A CONTROVERSIAL plan which would have seen Pembrokeshire swallowed up by a return to Dyfed has been scrapped.

Under proposals unveiled last year by the Welsh Government, Pembrokeshire would have been merged with Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire as part of plans to slash the number of local authorities.

Cutting the number of Welsh councils from 22 to eight or nine could have saved up to £650 million over 10 years, it was claimed.

But the move was hugely unpopular and, after the Welsh election in May, the ruling Welsh Labour Government does not have a majority.

First Minister Carwyn Jones accepted that the proposals would not receive enough backing to be implemented.

And, at the weekend the new local government secretary, Mark Drakeford, told the BBC that the original reorganisation plan ‘had gone’.

"People are very willing to agree that there are challenges facing local government that have to be faced up to and have to be solved," he said.

"The reality is that we couldn't in the last assembly - and we know that we couldn't in this assembly - summon the votes together to put that map into legislation.

"We must accommodate ourselves to that reality and find a different way forward."

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader, Jamie Adams, said “I think it is true to say that to have begun this process with lines drawn on a map of Wales was widely regarded as a flawed method of reorganisation.”

Preseli Assembly Member Paul Davies, added: “I’m delighted that the Welsh Government’s plans to re-create the old, failing Dyfed model have been dropped.

“As I’ve said before, bigger authorities does not mean better services and now a robust discussion over the services that we want to see delivered in the future at a local level needs to take place. The new Cabinet Secretary must now work with councillors and the general public to create a model in Wales that serves the needs of local communities and not force mergers against their will.”

South County Assembly Member Angela Burns, added: “I welcome the fact that the Welsh Government has decided to return to the drawing board on council reorganisation.

“I have always supported the need to work closely with neighbouring authorities and, where possible share some services, but it is vital that the needs and views of local people are listened to and taken into account. The top down approach that the Welsh Labour Government followed in forcing mergers on councils  was doomed to failure from the start and has proved unpopular throughout west Wales.

“I will continue to work closely with both Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire to help identify areas where services can be shared whilst retaining local democratic accountability.


“Finally I will be asking questions of the Welsh Government concerning how much money has been wasted on  planning for mergers which have never occurred.”