Comment DBCC-7779

Cardiff West CLP submission to Welsh Labour on Boundary Commission proposals

Although we welcome the proposal of the Boundary Commission not to separate the four constituencies of Cardiff, we feel there are greater ties between Cardiff West and Cardiff North than between Cardiff West and Cardiff South & Penarth; and likewise, greater ties between Cardiff South & Penarth and Cardiff East.

We also note that a change in the pairings of the four Cardiff constituencies would not have any knock-on impact on any other constituency pairings. It would therefore be a self-contained alteration to the initial proposals.

We therefore urge the Boundary Commission to amend this aspect of its proposals, taking into account the following factors:

Welsh language
Cardiff is both the most numerous and fastest growing area in Wales for the Welsh language, and this is highly concentrated in Cardiff West and Cardiff North. Of the 14 wards in Cardiff which have more Welsh speakers than the Cardiff average of 10.1%, 11 are in Cardiff West and Cardiff North, including the top 8. Uniting these areas under a common set of Senedd representatives would make it more likely that their common linguistic character are effectively represented, and contribute to the Welsh Government’s ambition of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. The alliteration of ‘Gogledd & Gorllewin’ and ‘Dwyrain & De’ makes it easier for non-fluent Welsh speakers pronounce the areas, supporting the ambition to use Welsh language names where possible. It will also help to be able to abbreviate the constituencies.

Mixed character of communities
The north and north-west of Cardiff are characterised by a number of village-based communities, including the area covered by all six of Cardiff’s Community Councils which are within Cardiff North and Cardiff West. Community bonds also exist across a number of the “Taff’s Vale” villages, such as Gwaelod-y-Garth and Taff’s Well, which extend across the Cardiff West-Cardiff North boundary. There are also communities where there are high levels of poverty covering a large area in both Cardiff North (Gabalfa, Llandaff North) and Cardiff West (Ely, Caerau, Pentrebane).

Public services
Close links also exist when it comes to many local services, for example the catchment for Radyr Comprehensive school extending over the river and constituency to include Tongwynlais; strong links between the two Welsh-medium secondary schools Plasmawr and Glantaf; the Heath Hospital being the main hub of both urgent and secondary healthcare services in Cardiff West and Cardiff North; and similar provision of social housing across Cardiff West and Cardiff North (Ely, Caerau, Pentrebane, Llandaff North, Gabalfa). Uniting these services under a common set of Senedd representatives would make it more likely that their common interests and characteristics, including governance structures, are effectively represented.

Cardiff’s future growth and development
Recent expansion and housing development in Cardiff has been concentrated in the North-West of the city (e.g. Lisvane, Pontprennau, Radyr/Plasdŵr). This is creating a concentration of new residents to the city, who can reasonably be expected to share demographic characteristics and needs when it comes to democratic representation. It is also highly likely that much of the focus of future development will be in this part of the city, both in terms of the consideration of new development and also the protection of existing landscapes (e.g. the “Green Wedge” referenced in Cardiff Council’s preferred LDP strategy, which spans the majority of Cardiff West and Cardiff North’s northern border). A single set of representatives will be best placed to coherently represent local residents as these issues and decisions are considered in the coming decade(s).

Local authority wards from Cardiff and Rhondda Cynon Taf
As noted by the Commission, the initial proposals would mean that Senedd members for the Cardiff West, South and Penarth constituency would represent wards that fall across three local authorities, each with distinct character and attributes. This would mean representatives needing to familiarise themselves with three sets of policies and local government stakeholders, which is likely to be detrimental for the quality of constituent service. Our counter proposal of pairing Cardiff West and Cardiff North would have the benefit of limiting this complexity by including both RCT wards (Taffs Well and Pont-y-Clun) in the same Senedd constituency. It would also increase the coherence of community links across Local Authority boundaries, for example joining the two closely-linked areas of Taffs Well and Gwaelod-y-Garth in a single seat.

Existing constituency ties
The current Cardiff Central Senedd constituency has been split between Cardiff South and Penarth and the new Cardiff East seat. By merging Cardiff South and Penarth with Cardiff East the former Cardiff Central seat would be in a single constituency. Trowbridge, Llanrumney and Rumney would be remerged with Cardiff South and Penarth back into one constituency. This would make things easier for the electorate understand the changes.

Transport links
While transport corridors into the city for commuters arguably run largely North-South, the pattern and direction of daily travel for residents in fact converge on a number of key routes and sites across Cardiff West and Cardiff North. The A48 (Western Avenue) stretching from Heath/Mynachdy in Cardiff North to Cardiff West’s boundary at Culverhouse Cross is a major passageway for residents making daily journeys. Similarly, residents of Cardiff West, including those in the newly attached ward of Pont-y-Clun to the north, are likely to find themselves regularly travelling through the two major intersections at Coryton and Mynchady, both of which are situated in Cardiff North. The M4 corridor to the north, combined with the A48 to the south and the A470 linking the two, create a particularly strong connection across the width of a Cardiff West-Cardiff North constituency. This is strongly reinforced by the Taff vale electrification and proposed new Metro stations serving the train line that conveniently connects the two sides of the river at Llandaf and Taff’s Well (Cardiff North) and Radyr (Cardiff West). This Transport for Wales rail development is crucially centred on the new Depot at Taffs Well, directly on the Cardiff North/Cardiff West River Taff interface between Cardiff and the valleys.

Geographic features
Cardiff is bounded geographically by two distinct frontiers, at the North and South respectively. Its northern boundary is characterised by the range of hills which stretch across Cardiff North (Craig Llysfaen, The Wenallt and Craig yr Allt at Nantgarw) to Cardiff West (Garth Hill and Soar). This uniquely unites Cardiff West and Cardiff North whereas, by contrast, Cardiff South & Penarth and Cardiff East between them contain the whole of Cardiff’s southern, coastal boundary. It is also the case that the River Taff, which at first glance may appear to be a natural division between Cardiff West and Cardiff North, is in fact a strong source of common identity for communities along each side of the Taff Valley, spanning Taffs Well, Whitchurch and Llandaff North and Gabalfa in Cardiff North, and Llandaff and Radyr in Cardiff West. The entirety of the river’s greenfield course within Cardiff is contained in these two constituencies, and the issues of sustainability, ecological (flood) protection and water quality and use create a common interest across the two constituencies which would benefit from joint representation (as well as a single constituency link with RCT upstream). This echoes and reinforces the significance of the rail links through Cardiff North and West.

Supporting documents

• 7779_all.pdf

Respondent type

On behalf of an organisation (private or public)

Organisation name

Cardiff West Constituency Labour Party

This comment refers to

The entire area under review.