Newport City Council

Newport City Council Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd
Type
Type	Unitary authority
Leadership
Mayor	Ray Mogford, Conservative since 21 May 2024 [1]
Leader	Dimitri Batrouni, Labour since 21 May 2024
Chief Executive	Beverly Owen since 28 July 2020 [2]
Structure
Seats	51 councillors
Political groups	Administration (34)   Labour (34) Other parties (17)   Conservative (7)   Independent (5)   Newport Ind. (3)   Green (1)   Liberal Democrat (1)
Length of term	5 years
Elections
Voting system	First past the post
Last election	5 May 2022
Next election	6 May 2027
Motto
"Terra Marique" "By land and sea"
Meeting place
Newport Civic Centre, Godfrey Road, Newport, NP20 4UR
Website
www.newport.gov.uk

Newport City Council (Welsh : Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd) is the governing body for Newport, one of the principal areas of Wales. It consists of 51 councillors, who represent the city's 20 wards.

The council is currently, and has historically been, held by the Labour Party. However from 2008 to 2012 the council was controlled jointly by the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats due to there being no party with an overall majority.

Between 1996 and 2002 the authority was known as Newport County Borough Council.

History

Newport is an ancient mesne borough, occupying an important position on the Welsh Marches. The town grew up round the castle built early in the 12th century. Giraldus Cambrensis, writing in 1187, calls it Novus Burgus, probably to distinguish it from Caerleon, whose prosperity declined as that of Newport increased. The first lord was Robert Fitzhamon, who died in 1107, and from him the lordship passed to the Earls of Gloucester and Stafford and the Dukes of Buckingham. Hugh le Despenser, who held the lordship for a short time, obtained in 1323 a charter of liberties for the burgesses, granting them freedom from toll throughout England, Ireland and Aquitaine. Hugh, Earl of Stafford granted a further charter in 1385, confirmed by his grandson in 1427, which gave the burgesses the right of self-government and of a merchant gild. On the attainder of the Duke of Buckingham in 1483 the lordship lapsed to the crown, of whom it was held in the 16th and 17th centuries by the Pembrokes, and in the 19th by the Beauforts. ^[3]

The town was incorporated by Royal Charter of James I in 1623 and confirmed by Charles II in 1685. This created a corporation which consisted of a mayor and twelve aldermen who governed the borough and were responsible for law and order. They were assisted by a recorder and two bailiffs. This system of government lasted in essence until the town was reformed as a municipal borough in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. This reconstituted the corporation as an elected borough council, comprising a mayor, aldermen and councillors. The Newport Borough Police was also formed in 1836. ^[4]

In 1934 the borough was enlarged by taking in parts of the surrounding parishes of St Woolos, Christchurch, Malpas and Bettws. ^[5]

When elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, Newport was included in the administrative county of Monmouthshire, being governed by Monmouthshire County Council, which chose to base itself in Newport. Just over two years later, on 7 November 1891, Newport was one of the first places to become a county borough (other than those which had been created directly by the 1888 act), making it administratively independent from Monmouthshire County Council. ^[6] The new Newport Civic Centre, designed by architect Thomas Cecil Howitt, was completed in 1964. ^[7]

Further local government reorganisation in 1974 saw the abolition of county boroughs. Newport became a lower-tier district with borough status. The reformed borough covered a larger area than the former county borough, covering the whole of two former districts and most of a third, which were abolished at the same time: ^{[8] [9]}

• Caerleon Urban District
• Magor and St Mellons Rural District, except Henllys (which went to Torfaen) and St Mellons (which went to Cardiff)
• Newport County Borough

The enlarged borough had an area of 46,976 acres (19,011 ha), and was governed by both Newport Borough Council and Gwent County Council. In 1996, another wave of local-government reorganisation reverted the council to its previous status of a self-governing county borough, taking over the functions of the abolished Gwent County Council in the area. ^[10] In 2002 Newport was granted formal city status as part of a contest for the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, in which one Welsh town was eligible to be awarded city status. ^[11]

Political control

The first election to the council following the Local Government Act 1972 was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority until the reforms under that act took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been held by the following parties: ^[12]

Lower-tier borough

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1974–1976
	Conservative	1976–1979
	Labour	1979–1996

County borough

Party in control		Years
	Labour	1996–2008
	No overall control	2008–2012
	Labour	2012–present

Leadership

Debbie Wilcox, Baroness Wilcox of Newport, Newport City Council leader from 2016 to 2019

The leaders of the council since 2004 have been: ^[13]

Councillor	Party		From	To
Bob Bright		Labour	2004	2008
Matthew Evans [14]		Conservative	2008	2012
Bob Bright		Labour	May 2012	Apr 2016
Debbie Wilcox		Labour	17 May 2016	26 Nov 2019
Jane Mudd [15]		Labour	26 Nov 2019	21 May 2024
Dimitri Batrouni		Labour	21 May 2024

Current composition

As of 5 May 2022:

Re-elected councillors in bold:

