Monmouthshire County Council

Monmouthshire County Council (or Monmouthshire Council) (Welsh: Cyngor Sir Fynwy) is the governing body for the Monmouthshire principal area – one of the unitary authorities of Wales.

Monmouthshire County Council

Cyngor Sir Fynwy
History
Founded1 April 1996
Preceded byMonmouth Borough Council
Gwent County Council
Leadership
Chairman of Monmouthshire County Council
Cllr Sheila Woodhouse, Conservative
since 2019/20
Leader of the Council
Cllr Peter Fox, Conservative
since May 2008
Deputy Leader
Cllr Robert Greenland, Conservative
Leader of the Opposition
Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, Labour
since May 2013[1]
Chief Executive
Paul Matthews
since 2009[2]
Structure
Seats43[3]
Political groups
Administration (25)
     Conservative (25)
Opposition (18)
     Labour (10)
     Independent (5)
     Liberal Democrat (3)
Elections
First past the post
First election
4 May 1995
Last election
4 May 2017
Next election
5 May 2022
Motto
Utrique Fidelis (Faithful to both)[4]
Website
monmouthshire.gov.uk

The current unitary authority was created in 1996 and covers the eastern half of the historic county. As of May 2017, the council is led by Peter Fox (Conservative), with Robert Greenland (Conservative) as Deputy Leader. The Leader of the opposition is Dimitri Batrouni (Labour Party). The Chief executive is Paul Matthews.[5]

History

A Monmouthshire County Council was originally formed in 1889, covering the administrative county of Monmouthshire. The council was based at Shire Hall in Newport. In 1891 Newport became a county borough and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the county council, although the council continued to be based there. The council was abolished in 1974, being absorbed into Gwent. However, a new Monmouthshire County Council was formed in 1996 covering the principal area of Monmouthshire. This council was a successor to the previous Monmouth District Council along with a small part of the former Blaenau Gwent District Council area, which themselves were created in 1974.

From 1996 until April 2012, the council's administrative headquarters were at the six-storey former Gwent County Hall at Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran – outside its own jurisdiction in the neighbouring borough of Torfaen and shared with Torfaen County Borough Council. It was closed because of "concrete cancer" and later demolished.[6] In 2010 the authority had decided to relocate its headquarters functions to new offices in Usk.[7] In May 2010 it was reported that the council had purchased additional offices at the Wales 1 Business Park at Magor.[8] Planning permission for the new Usk office building, to provide the authority's central facilities, was granted in September 2011.[9] The new £6 million county hall was opened in mid 2013.[10]

A BBC television documentary "Carrying On at the Council" was broadcast in February 2012, after being filmed with Monmouthshire County Council over a period of seven months, in the lead up to their office move.[11]

Elections
Councillor Peter Fox, Conservative, Leader of the Council

Elections take place every five years. Following the election on 3 May 2012, a working arrangement was established by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups to run the authority. Peter Fox (Conservative) was appointed as Leader, with Robert Greenland (Conservative) and Phylip Hobson (Liberal Democrat) as Deputy Leaders. In the elections, the two parties won a combined total of 22 seats, giving them an overall majority of one.[12] In May 2017, the Conservative party won overall control. Cllr Peter Fox began his fifth term in office.[13] Monmouthshire County Council became the only council in Wales under Conservative majority control.

The Conservatives had previously controlled the authority from the 2004 elections, when they took it from no overall control. They increased their majority in the council election of 2008.

