Ceredigion County Council
Ceredigion County Council (Welsh: Cyngor Sir Ceredigion) is the governing body for the county of Ceredigion, since 1996 one of the unitary authorities of Wales. The council's main offices are in Aberaeron.
Ceredigion County Council Cyngor Sir Ceredigion | |
|---|---|
 | |
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1996 |
| Preceded by | Dyfed County Council Ceredigion District Council |
| Leadership | |
Eifion Evans since 1 October 2017[2] | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 38 councillors |
 | |
Political groups |
|
| Committees | Audit Committee Cabinet Charity Trustee Committee Council Democratic Services Committee Development Control Committee Ethics and Standards Committee Language Committee Licensing Committee |
| Committees | Overview and Scrutiny Committee Scrutiny - Corporate Resources Scrutiny - Healthier Communities Scrutiny - Learning Communities Scrutiny - Thriving Communities |
Joint committees | Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service |
Length of term | 5 Years |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
First election | 4 May 1995 |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Neuadd Cyngor Ceredigion, Penmorfa, Aberaeron, SA46 0PA | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
The current council was created on 1 April 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, replacing Ceredigion District Council and also taking over county-level functions in the area from Dyfed County Council, which was abolished. The 1994 act specified that the new authority was to have both an English and a Welsh name: Cardiganshire / Sir Aberteifi.[3] The new authority was elected in 1995, but acted as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing district and county councils until the new arrangements took effect the following year. During that time, the shadow authority requested a change of name from Cardiganshire / Sir Aberteifi to Ceredigion for both languages. The government confirmed the change with effect from 2 April 1996, one day after the new council came into being.[4][5]
Public health
The county had the lowest rates of people infected with or dying from COVID-19 in the British mainland, up to June 2020. The area is naturally rural and holiday attractions and the university were closed down very early. The council set up its own contact tracing system in March 2020.[6]
Political control
The first election to the new council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been held by the following parties:[7]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Independent | 1996–1999 | |
| No overall control | 1999–2003 | |
| Independent | 2003–2004 | |
| No overall control | 2004–2022 | |
| Plaid Cymru | 2022–present | |
Leadership
The leaders of the council since 1996 have been:[8]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dai Lloyd Evans[9] | Independent | 1996 | 2006 | |
| Keith Evans[10] | Independent | 2006 | May 2012 | |
| Ellen ap Gwynn[11] | Plaid Cymru | May 2012 | 8 May 2022 | |
| Bryan Davies | Plaid Cymru | 13 May 2022 | ||
Composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2023, the composition of the council was:[12]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Plaid Cymru | 20 | |
| Independent | 10 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | |
| Gwlad | 1 | |
| Total | 38 | |
The Gwlad councillor and eight of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independents Group". The other two independent councillors are unaffiliated to any group.[13] The next election is due in 2027.
Council elections
Elections take place every five years. The last full county election took place on 5 May 2022. The next election is due in May 2027.[14][15]
| Year | Seats | Plaid Cymru | Independent | Liberal Democrats | Labour | Gwlad | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 43 | 6 | 26 | 10 | 1 | N/A | Independent majority controlled |
| 1999 | 44 | 14 | 22 | 7 | 1 | N/A | Independent led with Lib Dem support |
| 2004 | 42 | 16 | 16 | 9 | 1 | N/A | Independent led with Lib Dem support |
| 2008 | 42 | 19 | 12 | 10 | 1 | N/A | Independent led with Lib Dem support |
| 2012 | 42 | 19 | 15 | 7 | 1 | N/A | Plaid Cymru led with Independent support |
| 2017 | 42 | 20 | 13 | 8 | 1 | N/A | Plaid Cymru led with Independent support |
| 2022 | 38 | 20 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 1 | Plaid Cymru majority controlled |
Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.
Premises
Since the local government reorganisation in 1996, the council has had its meeting place and main offices at Neuadd Cyngor Ceredigion (English: Ceredigion Council Hall) at Penmorfa in Aberaeron.[16] The building was erected in the early 1990s for the council's predecessor, Ceredigion District Council.[17][18]
When the council was created in 1996 it inherited various offices from its predecessor authorities, including Swyddfa'r Sir in Aberystwyth, which had been built as the Queen's Hotel in 1866 and had served as the headquarters of the former Cardiganshire County Council from 1950 until 1974, then served as an area office for Dyfed County Council from 1974 until 1996. The council also inherited Aberystwyth Town Hall, which had been the headquarters of Ceredigion District Council. Both these Aberystwyth offices closed in 2009 when the council opened a new Aberystwyth area office at Canolfan Rheidol in Llanbadarn Fawr on the outskirts of Aberystwyth.[19][20] The council also has area offices in Lampeter and Cardigan.[21]
Arms
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References
- "Council minutes, 19 May 2023". Ceredigion County Council. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- "Deputy takes over as new chief executive of Ceredigion council". Cambrian News. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 28 September 2022
- "Hansard: Written Answers". UK Parliament. 2 April 1996. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "The County of Ceredigion (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2002/3278, retrieved 2 October 2022
- "The area of Wales that missed coronavirus - and the simple system it set up". Wales Online. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
- "Council minutes". Ceredigion County Council. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Ceredigion Council leader to quit". BBC News. 24 April 2006. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Vote 2012: Ceredigion council leader Keith Evans loses seat". BBC News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Ceredigion's Plaid leader Ellen ap Gwynn to step down". BBC News. 23 February 2022. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Local Elections - 5th May 2022". Ceredigion County Council. Ceredigion County Council. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- "Your councillors by political grouping". Ceredigion County Council. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
- "Ceredigion County Council Election Results 1995-2012". Elections Centre Plymouth University. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- "Wales at the polls: Local elections 2017". ITV News. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- "No. 54475". The London Gazette. 24 July 1996. p. 9921.
- Planning application 890453, New council offices at Penmorfa, Aberaeron, granted 18 June 1990
- "No. 53783". The London Gazette. 7 September 1994. p. 12630.
- "Work starts on £950,000 town library in Aberystwyth". BBC. 23 September 2010. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
- "Welsh Assembly Government and County Council Offices, Canolfan Rheidol, Aberystwyth". Coflein. Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Customer service centres". Ceredigion County Council. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
- "Wales". Civic Heraldry of Wales. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
