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.
History edit
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]
- Barry Municipal Borough
- Cardiff Rural District (part)
- Cowbridge Municipal Borough
- Cowbridge Rural District (part)
- Penarth Urban District
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]
Political control edit
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.
Premises edit
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]
Electoral divisions edit
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) |
References edit
- ^ Michael Thomas (6 May 1983). "Cardiff is back in Tory hands". South Wales Echo. p. 1.
- ^ Stewart Williams (Ed.), The Cardiff Book: Volume I., Stewart Williams Publishers (1973), p. 8. ISBN 0-900807-05-9.
- ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 26 October 2022
- ^ "The Districts in Wales (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/34, retrieved 26 October 2022
- ^ "Labour whoop for joy on poll triumph - How the voting went". South Wales Echo. 8 May 1970. p. 13.
- ^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 26 October 2022
- ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Vale of Glamorgan Welsh District Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 11 July 2019.
- ^ "Jeff James reflects on 38 years' service for Rhoose and Vale". Bridgend and Portcawl Gem. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2022.