Comment DBCC-8025
Cardiff North Constituency Labour Party
RESPONSE TO DEMOCRACY AND BOUNDARY COMMISSION CYMRU INITIAL PROPOSALS
We welcome the Commission’s initial proposals insofar as they keep together the four Cardiff Parliamentary constituencies, covering the whole of Cardiff Council. However, we suggest that the Commission reconsider its decision to pair Cardiff West with Cardiff South & Penarth. We instead propose pairing Cardiff West and Cardiff North, and Cardiff South & Penarth with Cardiff East.
In summary, we suggest that the Cardiff West and North pairing is a combination that is more strongly aligned to the changing nature of Cardiff, and the choices and decisions ahead. As well as deep historical and cultural connections which flow in a horizontal direction across the two constituencies, the citizens and communities of Cardiff West and Cardiff North will benefit in the coming decade from joint representation in the Senedd by a shared set of representatives.
The strong, natural ties between Cardiff West and Cardiff North and the benefits from shared representation fall into six main themes:
1. The Welsh language and its growth in Cardiff. While Cardiff is both the most numerous and fastest growing area in Wales for the Welsh language, this trend is, in fact, highly concentrated in Cardiff West and Cardiff North. Fourteen wards in Cardiff have more Welsh speakers than the Cardiff average of 10.1%; of these, eleven are in Cardiff West and Cardiff North, including the eight wards with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers1. These areas are, arguably, the new heartlands of the Welsh language and form a contiguous block stretching West to East, from Creigiau and Pentyrch in the North West, over to Lisvane in the East, including the two historically linked secondary schools at Glantaf and Plasmawr. Uniting these areas under a common set of Senedd representatives would make it more likely that their common linguistic character is effectively represented, to contribute to the Welsh Government’s ambition of a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
1 Defined as those able to speak, read and write in Welsh according to the 2021 Census.
2. Village-based community character and local ties. Cardiff’s North-Western band is characterised by a number of village-based communities, in contrast with the more inherently urban nature of the city centre and much of the Eastern and Southern parts of the city that extend to the coastline. The very different nature of shared community characteristics in this North-Western band is highlighted by the fact that all six of Cardiff’s Community Councils sit within Cardiff North (Lisvane; Old St Mellons; Tongwynlais) and Cardiff West (Radyr & Morganstown; Pentyrch; St Fagans). 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. 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 boundary to include Tongwynlais. Uniting these communities under a common set of Senedd representatives would make it more likely that their common interests and characteristics, including governance structures, are effectively represented. Many of these common interests reflect the nature of the Taff river valley as a vital transport link for the region.
3. Future development and expansion of the city to the North-West. 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).
4. Local authority boundaries with RCT. 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.
5. West-North transport and movement for residents. 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.
6. Natural geography. 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 Llandaf 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, 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.
We believe that each of these themes illustrates the strength of connection between Cardiff West and Cardiff North and the benefits that citizens would derive from being jointly represented in a single Senedd constituency. We also note that a Commission decision to adopt this pairing (and the subsequent pairing of Cardiff South & Penarth and Cardiff East) would not create a knock-on effect on other proposed pairings. As such, we call on the Commission to revise its proposals and to combine Cardiff West and Cardiff North into a new Senedd Constituency of Cardiff North-West.
Respondent type
On behalf of an organisation (private or public)
Organisation name
Cardiff North Constituency Labour Party
This comment refers to
The entire area under review.