The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 (c. 19) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which amended the Local Government Act 1972 to create the current local government structure in Wales of 22 unitary authority areas, referred to as principal areas in the Act, [1] and abolished the previous two-tier structure of counties and districts. It came into effect on 1 April 1996.
In June 1991, the Secretary of State for Wales, David Hunt, published a consultation paper on reform of local government in Wales. The paper proposed the replacing of the existing two-tier system of administrative counties and districts, established by the Local Government Act 1972 in 1974, with unitary authorities. The number and size of the unitary areas was not set down, instead three options were given for ten, twenty or twenty-four new councils. On 3 March 1992, the Secretary of State made a statement in the House of Commons, in which he stated that the number of proposed unitary authorities was to be twenty-three. He further stated:
My approach in identifying these 23 authorities has been as follows. First, I want to restore to the largest centres of population - Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and also to Wrexham - full control over their own affairs.
Secondly, in the rural areas I want to see local government based on the traditional counties, such as Pembrokeshire, Montgomeryshire, Cardiganshire and Anglesey and, of course, we recognise the position of Meirionnyddshire and Carmarthenshire. I shall consult further on whether to extend that approach to separate authorities for Radnorshire and Brecknock.
Thirdly in the south Wales valleys I want as far as possible to take account of the intense local loyalties that are such a feature of the area. Taking account of demographic and other factors, however, I also consider it necessary for some of the present district councils in the valleys to come together to form new unitary authorities.
The areas of the new councils were not precisely defined, although a map was issued at the time of the statement. [2]
The Conservatives held power at the general election held on 9 April 1992, and a white paper Local government in Wales: A Charter for the Future was published on St David's Day, 1 March 1993. [3] The number of unitary authorities had been reduced to twenty-one, with the deletion of separate authorities for Merionethshire and Montgomeryshire, and their areas and proposed names were given. speaking in the commons, David Hunt said:
In making these proposals I have sought to balance the demands of local community loyalty with the requirements of effective and efficient service delivery, taking account of demographic factors, population distribution, geography and other relevant considerations.
The fire service, previously administered by county councils, was to be organised as three combined authorities. Elections for the new councils was to be in 1994, initially acting as "shadow authorities" until 1 April 1995, when they would assume their responsibilities. [4]
| Proposed Authority | Existing council areas |
|---|---|
| Aberconwy and Colwyn | Aberconwy, Colwyn districts |
| Anglesey | Ynys Mon - Isle of Anglesey district |
| Bridgend | Ogwr district less the communities of Coychurch, Ewenny, St Bride's Major, Wick |
| Caernarfon and Meirionnydd | Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd districts, the communities of Cynwyd and Llandrillo from Glyndwr district |
| Caerphilly | Islwyn district, Rhymney Valley district less Daren Valley, New Tredegar and Rhymney communities |
| Cardiff | Cardiff district and the community of Pentyrch from Taff-Ely district |
| Cardiganshire | Ceredigion district |
| Carmarthenshire | Carmarthen, Dinefwr, Llanelli districts |
| Denbighshire | Rhuddlan district, most of Glyndwr district, part of Delyn district |
| Flintshire | Alyn and Deeside district, most of Delyn district |
| Glamorgan Valleys | Cynon Valley and Rhondda districts and the district of Taff-Ely less Pentyrch community |
| Heads of the Valleys | Merthyr Tydfil district, Blaenau Gwent district less Llanelly community, Daren Valley, New Tredegar and Rhymney communities from Rhymney Valley district |
| Mid Wales | Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire districts, Brecknock district less Ystradgynlais and Tawe Uchaf communities, the community of Llanelly from Blaenau Gwent district. |
| Monmouthshire | Monmouth district |
| Newport | Newport district |
| Pembrokeshire | Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire districts |
| Swansea | Lliw Valley and Swansea districts |
| Torfaen | Torfaen district |
| Vale of Glamorgan | Vale of Glamorgan district, the communities of Coychurch, Ewenny, St Bride's Major, Wick from Ogwr district |
| West Glamorgan | Neath, Port Talbot districts, Ystradgynlais and Tawe Uchaf communities from Brecknock district |
| Wrexham | Wrexham Maelor district |
In May 1993, a cabinet reshuffle led to John Redwood replacing David Hunt as Welsh Secretary. In November 1993, the reorganisation was put back by a year to 1 April 1996 to allow more time for consultation. [5] The Glamorgan Valleys authority was to be renamed as Rhondda Cynon Taff, and a number of boundary changes were made. Following representations, the Heads of Valleys area was split into Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent, each approximating to an existing district increasing the number of unitary authorities to twenty-two:
Following the debates in Parliament and in Wales generally, I have decided that there is a good case for a unitary Merthyr and a unitary Blaenau Gwent. Although I am reluctant to increase the number of authorities in the Bill, I understand the differences between Merthyr and its proposed partner in Blaenau Gwent. I understand Merthyr's long, proud history and its former status as a county borough. Its size, which is comparable to that of Cardiganshire and Anglesey, also works in its favour. [6]
The Local Government (Wales) Bill was introduced to the Commons in June 1994. The debate on the bill led to a number of opposition amendments which sought to increase the number of councils, with representations being made by Members of Parliament for the affected areas. [7] None of these amendments was successful and the Bill was passed by both houses and received the Royal Assent on 5 July 1994. [8]
