Castle, Swansea

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Castle
SwanseaCastlePlaza.jpg
Castle Plaza
Population15,883 (2011)
OS grid reference SS6593
Community
  • Castle
Principal area
Preserved county
Country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SWANSEA
Postcode district SA1
Dialling code 01792
Police South Wales
Fire Mid and West Wales
Ambulance Welsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
List of places
UK
Wales
Swansea
2024 Wales Swansea Community Castle map.svg
Map of the community

Castle (Welsh : Castell) is a community and electoral ward in the City and County of Swansea, Wales. Castle covers most of the heart of the City of Swansea, with Swansea Castle at its centre.

Contents

Description

The electoral ward matches the community boundaries and consists of some or all of the following areas: Swansea city centre, Brynmelin, Dyfatty, Greenhill, parts of Mount Pleasant, Sandfields and Waun Wen in the parliamentary constituency of Swansea West. The ward borders the wards of St. Thomas to the east; Landore and Cwmbwrla to the north; Townhill and Uplands; and Waterfront to the south.

For electoral purposes, Castle is divided into a number of polling districts: City Centre, Sandfields, George Street, Mount Pleasant, XE1 High Street, XE2 High Street, North Hill, Baptist Well, XH1 Brynmelin and XH2 Brynmelin. Castle returns 4 councillors to the local council.

The Castle ward is a Communities First area.

The community does not have its own community council.

2021 boundary review

Following a local government boundary review, the Maritime Quarter area of Castle was removed to form part of a new Waterfront ward (and community), effective from the 2022 local elections. [1] Despite being reduced in size, Castle ward continues to elect four county councillors.

Demographics

The overall population in the Castle ward and community according to the 2011 UK Census was 15,883. [2]

They had an ethnic breakdown of: [2]

Ethnic breakdown:

Ethnic groupCount%
White British11,74273.9
White Irish1050.7
White Other8345.3
Black/African/Caribbean4002.5
Asian1,86211.7
Mixed ethnicity2131.3
Other (e.g. Arab)7274.6

The number of people identifying themselves as Welsh was 7,321 (46.1%), Considerably lower than the figure for the county as a whole.

Local election results

Castle ward Wm swansea castle.jpg
Castle ward

Since 1995 the Castle Ward has been a four-member ward for the purposes of City and County of Swansea Council elections. The ward is a major Labour Party stronghold.

2017

Castle 2017
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Sybil Edith Crouch* 1,820
Labour Erika Theresa Kirchner* 1,772
Labour Fiona Margaret Gordon* 1,763
Labour David Phillips* 1,716
Conservative Paul Raymond Morris568
Conservative Sonya Winifred Rachel Morris534
Conservative Mohammad Amin Doha425
Conservative Akshit Sanjiv Khanna411
Plaid Cymru Shan Couch349
Plaid Cymru Damian Paul Martin254
UKIP Stan Robinson247
Liberal Democrats Charlene Anika237
Liberal Democrats Owen John Roberts235
Green David John Smith220
Plaid Cymru Harri Llwyd Roberts210
Liberal Democrats Thomas Davies203
Plaid Cymru David Richards191
Liberal Democrats Benjamin James Williams191
TUSC Alec Thraves112
TUSC Claire Louise Job97
TUSC Colin Thomas John89
Turnout 29.8+0.8
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

2012

Following the May 2012 election the ward was represented by four Labour Party councillors:

Castle 2012
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Erika Theresa Kirchner*1,629
Labour Sybil Crouch1,623
Labour David Phillips*1,610
Labour Fiona Margaret Gordon1,582
Liberal Democrats Gareth Peter Jones533
Liberal Democrats Alan Jeffery531
Liberal Democrats Tanya Auxiliadora May511
Liberal Democrats Vicky Lewis440
Plaid Cymru Patrick John Powell274
Plaid Cymru Gez Couch261
Plaid Cymru Harri Llwyd Roberts254
Green Steve Clegg248
Plaid Cymru Damian Paul Martin248
Conservative Paul Raymond Morris241
Conservative Stephen Joseph Gallagher230
Conservative Sonya Winifred Rachel Morris228
Conservative Natasha Rhian Tomaszewski207
Independent Phil Crayford207
Green Ross Walters193
TUSC Martin John White148
Turnout 29.0+0.7
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing

Prior to the 2012 election the City and County of Swansea councillors for Castle Ward were:

Councillor Barbara Hynes, who had represented Castle for 21 years, died in September 2011 [3] resulting in a byelection.

2008

In the 2008 local elections, there were 21 candidates, each hoping to secure one of four seats. All four sitting Labour councillors were looking to retain their seats. However, the Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats were all fielding four candidates each. The other candidate who was hoping to take a seat represented the Socialist Party.

1999

In 1999, the number of seats increased from three to four. David Phillips had previously represented the Uplands ward.

Castle 1999
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Alan Lloyd*1,622
Labour Barbara Joyce Hynes*1,579
Labour David Phillips1,477
Labour Dereck John Roberts*1,440
Plaid Cymru Yvonne Marie Davies1,111
Liberal Democrats Yvonne Marjorie Holley937
Green Benjamin David Grigg632
Conservative Paul Raymond Morris503
Conservative Sonya Winifred R. Morris477
United SocialistsDavid Richard Warren273
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour hold Swing
Labour win (new seat)

1995

The first election to the new unitary City and County of Swansea Council took place in 1995. All three seats were won by Labour.

Castle 1995
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Alan Lloyd1,756
Labour Barbara Joyce Hynes1,723
Labour Dereck John Roberts1,623
Liberal Democrats Robert Speht592
Green Benjamin David Grigg515
Liberal Democrats Cynthia Wharrad463
Wales Militant LabourMark Evans378
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

1889

Castle was one of the ten wards created to Swansea County Borough Council, electing two representatives in the November 1889 elections. The election was fought on local issues and the winning candidates had no party affiliation. [4]

*= sitting councillor prior to the election

References

  1. "More councillors but fewer wards after council boundary changes in Swansea". Swansea Bay News. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Castle Parish (1170221819)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  3. "City and County of Swansea - Notice of Vacancy in Office of Councillor". Archived from the original on 17 October 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2011.
  4. "County Borough of Swansea - Election of Councillors". The Cambrian. 8 November 1889 via Welsh Newspapers Online.

51°37′10″N3°57′05″W / 51.6195°N 3.9514°W / 51.6195; -3.9514