THE leader of Torfaen council has again panned a local government reorganisation plan which could see the five counties of Gwent reunited as one.

Cllr Bob Wellington, who is also leader of the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), told that organisation’s annual conference in Swansea yesterday that a proposal to reduce Wales’ 22 local authority areas to eight or nine only seemed to boost the Welsh Government - at councils' expense.

He said: "We have to say in the current climate local government reorganisation seems to perfectly fit with the old military maxim that the most dangerous thing in a combat zone is a general with a map.”

He added: "The debate on devolution exclusively appears to dwell on empowering Cardiff Bay while local services are sinking in a sea of austerity.”

Cllr Wellington, a Labour councillor, added plans announced by public services minister Leighton Andrews earlier this week were “draining and demoralising” council workers.

Mr Andrews had said on Wednesday that he had looked to merge Newport, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent because they are all covered by Gwent Police and the Aneurin Bevan Health Board.

On Twitter yesterday the deputy leader of Monmouthshire council Cllr Bob Greenland said the atmosphere at the conference proved the plan to be a “non starter”.

He added: “Those in favour of the plan are large councils who just see a bigger budget but might have to move over a bit on their seats to make room.

“Smaller councils see their constituents being forgotten and the money going to the towns and cities.”

On Wednesday, the leader of Blaenau Gwent council Hedley McCarthy said the proposed for Gwent would drive investment from the north of the region to its south.

The plan would be adopted by the Labour Party if it is re-elected in the Welsh Assembly elections next year.

The new Gwent’s population would be over 578,000 people.

The largest council, Caerphilly, has a budget for this financial year of £325.6 million, followed by Newport with £261 million. Torfaen controls a budget of £166 million, Monmouthshire £150 million and Blaenau Gwent £138 million.

Mr Andrews said his proposal looked to “drive down the cost of politics and administration in local government.”

But his announcements on Wednesday dropped a proposed 25-year term limit for councillors and 10-year limit on council leaders.