City and County of Swansea Council

City and County of Swansea Council

The Logo of the City and County of Swansea council

The Arms of the City and County of Swansea
Control Liberal Democrats/Independent Coalition
MPs
AMs
Official Website swansea.gov.uk

The City and County of Swansea Council (Welsh: Cyngor Dinas a Sir Abertawe) is the governing body for one of the Principal Areas of Wales covering Swansea, Gower and the surrounding area. The council consists of 72 councillors representing 36 electoral wards.

The council is currently controlled by the Liberal Democrats and is led by Councillor Christopher Holley.

Contents

Political makeup

Elections take place every four years. The last election was 1 May 2008.[2]

Current composition

Group affiliation[1] Members
Labour 27
Liberal Democrat 24
  Independent
7
  Independents@Swansea
6
Conservative 4
  Communities of Swansea
3
Plaid Cymru 1
 Total
72

Historic results

Year Labour Conservative Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru Others Turnout Notes
2008 30 4 23 1 14 38.19% NOC, Swansea Administration controlled
2004 32 4 19 5 12 38.32% NOC, Swansea Administration controlled
1999 45 4 11 3 9 Labour controlled
1995 Labour controlled

source: [3]

Between 1996 and 2004, the council was under Labour control. Since 2004 there has been no overral control and the council has been led by a Liberal Democrats coalition with an alliance with the Independents and the Conservatives, termed the Swansea Administration. However these figures changed during the 2004-2008 period with the defection of Cllr. Keith Morgan from Plaid Cymru to the Welsh Liberal Democrats in 2005 and Cllr. Rene Kinzett from the Welsh Liberal Democrats to the Conservatives in 2006.

Following the 2008 elections, the Liberal Democrats agreed with the Independents to form another coalition for the next four years.

Municipal History

Swansea's first charter was granted sometime between 1158-1184 by William de Newburgh, 3rd Earl of Warwick. The charter gave Swansea the status of a borough, granting the townsmen, called burgesses certain rights to develop the area. A second charter was granted in 1215 by King John. By 1888, the borough acquired the status of county borough, separating it from the administrative county of Glamorgan.

In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Swansea (which had previously been a county borough) was merged with Gower Rural District, to become a district of West Glamorgan called the District and City of Swansea. In 1996, another local government reform saw the district of Swansea merged with parts of the Lliw Valley district to form a unitary authority under the name of the 'City and County of Swansea' (Welsh: Dinas a Sir Abertawe.)

Mayoralty

The mayor of Swansea is a senior member of the elected Council. The style of the mayor is "The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Swansea". The Lord Mayor's official residence is the Mansion House in Ffynone.

Municipal Year Mayor
2010–2011 Richard Lewis
2009–2010 Alan Lloyd
2008–2009 Gareth Sullivan
2007–2008 Susan Waller
2006–2007 Chris Holley
2005–2006 Mair Gibbs

Electoral divisions


The city is divided into 36 electoral wards. Most of these wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. Each community can have an elected council. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*':

