COUNCILS in Wales faced merging with neighbouring authorities "must embrace change", a Welsh Government minister has said.

Revamped plans to cut the number of councils in Wales from 22 to 10, including merging Newport and Caerphilly councils into a single authority, and Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouthshire into another, were announced in March.

But the proposals developed by local government and public services secretary Alun Davies were met with a mixed response from councils in Wales, with many saying they were concerned they would be forced to merge against their will.

But now Mr Davies has told the Argus he is open to councils coming forward with their own alternative proposals.

"It is incumbent on local government to spend less time saying what they don't want and more time saying what they do want," he said.

"Mergers happen in local government in England all the time without services grinding to a halt.

"It's not rocket science."

He added: "Local government needs to embrace change and articulate what that change is."

The Blaenau Gwent AM also said he believed there is broad support for the idea of reorganising local government in Wales, but now the key is for councils and the Welsh Government to work together to determine a new model satisfactory to both sides.

"The objective of this this isn't simply to draw new lines on maps, but to empower local government to make it stronger for the future and withstand austerity," he said.

"There's nobody in local government that I've spoken to who argues for the current configuration of 22 authorities.

"There is broad agreement that things cant' carry on as they are. But I'm not wedded to one proposal.

"I've spoken to (leader of the Welsh Local Government Association) Cllr Debbie Wilcox and she's agreed with me we need to change.

"So now we need to determine a way forward."

Mr Davies added he believed the people of Wales support the idea of reorganising councils to save money.

"It would be a disaster for the people of Wales if they said 'we want reform' and the Welsh Government didn't do it."

View the full reform proposals at tinyurl.com/y9stpu37