COMMUNITY councillors in the Henllys area of Cwmbran have shared their frustrations over potential changes to its boundary.

Torfaen County Borough Council has to review community council boundaries every ten years, and is now consulting on two proposals.

  • Extending the boundary of Henllys Community Council to take over the whole community council ward of Two Locks, thus removing it from Cwmbran Community Council;
  • For Henllys Community Council to merge with Cwmbran Community Council as a whole.

If no changes are implemented the Community Council will stay as is.

At their December meeting, councillors discussed the report.

Cllr Jonathan Lewis said the plan would amount just to "joining bits together".

Cllr Steve Webb said: “The Henllys and Two Locks thing doesn't work. We lose everything if we go into Cwmbran. What happens to things we do, like Henllys Village Fete? I think it'll get swallowed up. It makes more sense to stay as it is."

Cllr Smith-Higgins added: "What’s best for the residents of Henllys is to stay as we are. I’ve talked extensively to residents and they want to stay as we are. Joining Cwmbran? We’ll be minnows."

Cllr Ron Burnett, who is also the county councillor for Two Locks, said he was worried about how any changes could affect the £5,000 payment the community council gets from a solar farm and is spent in Henllys.

Cllr Burnett added: "My opinion is to stay as we are."

Torfaen Council has published its recommendations following the first stage of the review.

The deadline to share your views in the survey is February 28. The results will go to the task and finish group who will draft final recommendations, which will then need to be approved by the full council.