The Act established, from 1 April 1996, twenty-two new unitary authority areas, to be known as 'counties' or 'county boroughs', and abolished the eight local government counties and 37 districts that had been formed in 1974. "Preserved counties", based on the previous local government counties as established in 1974, were created for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievality.[ citation needed ]
The Act also gives the legal definition of the territory of Wales was defined by the combined area of Welsh counties under section 20 of Local Government Act 1972. The counties were reorganised by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 but the territorial definition of Wales remained unchanged. [9]
Each new unitary authority area was to have an elected council and be divided into electoral districts, each returning one councillor. The entire council of each area was to be elected every four years, with the first election in 1995.[ citation needed ]
Section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 allowed local government districts to petition the Privy Council in order acquire borough status. As the 1994 Act abolished the districts in Wales, it inserted a section 245A in the 1972 Act to allow the new unitary authority areas which did not have the status of a borough to acquire it. As the only unitary authority areas that are not already styled as 'boroughs' are styled as 'counties', this leads to the curious provision that a council can petition for its county to become a county borough.[ citation needed ]
The Secretary of State was empowered to direct a council to make a decentralisation scheme, with area committees being formed of all the councillors for a specified area. This provision has been used to create, for example, area committees for Brecknockshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire in Powys, and the Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd in Gwynedd.[ citation needed ]
Schedule 1 listed the new counties and county boroughs:
Counties
| English name | Welsh name | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Anglesey | Sir Fôn | The district of Ynys Môn – Isle of Anglesey. |
| Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire | Sir Gaernarfon a Meirionnydd | The districts of Arfon, Dwyfor, and Meirionnydd. |
| Cardiff | Caerdydd | The district of Cardiff, together with (from the district of Taff-Ely) the community of Pentyrch. |
| Cardiganshire | Sir Aberteifi | The district of Ceredigion. |
| Carmarthenshire | Sir Gaerfyrddin | The districts of Carmarthen, Llanelli and Dinefwr. |
| Denbighshire | Sir Ddinbych | The district of Rhuddlan, together with (from the district of Glyndwr) the communities of Aberwheeler, Cynwyd, Llandrillo, Henllan, Denbigh, Llandyrnog, Llangynhafal, Llanynys, Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch, Nantglyn, Cyffylliog, Ruthin, Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, Llanferres, Clocaenog, Efenechtyd, Llandegla, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Llanarmon-yn-Iajl, Llanelidan, Derwen, Betws Gwerfil Goch, Gwyddelwern, Bryneglwys, Corwen, Llantysilio, Llangollen and Llangollen Rural with (from the district of Colwyn) the communities of Trefnant and Cefnmeiriadog. |
| Flintshire | Sir y Fflint | The districts of Alyn and Deeside and Delyn. |
| Monmouthshire | Sir Fynwy | The district of Monmouth together with (from the district of Blaenau Gwent) the community of Llanelly. |
| Pembrokeshire | Sir Benfro | The districts of Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire, together with Caldey Island and St Margaret's Island. |
| Powys | Powys | The districts of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Brecknock, together with (from the district of Glyndwr) the communities of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Llansilin and Llangedwyn. |
| Swansea | Abertawe | The district of Swansea, together with (from the district of Lliw Valley) the communities of Gowerton, Llwchwr, Gorseinon, Grovesend, Pontardulais, Mawr, Pont-Lliw, Penllergaer, Llangyfelach and Clydach. |
Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire was subsequently renamed as Gwynedd and Cardiganshire was renamed Ceredigion by their respective councils.
County Boroughs
| English name | Welsh name | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Aberconwy and Colwyn | Aberconwy a Cholwyn | The districts of Aberconwy and Colwyn, but excluding (from the district of Colwyn) the communities of Cefnmeiriadog and Trefnant. |
| Blaenau Gwent | Blaenau Gwent | The district of Blaenau Gwent (excluding the community of Llanelly). |
| Bridgend | Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr | The district of Ogwr, but excluding the communities of Wick, St Bride's Major and Ewenny. |
| Caerphilly | Caerffili | The districts of Islwyn and Rhymney Valley. |
| Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tudful | The district of Merthyr Tydfil. |
| Neath and Port Talbot | Castell-nedd a Phort Talbot | The districts of Neath and Port Talbot, together with (from the district of Lliw Valley) the communities of Pontardawe, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Cwmllynfell, Ystalyfera and Cilybebyll. |
| Newport | Casnewydd | The district of Newport. |
| Rhondda, Cynon, Taf | Rhondda, Cynon, Taf | The districts of Rhondda, Cynon Valley, and Taff-Ely, but excluding (from the district of Taff-Ely) the community of Pentyrch. |
| Torfaen | Tor-faen | The district of Torfaen. |
| The Vale of Glamorgan | Bro Morgannwg | The district of Vale of Glamorgan, together with (from the district of Ogwr) the communities of Wick, St Bride's Major and Ewenny. |
| Wrexham | Wrecsam | The district of Wrexham Maelor, together with (from the district of Glyndŵr) the communities of Chirk, Glyntraian, Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog, and Ceiriog Ucha. |
Aberconwy and Colwyn was subsequently renamed Conwy and Neath and Port Talbot was renamed as Neath Port Talbot by their respective councils.
