Aberdare Boundary changes
18. Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (Merthyr Tudful ac Aberdâr)
18.1 The Commission proposes that a county constituency be created from:
1. The entire County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil principal council area, comprising the following electoral wards (which currently form part of the existing Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney CC): Bedlinog (2,977), Cyfarthfa (5,457), Dowlais (5,014), Gurnos (3,477), Merthyr Vale (2,798), Park (3,296), Penydarren (3,818), Plymouth (4,096), Town (5,998), Treharris (5,270) and Vaynor (2,880) and:
2. The following electoral wards within the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf (which currently form part of the Cynon Valley CC):
Aberdare East (4,909), Aberdare West/Llwydcoed (7,404), Cwmbach (3,751), Hirwaun (3,167), Pen-y-waun (1,973) and Rhigos (1,370)
and:
3. The electoral ward of Nelson (3,563) within the County Borough of Caerphilly (which currently forms part of the existing Caerphilly CC).
18.2 This constituency would have 71,218 electors, which is 3% below the UKEQ of 73,393 electors per constituency. The proposed name for the constituency is Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare. The proposed official alternative name for the constituency is Merthyr Tudful ac Aberdâr.
18.3 The existing Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney and Cynon Valley constituencies are currently below the statutory requirements in respect of the size of the electorate. The Commission considered several options, and proposes to combine the whole of the Merthyr Tydfil principal council area with the electoral wards of Aberdare East, Aberdare West/ Llwydcoed, Cwmbach, Hirwaun, Pen-y-waun and Rhigos from the existing Cynon Valley 67 Boundary Commission for Wales 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies / Initial Proposals constituency. The Commission acknowledges that a constituency formed of these areas does not follow the geography of the valleys from north to south. However, there are good road links across the Heads of the Valleys, which maintain an accessible link throughout the area. To meet the statutory electorate range, the Commission also proposes to incorporate the Nelson electoral ward from the existing Caerphilly constituency into this proposed constituency. This electoral ward is connected to the remainder of the proposed constituency by road, and is similar in character to the rest of the constituency.
18.4 The proposed constituency includes the whole of the Merthyr Tydfil principal council
area, and is combined with electoral wards from the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf and the County Borough of Caerphilly principal council areas. The Commission proposes that the names of Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare are used in the constituency name to reflect the primary settlements within the proposed constituency.
18.5 The remainder of the electoral wards of the existing constituency of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney can be found on page 26, and of Caerphilly can be found on pages 26, 60 and 81, and of Cynon Valley can be found on page 84
