Denbighshire Council Boundary Reforms Confirmed

Welsh Government accepts LDBCW recommendations

Reforms to Denbighshire Council’s ward boundaries are to go ahead after the Welsh Government decided to accept the recommendations of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales with minor modifications only made to recommended Welsh language ward names.

The Commission’s Final Recommendations were submitted to the Welsh Government 19 June 2019 and minister for finance and local government, Rebecca Evans MS, has confirmed that the decision has been made to accept the recommendations.

The changes accepted by the Welsh Government mean that Denbighshire’s number of councillors will increase by 1, taking the council from 47 to 48 members. This results in an average of 1,589 electors per councillor.

Meanwhile the number of wards will be reduced from 30 to 29, with 16 of those being multi-member wards.

13 wards will elect 2 councillors while 3 wards will elect 3 councillors.

23 current wards will see no change under these reforms.

A small number of recommendations on Welsh language ward names were not accepted by Welsh Government.

Responding to the Welsh Government’s decision, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ, Chief Executive of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales said:

“I’m delighted that the Welsh Government has accepted these recommendations with only minor modifications.

“These changes will mean greater electoral parity for the people of Denbighshire.

“I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the review, the members of the public, councillors, Denbighshire Council, and everyone else who sent us a representation or contributed in any other way.”

The boundary changes are expected to take effect from the 2022 local government elections.

The full list of retained wards:

• Bodelwyddan
• Denbigh Lower
• Dyserth
• Efenechtyd
• Llandyrnog
• Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd Gwyddelwern
• Llangollen
• Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch
• Prestatyn Central
• Prestatyn East
• Prestatyn Meliden
• Prestatyn North
• Prestatyn South West
• Rhuddlan
• Rhyl East
• Rhyl South
• Rhyl South West
• Rhyl West
• Ruthin
• St Asaph East
• St Asaph West
• Trefnant
• Tremeirchion

Recommendations not accepted by Welsh Government:

• The Commission proposed the name Efenechtyd be retained. The electoral ward will be given the single electoral name of Efenechdyd.
• The Commission proposed to the Welsh language name of Prestatyn Gallt Melyd. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh language name of Prestatyn Alltmelyd.
• The Commission proposed the Welsh language name of De Orllewin Prestatyn. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh name of De-orllewin Prestatyn.
• The Commission proposed to the Welsh language name of Dwyrain Y Rhyl. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh name of Dwyrain y Rhyl.
• The Commission proposed the Welsh language name of De Y Rhyl. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh name of De’r Rhyl.
• The Commission proposed the Welsh language name of De Orllewin Y Rhyl. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh name of De-orllewin y Rhyl
• The Commission proposed the Welsh language name of Gorllewin Y Rhyl. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh name of Gorllewin y Rhyl.
• The Commission proposed the Welsh language name of Trellewelyn Y Rhyl. The electoral ward will be given the Welsh name of Y Rhyl Trellewelyn.

1. These reviews were undertaken by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales according to the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013.
2. These reviews were entirely separate from the 2023 Review recently started by the Boundary Commission for Wales.
3. The Final Recommendations report for Denbighshire Council can be found here, along with maps of each proposed ward: https://ldbc.gov.wales/reviews/06-19/denbighshire-final-recommendations
4. The Welsh Government Written Statement announcing the decision can be found here: https://gov.wales/written-statement-local-authority-electoral-boundary-review-update-5