Historic results
Year Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru Others Notes
2017 25 10 3 0 5 Conservative Majority Control
2012[14] 19 12 3 0 10 NOC; Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition
2008 28 7 5 1 2 Conservative-controlled
2004 24 8 4 2 5 Conservative-controlled
1999 19 17 1 0 4 NOC; minority Labour administration
1995[15] 11 26 1 0 4 Labour

Current composition (2017)
Group affiliation Members
Conservative 25
Liberal Democrats  3
Labour 10
  Independent
5
 Total
 43

Leadership

Peter Fox, Conservative councillor for Portskewett, entered his fifth term as council leader in May 2017.[13] Cllr Fox had been council leader continuously since May 2008, when he replaced Raglan councillor, Andrew Crump. Crump had been leader since 2004, but resigned from the Conservative group after Fox's election as leader and joined the Independents. Prior to 2004 Crump had been leader of the hung council for a year.[16]

Electoral districts, areas and communities

For the purposes of electing councillors, the principal area is divided into forty-two electoral divisions, each returning one councillor, except Llanelly, known as Llanelly Hill, which has two councillors. These divisions date from 2004.[17]

The council operates a decentralised system of administration, with four area committees:

Although the council is described as a "unitary authority", there is in fact a second tier of government, with the entire area being divided into communities, all of which has either a town or community council.

Bryn y Cwm area
Electoral Division Community Other Places
Cantref Abergavenny (Town) (part) Knoll Estate
Castle Abergavenny (Town) (part)
Croesonen Llantilio Pertholey (part) Llwynu (part)
Crucorney Crucorney and Grosmont Campstone, Cupid's Hill, Cwmyoy, Forest Coal Pit, Grosmont, Henllan, Llangattock-Lingoed, Llangua, Llanthony, Llanvetherine, Llanfihangel Crucorney, Monmouth Cap, Pandy, Pedbidwal, Stanton, Wern Gifford
Goetre Fawr Goetre Fawr Little Mill, Mamhilad, Nant-y-derry, Pencroesoped, Penperlleni,
Grofield Abergavenny (Town) (part)
Lansdown Abergavenny (Town) (part) Llwynu (part), Major's Barn
Llanelly Hill Llanelly Blackrock, Clydach, Gellifelin, Gilwern, Maesygwartha, Waun Wen
Llanfoist Fawr Llanfoist Fawr (part) Belli-glas, Llanellen, Llanfoist
Llanover Llanarth and Llanover Aberffrwd, Betws newydd, Bryngwyn, Clytha, Croes Hywel, Llanarth, Llanddewi Rhydderch, Llanfair Kilgeddin, Llanvapley, Llanvihangel Gobion, Penpergwm, Pit Clytha, The Bryn, Upper Llanover, Wern-y-Cwrt,
Llanwenarth Ultra Llanfoist Fawr (part) Govilon, Llanwenarth
Mardy Llantilio Pertholey (part) Bryngwenin, Llanddewi Skirrid,
Priory Abergavenny (Town) (part)

Central Monmouthshire area
Electoral Division Community Other Places
Dixton with Osbaston Monmouth (Town) (part) Buckholt, Osbaston, Dixton, Dixton Road, Town Centre (part), Manson, Manson Cross, Leasbrook Lane, Newton Court
Drybridge Monmouth (Town) (part) Ancrehill, Brook Estate
Llanbadoc Gwehelog Fawr and Llanbadoc Glascoed, Gwehelog, Kemeys Commander, Llancayo, Monkswood, Rhadyr, Trostrey
Llangybi Fawr Llangybi, Llanhennock and Llantrisant Fawr Coed y paen, Gwernesney, Newbridge-on-Usk, Llandegveth, Llanllowell, Llangybi, Llantrisant, Tredunnock
Llantilio Crossenny Llangattock-Vibon-Avel and Llantilio Crossenny Bont, Caggle Street, Cross Ash, Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern, Norton, Rockfield, St. Maughans, Skenfrith, Tal-y-coed, Treadam, Walson
Mitchel Troy Mitchel Troy Cwmcarvan, Dingestow, Jingle Street, Wonastow, Tregare, Lydart (part)
Overmonnow Monmouth (Town) (part) Wonastow Road
Raglan Raglan Coed-y-fedw, Kingcoed, Llandenny, Llangovan, Pen-y-clawdd, Twyn y Sheriff
Trellech United Trellech United Catbrook, Hoop, Llandogo, Llanishen, Maryland, Penallt, The Narth, Treleck, Whitebrook
Usk Usk (Town)
Wyesham Monmouth (Town) (part) Wyesham, Hadnock, The Kymin