Group affiliation [16]		Current Representatives	Members
	Labour	Saeed Adan Miqdad Al-Nuaimi Dimitri Batrouni Paul Bright Emma Corten Claire Baker-Westhead James Clarke Paul Cockeram Steve Cocks Bev Davies Deb Davies Pat Drewett Yvonne Forsey Debbie Harvey Tim Harvey John Harris Gavin Horton Phil Hourahine Jason Hughes Farzina Hussain Rhian Howells Debbie Jenkins Laura Lacey Malcolm Linton Stephen Marshall David Mayer Jane Mudd Bev Perkins Alex Pimm Matthew Pimm John Richards John Reynolds Mark Spencer Kate Thomas Trevor Watkins	35
	Conservative	Matthew Evans David Fouweather John Jones Martyn Kellaway Ray Mogford Chris Reeks William Routley	7
	Independent	Mark Howells Alan Morris James Pearson Andrew Sterry	4
	Newport Ind.	Janet Cleverly Jason Jordan Kevin Whitehead	3
	Green	Lauren James	1
	Liberal Democrats	Carmel Townsend	1
Total			51

Party with majority control in bold

Elections

Elections take place every five years. The last election was 5 May 2022. ^{[17] [18]}

In March 2017 a new political party, the Newport Independents Party, was formed to field candidates in the May 2017 election. ^[19] It won four seats. ^[20]

Year	Seats	Labour	Conservative	Liberal Democrats	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Newport Independents	Green	Notes
1995	47	46	1	0	0	0	-	0	Labour majority controlled.
1999	47	40	5	0	0	2	-	0	Labour majority controlled.
2004	50	31	11	6	1	1	-	0	Labour majority controlled. New ward boundaries. [21]
2008	50	22	17	9	1	1	-	0	No overall control; Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition.
2012	50	37	10	1	0	2	-	0	Labour majority controlled.
2017	50	31	12	2	0	1	4	0	Labour majority controlled.
2022	51	35	7	1	0	4	3	1	Labour majority controlled. New ward boundaries. [22]

Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.

Wards

Pre-2022 electoral wards in Newport

See also: Category:Wards of Newport, Wales

The city is divided into 21 wards, since May 2022 electing 51 councillors. ^[23] Most of these wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. Each community can have an elected council. The following table lists city council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*':

Ward	Elected Councillors	Communities (Parishes)	Other geographic areas
Allt-yr-yn	3	Allt-yr-yn	Ridgeway, Barrack Hill, Glasllwch, Gold Tops
Alway	3	Alway	Somerton, Lawrence Hill
Beechwood	3	Beechwood	Eveswell
Bettws	3	Bettws
Bishton and Langstone	2	Bishton*, Langstone*, Llanvaches*, Penhow*	Llanmartin, Parc Seymour, Wentwood Forest, Coed-y-Caerau, Cat's Ash, Llanbedr, Whitebrook
Caerleon	3	Caerleon	Christchurch, Bulmore
Gaer	3	Gaer	Maesglas, Stelvio, St. Davids
Graig	2	Graig*	Rhiwderin, Bassaleg, Lower Machen, Pentre Poeth, Fox Hill
Llanwern	1	Llanwern, Goldcliff, Whitson, Redwick
Lliswerry	4	Lliswerry, Nash*	Broadmead Park, Moorland Park, Uskmouth, Broadstreet Common
Malpas	3	Malpas
Pillgwenlly	2	Pillgwenlly	Level of Mendalgief
Ringland	3	Ringland	Bishpool, Treberth, Coldra
Rogerstone East	1	Rogerstone*	High Cross, Cefn Wood, Croesllanfro, Mount Pleasant
Rogerstone North	1
Rogerstone West	2		Afon Village
Shaftesbury	2	Shaftesbury	Brynglas, Crindau, Marshes, Blaen-y-pant
St Julians	3	St Julians	Riverside, Barnardtown
Stow Hill	2	Stow Hill	St. Woolos, Baneswell, City centre
Tredegar Park and Marshfield	3	Tredegar Park, Coedkernew*, Marshfield*, Michaelston-y-Fedw*, Wentlooge*	Duffryn, Castleton, St. Brides, Blacktown, Peterstone
Victoria	2	Victoria	Maindee, Summerhill
Total Seats	51

Sites

• Newport Civic Centre
• Mansion House

In the news

In October 2013, the controversial demolition of a 35-metre long Chartist Mural reached national attention. ^{[24] [25]} The 35-year-old mural commemorated Newport's Chartist history, specifically the Newport Rising of 1839. The Guardian suggested it was "not just budgets, but a collective cultural history that's under attack.". ^[25] A spokesman for the council stated that the mural "has served to remind us of Newport’s past, but we must now focus on Newport’s future." ^[26] Actor Michael Sheen helped to found a trust, to commission a new memorial, with £50,000 of funding provided by Newport City Council. ^{[27] [28]} A smaller replica of the mural, in four panels, was unveiled on 4 November 2019, exactly 180 years since the Chartist uprising. It was created by Oliver Budd, son of the original mural's creator, Kenneth Budd. The panels are located on Cefn Road, Rogerstone, and include an information board telling the history of Chartism. ^[29]

