New Alyn and Deeside-Wrexham constituency proposed for expanded Senedd

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Sep 3rd, 2024

The Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru has today (3 September 2024) released its initial proposals for redrawing the Senedd constituencies ahead of the 2026 elections, a move set to significantly alter the political landscape in Wales.

Among the proposals, a notable change is the combination of the Alyn and Deeside constituency with Wrexham to form a new Senedd constituency.

These proposals align with the Senedd Cymru (Members and Elections) Act, which requires a reduction in the number of constituencies from 40 to 16.

Each constituency will elect six Members of the Senedd (MS) using the D’Hondt method, currently employed for regional lists in the Senedd.

At present, the Senedd includes 60 members: 40 representing individual constituencies and 20 from broader regional areas.

Under the revised structure, the total number of Senedd members will rise to 96.

New Constituency Structure

The Commission’s proposals aim to pair Wales’ existing 32 UK parliamentary constituencies into 16 new Senedd constituencies.

This reconfiguration is designed to ensure each new constituency is contiguous, meaning that it is possible to travel throughout without leaving its boundaries.

This approach led to the proposed merging of Alyn and Deeside with Wrexham, as they are the only neighbouring constituencies that could be combined within the existing framework.

The proposed constituency, named “Alyn, Deeside, and Wrexham” in English and “Alun, Glannau Dyfrdwy a Wrecsam” in Welsh, is viewed by the Commission as a cohesive unit, well-connected by transport links and similar in character.

The Welsh Language Commissioner has approved the proposed Welsh name’s orthography, with a slight adjustment to use a single spelling of “Alun.”

Public Consultation and Next Steps

The Commission has launched a four-week consultation period to gather public feedback on the proposed changes, which will run until 30 September 2024.

This is the first opportunity for residents to voice their support or concerns regarding the new constituency boundaries and names.

Shereen Williams MBE OStJ, Chief Executive of the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, emphasised the importance of public input:

“Today marks a very important step in the journey towards reforming the Senedd.”

“Our initial proposals represent a good first step, but these processes are always strengthened when we hear from the public.”

“We encourage everyone to share their views with us, whether they support or oppose the proposals.”

Following the initial consultation, the Commission will review the feedback and publish its Revised Proposals report in December 2024.

A second consultation period will take place in January 2025, with the final decisions expected to be published in March 2025.

The new constituency boundaries are likely to be in place for the next Senedd election in 2026.

Commenting on the new Senedd constituency boundaries, Darren Millar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for the Constitution said:

“Welsh Conservatives have consistently opposed Labour and Plaid’s Senedd expansion proposals, it’s the wrong priority and more boundary changes will cause yet further upheaval and confusion for those who have already had to contend with boundary changes in council and Westminster elections.

“We need a Welsh Government that is focussed on getting to grips with problems in our NHS, education system and economy, not one that is obsessed with more politicians and constitutional change.”