THE people of Newport will be able to give their views from next week on proposals to reshape city council electoral wards and the number of councillors who represent them.

The overall effect of the proposed changes will reduce by one - to 49 - the number of city councillors, while increasing the number of wards by two, to 22, to cater for areas where there has been a significant increase in housing.

But increases and reductions are proposed in several individual wards.

A 12-week consultation will start next week on the proposals, made by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, which recommends an average of 2,233 electors per councillor.

The proposals include 18 multi-member wards, consisting of 10 two-member wards, seven three-member wards and one four-member ward. The remaining four would be represented by one councillor.

The proposals mean there will be no changes to nine electoral wards.

What are the proposed boundary changes?

Eleven of the current 20 wards that make up Newport City Council would remain geographically the same under the proposals.

They are Allt-yr-yn, Alway, Beechwood, Bettws, Caerleon, Gaer, Malpas, Ringland, Shaftesbury, St Julians and Victoria.

There would be changes in all the other 11 wards, including the creation of two new wards in Rogerstone.

The commission has proposed that Afon Village in Graig combines with the West ward of the community of Rogerstone to form a new Rogerstone West ward.

The rest of Rogerstone would be split into two wards, Rogerstone East and Rogerstone North, using existing community boundaries.

The rest of the Graig ward remains the same under the proposals.

Changes to the Marshfield and Tredegar Park wards have also been proposed.

The commission proposes that the communities of Coedkernew, Tredegar Park and Wentlooge combine to form a Tredegar Park and Marshfield East ward.

The communities of Marshfield and Michaelstone-y-Fedw would also combine to form Marshfield West.

Stow Hill ward would largely remain geographically the same, but the Mon Bank development in Pillgwenlly would be added to it.

The rest of Pillgwenlly ward would remain the same.

The Langstone and Llanwern wards could see significant changes.

Under the proposals Bishton, Lanstone, Llanvaches and Penhow would form a Bishton and Langstone ward.

The communities of Goldcliff, Llanwern, Nash and Redwick would combine to form a Llanwern ward.

The remainder of the Liswerry ward, excluding Nash, would form the final ward.

How many councillors would each ward have?

Four - Liswerry

Three - Allt-yr-yn, Alway, Caerleon, Gaer, Malpas, Ringland, St Julians

Two - Beechwood, Bettws, Bishton and Langstone, Graig, Pillgwenlly, Rogerstone West, Shaftesbury, Stow Hill, Tredegar Park and Marshfield East, Victoria

One - Llanwern, Marshfield West, Rogerstone East, Rogerstone North

Why is this taking place?

All 22 councils in Wales are having their electoral arrangements reviewed by the commission.

There have been no changes to local government boundaries in Newport since 2002, and the draft proposals aim to improve electoral parity across the city.

Basically, some wards are much bigger than others, in terms of the number of potential voters they have, and the aim of the changes is to improve that balance, as far as possible.

Since 2002 for instance, some wards have seen big increases in populations, due to house building, and these may be deemed to require more councillors to represent them. Others, if boundaries reshaped, may need less.

The proposals also take into account any potential changes to the electorate, including proposals to lower the voting age to 16.

How will this affect me?

If you live in one of the nine wards where there are no proposed changes then you will see no difference.

These wards include Allt-yr-yn, Alway, Caerleon, Gaer, Malpas, Ringland, Shaftesbury, St Julians and Victoria.

However, if you live in any of the other 11 wards then the proposals, if approved, could affect who your ward representatives are, and which ward you would vote in for city council elections.

These proposals are still subject to change.

How can I have my say?

The consultation period runs from January 16 for 12 weeks.

To have your say on the proposed changes visit https://ldbc.gov.wales/reviews/01-20/newport-draft-proposal