It was announced in July 2019 that Council Chief Executive Will Godfrey would be resigning in early October after six years to take over at Bath and North East Somerset Council. ^[30] The Council have stated that as of September 2019, more time is needed to find a replacement, and that an interim CEO will be in place for six to twelve months. ^[31]

The Council instructed the operators of new "pod" accommodation for homeless people in the city to take down the facilities August 2019 until they were subject to safety inspections and certification. ^[32]

In September 2019 the council were criticised for delays in arranging school transport for those attending the independent Priory College South Wales at Coleg Gwent in Pontypool. ^[33]

The Council were reported in September 2019 as being involved in a new trial with Sustrans Cymru, aimed at improving safety outside city primary schools through use of temporary barriers, road and pavement painting, and temporary school crossings. ^[34]

In September 2019 the Council's then leader Debbie Wilcox was announced as a Labour life peer as part of Theresa May's 2019 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours. ^[35] She confirmed later that month that she would be stepping down as Leader of the Council, with a successor to be named. ^[36]

The Council announced in September 2019 that the city's Market Arcade would be closed due to anti-social behaviour, after the Council secured a Public Spaces Protection order to take effect daily from 8pm until 7am. The move came after complaints about city centre drug abuse, property damage, and noise. ^[37]

The Council has received £4m in Welsh Government funds to pursue a footbridge replacement over Newport railway station, connecting Devon Place and Queensway. It is projected for completion in 2020. ^[38]

References

1. Thomas, Nicholas (21 May 2024). "New Mayor announced for city of Newport". Newport Herald. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
2. Gill, Emily (29 July 2020). "Newport City Council's new chief executive Beverly Owen". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
3. Scott, J. M. (1847). The Ancient and Modern History of Newport, Monmouthshire: With a Guide and Directory. W. Christophers. p. 12.
4. "Newport Constabulary". Gwent Archives. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
5. Davis, Haydn. "The History of the Borough of Newport" . Retrieved 15 April 2020.
6. "The County Borough Of Newport". South Wales Daily News . 7 November 1891. p. 8 – via Welsh Newspapers Online.
7. Cadw. "Newport Civic Centre (22333)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 15 April 2020.
8. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 6 October 2022
9. "The Districts in Wales (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1973/34, retrieved 4 October 2022
10. "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 9 October 2022
11. "Newport wins battle for city status". BBC News. 14 March 2002. Archived from the original on 14 March 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
12. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
13. "Council minutes". Newport City Council. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
14. "First Person: Councillor Matthew Evans looks back at his political journey". South Wales Argus. 22 August 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
15. Thomas, Nicholas (4 May 2024). "Change at top of Newport City Council after Labour's PCC election win". Newport Herald. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
16. Newport City Council
17. Local Election Results 2022
18. "Welsh unitary councils | Elections Centre".
19. Ian Craig (30 March 2017). "Fifteen candidates set to stand for Newport Independent Party". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
20. Gareth Willey (5 May 2017). "Newport Local Election Results (2017)". Newport City Radio. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
21. "The County Borough of Newport (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2002/3276, retrieved 11 October 2022
22. "The City and County Borough of Newport (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2021/1216, retrieved 11 October 2022
23. "Review of the Electoral Arrangements of the City of Newport" (PDF). ldbc.gov.wales. Local Democracy and Boundary Commission For Wales. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
24. "The destruction of the Newport Chartist Mural is a needless and casual act of cultural vandalism", The Independent (online), 4 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
25. "Wales's cultural landscape is being bulldozed by cuts", The Guardian, 10 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
26. "Anger as Newport council demolish Chartist Mural", South Wales Argus, 4 October 2013. Retrieved 2013-10-11.
27. "UPDATED: Frost/Nixon star Michael Sheen to help found Chartist trust in Newport". Southwalesargus.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
28. Jen Mills (23 July 2015). "'Spectacular' plans to celebrate Chartists in Newport". Southwalesargus.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
29. Knapman, Joshua (4 November 2019). "A new Chartist mural has been unveiled in Newport six years after the original was demolished". Wales Online. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
30. Griffiths, Niall (31 July 2019). "Newport Council chief exec Will Godfrey quits to take up Bath post". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 13 September 2019.
31. Cooke-Black, Saul (3 September 2019). "Newport council will have an interim chief executive for six to 12 months". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
32. Knapman, Joshua (28 August 2019). "Homeless pods to help rough sleepers removed from Welsh city centre". walesonline. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
33. "Autistic pupils pulled from college over bus cash". 6 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
34. Povey, Tomos (11 September 2019). "Street trial transforms road safety at Newport's St David's R.C. School". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
35. "Ex-Tory MP and council leader to be made peers". 10 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
36. "Newport council leader steps down after peerage". 11 September 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
37. Cooke-Black, Saul (12 September 2019). "Market Arcade in Newport to be gated off at night to tackle anti-social behaviour". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
38. "Long-awaited footbridge could be built next year". 13 August 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2019.

External links

• Official website
• Ward profiles