This meeting of the Liaison Meeting with Community Councils covered a range of topics, including a presentation on the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru Draft Report, and a discussion for Community Councillors to suggest topics for future discussion. The next meeting is scheduled for 11 December 2025.

Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru Draft Report

The meeting included a presentation on the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru (DBCC) Draft Report. The DBCC is responsible for setting the determinations on pay, expenses and benefits for members of principal councils, community and town councils, fire and rescue authorities and national park authorities.

The draft annual remuneration report 2026-2027 covers several key areas:

• Resettlement payments: The Welsh Government has requested the DBCC to consider payments for councillors who are unsuccessful in re-election bids.
• Senior roles: The DBCC will survey authorities to assess the remuneration framework for senior roles in principal councils and corporate joint committees[^1] (CJCs).
• Community and town councils: The DBCC will continue to monitor the impact of simplified reporting requirements for community and town councils (CTCs).
• Corporate Joint Committees: The commission will consult on whether additional remuneration is appropriate to reflect the additional time commitment and responsibilities relating to CJCs.
• Co-opted and lay members: The DBCC will consider the Welsh Government's review of remuneration rates for co-opted members of principal councils, national park authorities (NPAs) and fire and rescue authorities (FRAs), as well as lay members of CJCs.
• Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE): The DBCC will assess whether linking remuneration to the Office for National Statistics data from the Welsh element of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings remains appropriate.

The report also sets out determinations for 2026-27, including:

• Basic salary for elected members: The basic salary is set at £21,044, a 6.4% increase, aligned with three-fifths of the all-Wales 2024 ASHE.
• Salaries for senior, civic and presiding members: Senior salaries, inclusive of the basic salary, will also see a 6.4% increase. The salary for the leader of the largest (Group A) council will be £78,917.
• Salaries for Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee (JOSC) members: The salary of a chair of a JOSC will be £10,522, and the salary of a vice-chair will be £5,261.
• Payments to NPA and FRA members: Remuneration levels for ordinary members of both NPAs and FRAs will increase in line with ASHE.
• Payments to community and town council members: Financial loss compensation for CTC members is increased, with up to £67.45 for periods not exceeding 4 hours and up to £134.90 for periods exceeding 4 hours but not exceeding 24 hours.

The consultation period for the draft report ends on 18 November 2025.

Community Boundary and Electoral Arrangements Review Consultation

Further information on the Community Boundary and Electoral Arrangements Review Consultation can be found on the Newport City Council website. A full recording of the discussion can be found here.

Facilitated Discussion for Community Councils

Community Councillors were invited to suggest topics for discussion at future meetings.

Several suggestions were put forward:

• Grass cutting inconsistencies and safety risks
• Information sharing on road safety policies and best practices
• Discussion of statutory policies required of Community Councils
• Reviews of speeding and speed limits in rural areas

Councillor input, policy development and best practice on road safety was suggested as a topic, with the Head of Law and Standards, Mike Wallbank, requesting specific requirements due to different areas of highways and safety being under the remit of different authorities.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager, Leanne Rowlands, stated that information previously provided on annual report presentations could be reshared and that further questions were also welcome.

[1]: Corporate joint committees (CJCs) are a type of body in Wales made up of the leaders of the principal councils within its area and the chair of any national park authority that lies wholly or partly within its boundary.