Scores of town and community councillors will be lost in Ceredigion as part of a radical shake up that will see member numbers more than halved in some new look councils, with other smaller community councils merged or scrapped and absorbed into bigger neighbours.

All but one of Ceredigion’s 51 community council areas will change, many dramatically, and suffer the loss of several councillors after proposals by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales for the new community arrangements in the county were approved by the Welsh Government.

Only Llanwenog Community Council will stay as it is under the new proposals, with councillor reductions, minor boundary changes, and council mergers set to be introduced elsewhere across the county leading to the loss of 179 councillors.

Original proposals had the county losing more than 250 of its town and community councillors, but the accepted final proposals scaled back the councillor losses following a consultation period.

In Aberaeron, the move will see the town council reduced from 12 members down to eight, while the county’s biggest town council in Aberystwyth will have its councillor numbers reduced from 19 to 18.

Wards in Cardigan will remain the same with slight boundary changes, but proposals will see the number of councillors reduced from the current 14 to 10.

Only one minor boundary change will take place in Lampeter, but its size is set to be more than halved, falling from 15 members to 10.

In Llandysul , the four wards will be retained with slight boundary changes, with the number of councillors reducing from 13 to 11.

In the New Quay area, Llanllwchaiarn Community Council will be scrapped and folded in with the current New Quay Town Council as projections show Llanllwchaiarn will be too small within five years to meet minimum council elector size.

The combined new look New Quay Council will have 11 members, down from a current combined 17.

Tregaron will see minor boundary changes with a reduction in councillors from 11 to eight.

In Aberporth, the council’s size will be reduced from 12 members to 10 along with three small boundary changes.

Beulah community council will see eight boundary changes, two wards being merged, and a lowering of member numbers from the current 13 down to 11.

Blaenrheidol and Pontarfynach Community Councils will be merged under the new proposals.

Currently consisting of eight members each, the merged new council will halve to have four members from each community in the new combined council.

Borth Community Council will see a reduction in member numbers from 11 to eight along with minor boundary changes.

Community councils in Llangynfelyn and Ysgubor y Coed will be merged, with councillor numbers halving from a currently combined 16 to a total of eight in the new-look ward.

Ceulanamaesmawr Community Council will be retained, but councillor numbers will fall from 11 to eight.

Ciliau Aeron and Nantcwnlle Community Councils will be merged to form a joint council, with councillor numbers dropping from a combined 19 to 13 representing three wards.

Dyffryn Arth Community Council will see four minor boundary changes, but will remain a separate entity with a drop in member numbers from 10 to seven.

Despite initial plans wanting to merge Llanbadarn Fawr Community Council and Faenor Community Council, the two will remain separate.

Llanbadarn Fawr Community Council will fall from 15 councillors to 11, while in Faenor council member numbers will drop to eight from the current 12.

Henfynyw and Llanarth Community Councils will also be merged under the plans, with a drop in councillor numbers from 20 down to a combined 16.

Llanddewi Brefi and Llangeitho community councils will merge into one council, with the loss of 10 councillors, down to 12 from the current 22.

Llanfair Clydogau and Llangybi Community Councils will be also be merged, with a huge loss of councillors from the current 19, down to just eight.

Lledrod and Llangwyryfon Community Councils will also be merged, dropping from 17 members to 10.

Llandyfriog Community Council will lose four members, falling from 12 to eight.

Llandysiliogogo and Troedyraur councils will be merged with the loss of seven councillors.

The new-look larger council will have 15 members, down from a current 22.

Llanfarian and Llanrhystud Community Councils will also be merged into one new-look large council.

It will also lose seven members, moving from a combined 22 to 15 councillors across three wards.

Llanwnnen will lose its community council, which will make up part of a larger Llanfihangel Ystrad Community Council with the new council having a total of 12 members, down from the current combined 19.

Llangoedmor Community Council will see member numbers drop from 11 to seven.

Llangrannog and Penbryn Community Councils will merge, with a new combined council having 13 members, down from the current 21.

Llanilar and Trawsgoed Community Councils will also merge with a loss of seven councillors.

The combined new council will have 13 members, down from 20.

Llansantffraed Community Council will see member numbers drop from 10 to eight along with minor boundary changes.

Melindwr Community Council will see councillor numbers dropping from 10 to seven.

Geneu’r Glyn Community Council will be scrapped and folded in to Tirymynach Community Council which includes Bow Street.

The larger new council will see a loss of seven members, falling from the current 21 to 14.

Trefeurig Community Council will see two minor boundary changes and a reduction in council members from 11 to eight.

Three slight changes to boundaries will be made in the area of Y Ferwig Community Council where councillor numbers will fall to eight from the current 10.

Ysbyty Ystwyth and Ystrad Meurig will both lose their dedicated community councils with both being folded in to the larger Ystrad Fflur Community Council.

The new look council will mean the loss of 11 councillors.

Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government Jayne Bryant agreed the recommendations of Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru this week.

The Commission said that 260 responses were received during the review’s two consultation periods on the changes to the boundaries and electoral arrangements of 50 communities in Ceredigion.

Chief Executive of Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ said: “The Commission is delighted that the recommendations of its community reviews will now be implemented.

“We’d like to thank the Minister for taking this decision, and also thank our partners in Ceredigion council, all the community and town councils in the county, and the members of the public who engaged so constructively in the review.

“Reviewing and updating the boundaries and electoral arrangements of communities is crucial in ensuring that people across Ceredigion continue to receive the best representation, and that local changes to populations, for example where new housing estates have been built, are reflected in the boundaries of communities.”

The Minister said: “Work will now be undertaken to progress the drafting of the Order required to implement this decision with the changes coming into force on 6 May 2027.

“The preparations for the revised arrangements will require careful consideration and planning to ensure a smooth transition from the current structures to the new arrangements.

“I have encouraged the council to begin discussions with the community councils in the area as soon as possible.