Flintshire Council Cyngor Sir y Fflint | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
vacant since 30 July 2024 | |
Neal Cockerton [2] since 2021 | |
Structure | |
Seats | 67 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 5 years |
Elections | |
First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
Meeting place | |
County Hall, Raikes Lane, Mold, CH7 6NB | |
Website | |
www |
Flintshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Flintshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. It is based at County Hall in Mold. [3]
Elections take place every five years. The last election was on 5 May 2022.
Flintshire County Council was first created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, which established elected county councils to take over the administrative functions of the quarter sessions. That county council and the administrative county of Flintshire were abolished in 1974, when the area merged with neighbouring Denbighshire to become the new county of Clwyd. Flintshire was unusual in retaining exclaves right up until the 1974 reforms. The contiguous part of the county was split to become three of the six districts of Clwyd: Alyn and Deeside, Delyn, and Rhuddlan. The county's exclaves of Maelor Rural District and the parish of Marford and Hoseley both went to the Wrexham Maelor district. [4]
Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Clwyd County Council and the county's constituent districts were abolished, being replaced by principal areas, whose councils perform the functions which had previously been divided between the county and district councils. The two districts of Alyn and Deeside and Delyn were merged to become a new county of Flintshire, which came into effect on 1 April 1996. The Flintshire County Council created in 1996 therefore covers a smaller area than the pre-1974 county, omitting the Rhuddlan district, which went to the new Denbighshire county, and omitting the pre-1974 exclaves, which form part of Wrexham County Borough. [5]
The council has been under no overall control since 2012. Following the 2022 election Labour formed a minority administration with informal support from the Liberal Democrats. [6]
The first election to the new council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been held by the following parties: [7]
Party in control | Years | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 1996–2008 | |
No overall control | 2008–present |
The leaders of the council since 1996 have been: [8]
Councillor | Party | From | To | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Tom Middlehurst | Labour | 1 Apr 1996 | 9 May 1999 | |
Alex Aldridge [9] | Labour | 18 May 1999 | 10 Jan 2006 | |
Derek Darlington [10] | Labour | 10 Jan 2006 | 27 Nov 2006 | |
Aaron Shotton | Labour | 19 Dec 2006 | 13 May 2008 | |
Arnold Woolley | Independent | 13 May 2008 | 15 May 2012 | |
Aaron Shotton [11] | Labour | 15 May 2012 | 9 Apr 2019 | |
Ian Roberts [12] [13] | Labour | 9 Apr 2019 | 30 Jul 2024 |
Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was: [14]
Party | Councillors | |
---|---|---|
Labour | 27 | |
Independent | 36 | |
Liberal Democrats | 3 | |
Conservative | 1 | |
Total | 67 |
As at July 2024, of the 36 independent councillors, 25 sit together as the 'Independent Group', five form the 'Flintshire People's Voice' group, four form the 'Eagle Group', and two are not aligned to any group. [15] [16] The next election is due in 2027. [17]
Since 2012, elections have taken place every five years. The last election was 5 May 2022.
Year | Seats | Labour | Independent | Liberal Democrats | Conservative | Plaid Cymru | Green | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1995 [18] | 72 | 46 | 17 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Labour majority controlled |
1999 | 70 | 42 | 17 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Labour majority controlled. New ward boundaries. [19] |
2004 | 70 | 37 | 18 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | Labour majority controlled |
2008 | 70 | 22 | 27 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 0 | |
2012 | 70 | 30 | 24 | 7 | 8 | 1 | 0 | |
2017 [20] | 70 | 34 | 25 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
2022 [20] | 67 | 31 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | New ward boundaries. [21] |
Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.
By the May 2017 elections the Labour Group held 34 seats on the council and held the same number after the election results came in, though they had gained seats in some wards (for example Llanfynydd) and lost in others (e.g. Bagillt East). [22] Fourteen (13 Lab & 1 Ind) of the seventy seats were elected unopposed. [23]
Following the elections in 2012 the council was governed by a coalition between Labour and a group of some of the Independents. Labour was the largest political group within the council with 34 members, followed by the Independent Alliance (14), Conservatives (6), Independents (6), the Liberal Democrats (5), and the New Independents (5).
