Local Government Commission for Wales
Encyclopedia
The Local Government Commission for Wales was established by the Local Government Act 1958
to review the organisation of local government in Wales
and to make recommendations for its reform. It delivered its report in 1963 and was dissolved in 1967. Its recommendations were not carried out.
"and of making such proposals as are hereinafter authorised for effecting changes appearing... desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government". The commission was to consist of consist of "a chairman, a deputy chairman, and not more than five other members": at least one of whom was to be "a person able to speak the Welsh language
".
Proposed changes to local government areas could be effected in five ways, used alone or in combination:
The commission was appointed by royal warrant
dated January 5, 1959, with a membership of five. The chairman was Sir Guildhaume Myrddin-Evans, and Deputy-Chairman was Sir David Emrys Evans. The remaining members were William Jones, Professor Charles Edward Gittins and Janet Morgan.
The commission submitted their draft proposals in May 1961. They made their final report in March 1963.
The commission rejected the constitution of the boroughs of Rhondda
and Wrexham
as county boroughs.
The proposals set out in the report were not accepted by the government, and following the establishment of an inter-departmental working group in 1965, a white paper was issued in 1967. This incorporated some of the 1963 proposals and included some innovations.
The local government system envisaged in the White Paper comprised:
While the new areas were to be based on existing administrative counties, there were to be slight boundary changes: the largest being the readjustment of the Caernarvonshire/Denbighshire boundary between North East and North West Wales counties, the inclusion of the Edeyrnion area of Merionethshire in North east wales, and much of south Breconshire passing to Glamorgan.
On February 26, 1964, The Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, Sir Keith Joseph
, indicated in the House of Commons
that the government did not intend to implement the commission's proposals. He stated that while there was an urgent need for reform, the government wished to reconsider the pattern of local government with the possibility of issuing a white paper leading to legislation in the future.
In the event, local government in Wales remained unchanged until the implementation of the Local Government Act 1972
in 1974, which created a two-tier system of counties and districts throughout the principality. Two of the counties created in 1974, Dyfed
and Gwynedd
closely resembled the South West and North West Wales areas.
Local Government Act 1958
The Local Government Act 1958 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting local government in England and Wales outside London...
to review the organisation of local government in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and to make recommendations for its reform. It delivered its report in 1963 and was dissolved in 1967. Its recommendations were not carried out.
Membership and terms of reference
The legislation establishing the commission set out its duties and powers: it was charged with "the duty of reviewing the organisation of local government" in Wales (including MonmouthshireMonmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
"and of making such proposals as are hereinafter authorised for effecting changes appearing... desirable in the interests of effective and convenient local government". The commission was to consist of consist of "a chairman, a deputy chairman, and not more than five other members": at least one of whom was to be "a person able to speak the Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
".
Proposed changes to local government areas could be effected in five ways, used alone or in combination:
- The alteration of the area of an administrative county or county boroughCounty boroughCounty borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
(including the abolition of any county district in the course of the extension of a county borough) - The constitution of a new administrative county by the amalgamation of two or more areas, whether counties or county boroughs, or by the aggregation of parts of such areas or the separation of a part of such an area
- The constitution of a new county borough by the amalgamation of two or more boroughs (whether county or non-county), the conversion of a non-county boroughMunicipal boroughMunicipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
or urban districtUrban districtIn the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
into a county borough, or the division of an existing county borough into parts and the constitution of all or any of the parts a county borough - The abolition of an administrative county or county borough and the distribution of its area among other areas, being counties or county boroughs
- The conversion of a county borough into a non-county borough and its inclusion in an administrative county
The commission was appointed by royal warrant
Royal Warrant
Royal warrants of appointment have been issued for centuries to those who supply goods or services to a royal court or certain royal personages. The warrant enables the supplier to advertise the fact that they supply to the royal family, so lending prestige to the supplier...
dated January 5, 1959, with a membership of five. The chairman was Sir Guildhaume Myrddin-Evans, and Deputy-Chairman was Sir David Emrys Evans. The remaining members were William Jones, Professor Charles Edward Gittins and Janet Morgan.
Review areas
For the purposes of the commission's work Wales was divided into three review areas:- West and Mid Wales Review Area: the administrative counties of Breconshire, CardiganshireCeredigionCeredigion is a county and former kingdom in mid-west Wales. As Cardiganshire , it was created in 1282, and was reconstituted as a county under that name in 1996, reverting to Ceredigion a day later...
