Welsh Statutory Instruments
2016 No. 1156 (W. 278)
Local Government, Wales
The Rhondda Cynon Taf (Communities) Order 2016
Made 25 November 2016
Coming into force in accordance with article 1(2) and (3)

The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales has, in accordance with sections 54(1) and 58(1) of the Local Government Act 1972, submitted to the Welsh Ministers a report dated 9 July 2015 on its review of, and proposals for change in, the community arrangements in the County of Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”) was previously called the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales was established by section 53 of and Schedule 8 to the Local Government Act 1972 (c. 70) (“the 1972 Act”). Section 53 and Schedule 8 were repealed by section 73(2) of and Schedule 2 to the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 4) (“the 2013 Act”). Under the 2013 Act, the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales continued in existence but was renamed the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (see section 2). See footnote (2) below for savings provisions made in the 2013 Act that apply to Part 4 of the 1972 Act.
1972 c. 70. Sections 53 to 61 of the 1972 Act have been repealed by section 73(2) of and Schedule 2 to the 2013 Act but, pursuant to section 74(1) and (2) of the 2013 Act, continue in effect for the purpose of completing reviews which were being conducted when Part 3 of the 2013 Act came into force on 30 September 2013 and for the purpose of proposals submitted to the Welsh Ministers before that time. Section 74(2) of the 2013 Act was amended by section 43 of the Local Government (Wales) Act 2015 (anaw 6) to allow reviews completed before 30 September 2013 to be implemented under the 1972 Act.
The Welsh Ministers have agreed to give effect to the Commission’s proposals without modification.
More than six weeks have elapsed since these proposals were submitted to the Welsh Ministers.
Section 58(2) of the 1972 Act provides that an order giving effect to any proposals made to the Welsh Ministers by the Commission must not be made until the expiry of six weeks from the day on which those proposals were submitted to the Welsh Ministers.
The Welsh Ministers make the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred on the Secretary of State by section 58(2) of the Local Government Act 1972 and now vested in them so far as exercisable in relation to Wales.
The powers of the Secretary of State were transferred to the National Assembly for Wales by the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672) and are now vested in the Welsh Ministers by virtue of section 162 of, and paragraph 30(1) of Schedule 11 to the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32).

Title and commencement
1. (1) The title of this Order is the Rhondda Cynon Taf (Communities) Order 2016.
(2) For any purpose set out in regulation 4(1) of the Regulations, this Order comes into force on 1 December 2016.
(3) For all other purposes this Order comes into force on the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2017.
The Local Authority Elections (Wales) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3033 (W. 302)) amended the 1972 Act by moving the ordinary day of election of councillors by one year from 2016 to 2017.

Interpretation
2. In this Order—
“existing” (“presennol”) in relation to a local government area, means that area as it exists immediately before the ordinary day of election of councillors in 2017;
“new” (“newydd”) in relation to a local government area, means that area as established by this Order;
“the Regulations” (“y Rheoliadau”) means the Local Government Area Changes Regulations 1976;
S.I. 1976/246.
any reference to a map means one of the 14 maps marked “Map of the Rhondda Cynon Taf (Communities) Order 2016” deposited in accordance with regulation 5 of the Regulations and labelled “A” to “N”, and a reference to a lettered map is a reference to the map that bears that letter; and
where a boundary is shown on a map as running along a road, railway line, footway, watercourse or similar geographical feature, it is to be treated as running along the centre line of the feature.

Local government area changes
3. Changes are made in the local government area of the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf in accordance with the following provisions of this Order.

Tyn-y-Nant and Llantwit Fardre – change to community areas and consequential change to electoral divisions
4. The part of the community of Llantwit Fardre shown hatched on Map A (Llantwit Fardre ward)—
(a) is transferred to the community of Llantrisant;
(b) forms part of the Tyn-y-Nant ward of the community of Llantrisant; and
(c) forms part of the electoral division of Tyn-y-Nant.

Llantwit Fardre and Tyn-y-Nant – change to community areas and consequential change to electoral divisions
5. The part of the community of Llantrisant shown hatched on Map B (Tyn-y-Nant ward)—
(a) is transferred to the community of Llantwit Fardre;
(b) forms part of the Llantwit Fardre ward of the community of Llantwit Fardre; and
(c) forms part of the electoral division of Llantwit Fardre.

Church Village and Llantwit Fardre - changes to community areas and consequential changes to electoral divisions
6. The parts of the community of Llantwit Fardre shown hatched on Map C, Map D and Map E (Llantwit Fardre ward)—
(a) form part of the Church Village ward of the community of Llantwit Fardre; and
(b) form part of the electoral division of Church Village.

Llantrisant Town and Talbot Green – change to community areas and consequential change to electoral divisions
7. The part of the community of Llantrisant shown hatched on Map F (Talbot Green ward)—
(a) forms part of the Llantrisant Town ward of the community of Llantrisant; and
(b) forms part of the electoral division of Llantrisant Town.

