Islwyn

The Borough of Islwyn was one of five local government districts of Gwent from 1974 to 1996.[1]

For other uses, see Islwyn (disambiguation).
Islwyn

History
 • Created1 April 1974
 • Abolished31 March 1996
 • Succeeded byCaerphilly County Borough
StatusBorough
 • HQPontllanfraith

History

The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district of Gwent. It covered the whole area of three former districts and part of a fourth, which were all abolished at the same time:

All the constituent parts of Islwyn had previously been in the administrative county of Monmouthshire prior to the reforms. Gwent County Council provided county-level services to the new borough.[2][3]

The district's name (meaning "below the grove") was derived from the ancient parish of Mynyddislwyn which covered its area. This was shown in the borough's coat of arms which represented a mountain below a grove of oak trees. Islwyn was also the pen name of local poet William Thomas (1832–1878).

The borough was abolished in 1996, when its area became part of Caerphilly County Borough.[1]

Islwyn continues as a Westminster constituency and a Senedd constituency. The Westminster constituency's best-known MP was Neil Kinnock.

Political control

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council from 1974 until its abolition in 1996 was held by the following parties:[4]

Party in controlYears
Labour1974–1976
No overall control1976–1979
Labour1979–1996

Premises
Pontllanfraith House: Council's headquarters, built 1977

The council built itself a new headquarters in 1977 at Pontllanfraith House on Blackwood Road in Pontllanfraith. The building subsequently served as offices for Caerphilly County Borough Council until 2015 and has since been demolished.[5][6]

References
  1. "Gwent Archives Islwyn Borough Council Records". www.archiveswales.org.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  2. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 6 October 2022
  3. "The Districts in Wales (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/34, retrieved 4 October 2022
  4. "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  5. "Pontllanfraith House Site Development Brief". Caerphilly County Borough Council. 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2022.
  6. "Caerphilly Council's Pontllanfraith House closure takes a step closer". Caerphilly Observer. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 12 October 2022.

51.64°N 3.15°W / 51.64; -3.15

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