In something of a surprise, given previous evidence, Denbighshire council has today effectively voted itself out of existence. It plans to merge voluntarily with Conwy. This will depend upon whether its westerly neighbour feels the same, of course, but one has to assume that there has been at least some political dialogue between the two. If so, Denbighshire will cease to exist from April 2018. It will have enjoyed the same lifespan as its predecessor county, Clwyd. When these first started, both Denbighshire and Clwyd felt so permanent.
A post-Williams commission merger seems inevitable in any case. A forced 2020-ish conflation might come with higher risks, hence presumably the voluntary imperative now.
Whether voluntary or enforced, we all need to start getting used to it.
Risks there may be the merger would make sense. Denbighshire is better matched with Conwy than any of its four other neighbours. The two are demographically, economically, linguistically & culturally similar. They both have a concentrated coastal strip of population, a rural hinterland behind, a strong rural Welsh culture, and rely heavily on tourism & agriculture. But there are weaknesses.
Having regained it since 1996, Rhuthun will inevitably lose its county town status
The reality is that the population base will shift towards not just the coast but the populous Conwy coast. Conwy councillors will have the greater say: it commands 12 more councillors than Denbighshire. Assuming that the asset that is currently county hall will have to be retained—what other use for it is there?—it is in danger of becoming an outlier, a sub-office or a branch. As a result, it will see a haemoraging of top jobs.
Councillors will no longer meet there, for two reasons: first, Rhuthun will not be the power base. Secondly, there isn't the space for an enlarged authority, unless someone has the foresight to expand, as happened at Glyndŵr in the mid-1990s, positioning Rhuthun as the only viable choice for a county hall (that's why Rhuthun is the administrative centre, not Y Rhyl).
Rhuthun councillors will have less influence
Denbighshire is largely run by Rhuthun area members and it usually has been. Its leaders have tended to be from the Rhuthun area. Not exclusively, of course, if you remember the Rhiannon Hughes years (she was from Gallt Melyd). Otherwise, it's largely been Elwyn Edwards, Eryl Williams and Hugh Evans.
Half of today's cabinet is from Rhuthun, including the council leader and deputy leader:
These changes will have an economic impact
Fewer politicians in the town, fewer top jobs too and perhaps significantly fewer jobs all round will result in less spending here. It's impossible to determine the long-term impact on Rhuthun but given its reliance on the public sector (one third of workers, admittedly including health and education), the merger will inevitably have a bearing on the town's prosperity. Fewer such visits & jobs and the resultant decline in spending will result in a weakening of the town centre and its supporting businesses. If Rhuthun is no longer at the hub of things, it may lose its desirability as a place to live. House prices may therefore slip and with it comes a feeling of pessimism. We're not saying it's wrong but it's inevitable. At a stroke of the Williams pen will come some far-reaching and unintended consequences.
And One other Consequence
Since 1996, the Denbigbhshire Free Press has been able to dine out on stories from the county, good and bad. Before that, the terse relationship between Rhuthun-based Glyndŵr and Clwyd councils offered fertile ground. In the event county hall's relegated a division or two such it no longer has any real power, the newspaper will need to start working hard for its stories.
Whether voluntary or enforced, we all need to start getting used to it.
Risks there may be the merger would make sense. Denbighshire is better matched with Conwy than any of its four other neighbours. The two are demographically, economically, linguistically & culturally similar. They both have a concentrated coastal strip of population, a rural hinterland behind, a strong rural Welsh culture, and rely heavily on tourism & agriculture. But there are weaknesses.
- Politically, they have different cultures. Conwy's leader is Plaid Cymru, its deputy leader Labour and the cabinet includes two other Labour councillors but no Conservatives. Denbighshire's leader is an independent, its deputy leader is from Plaid and the cabinet includes two Conservatives but none from Labour. Labour in Denbighshire accounts for 40 per cent of its councillors; in Conwy this is about half that percentage.
- Like Denbighshire, Conwy has no significant, large employers.
- Will the imperative to regenerate Y Rhyl lose focus in a larger authority?
- Will Corwen & Llangollen be marginalised? Will there be renewed calls for Llangollen to join Wrecsam?
- And most important of all, Denbighshire tends to look eastwards towards Flintshire, Wrecsam and England, not westwards.
Having regained it since 1996, Rhuthun will inevitably lose its county town status
The reality is that the population base will shift towards not just the coast but the populous Conwy coast. Conwy councillors will have the greater say: it commands 12 more councillors than Denbighshire. Assuming that the asset that is currently county hall will have to be retained—what other use for it is there?—it is in danger of becoming an outlier, a sub-office or a branch. As a result, it will see a haemoraging of top jobs.
Councillors will no longer meet there, for two reasons: first, Rhuthun will not be the power base. Secondly, there isn't the space for an enlarged authority, unless someone has the foresight to expand, as happened at Glyndŵr in the mid-1990s, positioning Rhuthun as the only viable choice for a county hall (that's why Rhuthun is the administrative centre, not Y Rhyl).
Rhuthun councillors will have less influence
Denbighshire is largely run by Rhuthun area members and it usually has been. Its leaders have tended to be from the Rhuthun area. Not exclusively, of course, if you remember the Rhiannon Hughes years (she was from Gallt Melyd). Otherwise, it's largely been Elwyn Edwards, Eryl Williams and Hugh Evans.
Half of today's cabinet is from Rhuthun, including the council leader and deputy leader:
- Leader & lead member for economic development: Hugh Evans, Llanfair DC/Gwyddelwern
- Deputy leader & lead member for education: Eryl Williams (Plaid Cymru), Efenechtyd
- Lead member for social care, adult & children’s services: Bobby Feeley, Rhuthun
- Lead member for public realm: David Smith (Independent), Rhuthun
- Lead member for Leisure, youth, tourism & rural development: Huw Jones, Corwen
- Lead member for modernising performance: Barbara Smith (Independent), Tremeirchion
- Lead member for finance & assets: Julian Thompson-Hill (Conservative), Prestatyn East
- Lead member for customers & communities: Hugh Carson Irving (Conservative), Prestatyn Central
These changes will have an economic impact
Fewer politicians in the town, fewer top jobs too and perhaps significantly fewer jobs all round will result in less spending here. It's impossible to determine the long-term impact on Rhuthun but given its reliance on the public sector (one third of workers, admittedly including health and education), the merger will inevitably have a bearing on the town's prosperity. Fewer such visits & jobs and the resultant decline in spending will result in a weakening of the town centre and its supporting businesses. If Rhuthun is no longer at the hub of things, it may lose its desirability as a place to live. House prices may therefore slip and with it comes a feeling of pessimism. We're not saying it's wrong but it's inevitable. At a stroke of the Williams pen will come some far-reaching and unintended consequences.
And One other Consequence
Since 1996, the Denbigbhshire Free Press has been able to dine out on stories from the county, good and bad. Before that, the terse relationship between Rhuthun-based Glyndŵr and Clwyd councils offered fertile ground. In the event county hall's relegated a division or two such it no longer has any real power, the newspaper will need to start working hard for its stories.