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. [1] It was a second tier district authority, with South Glamorgan County Council providing county-level services to the area.
Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council and Cardiff City Council were created as district authorities, upon the creation of the county of South Glamorgan on 1 April 1974. [2] The Vale of Glamorgan covered the whole area of three former districts, and parts of another two districts, which were abolished on the creation of the new council: [3] [4] [5]
Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, South Glamorgan County Council was abolished and Vale of Glamorgan became a unitary authority, taking over the provision of the services previously provided by the county council in its area. The borough boundaries were also amended, gaining the communities of Wick, St Brides Major, and Ewenny from the borough of Ogwr. [6]
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 the council's abolition in 1996 was held by the following parties: [7]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| No overall control | 1974–1976 | |
| Conservative | 1976–1991 | |
| No overall control | 1991–1996 | |
In 1973, 41 councillors were elected from fourteen wards, in preparation for the new council. This increased to 49 councillors elected from 18 wards at the next election, in 1976. [8]
At the 1983 election, the number of councillors reduced to 46 though the number of wards increased to twenty-one. [8]
The council elected a mayor annually.
The council was initially based at Barry Town Hall, which had been built in 1908 for the Barry Borough Council, one of the council's predecessors. In 1981 the council moved to a new building called the Civic Offices on Holton Road in Barry. [9]
As a result of The Borough of Vale of Glamorgan (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1982, between 1983 and 1996 the borough was divided into 21 electoral wards returning 46 councillors:
| Ward | Councillors | Communities/wards included |
| Alexandra | 5 | Plymouth and St Augustines (Penarth town wards) |
| Baruc | 2 | Baruc (Barry town ward) |
| Buttrills | 2 | Buttrills (Barry town ward) |
| Cadoc | 3 | Cadoc (Barry town ward) |
| Castleland | 2 | Castleland (Barry town ward) |
| Cornerswell | 2 | Cornerswell (Penarth town ward) |
| Court | 2 | Court (Barry town ward) |
| Cowbridge | 3 | |
| Dinas Powys | 4 | |
| Dyfan | 2 | Dyfan (Barry town ward) |
| Gibbonsdown | 2 | Gibbonsdown (Barry town ward) |
| Illtyd | 3 | Illtyd (Barry town ward) |
| Llandough | 1 | Llandough (community) |
| Llandow | 1 | |
| Llantwit Major | 4 | |
| Peterston-super-Ely | 1 | |
| Rhoose | 2 | |
| St Athan | 1 | St Athan (community) |
| Stanwell | 2 | Stanwell (Penarth town ward) |
| Sully | 1 | Sully (community) |
| Wenvoe | 1 | Wenvoe (community) |
The Vale of Glamorgan, often referred to as The Vale, is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. It borders Bridgend County Borough to the west, Cardiff to the east, Rhondda Cynon Taf to the north, and the Bristol Channel to the south. With an economy based largely on agriculture and chemicals, it is the southernmost unitary authority in Wales. Attractions include Barry Island Pleasure Park, the Barry Tourist Railway, Medieval wall paintings in St Cadoc's Church, Llancarfan, Porthkerry Park, St Donat's Castle, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park and Cosmeston Medieval Village. The largest town is Barry. Other towns include Penarth, Llantwit Major, and Cowbridge. There are many villages in the county borough.
South Glamorgan is a preserved county of Wales.
The Borough of Ogwr was one of six districts of Mid Glamorgan in Wales, which existed from 1974 to 1996.
Taff-Ely was a local government district with borough status in Wales from 1974 to 1996.
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.
Rhymney Valley was one of six local government districts in Mid Glamorgan from 1974 to 1996.
Cowbridge with Llanblethian is a community in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, which incorporates Llanblethian and the town of Cowbridge. It also covers the village of Aberthin to the northeast of Cowbridge. The population was 4,063 in 2011.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council is the governing body for the Vale of Glamorgan, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. It was run by the Conservative Party after the 2008 United Kingdom local elections, taking over the council from no overall control. Following the 2012 elections, it reverted to no overall control, and remained as such following the 2017 and 2022 elections.
Cardiff City Council was the local government district authority that administered the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales, from 1974 until 1996. The district council replaced the pre-1974 county borough council. It was succeeded in 1996 by Cardiff Council.
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.
Canton is the name of an electoral ward in the west of the city of Cardiff, Wales, which covers part of its namesake community, Canton. The ward elects three county councillors to the County Council of the City and County of Cardiff.
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.
Llantwit Major is the name of an electoral ward in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It covers its namesake town of Llantwit Major and neighbouring village of Llanmaes. The ward elects four county councillors to the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Alexandra was an electoral ward in Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It elected county councillors to the Vale of Glamorgan Council at the 1995 and 1999 local elections.
Cowbridge is the name of an electoral ward in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, which covers its namesake town of Cowbridge as well as the neighbouring villages of Llanblethian and Aberthin and the communities of Llanfair and Penllyn. The ward elects three county councillors to the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Rhoose is the name of an electoral ward in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, which covers its namesake village, Rhoose, as well as Penmark and the neighbouring community of Llancarfan. The ward elects three county councillors to the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Llandow, is the name of an electoral ward in the west of the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It covers its namesake community of Llandow as well as the neighbouring communities of Colwinston and Llangan. Since 1995 the ward has elected a county councillor to the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
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 1973 South Glamorgan County Council election was the first election to South Glamorgan County Council and was held in April 1973. It was followed by the 1977 election.
The 1995 Vale of Glamorgan Council election was held on 4 May 1995 to the new Vale of Glamorgan Council unitary authority in Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. It took place on the same day as other council elections in Wales and England. These were the first elections since the re-organization of local government in Wales.
 Council elections in the preserved county of South Glamorgan | |
|---|---|
| Cardiff Council | |
| Vale of Glamorgan Council | |
| South Glamorgan County Council | |