Gwent County Council
{{Short description|Welsh local governing body (1974–1996)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox legislature
| name =Gwent County Council
| native_name =Cyngor Sir Gwent
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| coa_pic =Arms of Monmouthshire County Council.svg
| coa_caption =Coat of arms of the county council, inherited from Monmouthshire CC
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| foundation = {{Start date and age|1974|04|01|df=yes}}
| disbanded = {{Start date and age|1996|03|31|df=yes}}
| preceded_by = *Monmouthshire County Council (1889-1974)
- Newport County Borough Council (1891-1974)
- Breconshire County Council (part) (1889-1974)
| succeeded_by =
- Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
- Caerphilly County Borough Council
- Monmouthshire County Council
- Newport County Borough Council
- Torfaen County Borough Council
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| first_election1 = 12 April 1973
| last_election1 = May 1993
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| session_room =Gwent_County_Hall,_Turnpike_Road,_Croesyceiliog_-_geograph.org.uk_-_399395.jpg
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| meeting_place =County Hall, Cwmbran, from 1977
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}}
Gwent County Council ({{langx|cy|Cyngor Sir Gwent}}) was the upper-tier local authority that governed the county of Gwent in South Wales from its creation in 1974 to its abolition in 1996. For most of its existence, the county council was based in Cwmbran.
History
Gwent County Council was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It took over the geographical area and main roles of the previous councils, Monmouthshire County Council (1889–1974) and Newport County Borough Council (1891–1974), subject to some boundary changes along the western border. Five district councils provided a second tier of government, namely Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport and Torfaen.{{cite news|title=The Counties and Districts - Gwent |work=Western Mail |place=Wales |type="The New Wales" supplement |page=8 |date=22 March 1974 }}
Political control
The first election to the county council was held on 12 April 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 1996 was held by the following parties:{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=28 September 2022}}
| class="wikitable" | |
| colspan="2"|Party in control | Years |
|---|---|
| {{Party name with colour|Welsh Labour}} | 1974–1977 |
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} | 1977–1981 |
| {{Party name with colour|Welsh Labour}} | 1981–1996 |
The first Chief Executive of Gwent County Council was James Bray, who had previously been deputy clerk of Monmouthshire County Council. The Chairman of Gwent County Council from 1974 was 78-year-old Councillor Barney O'Neill, who had previously been a representative on Monmouthshire County Council and Chepstow Urban District Council.
Elections
At the first election in 1973, 78 councillors were elected from 66 electoral divisions.{{cite news|title=Dad gets her vote - but he still loses seat - Gwent (results) |work=South Wales Echo |date= 13 April 1973 |page=8 }} The number of councillors was reduced to 63 in 1989.{{cite web|title=Gwent County Council Election Results 1973-1993 |url=http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Gwent-County-1973-1993.pdf |publisher=The Elections Centre (Plymouth University) |accessdate=15 September 2019}}
| class="wikitable" style=text-align:center
!rowspan=2|Year !rowspan=2|Seats |width="80"|Labour |width="80"|Conservative |width="80"|Liberal Democrats{{efn|Includes Liberals and SDP pre-1988}} |width="80"|Plaid Cymru |width="80"|Independent |width="80"|Others |rowspan=2|Notes | ||||||||
| style="background-color: {{party color|Welsh Labour Party}}; width: 3px;" |
!style="background-color: {{party color|Welsh Conservative Party}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: {{party color|Welsh Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: {{party color|Plaid Cymru}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: white; width: 3px;" | | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 78 | 59 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1977 | 78 | 36 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 5 | |
| 1981 | 78 | 63 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | |
| 1985 | 78 | 65 | 9 | 1 | 1 | - | - | |
| 1989 | 63 | 55 | 7 | - | - | 1 | - | New division boundaries.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The County of Gwent (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1988|year=1988|number=1966|accessdate=6 October 2022}} |
| 1993 | 63 | 55 | 6 | 1 | 1 | - | - | |
| !
!style="background-color: {{party color|Welsh Labour Party}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: {{party color|Welsh Conservative Party}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: {{party color|Welsh Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: {{party color|Plaid Cymru}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" | !style="background-color: white; width: 3px;" | ! |
{{notelist}}
Premises
The council was initially based at the old Monmouthshire County Council's headquarters at Shire Hall in Newport, while a new headquarters was being built in Cwmbran.{{cite news|author=Niall Griffiths |url=https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/17849419.old-gwent-county-council-headquarters-site-croesyceiliog-get-almost-150-new-homes/ |title=Old Gwent County Council headquarters site in Croesyceiliog to get almost 150 new homes |work=South Wales Argus |date=20 August 2019 |accessdate=15 September 2019 }} The new County Hall was on Turnpike Road in Croesyceiliog, on the eastern outskirts of Cwmbran, and was completed in 1977.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=knRf4U60QjcC&q=County+Hall%2C+Cwmbran+1974+architect&pg=PA78|title=Gwent/Monmouthshire|first= John |last=Newman|page=79|publisher=Yale University Press|year=2000|isbn=978-0300096309}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Gwent elections}}
Category:County councils of Wales