(1)The Welsh Ministers may by direction require the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”) to conduct an initial review of a proposed principal area.
(2)In this Act “initial review”, in relation to a proposed principal area, means a review which is conducted for the purpose of recommending electoral arrangements for the proposed principal area but which may also include any relevant consequential changes that the Commission may consider appropriate.
(3)In this Act “relevant consequential changes”, in relation to electoral arrangements recommended for a proposed principal area, means changes in—
(a)the boundaries of communities in the proposed principal area,
(b)the constitution of councils for communities, or common councils for groups of communities, in the proposed principal area, or
(c)electoral arrangements for communities in the proposed principal area.
(4)In this Act “electoral arrangements”, in relation to a principal area or a community, means—
(a)the number of members of the council for the principal area or community,
(b)its division into electoral wards in the case of the principal area, and (if appropriate) into community wards in the case of a community, for the election of members,
(c)the number, type and boundaries of the electoral wards, and any community wards, into which the principal area or any community in the principal area is to be divided for the purpose of the election of members,
(d)the number of members to be elected for any electoral ward or community ward, and
(e)the name of any electoral ward or community ward.
(5)In subsection (4)(c) the reference to the type of an electoral ward or community ward is to whether the electoral ward or community ward is a single member ward or a multiple member ward; and for this purpose—
“multiple member ward” (“ward amlaelod”) means a ward in respect of which a specified number (greater than one) of members are to be elected for the ward;
“single member ward” (“ward un aelod”) means a ward in respect of which only one member is to be elected.