Llantwit Fardre, Tyn-y-Nant and Llantrisant Town – changes to community areas and consequential changes to electoral divisions
8. The part of the community of Llantrisant shown hatched on Map G (Tyn-y-Nant ward and Llantrisant Town ward)—
(a) is transferred to the community of Llantwit Fardre;
(b) forms part of the Llantwit Fardre ward of the community of Llantwit Fardre; and
(c) forms part of the electoral division of Llantwit Fardre.

Beddau and Llantrisant Town – change to community areas and consequential change to electoral divisions
9. The part of the community of Llantrisant shown hatched on Map H (Llantrisant Town ward)—
(a) is transferred to form part of the Beddau ward of the community of Llantrisant; and
(b) forms part of the electoral division of Beddau.

Beddau and Graig – change to community areas and consequential change to electoral divisions
10. The part of the community of Llantrisant shown hatched on Map I (Beddau ward)—
(a) is transferred to the community of Pontypridd;
(b) forms part of the Graig ward of the community of Pontypridd; and
(c) forms part of the electoral division of Graig.

Abolition of the community of Aberaman and creation of new communities – Aberaman North and Aberaman South
11. (1) The existing community of Aberaman is abolished.
(2) There are constituted two new communities named Aberaman North and Aberaman South, shown on Map J as the areas marked “Aberaman North” and “Aberaman South” respectively.

Abolition of the community of Aberdare and creation of new communities – Aberdare East and Aberdare West
12. (1) The existing community of Aberdare is abolished.
(2) There are constituted two new communities named Aberdare East and Aberdare West, shown on Map K as the areas marked “Aberdare East” and “Aberdare West” respectively.

Abolition of the community of Mountain Ash and creation of new communities – Mountain Ash East and Mountain Ash West
13. (1) The existing community of Mountain Ash is abolished.
(2) There are constituted two new communities named Mountain Ash East and Mountain Ash West, shown on Map L as the areas marked “Mountain Ash East” and “Mountain Ash West” respectively.

Cwmbach and Aberaman South – changes to community areas
14. The part of the new community of Aberaman South shown hatched on Map M—
(a) is transferred to form part of the community of Cwmbach; and
(b) forms part of the electoral division of Cwmbach.

Cwmbach and Mountain Ash East – changes to community areas and consequential changes to electoral arrangements
15. The part of the community of Cwmbach shown hatched on Map N—
(a) is transferred to form part of the new community of Mountain Ash East; and
(b) forms part of the electoral division of Mountain Ash East.

Llantwit Fardre – consequential changes to electoral arrangements
16. In the community of Llantwit Fardre—
(a) the number of councillors to be elected for the Ton-Teg ward is 3;
(b) the number of councillors to be elected for the Church Village ward is 4;
(c) the number of councillors to be elected for the Llantwit Fardre ward is 4; and
(d) the number of councillors to be elected for the Efail Isaf ward is 1.

Llantrisant – consequential changes to electoral arrangements
17. In the community of Llantrisant—
(a) the number of councillors to be elected for the Tyn-y-Nant ward is 3;
(b) the number of councillors to be elected for the Beddau ward is 4;
(c) the number of councillors to be elected for the Llantrisant Town ward is 4; and
(d) the number of councillors to be elected for the Talbot Green ward is 3.

Pontypridd – consequential changes to electoral arrangements
18. In the community of Pontypridd—
(a) the number of councillors to be elected for the Glyncoch ward is 2;
(b) the number of councillors to be elected for the Cilfynydd ward is 2;
(c) the number of councillors to be elected for the Rhondda ward is 4;
(d) the number of councillors to be elected for the Pontypridd ward is 2;
(e) the number of councillors to be elected for the Trallwng ward is 3;
(f) the number of councillors to be elected for the Ilan ward is 1;
(g) the number of councillors to be elected for the Rhydfelen Central ward is 2;
(h) the number of councillors to be elected for the Rhydfelen Lower ward is 1;
(i) the number of councillors to be elected for the Hawthorn ward is 2;
(j) the number of councillors to be elected for the Treforest ward is 2; and
(k) the number of councillors to be elected for the Graig ward is 2.
Mark Drakeford
Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, one of the Welsh Ministers
25 November 2016

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Order)
This Order, made in accordance with section 58(2) of the Local Government Act 1972, gives effect without modification to proposals of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (“the Commission”). The Commission reported in July 2015 on a review conducted by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council of the community boundaries for the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf. The report recommended changes to a number of existing boundaries.
The effect of this Order is that there are changes to a number of community areas and some consequential changes in community electoral arrangements. Changes are made to the boundaries of Aberdare, Aberaman, Cwmbach, Llantrisant, Llantwit Fardre, Mountain Ash and Pontypridd. The existing communities of Aberaman, Aberdare and Mountain Ash are abolished, and the new communities of Aberaman North, Aberaman South, Aberdare East, Aberdare West, Mountain Ash East and Mountain Ash West are created.
Prints of the boundary maps A to N to which this Order relates are deposited and may be inspected during normal office hours at the offices of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, and at the offices of the Welsh Government at Cathays Park, Cardiff, CF10 3NQ (Local Government Democracy Division).