Lower Wye area
Electoral Division Community Other areas
Caerwent Caerwent Carrow Hill, Crick, Five Lanes, Llanvair Discoed, Trewen, St. Brides Netherwent, Carrow Hill, Highmoor Hill
Devauden Devauden and Llangwm Cobbler's Plain, Gaer Fawr, Howick, Itton, Llanfihangel Tor-y-Mynydd, Llangwm, Llansoy, Star Hill, Wolvesnewton
Larkfield Chepstow (part) Bulwark (part), High Beech, Hardwick Hill, Hardwick Court, Garden City (part)
St Arvans St Arvans and Tintern Barbadoes Green, Botany Bay, Chapel Hill, Porthcasseg, Parkhouse, The Cot
St Christopher's Chepstow (part) Bulwark (part), The Triangle
St Kingsmark Chepstow (part) St. Lawrence Park, The Danes, Bayfield Hamlet, The Bayfields, Crossway Green
St Mary's Chepstow (part) Chepstow Town Centre,Lower Chepstow, Garden City
Shirenewton Mathern and Shirenewton Bullyhole Bottom, Earlswood, Gaerllwyd, Mathern, Mounton, Mynydd-bach, Newton Green, Pwllmeyric, Pen-y-Cae Mawr, Haysgate
Thornwell Chepstow (part) Bulwark (part), Thornwell

Severnside
Electoral Division Community Other areas
Caldicot Castle Caldicot (Town) (part)
Dewstow Caldicot (Town) (part)
Green Lane Caldicot (Town) (part)
Mill Magor with Undy (part) Knollbury, Llandevenny, Magor
Portskewett Portskewett Ifton, Leechpool, Mount Ballan, Sudbrook
Rogiet Rogiet Llanfihangel Rogiet
Severn Caldicot (Town) (part) Deepweir
The Elms Magor with Undy (part) St. Bride's Netherwent, Undy, Vinegar Hill
West End Caldicot (Town) (part)
gollark: No, a Rust templating engine.
gollark: This seems somewhat insane.
gollark: I decided to look at some of sailfish to see how it was doing its really fast templating, and it seems to actually have an AVX2-based implementation of HTML escaping?
gollark: Okay, work it out, bye.
gollark: Hmm.

References
  1. https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/10398604.chepstow-councillor-to-lead-monmouthshire-labour-group/
  2. https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/4402646.top-torfaen-officer-to-get-monmouthshire-chiefs-job/
  3. "Open Council Data UK - compositions councillors parties wards elections". opencouncildata.co.uk. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  4. Civic Heraldry of Wales. Retrieved 8 January 2012
  5. "Your Councillors". Monmouthshire County Council. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  6. "Cwmbran County Hall demolition may need hole filling". BBC News. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  7. Monmouthshire County Council press release, "This council is coming home", 12 January 2010 Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  8. South Wales Argus, "Council buys new base in Magor", 9 May 2010
  9. Free Press, Plans for new Monmouthshire council HQ in Usk are approved, 29 September 2011
  10. Clare Gabriel (18 April 2013). "Monmouthshire Council: 'Agile' working means too few desks". BBC News. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  11. "Council happy with 'Carry On' BBC documentary". Abergavenny Chronicle. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
  12. Monmouthshire Free Press, Tories and Lib Dems form Monmouthshire coalition, 15 May 2012. Retrieved 19 May 2012
  13. "LOCAL ELECTIONS: Tories take control of Monmouthshire", South Wales Argus, 5 May 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  14. Monmouthshire County Council, "Election results at a glance". Retrieved 19 May 2012
  15. http://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Monmouthshire-1995-2012.pdf
  16. Lesley Flynn (21 May 2008). "'Stabbed in the back'". Free Press. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  17. The County of Monmouthshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2002 (2002 No. 3275 (W.313))
  18. Monmouthshire Council – Area Committees Archived 3 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.