# Monmouthshire County Council

Monmouthshire County Council (or simply Monmouthshire Council) (Welsh: Cyngor Sir Fynwy) is the governing body for the Monmouthshire principal area – one of the unitary authorities of Wales.
The current unitary authority was created in 1996 and covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county of Monmouthshire. The county council is based at County Hall in the hamlet of The Rhadyr, near Usk.
Since the 2022 elections the council has been under no overall control, with Labour the largest party. The leader of the council since the 2022 elections has been Mary Ann Brocklesby of Labour.

## History

The current Monmouthshire County Council is the second body of that name. The first Monmouthshire County Council was created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over the local government functions of the quarter sessions. That council was based in Newport, initially meeting at the town hall and later building itself headquarters at Shire Hall in 1902. In 1891, Newport was made a county borough, removing it from the administrative area of the county council, although the council continued to be based there.
The first Monmouthshire County Council was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, when the area was absorbed into the new county of Gwent. Gwent County Council moved its headquarters to a new County Hall at Croesyceiliog on the outskirts of Cwmbran, which was already under construction at the time of the 1974 reforms.
The current Monmouthshire County Council was created in 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, which abolished Gwent County Council and the area's five district councils, creating new unitary authorities. The new authorities in Gwent were based on the previous districts, with the new Monmouthshire authority covering the pre-1996 Monmouth Borough plus the community of Llanelly from Blaenau Gwent district.

## 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:
| Party in control | Years |
| Labour | 1996–1999 |
| No overall control | 1999–2004 |
| Conservative | 2004–2012 |
| No overall control | 2012–2017 |
| Conservative | 2017–2022 |
| No overall control | 2022–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2002 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Andrew Crump | Conservative | | Jul 2002 |
| David Waring | Labour | Jul 2002 | Jun 2004 |
| Andrew Crump | Conservative | Jun 2004 | May 2008 |
| Peter Fox | Conservative | May 2008 | 13 May 2021 |
| Richard John | Conservative | 13 May 2021 | 19 May 2022 |
| Mary Ann Brocklesby | Labour | 19 May 2022 | |

### Composition

Following the 2022 election, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Labour | 22 |
| | Conservative | 18 |
| | Independent | 5 |
| | Green | 1 |
| Total | Total | 46 |
Four of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group", the other sits with the Green councillor as the "Green Independent Group". The latter group forms the part of the council's administration with Labour. The next election is due in 2027.

## Elections

Elections take place every five years. In the 2022 elections, Labour became the largest party, with 22 seats, and the Conservatives lost their overall majority, winning 18 of the 46 seats. The final result was decided by the toss of a coin after a tie between Conservative and Labour candidates in the ward of Llanfoist Fawr and Govilon; the seat was taken by the Conservatives. After the election, Labour formed a minority administration, with Mary Ann Brocklesby appointed as the first female leader of the council.
| Year | Seats | Labour | Conservative | Others | Green | Liberal Democrats | Plaid Cymru | Notes |
| 1995 | 42 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Labour majority control |
| 1999 | 42 | 18 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | No overall control; minority Labour administration |
| 2004 | 43 | 9 | 23 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | Conservative majority control. New ward boundaries. |
| 2008 | 43 | 7 | 29 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | Conservative majority control |
| 2012 | 43 | 11 | 19 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | No overall control; Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition |
| 2017 | 43 | 10 | 25 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | Conservative majority control |
| 2022 | 46 | 22 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | No overall control; minority Labour administration. New ward boundaries. |
Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.

## Premises

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 administrative area in the neighbouring borough of Torfaen and shared with Torfaen County Borough Council. It was closed because of "concrete cancer" and later demolished. In 2010 the authority had decided to relocate its headquarters functions to new offices at The Rhadyr in the community of Llanbadoc, just outside the town of Usk. Planning permission for the new building was granted in September 2011. The council moved to temporary offices in Magor while the new building was under construction.
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. The new county hall cost £6 million and was opened in 2013.

## 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.
The council operates a decentralised system of administration, with four area committees:
* Bryn y Cwm, covering the Abergavenny area
* Central Monmouthshire, centred on Monmouth
* Lower Wye, for the Chepstow area
* Severnside, the area around Caldicot
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-bâch, 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) | |