IN response to Jim Dyer’s letter: City region is the answer (SWA Friday 26th September). The city of Newport’s current population is about 150,000. The Newport metropolitan area has a population (based on a boundary commission recommendation) of about 310,000. However, this metropolitan population includes a number of Rumney Valley districts which, in my opinion, makes no sense.

The same commission has recommended that Torfaen be included in a Caerphilly metropolitan area. Over the last hundred years, or so, the main reason for boundary changes has been the result of party political manipulation. I suggest that in future boundaries should be organised on a more rational and intelligent basis such as taking into account physical-geographical aspects like valleys, historical and economic associations and road and rail infrastructure connections.

It should be possible to organise South Wales into four metropolitan authorities with populations of between 450,000 and 550,000. These metropolitan authorities could be Newport, Caerphilly, Cardiff, and Swansea. Each metropolitan authority would be entitled to roughly equal funding for development and regeneration. These authorities would be entitled to roughly equal representation in the Welsh Assembly and at Westminster.

Brian Hayes, Clearwell Court, Bassaleg,