The council is based at County Hall on Raikes Lane in Mold, which was built in 1967 for the original Flintshire County Council. Between 1974 and 1996 the building had been the headquarters of Clwyd County Council. When Flintshire was re-established as an administrative area in 1996 the new council inherited County Hall and the relatively new offices (built 1992) of Alyn and Deeside Borough Council at St David's Park in Ewloe in the community of Hawarden. The building at Ewloe was leased to Unilever for some years and was renamed Unity House. By 2018, County Hall was proving very costly to maintain, while Unilever's lease of Unity House had ended and the council had tried to sell it without success. The council therefore decided to move several departments to Unity House, which it renamed Ty Dewi Sant. The rear wings of County Hall were then demolished in 2020, retaining only the front part of the building which includes the council chamber and some office space. County Hall therefore continues to serve as the council's official headquarters and meeting place, but many of the council's staff are now based at Ty Dewi Sant. [24] [25] The council also has an area office at Chapel Street in Flint called County Offices (formerly Delyn House) which it inherited from Delyn Borough Council. [26]
Since the 2022 elections, the county has been divided into 45 wards, returning 67 councillors. [21]
Few communities in Flintshire are coterminous with electoral wards. The following table lists the wards as existed prior to 2022 along with the communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated by *:
Ward | Communities | Other geographic areas |
---|---|---|
Argoed | Argoed* (East and South wards) | |
Aston | Hawarden* (Aston ward) | |
Bagillt East | Bagillt* (East and Merllyn wards) | |
Bagillt West | Bagillt* (Central and West wards) | |
Broughton North East | Broughton and Bretton* (East and North wards) | |
Broughton South | Broughton and Bretton* (South ward) | |
Brynford |
| |
Buckley Bistre East | Buckley (town)* (Bistre East ward) | |
Buckley Bistre West | Buckley (town)* (Bistre West ward) | |
Buckley Mountain | Buckley (town)* (Mountain ward) | |
Buckley Pentrobin | Buckley (town)* (Pentrobin ward) | |
Caergwrle | Hope* (Caergwrle ward) | |
Caerwys |
| |
Cilcain |
| |
Connah's Quay Central | Connah's Quay (town)* (Central ward) | |
Connah's Quay Golftyn | Connah's Quay (town)* (Golftyn ward) | |
Connah's Quay South | Connah's Quay (town)* (South ward) | |
Connah's Quay Wepre | Connah's Quay (town)* (Wepre ward) | |
Ewloe | Hawarden* (Ewloe ward) | |
Ffynnongroyw | Llanasa* (Ffynnongroyw ward) | |
Flint Castle | Flint (town)* (Castle ward) | |
Flint Coleshill | Flint (town)* (Coleshill ward) | |
Flint Oakenholt | Flint (town)* (Oakenholt ward) | |
Flint Trelawny | Flint (town)* (Trelawny ward) | |
Greenfield | Holywell (town)* (Greenfield ward) | |
Gronant | Llanasa* (Gronant ward) | |
Gwernaffield | Gwernaffield* | |
Gwernymynydd |
| |
Halkyn | Halkyn* (Halkyn, Rhesycae and Rhosesmor wards) | |
Hawarden | Hawarden* (Hawarden ward) | |
Higher Kinnerton | Higher Kinnerton* | |
Holywell Central | Holywell (town)* (Central ward) | |
Holywell East | Holywell (town)* (East ward) | |
Holywell West | Holywell (town)* (West ward) | |
Hope | Hope* (Hope ward) | |
Leeswood | Leeswood* | |
Llanfynydd | Llanfynydd* | |
Mancot | Hawarden* (Mancot ward) | |
Mold Broncoed | Mold (town)* (Broncoed ward) | |
Mold East | Mold (town)* (East ward) | |
Mold South | Mold (town)* (South ward) | |
Mold West | Mold (town)* (West ward) | |
Mostyn | Mostyn* | |
New Brighton | Argoed* (New Brighton and West wards) | |
Northop | Northop* | |
Northop Hall | Northop Hall* | |
Penyffordd | Penyffordd* | |
Queensferry | Queensferry* | |
Saltney Mold Junction | Saltney* (Mold Junction ward) | |
Saltney Stonebridge | Saltney* (Stonebridge ward) | |
Sealand | Sealand* | |
Shotton East | Shotton (town)* (East ward) | |
Shotton Higher | Shotton (town)* (Higher ward) | |
Shotton West | Shotton (town)* (West ward) | |
Trelawnyd and Gwaenysgor |
| |
Treuddyn | Treuddyn* | |
Whitford | Whitford* |
Flintshire is a county in the north-east of Wales. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Merseyside and Cheshire, across the Dee Estuary to the north and by land to the east respectively, Wrexham County Borough to the south, and Denbighshire to the west. Connah's Quay is the largest town, while Flintshire County Council is based in Mold.
