The review of electoral arrangements in the Pembrokeshire Principal Council area undertaken by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru has reached its next stage.

The Boundary Commission has published its draft proposals along with the representations received during the previous consultation and Pembrokeshire Community Review.

Pembrokeshire is divided into 77 communities, all of which have their own town or community council.

The proposals include changes to the number of communities in Pembrokeshire, as well as the number of councillors, and a number of changes to community boundaries, many of them minor.

The overriding aim is to provide for effective and convenient local government.

Part of this is to ensure that representation on town and community councils is, as far as is practicable, similar across all community councils in Pembrokeshire.

Currently there are huge variations, even across rural communities.

The Boundary Commission acknowledges that balancing the legislation with the representations received in October 2023, has been difficult.

County Councillor Neil Prior, Cabinet Member for Communities, Corporate Improvement, and the Well-being of Future Generations said: “We would like to thank the Town and Community Councils, organisations and individuals who took the time to make representations during the initial consultation, and thank the Commission for their work on the review so far.

“Now that there are clear proposals to comment on, I hope that anyone with an interest in local democracy and their community will make their voices heard during this second consultation.”

The Draft Proposals are out for consultation until Monday, September 2.

All submissions will then be considered by the Commission, and final recommendations will be submitted to Welsh Government Ministers.

Welsh Government Ministers will then give effect to these recommendations either as submitted, or with modifications.

Any changes made by Ministers will come into effect after the next local government elections in 2027.

In recent years, ahead of the Local Authority elections back in 2022, boundary changes saw local villages such as Penally amalgamated with Manorbier to create a brand-new ward; and the likes of New Hedges (St. Mary out Liberty) combined with St. Florence and Gumfreston, creating another new ward.

At a meeting towards the end of last year, members of Tenby Town Council were told that the review would not likely affect the seaside town in relation to the number of councillors (13 councillors).

The Draft Proposals, along with the representations, can be found on the Commission’s website