PLANS to make Risca and Cross Keys part of Newport's county borough are set to be opposed by Caerphilly council.

The boundary change would have "potentially very significant financial implications" for Caerphilly, a report into the proposal has warned.

The council has been asked to respond to the Local Govern-ment Boundary Commission, which has received a request to review the boundary between Newport and Caerphilly as regards Cross Keys and Risca.

Now members of Caerphilly council are being asked to discuss the issue at a meeting on Wednesday.

A report to the council, by head of policy and central services Chris Burns, says at present the commission is only seeking preliminary views to help inform their consideration of the request.

"Following this consultation they might decide to undertake a review - alternatively, they may conclude that there is no substantial case for a review to be undertaken at all," he says.

The report states that transferring Risca West and East and Cross Keys to Newport would reduce the electorate of the Caerphilly county borough by around 11,450 - a reduction of 8.7 per cent.

The total population of the Caerphilly county borough would also be reduced by around 15,000, and 6,600 residential properties would be lost.

"Such a decrease in population would, inevitably, have a major impact on the operation of the authority," the report says.

"The way in which services are structured and provided would need to be completely reviewed for many if not most services.

"The authority's income and council tax base would be significantly affected."

The report also says that the boundary change could have a distinct bearing on the economic efficiency of many services.

It is being recommended that members agree to submit a response to the Boundary Commission, saying that a change of this magnitude relatively soon after the 1996 changes is not in the best interests of the communities of Risca and Crosskeys, or of the county borough as a whole - and that if there is to be a review of the boundary, then the issue should be decided by a local referendum.