Until 1974, Flintshire, also known as the County of Flint, was an administrative county in the north-east of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales.
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.
Buckley is a town and community in Flintshire, north-east Wales, two miles (3 km) from the county town of Mold and contiguous with the villages of Ewloe, Alltami and Mynydd Isa. It is on the A549 road, with the larger A55 road passing nearby.
Wrexham County Borough is a county borough, with city status, in the north-east of Wales. It borders the English ceremonial counties of Cheshire and Shropshire to the east and south-east respectively along the England–Wales border, Powys to the south-west, Denbighshire to the west and Flintshire to the north-west. The city of Wrexham is the administrative centre. The county borough is part of the preserved county of Clwyd.
Alyn and Deeside was one of six local government districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales from 1974 to 1996. There is still a parliamentary constituency of the same name.
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.
Ewloe is a village and electoral ward in the community of Hawarden in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated close to the Flintshire/Cheshire sector of the Wales-England border. The A55 expressway passes through Ewloe and its most notable landmark is Ewloe Castle. The Ewloe electoral ward had a population at the 2011 Census of 5,420. The urban area of the village is contiguous with Hawarden, Buckley and Shotton. The Office for National Statistics deems Ewloe to form part of the Buckley built-up area, which covers much of Deeside.
Alyn and Deeside is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The constituency was created in 1983, and it elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first-past-the-post method of election.
Delyn was a constituency in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament from 1983 to 2024.
Delyn 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.
Alison Monica Halford is a former senior police officer who became a politician. Halford worked for the Metropolitan Police from 1962-1983. She became the first woman to lead a police division. She then moved to Merseyside Police, becoming the first woman outside the Metropolitan Police to reach Chief Officer rank. She later left Merseyside police, alleging gender discrimination. She later withdrew the claim following a settlement, and retired from the police in 1992, before moving into politics. She was Labour member of the National Assembly for Wales, representing the Delyn constituency, between 1999 and 2003. In 2006 she defected to the Conservative Party, and represented them on Flintshire Community Council from 2007 to 2017.
Denbighshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Denbighshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall in Ruthin.
Alyn and Deeside is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of nine constituencies in the North Wales electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to nine constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
Wrexham County Borough Council is the governing body for Wrexham County Borough, a principal area with city status in north Wales, covering Wrexham and the surrounding area.
Delyn is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of nine constituencies in the North Wales electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to nine constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
Thomas Middlehurst is a British retired politician who served as Leader of Flintshire County Council from 1996 to 1999 and Assembly Secretary for Education and Training in the National Assembly for Wales from 1999 to 2000. A member of the Labour Party, he was Assembly Member (AM) for Alyn and Deeside from 1999 until his retirement in 2003.
The 2015 United Kingdom general election in Wales was held on 7 May 2015 and all 40 seats in Wales were contested. The election for each seat was conducted on the basis of first-past-the-post.
County Hall is a municipal facility at Raikes Lane in Mold, Flintshire. It was the headquarters of the old Flintshire County Council from 1967 to 1974, the headquarters of Clwyd County Council from 1974 to 1996 and has been the headquarters of the new Flintshire County Council since 1996.
Robert Joseph Roberts is a British former politician who was Member of Parliament for Delyn from 2019 to 2024.