Boundary Changes for lower Cynon Valley
24. Pontypridd
24.1 The Commission proposes that a county constituency be created from:
1. The following electoral wards within the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf (which currently form part of the existing Pontypridd CC): Beddau (3,172), Church Village (4,424), Graig (1,885), Hawthorn (3,180), Llantrisant Town (3,187), Llantwit Fardre (4,825), Pontypridd Town (2,208), Rhondda (3,458), Rhydfelen Central/Ilan (3,037), Talbot Green (1,965), Ton-teg (3,183), Trallwng (2,824), Treforest (2,862) and Tyn-y-nant (2,454)
and:
2. The following electoral wards within the County Borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf (which currently form part of the existing Cynon Valley CC): Aberaman North (3,609), Aberaman South (3,541), Abercynon (4,441), Cilfynydd (2,110), Glyncoch (2,006), Mountain Ash East (2,254), Mountain Ash West (3,123), Penrhiwceiber (4,056) and Ynysybwl (3,433).
24.2 This constituency would have 71,237 electors, which is 2.9% below the UKEQ of 73,393 electors per constituency. The proposed single name for the constituency is Pontypridd. 24.3 The existing Pontypridd constituency is currently below the statutory requirements in respect of the size of the electorate. The Commission considered several options, and proposes to combine electoral wards from the neighbouring Cynon Valley constituency to meet the statutory electorate range. The Commission considers that including electoral wards from Cynon Valley that are wholly within the Rhondda Cynon Taf principal council area creates a constituency that is retained within a single principal council area.
Combining the electoral wards of Cilfynydd and Glyncoch with the rest of the town of Pontypridd as proposed would ensure the whole of the town of Pontypridd is included within one constituency, where it is currently split across two existing constituencies.
Page 85 Boundary Commission for Wales 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies / Initial Proposals
The Commission considers that combining electoral wards from the existing Pontypridd constituency and the existing Cynon Valley constituency in this way provides for an appropriate constituency that follows the valley roads from north to south.
24.4 The proposed constituency includes electoral wards that are wholly within the Rhondda Cynon Taf principal council area. The Commission proposes that the existing constituency name of Pontypridd be the single name for this constituency, which the Commission considers to be recognisable and acceptable in both Welsh and English.
24.5 The remainder of the electoral wards of the existing constituency of Cynon Valley can be found on page 66, and of Pontypridd can be found on pages 41, 46 and 87.
