Gwent County Council
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Monmouthshire County Council (1889-1974)
- Newport County Borough Council (1891-1974)
- Breconshire County Council (part) (1889-1974)
Gwent County Council Cyngor Sir Gwent | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms of the county council, inherited from Monmouthshire CC | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1974 |
| Disbanded | 31 March 1996 |
| Preceded by |
|
| Succeeded by | |
| Elections | |
First election | 12 April 1973 |
Last election | May 1993 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| County Hall, Cwmbran, from 1977 | |
Gwent County Council (Welsh: 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.
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.[1]
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 as follows:[2]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–1977 | |
| No overall control | 1977–1981 | |
| Labour | 1981–1996 | |
The first Chief Executive of Gwent County Council was James Bray, who had previously been deputy clerk of Monmouthshire County Council.[1] 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.[1]