MANY reacted angrily to the plan to merge Gwent’s five councils, which would give the new authority control over more than half a million people.

Monmouthshire Council leader Peter Fox said: “Ultimately, it offers nothing more than a dusted-off map from the 90’s that will do little to answer the pressing and current day challenges faced by local councils in Wales.

“It is the view of the Conservative Group in the Welsh Local Government Association that the process should now be abandoned. The idea that “big is beautiful” has been shown across the Welsh public sector to be flawed in theory and practice. We want to see localism at the heart of Welsh public services, not huge bureaucracies distant from the point of service delivery.”

Blaenau Gwent council leader Hedley McCarthy said: “I remember that the old Gwent did little for those of us who live in the north of the county. For 200 years we have seen wealth, power and influence move south. Today the Welsh Government is signalling that it is content for this process to continue into the new century.”

The council’s deputy leader Steve Thomas added: “The county borough council is our biggest employer. Any proposal that removes political authority from the heads of the valleys will inevitably lead to a loss of confidence that we will be able to maintain the current level of services.”

The Welsh Government rejected an offer to merge put forward by Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen councils, as well as a suggestion from Blaenau Gwent AM that the northern Gwent counties of Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent could become one.

Former natural resources Labour minister Alun Davies said: “I am very disappointed with this proposal. We need political authority based in the heads of the valleys to focus on creating work, tackling poverty and delivering services. I can see nothing in this proposal that will improve these things in Blaenau Gwent and much that will potentially lead to a loss of focus on the challenges facing us as a borough.

“Simply issuing dictacts from Cardiff Bay is the worst way to promote debate and discussion.”

Conservative AM for Monmouth Nick Ramsay said: “I’m appalled by these proposals which would wipe Monmouthshire off the map and wind the clock back to a local government era that was unpopular and ineffective last time around. The Welsh Government hasn’t even listened to the findings of the Williams Commission it set up that recommended 11 authorities and would have seen Monmouthshire merge with Newport.

“Local government reorganisation always costs more than predicted. Personally I support the alternative proposals for a combined authority model similar to Greater Manchester where local authorities retain their identity but pool resources to deliver local services such as education and social services.”

However, some were more circumspect in their responses. A spokeswoman for Newport City Council said: "We have always been clear that we are not against collaboration with other councils or organisations where it would benefit residents but we do want Newport to retain its own identity. We will consider these latest proposals carefully and will respond in due course.”

The leader of Torfaen council, cllr Bob Wellington CBE, said: “The sustainability of authorities in Wales is in question over the next three years and it is time to examine all options for reforming public services across the board. This means looking at greater integration of health and social care, freeing up authorities from Government bureaucracy and regulation and also empowering local communities through their councils.”

Leader of Caerphilly county borough council Keith Reynolds said: “I have serious concerns about these latest Welsh Government proposals, which in my view, if enacted would signal the end of local government and local democracy as we know it - we would be left with only regional and national government.

“Our position has not changed and we still maintain that Caerphilly should stand alone. We are a large, well run local authority with a proven track record of delivering quality services to residents. Our focus remains on serving the needs of our local community and targeting our limited resources effectively.”

Plaid Cymru have suggested an alternative reform of keeping the 22 councils but creating regional bodies to manage services like public transport. Party leader Leanne Wood said: “No extra councillors or officials would be needed, in fact, we envisage a reduction in personnel costs over time.”

The Welsh Conservatives labelled the plans “a shambles from start to finish.” Their spokeswoman on public services Janet Finch Saunders claimed: “Councils should not be forced to merge. It won’t work and it’s a one-way ticket to disaster.”

Also raising concerns was the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) Cymru, who said larger councils could alienate residents without voting reform. They claimed a proportional voting system such as the Single Transferable Vote used in Scotland was necessary to ensure a local voice and good scrutiny.

Steve Brooks, Director of ERS Cymru said: “Due to artificial majorities, councils can often become mini one-party states. Fostering proper debate through fair representation of different parties and opinions is vital so that the council chamber can act as a proper watchdog over decisions made by council leaders.”

Ahead of its annual conference in Swansea today (THURS), the Welsh Local Government Association said in a statement: "Even if there is a commitment to reorganise on the part of the next Welsh Government, it will not be implemented until 2020 at the earliest, and so the disruption, distraction and uncertainty for service users and the local government workforce is set to continue.”

Iestyn Davies, from the Federation of Small Businesses Wales, said: "There is a strong argument for giving local authorities greater powers to deal with the particular economic circumstances of their communities. We should define the role we want councils to perform when it comes to economic development before we decide what map best meets those needs.”

Labour cllr for Rogerstone Chris Evans was more positive about reform, He said: "Just think of the saving we’ll make on chief executive salaries alone - five cut to one, a real saving of several hundreds of thousands of pounds."

He added: "I think it’s time to show some real leadership, to embrace and lead change.”

Conservative AM for South Wales East William Graham, a former councillor in both Gwent and Newport, expressed surprise at plans for 'Labour domination of the new council structure for Wales'. He said: “The old county councils were remote and unresponsive even under the cabinet system. Councillors are likely to be full time with large electorates denying a true local democracy.”

Peter Black AM, shadow local government minister for the Welsh Lib Dems, said: “The whole point of setting up an independent Williams commission was to remove party political influence from this process, and avoid gerrymandered maps like the ones presented to us today.

“If we’re going to have sustainable reform that lasts more than 20 years, unlike the previous two reorganisations, then we need to start from scratch. Give the independent Boundary Commission the task of coming up with a fresh map which actually works, instead of using the same old tired building blocks.”