NEWPORT city councillors have refused a Welsh Government proposal to voluntarily merge with Monmouthshire County Council.

Councillors voted to remain autonomous at a full council meeting tonight but proposals, set out by the Welsh Government White Paper, could still be put into place without their approval.

The merger proposal, which supports a Newport and Monmouthshire union, would be to reduce the 22 councils in Wales to between ten and 12 by 2017-18, which the Welsh Government claims would save half a billion pounds over a decade.

Council leader Bob Bright said: "We embrace change but what we're saying is, from all sides of the council chamber, is that Newport, as the third city, has an important part to play.

"The two areas are so diverse. The city has got great prospects, we've turned a corner and we can make a great contribution."

Cllr Bright added that with discussions taking place into constitutional reform following last week's Scottish independence referendum, the Williams Report, which outlined the proposed merger, is "somewhat out of date".

Leader of the Conservatives Cllr David Fouweather said: "We, on the Conservative side, agree with what the leader of the council has said, we believe that Newport should remain a stand-alone authority."

Cllr Fouweather admitted that when he saw that Leighton Andrews had been re-appointed to the Welsh cabinet as minister for public service earlier this month, his "heart sank".

Mr Andrews AM was appointed to a newly-created post to be responsible for delivering local government changes.

Cllr Fouweather added: "My thoughts are he will drive forward now and force us just to have 12 local authorities for the whole of Wales and that is worrying."

Cllr Bright said that he was told yesterday that Mr Andrews had rejected an alternative proposal set out by the Welsh Local Government Association (WGLA) to create four combined authorities.

The combined authorities would be responsible for services on a regional basis such as transport, land use and tourism, while retaining the current 22 councils.

Conservative councillor David Williams told the meeting that the Welsh Government had estimated that the proposals to create 10 to 12 local authorities in Wales would cost £100 million to implement but the WGLA, which used figures from a council merger in Cornwall to come up with an estimation, warned it could be closer to £200 million.

Labour councillor Chris Evans said he did not support a Newport and Monmouthshire merger but said: "The status quo is not an option...let's accept change and influence change because change is coming."

Labour councillor Bob Poole said: "We understand that some county councils are too small but to put those along with us wouldn't work."

An amendment, proposed by Liberal Democrat Ed Townsend, to add to the council's response that the Welsh Government should do further work on the proposals was rejected.

Labour councillor Herbie Thomas said: "If anybody tells me 'if you change it'll save money', that's a joke."

Council leader Bright added: "I'm full of admiration for the opposition, they've put the city before the party. They've made the point it would no doubt be to their benefit electorally but they have taken the decision of putting the city first."

The council will now submit their response to the Welsh Government stating that they will not be submitting a proposal for a voluntary merger and wish to remain autonomous.