Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024

Community reviews and status as towns

51 Community reviews and implementation

(1) The 2013 Act is amended as follows.

(2) In section 22 (duties of principal councils in relation to area), for subsections (5) and (6) substitute—

“(5) Before 1 July in each year, a principal council must publish a report on the performance of its functions under this Part and section 76 of the 1972 Act (change of name of community) in the previous year, so far as the functions relate to—

(a) community names,

(b) community boundary changes,

(c) community council changes, and

(d) community electoral arrangements.

(6) A principal council must send a copy of each report it publishes to the Commission and the Welsh Ministers.

(7) In subsection (5), “year means the period of 12 months beginning with 1 April.”

(3) In section 31 (review of electoral arrangements for community by principal council)—

(a) before subsection (1) insert—

“(A1) A principal council must conduct a review of the electoral arrangements for each community in its area at least once in every review period.

(A2) In subsection (A1), “review period” means—

(a) the period of 12 years beginning with the day on which section 51 of the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 comes into force, and

(b) each subsequent period of 12 years.

(A3) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations amend subsection (A2).”;

(b) in subsection (1), after “may” insert “also”.

(4) In section 33(3) (considerations for a review of community electoral arrangements)—

(a) for paragraph (b) substitute—

“(b) special geographical considerations, including in particular the size, shape and accessibility of a community ward, and”;

(b) in paragraph (c), after “ties” insert “(including local ties connected to the use of the Welsh language)”.

(5) In section 71(2) (orders and regulations), after section (bb) (inserted by section 41(3) of this Act) insert—

“(bc) regulations under section 31(A3),”.

52 Notice of resolutions on status of communities as towns

(1) The Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) is amended as follows.

(2) In section 245B (community having the status of a town), after subsection (7) insert—

“(7A) The community council must give notice electronically in writing of any resolution passed under subsection (1) or (6) to the following bodies—

(a) the Welsh Ministers,

(b) the principal council for the area in which the community is situated, and

(c) the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru.”