundaries are set to come into force in time for the next local government elections in 2022.
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