 The Logo of the City and County of Swansea council |
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 The Arms of the City and County of Swansea |
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| Control | Liberal Democrats/Independent Coalition |
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| MPs | |
| Official Website | swansea.gov.uk |
The City and County of Swansea council (Welsh: Cyngor Dinas a Sir Abertawe) is the governing body for Swansea, the Gower and the surrounding area, and is one of the Principal Areas of Wales. 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.
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Political makeup
Elections take place every four years. The last election was 10 June 2004.
| Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 32 | 4 | 19 | 17 |
The council has been under Liberal Democrats Control since 2004 with an alliance with the Conservatives and the Independents. However these figures have now changed 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.
History
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".
| Municipal Year | Mayor |
|---|---|
| 2007-2008 | Susan Waller |
| 2006-2007 | Chris Holley |
| 2005-2006 | Mair Gibbs |
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 79% Bishopston Comp School, Bishopston 72% Olchfa Comp School, Sketty 72% Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, Gowerton,(Welsh) 64% Bishop Vaughan Cath Comp School, Morriston 56% Pontarddulais Comp School, Pontarddulais 51% Gowerton Comp School, Gowerton 51% Penyrheol Comp School, Gorseinon 45% Birchgrove Comp School, Birchgrove 44% Bishop Gore Comp, Sketty 43% Morriston Comp School, Morriston 40% Pentrehafod School, Hafod 34% Cefn Hengoed Comm Comp, Winch Wen 14% Daniel James Comm School, Treboeth 5% Dylan Thomas Comm School, Cockett
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` www.property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/buying_and_selling/article2103445.ece
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 '*':
| Ward | Communities (Parishes) | Geographic areas |
| Bishopston | Bishopston* | Barland Common, Caswell, Bishopston, Clyne Common, Manselfield, Murton, Oldway |
| Bon-y-maen | Bon-y-maen | Pentrechwyth, Pentre Dwr, Winch Wen |
| Castle | Castle | Swansea city centre, Brynmelin, Dyfatty, Maritime Quarter, parts of Mount Pleasant and Sandfields |
| Clydach | Clydach* | Clydach, Faerdre, Glais (East) and Penydre |
| Cockett | Cockett | Cadle, Cwmdu, Coedweig, Gendros, Gors, Fforestfach, Waunarlwydd |
| Cwmbwrla | Cwmbwrla | Brondeg, Brynhyfryd, Cwmdu, Gendros, Manselton |
| Dunvant | Dunvant* | Killay |
| Fairwood | Upper Killay*, Three Crosses ward of the community of Llanrhidian Higher* | Dunvant, Upper Killay, Three Crosses |
| Gorseinon | Gorseinon Central and Gorseinon East wards of the community of Gorseinon* | Gorseinon town |
| Gower | The Communities of:
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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, Pontlliw, Poundffald, Slade |
| Gowerton | Gowerton* | Gowerton village, Penclawdd, Waunarlwydd |
| Killay North | Killay* (North ward) | Carnglas, Olchfa and Caunarlwydd |
| Killay South | Killay* (South ward) | Dunvant, Ilston, Sketty |
| Kingsbridge | Llwchwr* (Garden Village and Kingsbridge wards) | Garden Village, Stafford Common |
| Landore | Landore | Hafod, Morfa, Plasmarl |
| Llangyfelach |
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Pantlasau, Tircoed |
| Llansamlet | Llansamlet, Birchgrove | Birchgrove, Glais, Heol Las, Morriston, Pentre-Dwr, Talycoppa and Trallwn and Winsh-wen |
| Lower Loughor | Llwchwr* (Lower Loughor ward) | |
| Mawr | Mawr* | Felindre, Craigcefnparc, Garnswllt, Ryhdypandy |
| Mayals | Mumbles* (Mayals ward) | Blackpill, West Cross |
| Morriston | Morriston* | Caemawr, Cwmrhydyceirw, Morriston town, Parc Gwernfadog, Pant-lasau, Ynysforgan and Ynystawe |
| Mynydd-Bach | Mynydd-Bach | Clase, Clasemont, Park View Estate, Penfillia Estate, Treboeth, Tirdeunaw, Pinewood, Mynydd Garnlywd and Bryn Rock |
| Newton | Mumbles* (Newton ward) | Caswell, Langland Bay |
| Oystermouth | Mumbles* (Oystermouth ward) | Norton, Mumbles, Thistleboon |
| Penclawdd | Llanrhidian Higher* (Llanmorlais and Penclawdd wards) | Blue Anchor, Llanmorlais, Penclawdd, Crofty and Wernffrwd |
| Penderry | Penderry | Penlan, Portmead, Blaen-y-Maes, Fforesthall and Caereithin |
| Penllergaer | Penllergaer* | part of Gorseinon |
| Pennard | Pennard* | Bishopston, Fairwood Common, Kittle, Parkmill, Southgate |
| Penyrheol |
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Grovesend and Waun Gron |
| Pontarddulais | Pontarddulais* | Pontarddulais town |
| St. Thomas | St. Thomas | Bon-y-maen, Dan-y-graig, Landore, Port Tennant, SA1 Waterfront, Swansea Docks, Kilvey and the Grenfell Park Area |
| Sketty | Sketty | Carnglas, Clyne Valley (Gwerneinon), Derwen Fawr, Hendrefoilan, Killay, Singleton Park, Sketty village, Tycoch, Cwmgwyn |
| Townhill | Townhill | Cwm-Gwyn, Mayhill, Mount Pleasant |
| Uplands | Uplands | Brynmill, St. Helens, Cwmgwyn, Ffynone and The Lons |
| Upper Loughor | Llwchwr* (Upper Loughor ward) | |
| West Cross | Mumbles* (West Cross ward) | Manselfield, Norton, Mumbles and Newton |
Corporate Identity
Logo
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.[1]
References
- ^ The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) (Wales) Order 1996 (1996 No. 1930 ) (OPSI website), accessed October 2, 2007
See also
External links
 Local authorities of Wales |
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Local authorities for subdivisions created by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 |
