| Aberconwy | |
|---|---|
| Borough | |
 | |
| Area | |
| • Coordinates | 53°17′03″N3°49′55″W / 53.28418°N 3.83194°W |
| History | |
| • Created | 1 April 1974 |
| • Abolished | 31 March 1996 |
| • Succeeded by | Conwy County Borough |
| • HQ | Conwy |
| Contained within | |
| • County Council | Gwynedd |
The Borough of Aberconwy was a local government district with borough status from 1974 to 1996, being one of five districts in the county of Gwynedd, north-west Wales. [1]
The borough was created on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered parts of nine former districts from the administrative counties of Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire, which were all abolished at the same time: [2]
‡From Denbighshire (rest from Caernarfonshire)
The new district was named Aberconwy, meaning mouth of the River Conwy, with the same name being used in both Welsh and English. [3]
Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, the previous two tier system of counties and districts was replaced with new principal areas (each designated either a "county" or a "county borough"), whose councils perform the functions previously divided between the county and district councils. The Aberconwy area merged with the neighbouring Colwyn district from the county of Clwyd to become a county borough which the government originally named "Aberconwy and Colwyn". [4] During the transition to the new system, the shadow authority requested a change of name from "Aberconwy and Colwyn" to "Conwy". The government confirmed the change with effect from 2 April 1996, one day after the new council came into being. [5]
The pre-1996 counties of Wales continued to be used for some ceremonial purposes such as lieutenancy, being called preserved counties. The new Conwy County Borough therefore initially straddled the preserved counties of Gwynedd and Clwyd. In 2003 the area of the former Aberconwy district was moved from the preserved county of Gwynedd to Clwyd, uniting Conwy County Borough within the preserved county Clwyd.
The first election to the council was held in 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: [6]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 1974–1983 | |
| No overall control | 1983–1996 | |
The council was based at Bodlondeb, a large house built in 1877 on Bangor Road in Conwy, which had served as the main offices of the old Conwy Borough Council since 1937. [7] [8] The council also maintained additional offices at Llandudno Town Hall, which had been built in 1902 for the former Llandudno Urban District Council. [9] After Aberconwy's abolition in 1996, Bodlondeb became the headquarters of the replacement Conwy County Borough Council.
Gwynedd is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon. The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey.
Until 1974, Caernarfonshire, sometimes spelled Caernarvonshire or Carnarvonshire, was an administrative county in the north-west of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales.
Llandudno is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2021 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigside, Glanwydden, Penrhynside, and Bryn Pydew – had a population of 19,700. The town's name means "Church of Saint Tudno".
Conwy County Borough is a county borough in the north of Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south and Denbighshire to the east. The largest settlement is Colwyn Bay, and Conwy is the administrative centre.
Denbighshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the Irish Sea to the north, Flintshire to the east, Wrexham to the southeast, Powys to the south, and Gwynedd and Conwy to the west. Rhyl is the largest town, and Ruthin is the administrative centre. Its borders differ from the historic county of the same name.
Until 1974, Denbighshire, or the County of Denbigh, was an administrative county in the north of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. It was a maritime county, that was bounded to the north by the Irish Sea, to the east by Flintshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, to the south by Montgomeryshire and Merionethshire, and to the west by Caernarfonshire.
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east corner of the country; it is named after the River Clwyd, which runs through the area. To the north lies the Irish Sea, with the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire to the east and Shropshire to the south-east. Powys and Gwynedd lie to the south and west respectively. Clwyd also shares a maritime boundary with Merseyside along the River Dee. Between 1974 and 1996, a slightly different area had a county council, with local government functions shared with six district councils. In 1996, Clwyd was abolished, and the new principal areas of Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham County Borough were created; under this reorganisation, "Clwyd" became a preserved county, with the name being retained for certain ceremonial functions.
The principal areas of Wales, comprising the counties andcounty boroughs of Wales, are a form of subdivision in Wales. There are currently 22 principal areas in Wales, and they were established in 1996.
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located in the historic county of Caernarfonshire, right on the boundary with Denbighshire, in the Gwydir Forest. It is now a very popular visitor destination in the Snowdonia National Park. The population of the community as of the 2021 census was 476, a decline on the previous census.
Llanrwst is a market town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales, and the historic county of Denbighshire. It developed round the wool trade and became known also for the making of harps and clocks. Today, less than one mile from the edge of Snowdonia, its main pursuit is tourism. Notable buildings include almshouses, two 17th-century chapels, and the Parish Church of St Grwst, which holds a stone coffin of Llywelyn the Great. The 2011 census gave it a population of 3,323.
Conwy, previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on the east bank. The town formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. The community, which also includes Deganwy and Llandudno Junction, had a population of 14,753 at the 2011 census.
Colwyn was a local government district with borough status from 1974 to 1996, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales.
North Wales is a region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, wholly within the region. Its population is concentrated in the north-east and northern coastal areas, with significant Welsh-speaking populations in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any exact definition or administrative structure. It is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other definitions exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.
Llysfaen is a village and community in Conwy County Borough overlooking the north coast of Wales, and situated on the hill Mynydd Marian. For local government purposes, it is also a ward. The community includes the Peulwys estate of Old Colwyn.
Llanrhos is a village in the community of Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The village lies between the towns of Conwy and Llandudno. Llanrhos was a civil parish from 1894 until 1974. The area was formerly part of a larger parish called Eglwys Rhos or Eglwysrhos, being an old variant name for the same village. The ancient parish included Deganwy, the Craig-y-Don district of Llandudno, the Little Orme and Penrhyn Bay. The area was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire prior to 1974.
Craig-y-Don is a suburb of Llandudno, a coastal seaside resort in Conwy county borough, north Wales. It is also an electoral ward to Conwy County Borough Council and Llandudno Town Council.
Gwynedd Council, which calls itself by its Welsh name Cyngor Gwynedd, is the governing body for the county of Gwynedd, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council administrates internally using the Welsh language.
Aled was a rural district in the administrative county of Denbighshire, Wales, from 1935 to 1974.
Conwy County Borough Council is the local authority for Conwy County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales.
Hiraethog was a rural district of the administrative county of Denbighshire, Wales, from 1935 to 1974. The district took its name from the historic district of Mynydd Hiraethog.
Local government districts of Wales 1974–1996 | |
|---|---|
| Clwyd | |
| Dyfed | |
| Gwent | |
| Gwynedd | |
| Mid Glamorgan | |
| Powys | |
| South Glamorgan | |
| West Glamorgan | |
 Council elections in the preserved county of Gwynedd | |
|---|---|
| Gwynedd Council | |
| Isle of Anglesey County Council | |
| Aberconwy Borough Council | |
| Arfon Borough Council | |
| Caernarvonshire County Council | |
| Dwyfor District Council | |
| Meirionnydd District Council | |
