Welsh-only names for new big Senedd seats revealed

The revised proposals see changes to the commission’s original plans in Cardiff.

It had planned to match up Cardiff North with Cardiff East, and Cardiff South and Penarth with Cardiff West.

But it has now switched them around following the consultation.

Most of those who got in touch gave their support for the original proposals.

But commissioners wanted to reunite the student-dominated ward of Cathays with the rest of the former Cardiff Central constituency.

They argued there were strong transport links between Cardiff North and Cardiff West, as well as linguistic and historic ties.

The seats will have bilingual names – Cardiff South-east Penarth, or De-ddwyrain Caerdydd Penarth, and Cardiff North-west, or Gogledd-orllewin Caerdydd.

Elsewhere, the commission has decided to retain its plan to merge Ynys Môn with Bangor Aberconwy, despite some proposing the Anglesey seat be merged with Dwyfor Meirionydd.

“The commission acknowledges that there are stronger linguistic, cultural and historical links between the Dwyfor Meirionnydd and Ynys Môn constituencies and the number of representations supporting the pairing of these two areas,” it said.

But the law requires direct road and transport links, which the commission said “restricts the available options”.

More than 3,700 submissions were made to the commission’s last consultation, although many were not about the boundaries themselves.

It said it received 1,115 about the change in the number of constituencies, the increase in the MSs and the planned change in the voting system, which the commission was unable to consider as the matter was out of its remit.

Chief Executive of the commission, Shereen Williams, said the body was open to making further changes “depending on the representations we receive”.

The consultation closes 13 January 2025.