Ali Ahmed, Labour Councillor for Butetown, says the area is too large for only one councillor.
Butetown’s population is around nine thousand but it only has one councillor. It is one of five wards to only have one representative on the council. According to the Cardiff Council website, other areas of similar sizes – such as Rumney – have at least two.
Mr Ahmed says it is “very sad” that Butetown has only one representative on the council.
“I have done the best I can but if we had more councillors obviously I think it would take more pressure off me,” he says.
Mr Ahmed says he supports the Atlantic Wharf Residents Association, who wrote to the Boundary Commission for Wales to ask for more councillors. The Association wants three councillors for the area and would like to see separate Central, East and West Butetown wards. The Chairman of the AWRA, Bernard James, says some residents of Cardiff Bay are “neglected” because the needs of central Butetown are more serious and suggests funding and time is not spread equally throughout the area.
The Boundary Commission for Wales have responded to the residents, saying they will look at changing the number of councillors who represent Butetown for the 2021 Cardiff City Council elections.