, CarmarthenshireCarmarthenshireCarmarthenshire is a unitary authority in the south west of Wales and one of thirteen historic counties. It is the 3rd largest in Wales. Its three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford...
, PembrokeshirePembrokeshirePembrokeshire is a county in the south west of Wales. It borders Carmarthenshire to the east and Ceredigion to the north east. The county town is Haverfordwest where Pembrokeshire County Council is headquartered....
and RadnorshireRadnorshireRadnorshire is one of thirteen historic and former administrative counties of Wales. It is represented by the Radnorshire area of Powys, which according to the 2001 census, had a population of 24,805...
:- review commenced May 5, 1959 - Glamorgan and Monmouthshire Review Area: the administrative counties of GlamorganGlamorganGlamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
and MonmouthshireMonmouthshire (historic)Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, and the county boroughCounty boroughCounty borough is a term introduced in 1889 in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , to refer to a borough or a city independent of county council control. They were abolished by the Local Government Act 1972 in England and Wales, but continue in use for lieutenancy and shrievalty in...
s of CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, Merthyr TydfilMerthyr TydfilMerthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
, NewportNewportNewport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
and SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
: - review commenced May 5, 1959 - North Wales Review Area: the administrative countiesAdministrative countyAn administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....
of AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
, Caernarvonshire, DenbighshireDenbighshire (historic)Historic Denbighshire is one of thirteen traditional counties in Wales, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which covers an area in north east Wales...
, FlintshireFlintshire (historic)Flintshire , also known as the County of Flint, is one of thirteen historic counties, a vice-county and a former administrative county, which mostly lies on the north east coast of Wales....
, Merioneth and MontgomeryshireMontgomeryshireMontgomeryshire, also known as Maldwyn is one of thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. Montgomeryshire is still used as a vice-county for wildlife recording...
: - review commenced March 28, 1960
The commission submitted their draft proposals in May 1961. They made their final report in March 1963.
Recommendations
The commission recommended:- A reduction in the number of administrative counties from 13 to 7
- Extensions of the county boroughs of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea
- The county borough of Merthyr Tydfil to become a non-county borough in Glamorgan
The commission rejected the constitution of the boroughs of Rhondda
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
and Wrexham
Wrexham
Wrexham is a town in Wales. It is the administrative centre of the wider Wrexham County Borough, and the largest town in North Wales, located in the east of the region. It is situated between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley close to the border with Cheshire, England...
as county boroughs.
The proposals set out in the report were not accepted by the government, and following the establishment of an inter-departmental working group in 1965, a white paper was issued in 1967. This incorporated some of the 1963 proposals and included some innovations.
The local government system envisaged in the White Paper comprised:
- 5 "administrative areas" replacing the 13 administrative counties :
- North West Wales county (Anglesey, Caernarvonshire, Merionethshire)
- North East Wales county (Denbighshire, Flintshire, Montgomeryshire)
- South West Wales county (Cardiganshire, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire)
- Glamorgan (Glamorgan, Merthyr Tydfil county borough)
- South East Wales county (Breconshire, Monmouthshire, Radnorshire)
- The administrative areas divided into 36 districts
- The county boroughs of Cardiff, Newport and Swansea to continue
- "Common Councils" and a "Welsh Council" for the administration of joint services
While the new areas were to be based on existing administrative counties, there were to be slight boundary changes: the largest being the readjustment of the Caernarvonshire/Denbighshire boundary between North East and North West Wales counties, the inclusion of the Edeyrnion area of Merionethshire in North east wales, and much of south Breconshire passing to Glamorgan.
On February 26, 1964, The Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs, Sir Keith Joseph
Keith Joseph
Keith St John Joseph, Baron Joseph, Bt, CH, PC , was a British barrister and politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet under three Prime Ministers , and is widely regarded to have been the "power behind the throne" in the creation of what came to be known as...
, indicated in the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
that the government did not intend to implement the commission's proposals. He stated that while there was an urgent need for reform, the government wished to reconsider the pattern of local government with the possibility of issuing a white paper leading to legislation in the future.
In the event, local government in Wales remained unchanged until the implementation of the Local Government Act 1972
Local Government Act 1972
The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....
in 1974, which created a two-tier system of counties and districts throughout the principality. Two of the counties created in 1974, Dyfed
Dyfed
Dyfed is a preserved county of Wales. It was created on 1 April 1974 under the terms of the Local Government Act 1972, and covered approximately the same geographic extent as the ancient Principality of Deheubarth, although excluding the Gower Peninsula and the area west of the River Tawe...
and Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
closely resembled the South West and North West Wales areas.