Map # Ward Communities (Parishes) Places covered # Councillors Population (*1) Land Area (km²) Population density (ppl/km²)
1 Bishopston Bishopston* Barland Common, Caswell, Bishopston, Clyne Common, Manselfield, Murton, Oldway 1 3,341 5.89 567
2 Bon-y-maen Bon-y-maen Pentrechwyth, Pentre Dwr, Winch Wen 2 6,342 8.47 749
3 Castle Castle Swansea city centre, Brynmelin, Dyfatty, Maritime Quarter, parts of Mount Pleasant and Sandfields 4 11,933 3.03 3,938
4 Clydach Clydach* Clydach, Faerdre, Glais (East) and Penydre 2 7,320 8.46 865
5 Cockett Cockett Cadle, Cwmdu, Coedweig, Gendros, Gors, Fforestfach, Waunarlwydd 4 12,586 8.6 1,464
6 Cwmbwrla Cwmbwrla Brondeg, Brynhyfryd, Cwmdu, Gendros, Manselton 3 8,217 1.5 5,478
7 Dunvant Dunvant Dunvant, Killay 2 4,679 2.41 1,941
8 Fairwood Upper Killay*, Three Crosses ward of the community of Llanrhidian Higher* Upper Killay, Three Crosses 1 2,774 13.44 206
9 Gorseinon Gorseinon Central and Gorseinon East wards of the community of Gorseinon* Gorseinon town 1 3,275 2.23 1,469
10 Gower The Communities of: Cheriton, Fairyhill, Horton, Knelston, Landimore, Llanddewi, Llangennith, Llanmadoc, Llanrhidian, Middleton, Nicholaston, Oldwalls, Overton, Oxwich Green, Oxwich, Parkmill, Penmaen, Penrice, Port Eynon, Reynoldston, Rhossili, Grovesend, Llanmorlais, Pentrebach, Pont-Lliw, Poundffald, Slade 1 3,654 113.2 32
11 Gowerton Gowerton* Gowerton village, Penclawdd, Waunarlwydd 1 4,928 7.55 653
12 Killay North Killay* (North ward) Carnglas, Olchfa and Waunarlwydd 1 3,436 1.99 1,727
13 Killay South Killay* (South ward) Dunvant, Ilston, Sketty 1 2,297 1.24 1,852
14 Kingsbridge Llwchwr* (Garden Village and Kingsbridge wards) Garden Village, Stafford Common 1 4,089 4.82 848
15 Landore Landore Hafod, Landore, Morfa, Plasmarl 2 6,121 2.23 2,745
16 Llangyfelach Pantlasau, Tircoed 1 4,426 17.12 259
17 Llansamlet Llansamlet, Birchgrove Birchgrove, Glais, Heol Las, Llansamlet, Morriston, Talycoppa and Trallwn 4 12,003 15.54 772
18 Lower Loughor Llwchwr* (Lower Loughor ward) Loughor 1 2,146 1.61 1,767
19 Mawr Mawr* Felindre, Craigcefnparc, Garnswllt, Ryhdypandy 1 1,800 57.81 31
20 Mayals Mumbles* (Mayals ward) Blackpill, Mayals, West Cross 1 2,834 4.52 627
21 Morriston Morriston* Caemawr, Cwmrhydyceirw, Morriston town, Parc Gwernfadog, Pant-lasau, Ynysforgan and Ynystawe 5 16,781 7.32 2,292
22 Mynydd-Bach Mynydd-Bach Clase, Clasemont, Park View Estate, Penfillia Estate, Treboeth, Tirdeunaw, Pinewood, Mynydd Garnlywd and Bryn Rock 3 8,756 3.57 2,453
23 Newton Mumbles* (Newton ward) Caswell, Langland Bay 1 3,150 2.36 1,335
24 Oystermouth Mumbles* (Oystermouth ward) Norton, Mumbles, Thistleboon 1 4,315 2.01 2,147
25 Penclawdd Llanrhidian Higher* (Llanmorlais and Penclawdd wards) Blue Anchor, Llanmorlais, Penclawdd, Crofty and Wernffrwd 1 3,672 14.3 257
26 Penderry Penderry Penlan, Portmead, Blaen-y-Maes, Fforesthall and Caereithin 3 10,981 4.04 2,718
27 Penllergaer Penllergaer* Penllergaer and part of Gorseinon 1 2,434 6.01 405
28 Pennard Pennard* Bishopston, Fairwood Common, Kittle, Parkmill, Southgate 1 2,648 11.64 227
29 Penyrheol
  • Grovesend*
  • Gorseinon* (Gorseinon West and Penyrheol wards)
Grovesend and Waun Gron 2 5,780 8.61 671
30 Pontarddulais Pontarddulais* Pontarddulais town 2 5,293 15.61 339
31 St. Thomas St. Thomas Bon-y-maen, Dan-y-graig, Landore, Port Tennant, SA1 Waterfront, Swansea Docks, Kilvey Hill and the Grenfell Park Area, St. Thomas 2 6,373 5.91 1,078
32 Sketty Sketty Carnglas, Clyne Valley (Gwerneinon), Derwen Fawr, Hendrefoilan, Killay, Singleton Park, Sketty village, Tycoch, Cwmgwyn 5 13,799 6.87 2,009
33 Townhill Townhill Cwm-Gwyn, Mayhill, Mount Pleasant, Townhill 3 8,443 1.8 4,691
34 Uplands Uplands Brynmill, St. Helens, Cwmgwyn, Ffynone and The Lons, Uplands 4 13,355 2.31 5,781
35 Upper Loughor Llwchwr* (Upper Loughor ward) Loughor 1 2,845 1.61 1,767
36 West Cross Mumbles* (West Cross ward) Manselfield, Norton, Mumbles and Newton, West Cross

Remove Manselfield from the West Cross Ward. It is within the Bishopston Ward. As shown.

2 6,475 2.48 2,611

*1 - 2001 Census

Corporate Identity

The logo of the City and County of Swansea depicts a stylised Osprey. It is sometimes shown with the name the council written beneath it or written in a ring around the Osprey pictogram.

Coat of arms

The official coat of arms used by the council today were granted by the College of Arms in 1922. The motto is 'Floreat Swansea'.

The Arms are blazoned as follows:

Per Fess wavy Azure and barry wavy of six Argent, of the first a double-towered Castle or, in Chief on an Inescutcheon of the third a Lion passant guardant Gules; And for the Crest, On a Wreath of the Colours an Osprey rising holding in the Beak a Fish proper; Supporters: on the dexter side a Lion Gules gorged with a Mural Crown or, and on the sinister side a Dragon Gules gorged with a Mural Crown or'.

The Arms are symbolic to an extent: the blue and white wavy bars represent the sea, since Swansea is a port town; the Castle represents the Medieval fortifications of the Town; the lion as dexter supporter and on the Inescutcheon commemorates the link with the de Breos family; and the dragon as sinister supporter is the National Emblem of Wales and is a supporter in the Achievement of Arms of the present Lord Swansea.

In April 1974, the City of Swansea was merged with the Gower Rural District to form the new District and City of Swansea. The Arms granted to the Corporation of the County Borough of Swansea in 1922 were transferred unchanged to the new City Council in May 1975. The Certificate of Transfer of the College of Arms dated 11 March 1976 confirmed the re-granting of the Arms. With the 1996 reorganisation of local government, the arms were transferred a second time to the present City Council.[2]

Local education authority

The council serves as the local education authority for schools based within the unitary authority area.

Schools

Top performing secondary schools in City and County of Swansea, based on 5 GCSEs, A-C Grade, according to the latest inspection reports from Estyn

Ysgol Gyfun Bryntawe is a new Welsh Medium Comprehensive School which opened in 2003. Their GCSE results will be published in late 2008 after Y11 sit their exams. According to the latest Estyn inspection the school scored Grade 1 in most areas that were tested, so exam results are anticipated to be exceptional. The Times newspaper called it 'one of leading schools in the country'. [4]

Council premises

See also

References

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) (Wales) Order 1996 (1996 No. 1930 ) (OPSI website), accessed October 2, 2007

External links