Powys is a county and preserved county in Wales. It borders Gwynedd, Denbighshire, and Wrexham to the north; the English ceremonial counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire to the east; Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and Neath Port Talbot to the south; and Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion to the west. The largest settlement is Newtown, and the administrative centre is Llandrindod Wells.
Local government in Wales is primarily undertaken by the twenty-two principal councils. The councils are unitary authorities, meaning they are responsible for providing local government services within their principal area, including education, social work, environmental protection, and most highway maintenance. The principal areas are divided into communities, most of which have an elected community council. The services provided by community councils vary, but they will typically maintain public spaces and facilities. Local councils in Wales are elected; the most recent local elections in Wales took place in 2022, and the next are due to take place in 2027.
Until 1974, Brecknockshire, also formerly known as the County of Brecknock, Breconshire, or the County of Brecon, was an administrative county in the south of Wales, later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. Named after its county town of Brecon, the county was mountainous and primarily rural.
The North Riding of Yorkshire was a subdivision of Yorkshire, England, alongside York, the East Riding and West Riding. The riding's highest point was at Mickle Fell at 2,585 ft (788 m).
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders the unitary authority areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar. Its highest point is Coity Mountain at 1,896 feet (578 m).
County borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control, similar to the unitary authorities created since the 1990s. An equivalent term used in Scotland was a county of city. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in Northern Ireland. In the Republic of Ireland they remain in existence but have been renamed cities under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2001. The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 re-introduced the term for certain "principal areas" in Wales. Scotland did not have county boroughs but instead had counties of cities. These were abolished on 16 May 1975. All four Scottish cities of the time—Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow—were included in this category. There was an additional category of large burgh in the Scottish system, which were responsible for all services apart from police, education and fire.
Until 1974, Monmouthshire, also formerly known as the County of Monmouth, was an administrative county in the south-east of Wales, on the border with England, and later classed as one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. Its area now corresponds approximately to the present principal areas of Monmouthshire, Blaenau Gwent, Newport and Torfaen, and those parts of Caerphilly and Cardiff east of the Rhymney River.
Mid Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales. From 1974 until 1996 it was also an administrative county with a county council.
The Association of British Counties (ABC) is a non-party-political society formed in 1989 by television personality Russell Grant to promote the historic counties of the United Kingdom. It argues that the historic counties are an important part of Britain's cultural heritage and as such should be preserved and promoted. It also proposes that there be a clear official distinction between the historic counties and the administrative units known as counties—first described as a separate entity in the Local Government Act 1888.
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. They are a single-tier form of local government, each governed by a principal council. They replaced the previous two-tier system of eight counties and 32 districts that were in place in Wales from 1974 to 1996.
The Local Government Act 1972 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974. It was one of the most significant Acts of Parliament to be passed by the Heath Government of 1970–74.
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.
Monmouthshire County Council is the governing body for the Monmouthshire principal area – one of the unitary authorities of Wales.
The Local Government Commission for Wales was established by the Local Government Act 1958 to review the organisation of local government in Wales and to make recommendations for its reform. It delivered its report in 1963 and was dissolved in 1967. Its recommendations were not carried out.
The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002. It was established under the Local Government Act 1992, replacing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. The Commission could be ordered by the Secretary of State to undertake "structural reviews" in specified areas and recommend the creation of unitary authorities in the two-tier shire counties of England. The Commission, chaired by John Banham, conducted a review of all the non-metropolitan counties of England from 1993 to 1994, making various recommendations on their future.
Gwent is a preserved county and former local government county in southeast Wales. A county of Gwent was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972; it was named after the ancient Kingdom of Gwent. The authority was a successor to both the administrative county of Monmouthshire and the county borough of Newport.
Powys County Council is the local authority for Powys, one of the 22 principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall in Llandrindod Wells.
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is the governing body for Blaenau Gwent, one of the Principal Areas of Wales.
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.
Ceredigion District Council was one of six district-level authorities in the county of Dyfed, Wales, from 1974 until 1996. The district had an identical area to the pre-1974 administrative county of Cardiganshire. From its creation in 1974 the district used the name "Ceredigion" rather than "Cardiganshire", which had been used for the former county council. Further local government reorganisation in 1996 saw Dyfed County Council abolished and Ceredigion become a unitary authority, with the district council taking over county-level services to become Ceredigion County Council.
