| Community Cymuned (Welsh) | |
|---|---|
 Map of Welsh communities as of 2021 | |
| Category | Parish |
| Location | Wales |
| Found in | Principal areas (counties/county boroughs) |
| Created by | Local Government Act 1972 |
| Created |
|
| Number | 878 |
| Possible types |
|
| Government | |
Acommunity (Welsh:cymuned) is a division of land that forms the lowest tier oflocal government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous tocivil parishes in England but, unlike English parishes, communities cover the whole of Wales.[1] There are 878 communities in Wales, with more than 730 having community and town councils.[2]
Until 1974 Wales was divided intocivil parishes.[3] These were abolished by section 20 (6) of theLocal Government Act 1972, and replaced by communities by section 27 of the same Act. Theprincipal areas of Wales are divided entirely into communities. Unlike in England, whereunparished areas exist, no part of Wales is outside a community, even inurban areas.[3]
Most, but not all, communities are administered bycommunity councils, which are equivalent to Englishparish councils in terms of their powers and the way they operate. Welsh community councils may call themselvestown councils unilaterally and may havecity status granted bythe Crown. In Wales, all town councils are community councils. There are now three communities with city status:Bangor,St Asaph andSt Davids. The chair of a town council or city council will usually have the title mayor (Welsh:maer). However, not every community has a council. In communities with populations too small to sustain a full community council, community meetings may be established. The communities in the urban areas of the cities ofCardiff,Swansea andNewport do not have community councils.[4][5][6]
At the2001 United Kingdom census, there were 869 communities in Wales. 84 percent, or more than 730, have a council.[3] They vary in size fromRhayader with an area of 13,945 hectares (34,460 acres) toCefn Fforest with an area of 64 hectares (160 acres). They ranged in population, fromBarry with 45,053 recorded inhabitants toBaglan Bay with no permanent residents.
As of 2025, there are 878 communities, although the number of them having community/town councils have remained the same at 730.[2]
The twenty-twoprincipal area councils are required to review the community boundaries within their area every fifteen years.[7] The councils propose changes to theLocal Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, which prepares a report and makes recommendations to theWelsh Government. If the Welsh Government accepts the recommendations, then it implements them using astatutory instrument.[8] For example, in 2016 four new communities were created in theCity and County of Cardiff.[9]
The legislation surrounding community councils in Wales has been amended significantly in theLocal Government (Wales) Act 1994 and theLocal Government (Wales) Measure 2011.[10]
| Physical | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environment | |||||||
| Land use | |||||||
| Administrative |
| ||||||
| Social | |||||||
| Other | |||||||
