**Cardiff Councillor Criticised After Relocating to England While Continuing to Represent Local Ward**
Questions have been raised following the revelation that a Cardiff councillor, elected to serve in the Trowbridge ward, is now apparently residing over 120 kilometres away in Telford, England. Labour councillor Chris Lay, who has been serving as a representative for Trowbridge, Cardiff, publicly shared on social media that he and his family have moved to a new home in Telford.
A post made by Cllr Lay on Facebook appeared on Saturday, 26 July, and included details about settling into his new address. In the message, he expressed gratitude to his relatives for their assistance during the move, writing: “The move is complete, lovely evening sunshine with a cheeky drink. Massive thank you to mom and dad… and my cousin Jude. Me and Jess are very grateful for the help and support moving us in.” The post was accompanied by a location tag confirming his presence in Telford and Wrekin.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service has since reported that Cllr Lay duly informed Cardiff Council of his change of address, as is required under council regulations. Attempts have been made by the media to contact Cllr Lay directly for comment, via both his publicly listed mobile number and his Facebook account. Additionally, inquiries were sent by email in an effort to clarify whether or how he intends to continue effectively serving the constituents of Trowbridge from another country.
So far, neither Cardiff Labour Group nor Welsh Labour have issued a statement on the councillor’s move. Welsh Labour confirmed that it is “not commenting at this time” when pressed for clarification about how Cllr Lay intends to fulfil his responsibilities from such a considerable distance, or whether he plans to continue representing Trowbridge for the remainder of his term.
It is important to note that under current rules, councillors are not obligated to reside within the ward they represent. The members’ code of conduct, which applies to councillors across the UK, simply requires elected officials to register any change in their personal interests with their respective council within a 28-day period. Therefore, living outside the represented ward, or even in another part of the country, is not considered a breach of council standards.
According to Cardiff Council’s public register of interests, Cllr Lay remains the owner of a property in St Mellons, which is within Cardiff. Further scrutiny of the council’s register reveals that he is not alone in living outside ward boundaries: two other Trowbridge councillors also list addresses beyond the immediate area. Labour’s Cllr Michael Michael is recorded as holding property in Fairwater, and Cllr Bernie Bowen-Thomson is the owner of a home in Heath.
For some residents, the distance between their elected representative and local community raises questions about the councillor’s ability to adequately respond to local issues and provide direct support. Critics argue that living so far away could limit face-to-face engagement and diminish the councillor’s understanding of daily concerns faced by Trowbridge’s residents.
Others contend that, in the modern era of remote work and digital communication, physical proximity is less crucial. These supporters point out that most council business is handled online or over the phone, and that residency rules have failed to keep pace with changing working patterns.
Elected officials are ultimately expected to act in the best interests of those who elected them, regardless of their address. As Cardiff grapples with this issue, it remains to be seen whether calls for stricter residency requirements will gain traction in the wake of cases such as Cllr Lay’s. Local authorities may yet face pressure to revisit what constitutes adequate representation in an increasingly mobile society.
The impact on local trust and political engagement remains uncertain. With the increasing use of hybrid and remote work arrangements, questions about the relationship between representatives and the communities they serve are likely to persist. For now, Cllr Lay’s relocation highlights the ongoing debate about what it means to represent a community in the twenty-first century.