Mergers look likely in Mid Wales authorities shake-up
Town and community councils in Mid Wales could be merged as part of a major shake-up of local government, councillors have been told.
The move comes from recommendation by the Williams Commission which was charged with looking at the future of local authorities in Wales.
Town councillors in Llanfyllin were told that although the commission's main recommendations included the merger of some of the country's large county councils, smaller councils would also be affected.
Llanfyllin town councillor John Brautigam said concerns about the impact the changes would have on grassroots councils were brought up at the latest meeting of the North Montgomeryshire Local Council Forum.
He told a meeting of the council: "It was thought Powys has got away without too much change, just being asked to integrate with the teaching health board, but the changes are more reaching. "There is a provision for community councils like us to be forced to merge to form larger entities.
"What is not clear at all is how many merged councils there is going to be, and how exactly they will be funded."
Councillor Brautigam said although he could follow the sense behind the move, the mergers could throw up challenges. He said in theory Llanfyllin could be told to merge with a group of councils for the Welshpool area.,
The councillor said some difficulties could emerge when councils with lower council tax precepts and which are responsible for very few services are merged with councils which have large budgets and have several responsibilities.
Councillor Brautigam said: "Party leaders at Powys County Council are getting together to see what is being proposed.
"This is due for implementation by 2017. This council as we sit now will disappear in 2017 one way or another.
"Personally I can see the sense in it but I can also see enormous problems because of the way councils are funded for different purposes."
The Williams Commission was set up by the Welsh Government to look at the reorganisation of local government.
Among its findings was a recommendation for a reduction in the number of smaller councils.
The commission reported: "
At present, though, they are too numerous to do so effectively. "In particular, many suffer from very limited capacity, and the level of democratic engagement with them is very low. We therefore believe that they too should be reorganised."
