| Swansea Welsh: Abertawe | |
|---|---|
 Guildhall, Swansea | |
 | |
| Population | |
| • 1974 | 191,400[ citation needed ] |
| • 1994 | 188,800[ citation needed ] |
| History | |
| • Created | 1 April 1974 |
| • Abolished | 31 March 1996 |
| • Succeeded by | Swansea |
| Status | City |
| • HQ | Swansea |
| Contained within | |
| • County Council | West Glamorgan |
The District of Swansea (Welsh : Abertawe) was a local government district with city status in West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996.
When elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, Swansea was considered large enough to provide its own county-level services, and so it became a county borough, independent from Glamorgan County Council. Under the Local Government Act 1972 a uniform two-tier system of counties and districts was introduced across Wales and England. The new Swansea district was created on 1 April 1974 and covered the area of the former county borough of Swansea and the Gower Rural District, from the administrative county of Glamorgan. The new district inherited the city status of the former county borough and so was styled as the "City of Swansea", and was governed by Swansea City Council. It was one of four districts within the new county of West Glamorgan. [1] [2] On 22 March 1982 the city was granted letters patent raising the mayor to the dignity of Lord Mayor. [3]
The district was abolished in 1996, when West Glamorgan County Council was abolished and the districts in the county reorganised to become principal areas. The district of Swansea merged with most of the Lliw Valley district to form the larger City and County of Swansea. [4]
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. From 1974 until the council's abolition in 1996, political control of the council was held by the following parties: [5]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1974–1976 | |
| Independent | 1976–1979 | |
| Labour | 1979–1996 | |
The last leader of the council was Trevor Gordon Burtonshaw.
The council was based at Swansea Guildhall, which had been completed in 1934 for the former county borough council. Between 1974 and 1982 it shared the building with West Glamorgan County Council, until the county council built its own premises at County Hall.
Wrexham Maelor was a local government district with borough status, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales, from 1974 to 1996.
The Borough of Ogwr was one of six districts of Mid Glamorgan in Wales, which existed from 1974 to 1996.
Monmouth District was one of five local government districts in the county of Gwent in Wales between 1974 and 1996. In 1988 the district was granted a charter conferring borough status, becoming the Borough of Monmouth.
Dinefwr was one of six local government districts of the county of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996. It was named after Dinefwr Castle which in the middle ages had been the court of the House of Dinefwr and one of the three principal royal courts of Wales with Aberffraw and Shrewsbury.
Lliw Valley was a local government district with borough status in West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996.
Taff-Ely was a local government district with borough status in Wales from 1974 to 1996.
Carmarthen District Council was one of six local government districts of the county of Dyfed, west Wales, from 1974 to 1996.
The Borough of Llanelli was one of six local government districts of the county of Dyfed, Wales from 1974 to 1996.
Neath was one of the four local government districts of West Glamorgan, Wales from 1974 to 1996.
The Borough of Rhuddlan 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.
The City and County of Swansea Council, or simply Swansea Council, is the local authority for the city and county of Swansea, one of the principal areas of Wales. The principal area also includes rural areas to the north of the built-up area of Swansea and the Gower Peninsula to the west. The council consists of 75 councillors representing 32 electoral wards.
Cardiff Council, formally the County Council of the City and County of Cardiff is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The principal area and its council were established in 1996 to replace the previous Cardiff City Council which had been a lower-tier authority within South Glamorgan. Cardiff Council consists of 79 councillors, representing 28 electoral wards.
The Borough of Brecknock was one of the three local government districts of the county of Powys, Wales from 1974 until 1996. It covered the majority of the former administrative county of Brecknockshire. The borough was abolished in 1996, with Powys County Council taking over its functions.
Preseli Pembrokeshire was one of six local government districts of Dyfed in West Wales from 1974 to 1996. Until 1987 the name of the district was Preseli. The district took its name from the Preseli Hills.
Rhymney Valley was one of six local government districts in Mid Glamorgan from 1974 to 1996.
The history of local government in Wales in a recognisably modern form emerged during the late 19th century. Administrative counties and county boroughs were first established in Wales in 1889. Urban and rural districts were formed in 1894. These were replaced in 1974 by a two-tier authority system across the country comprising eight counties and, within them, thirty-seven districts. This system was itself replaced by the introduction of 22 single-tier authorities in 1996.
South Glamorgan County Council was the local government authority that administered the county of South Glamorgan, Wales from its creation in 1974 until its abolition in 1996.
West Glamorgan County Council was the county council of the county of West Glamorgan in south-west Wales, from its creation in 1974 to its abolition in 1996.
Mid Glamorgan County Council was the upper-tier authority for the Welsh county of Mid Glamorgan between its creation in 1974 and its abolition in 1996.
The Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council was the local authority for the Vale of Glamorgan in South Glamorgan, Wales, created in 1974 and reconstituted in 1996 as the Vale of Glamorgan Council unitary authority. It was a second tier district authority, with South Glamorgan County Council providing county-level services to the area.
