THE leader of Monmouthshire County Council has called plans to reduce the number of local authorities from 22 to 10 “unsettling”.

Under the merger proposals set out by the Welsh Government’s local government secretary Alun Davies, Monmouthshire would merge with Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent.

But Conservative councillor Peter Fox said the mergers, which are under consultation until June 12, have created “massive uncertainty” for council staff and the county’s communities.

“I for one do not want to see Monmouthshire to go, I love Monmouthshire as it is,” he told full council this week.

“That’s not to say that I’m against working with others to deliver services in a diff way.

“I believe in our sovereignty and our identity and I’m not going to be part of selling Monmouthshire down the river.”

Some councillors applauded Cllr Fox’s words at a meeting in which he also described the green paper as a “rehash” of similar plans that were abandoned in 2016.

“The paper starts with fine words and sentiments which we all should welcome. But when we get to the meat of the paper it’s the same old argument,” said Cllr Fox.

Cllr Fox said that when the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) met with Mr Davies last month, council leaders had made it clear that “great strides” were already being made on working together.

The Portskewett councillor also praised his Labour counterpart in Newport, Councillor Debbie Wilcox, for the way in which she addressed Mr Davies at the meeting in her role as WLGA leader.

At the full council meeting on Thursday, he said that councils had all agreed on the reform agenda set by Mr Davies’ predecessor Mark Drakeford last year.

“[Mr Drakeford’s] plans left us where we were, but it challenged us to do more,” said Cllr Fox.

“Raising this debate again is unsettling for all in local government. It’s a distraction at a time when we really don’t need it.”

Cllr Fox added that merging would see “modest” financial advantages “but in the scale of the financial constraints we have, it would be minimal against the costs of merging, which would be colossal.”

Concerns were also raised about how the mergers could affect the future of the £1.2 billion Cardiff Capital Region City Deal.