MORE than 16,000 people were added to the electoral register during the UK’s first Automatic Voter Registration (AVR) pilots, according to results published this week by the Electoral Commission.

The pilots were carried out in Gwynedd, Newport and Powys, with a fourth, desk-based exercise taking place in Carmarthenshire. They were launched by the Welsh Government in 2024 under powers granted by the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024.

Under the scheme, local authorities used existing public records – including council tax and education data – to identify and add eligible voters to the electoral register without requiring them to submit an individual application.

Electoral reform programme

The pilots form part of a wider programme of electoral reform in Wales, which has already seen the introduction of votes at 16 for Senedd and local elections, alongside efforts to improve accessibility and participation.

The Electoral Commission said the pilots demonstrated that barriers to registration could be reduced using data already held by public bodies, and that large numbers of people who would otherwise remain unregistered could be enfranchised through automated processes.

Although four local authorities were involved overall, only three pilots resulted in people being directly added to the register. Carmarthenshire participated through a data-matching exercise rather than live registration.

Wider UK implications

The findings have significance beyond Wales. The UK Government has already signalled its intention to introduce automated voter registration across England and the rest of the UK as part of future electoral legislation.

The Electoral Commission estimates that more than eight million people across the UK are currently not registered to vote. Concerns have been raised in recent years that Britain has one of the most complex voter registration systems among established democracies.

Supporters of AVR argue that using trusted public datasets could significantly reduce under-registration, particularly among young people, renters and those who move frequently.

Calls for expansion

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said the pilots showed automatic registration was both effective and scalable.

She said: “These Automatic Voter Registration pilots have added over 16,000 previously unregistered potential voters to the electoral register in just three local areas. It proves that AVR works and should be in place across Wales for future elections.

“It makes life easier and simpler for voters and could help reduce the barriers thousands of people across the country face in playing an active part in our democracy.”

Ms Blair said the results also highlighted the potential impact of a UK-wide scheme.

“The fact that over 16,000 people were added in just three areas using only local authority data means the potential for AVR at a UK level, using more comprehensive national datasets, is huge,” she said.

Timing concerns

Despite the positive results, automatic voter registration will not be in place for the next Senedd elections in May 2026.

ERS Cymru said it was disappointed by the timescale and urged the next Welsh Government to move quickly to ensure the system is operational for local elections in 2027.

With the UK Government expected to bring forward legislation on electoral reform, campaigners say the Welsh pilots provide a clear model for reducing registration barriers and increasing democratic participation nationwide.

A MILFORD HAVEN man accused of threatening to blow up a council-owned property and to kill a police officer has pleaded not guilty to all charges at Swansea Crown Court.

Robert Adams, aged 46, of St Peters Road, Milford Haven, appeared before the Crown Court on Tuesday (Dec 16), where he formally denied two serious offences arising from a major armed police incident in the town last month.

The court heard that the charges relate to an incident on Monday (Nov 3), when armed police, fire crews and National Grid engineers were deployed to St Peters Road following reports of threats and concerns over gas and electricity supplies. Power and gas were temporarily shut off to nearby homes as a precaution while police negotiators dealt with the situation.

Adams is accused of making a threat to destroy property belonging to Pembrokeshire County Council, contrary to Sections 2(a) and 4 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971. It is alleged he threatened to blow up the property during the incident.

He is also charged under Section 16 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 with threatening to kill Dyfed-Powys Police officer PC 195 Aled Tayler, intending that the officer would fear the threat would be carried out.

At an earlier hearing before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court, Adams was remanded in custody after bail was refused due to the seriousness of the allegations and concerns about interference with witnesses.

At Swansea Crown Court, Adams entered not guilty pleas to both charges. The court was told that the case will now proceed to a full trial.

A provisional trial date has been set for April 2026, with further case management hearings to take place in the meantime.

Adams remains in custody.

New tools and funding aim to unlock stalled developments while protecting sensitive waterways

DEVELOPMENT across parts of Pembrokeshire that has been effectively frozen by marine nutrient pollution rules could begin to move again, following an update from the Welsh Government on the work of its Marine Nitrates Development Taskforce.

In a written statement published on Wednesday (Dec 17), Jayne Bryant MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, said progress was being made on a package of national measures designed to allow housing and other development to resume “in a sustainable way as quickly as possible”.

The taskforce was established in October to address the widespread planning block affecting areas where protected rivers and marine environments are already failing nutrient targets. In west Wales, this has had a significant impact on Pembrokeshire, where phosphate and nitrate pressures linked to wastewater and agriculture have stalled new housing schemes and complicated local planning decisions.

Multi-agency approach

The taskforce brings together senior officials from the Welsh Government, local authorities, Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. Ms Bryant said meetings had been “constructive and collaborative”, with a shared urgency to find workable solutions.

Among the key components now being progressed are a national Nutrient Calculator and expert-led guidance to help quantify the impact of new developments, alongside a local authority-led handbook for developers, which is reported to be at an advanced stage.

A national Nutrient Credit Trading Group has also been established, allowing developers to offset nutrient impacts through accredited mitigation schemes. The Welsh Government says this framework will help planning officers and applicants identify their nutrient contribution and put effective mitigation in place.

Funding for west Wales

For Pembrokeshire, the funding element of the announcement is particularly significant. The Welsh Government has confirmed more than £500,000 has been allocated to the West Wales Nutrient Management Board to support implementation on the ground, alongside up to £1.5m over three years to assist local authorities in affected areas.

Pembrokeshire County Council has repeatedly warned that nutrient neutrality requirements have delayed housing delivery, including affordable homes, and placed pressure on its Local Development Plan. The new measures are intended to provide sufficient clarity for councils to process applications while remaining compliant with environmental law.

Local development plans

The taskforce has also examined how future Local Development Plans can progress under the updated regime. The Welsh Government’s Chief Planning Officer is working with Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, Natural Resources Wales and heads of planning to ensure plans can move through examination without breaching nutrient rules.

Ms Bryant said taskforce members report regularly to the First Minister, cabinet colleagues and council leaders, adding that there is “optimism” developments can begin to resume as the new tools and guidance are put into practice.

While no formal timeline has been set, the statement suggests the Welsh Government is seeking to move beyond the current planning impasse, which has been a source of frustration for developers, councils and communities across Pembrokeshire and wider west Wales.

Environmental safeguards remain

The Welsh Government has stressed that the approach is not about weakening environmental protections, but about enabling growth while safeguarding vulnerable rivers, estuaries and coastal waters that are central to Pembrokeshire’s economy, tourism and biodiversity.

Further updates are expected in the new year as the guidance and mitigation mechanisms are rolled out nationally.