Community Ref - Pembrokeshire County Council

Pembrokeshire County Council: REVIEW OF COMMUNITIES
Community Ref. 04 – BONCATH
Introduction
Area = 23.4 sq km
Boncath Community Council
Ward
Electorate
Councillors
Electors per Councillor
179
416
595
4
5
9
45
83
66
Capel Colman
Llanfihangel
1. Boncath is geographically a moderately sized community in the north east of the county of
Pembrokeshire, situated between the communities of Cilgerran and Crymych to the west and
Manordeifi and Clydau to the east. Whilst much of the settlement pattern of the community is
made up of scattered farms and rural dwellings, the area does have two concentrations of
population at Boncath and the slightly larger village of Blaenffos. Community facilities and
services in both these settlements are extremely limited, with Boncath supporting just a public
house and village hall, whilst Blaenffos has a public house, a chapel and a primary school. The
B4332 crosses the northern part of the community from east to west, whilst the main arterial route
is the A478, which runs from north to south, and provides important links to both Cardigan and
Narberth.
2. The community council’s precept requirement for 2006/07 was £3,200 representing a Council
Tax Band D equivalent of £10.06.
Special Community Review – The Preseli (Communities) Order 1987
3. The 1987 Preseli (Communities) Order created a Community of Boncath comprising the
existing Communities of Capel Colman, Castellan and Llanfihangel Penbedw; and that part of the
existing Community of Penrydd not included in the proposed Community of Crymych.
4. The community was to have a council of 9 members and be warded as follows:
Capel Colman Ward
Llanfihangel Ward
-
4 councillors
5 councillors
Summary of Community Council representations received prior to preparation of Draft
Proposals
5. No response was received from Boncath Community Council to the initial consultation
exercise.
Assessment
6. Boncath Community’s electorate increased from 440 in 1980 to 595 in 2007. This increase
occurred exclusively within Llanfihangel Ward and most particularly in Blaenffos village where
there have been 60 new houses built in the last twenty years, which is three times as many as in
Boncath. By comparison, the Community Ward of Capel Colman’s electorate has increased by
just one elector since 1980.
7. In assessing future development potential, we note that currently there is valid planning
permission for 3 dwellings in Boncath and 33 in Blaenffos. In addition the Joint Unitary
Development Plan (JUDP) makes two specific housing allocations in the community under
Policies 44/5; in Boncath for 30 dwellings and in Blaenffos for 16 units. Elsewhere in the
community the JUDP limits housing development to small scale infill development and
conversions. On the basis of this evidence we consider that this community’s electorate will
continue to rise steadily, but is unlikely to exceed 700 for a number of years. This would suggest
an entitlement in accordance with our Guide to Allocation of Councillors of seven councillors,
Pembrokeshire County Council: REVIEW OF COMMUNITIES
which would represent a reduction from the current allocation of nine. It would be difficult to justify
increasing this proposed allocation, as Boncath is just above average size. Likewise, even though
an element of the electorate is widely dispersed, the majority of habitation is tied to the two
settlements of Boncath and Blaenffos, which are approximately only 1.5 miles from each other.
8. We have given careful consideration to the question of whether this community should
continue to be divided into wards, and it is unfortunate that no comments were forthcoming from
the initial consultation exercise with the community council. Our assessment is based on the
criteria in Schedule 11 of the 1972 Act, which relates to:
i. the number or distribution of the local government electors for the community is such as
to make a single election of community councillors impracticable or inconvenient;
ii. it is desirable that the areas of the community should be separately represented on the
community council.
9. In terms of (i) we believe a single election of community councillors would not be impracticable
or inconvenient due to the fact that all local elections in the community are currently held at the
same polling station, which is Boncath Village Hall, Boncath.
10. In terms of (ii) we have noted that the electorate of the Community Ward of Capel Colman is
relatively small and has remained static since 1980. There are also no indications that the ward’s
population is likely to increase significantly, which would help to justify maintaining its ward status.
We are also of the opinion that not only is the Capel Colman ward now relatively homogeneous
with the rest of the community, but it has also lost its old ‘parish’ loyalties and social connections
that contributed at the 1987 Review to its current ward status.
11. We therefore conclude that based on this evidence it is no longer desirable for areas of this
community to be separately represented on the community council and we therefore propose that
the existing warding arrangements be removed.
Draft Proposals
12. The County Council proposes that there should be a Community of Boncath comprising the
existing Community of Boncath. The proposed community should not be warded.
Area = 23.4sq km
Boncath Community Council
Ward
Electorate
Councillors
Electors per Councillor
595
7
85
Pembrokeshire County Council: REVIEW OF COMMUNITIES
Pembrokeshire County Council: REVIEW OF COMMUNITIES