PEMBROKESHIRE could be heading back to the days of Dyfed under local government shake up proposals published today.

Public Service Minister Leighton Andrews has released his plan for the future configuration of Local Authorities in Wales featuring a proposal for eight or nine authority areas.

The plan has been under discussion for some time with many councils, including Pembrokeshire, getting involved in negotiations with neighbours to develop local solutions.

Both proposal options included combining Pembrokeshire with Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire as was the case from 1974 until it was abolished and the counties separated in 1996.

Mr Andrews said: “The case for fewer local authorities in Wales is compelling and widely accepted. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity to reform and reshape our councils to drive funding into improving frontline services. We will drive down the cost of politics and administration in local government.

“This announcement provides further clarity on the future configuration of local authorities in Wales. It sets out our preference for the future structure in South, Mid and West Wales while facilitating further discussion around North Wales. The case in North Wales is finely balanced between two or three Local Authorities. We therefore feel that there is a case for a further debate and would welcome views.

“I want to emphasise this is not a final decision. It is the next phase in our public debate. Following that, we will publish and consult on a draft ‘Mergers and Reform’ Bill in the autumn. This will include further, formal consultation on our proposals for local authority mergers and include a Regulatory Impact Assessment.

“The current structure is failing to deliver quality services across Wales, with education services still in special measures in several authorities in Wales. Some authorities are simply too small to survive. The current system is costing council tax-payers millions on duplicated administrative services – as KPMG said last week, £151 million a year could be saved if all councils were as efficient as the best. We cannot go on as we are.”

The Minister also announced that he will not proceed with some of the proposals in the Reforming Local Government - Power to Local People White Paper. Term limits for Elected Members; the phasing of Local Government elections; the removal of prohibition on officers standing for election in their own Authorities; and the competency test that Community Councils should have a turnover of at least £200,000 will not be included in the draft Local Government Mergers and Reform Bill

In addition, the current cap of 75 elected members per Authority will be removed due to the move towards fewer, larger councils. The removal of this limit will avoid councillors representing an unreasonably large number of electors.

Pembrokeshire County Council Leader, Jamie Adams, said: “Seeing the maps for the first time this morning it is difficult to comment without some explanation of the rationale behind it.

 

“My position has always been: will the change improve the services we deliver to the public while at the same time reducing costs?

 

“If it doesn’t tick those two boxes, I think it is right to question the validity of this exercise.

 

“Apart from the obvious loss of local decision-making and accountability, I also have concerns about the real damage reorganisation could do to a very successful brand.

“I am referring to the Pembrokeshire name which is instantly recognisable to those living far outside our County and even beyond Wales.

 

“A large number of local businesses in tourism, agriculture, food and energy depend on, and identify strongly, with brand Pembrokeshire for their livelihood.

 

“I fear they will inevitably suffer if amalgamation goes ahead and in these trying times I believe it would be foolish to gamble with the health of our local economy.

 

“However I do welcome some of the measures that the Minister is apparently not pursuing having taken onboard the views of local government."

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called the propsed local government mergers a “party-political stitch-up”.

Peter Black AM, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Local Government Minister, said: “Shoving together existing councils in a botched party-political stitch-up serves no-one aside from the Labour party and their quest to cement their position in Wales and hoard power in Cardiff Bay.

 

“The whole point of setting up an independent Williams commission was to remove party political influence from this process, and avoid gerrymandered maps like the ones presented to us today.

 

“If we’re going to have sustainable reform that lasts more than 20 years, unlike the previous two reorganisations, then we need to start from scratch. Give the independent Boundary Commission the task of coming up with a fresh map which actually works, instead of using the same old tired building blocks."