City and County of Swansea Council


The City and County of Swansea Council 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.
Since 2012 the council has been controlled by the Labour Party.

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.
Swansea County Borough Council was created in 1889 and the first elections held in November of that year.
In 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Swansea 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'

Political makeup

Elections take place every five years. The last election was 4 May 2017.

Current composition

The council is currently controlled by the Labour Party.

Historic results

Between 1996 and 2004, and since 2012 the council is under Labour control. Between 2004 and 2012 there was no overall control and the council was led by a Liberal Democrat coalition in 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.
In September 2014, Cllr Rob Stewart took over leadership of the council, from Cllr David Phillips. Phillips resigned at the end of August, after 2 years leading the council.
Labour retained control at the 2017 elections despite predictions that the party would lose its majority.

Mayoralty

The Lord Mayor of Swansea is a senior member of the elected Council. Swansea has had a Mayor since it became a borough in 1835. The dignity of Lord Mayor was conferred on the city by Queen Elizabeth II on 22 March 1982 to celebrate the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales. The status was confirmed on 1 April 1996 when the Unitary Authority of the City and County of Swansea came into being.
The style of the Lord Mayor is "The Right Worshipful the Lord Mayor of Swansea". The official residence is the Mansion House in Ffynone, which was originally built as the home of a previous mayor, Evan Matthew Richards. It was purchased by the then County Borough of Swansea in 1922 and renamed the Mansion House.

Lord Mayors of Swansea

The city is divided into 36 electoral wards. Most of these wards are coterminous with communities 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 #WardCommunities Places covered# CouncillorsPopulation Land Area Population density
1BishopstonBishopston*Barland Common, Caswell, Bishopston, Clyne Common, Manselfield, Murton, Oldway13,3415.89567
2Bon-y-maenBon-y-maenPentrechwyth, Pentre Dwr, Winch Wen26,3428.47749
3CastleCastleSwansea city centre, Brynmelin, Dyfatty, Maritime Quarter, parts of Mount Pleasant and Sandfields411,9333.033,938
4ClydachClydach*Clydach, Faerdre, Glais and Penydre27,3208.46865
5CockettCockettCadle, Cwmdu, Coedweig, Gendros, Gors, Fforestfach, Waunarlwydd412,5868.61,464
6CwmbwrlaCwmbwrlaBrondeg, Brynhyfryd, Cwmdu, Gendros, Manselton38,2171.55,478
7DunvantDunvantDunvant, Killay24,6792.411,941
8FairwoodUpper Killay*, Three Crosses ward of the community of Llanrhidian Higher*Upper Killay, Three Crosses12,77413.44206
9GorseinonGorseinon Central and Gorseinon East wards of the community of Gorseinon*Gorseinon town13,2752.231,469
10GowerThe 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, Slade13,654113.232
11GowertonGowerton*Gowerton village, Penclawdd, Waunarlwydd14,9287.55653
12Killay NorthKillay* Carnglas, Olchfa and Waunarlwydd13,4361.991,727
13Killay SouthKillay* Dunvant, Ilston, Sketty12,2971.241,852
14KingsbridgeLlwchwr* Garden Village, Stafford Common14,0894.82848
15LandoreLandoreHafod, Landore, Morfa, Plasmarl26,1212.232,745
16Llangyfelach
  • Llangyfelach*
  • Pontlliw*
    		• Pantlasau, Tircoed14,42617.12259
    17LlansamletLlansamlet, BirchgroveBirchgrove, Glais, Heol Las, Llansamlet, Morriston, Talycoppa, Summerhill and Trallwn412,00315.54772
    18Lower LoughorLlwchwr* Loughor12,1461.611,767
    19MawrMawr*Felindre, Craigcefnparc, Garnswllt, Ryhdypandy11,80057.8131
    20MayalsMumbles* Blackpill, Mayals, West Cross12,8344.52627
    21MorristonMorristonCaemawr, Cwmrhydyceirw, Morriston town, Parc Gwernfadog, Pant-lasau, Ynysforgan and Ynystawe516,7817.322,292
    22Mynydd-BachMynydd-BachClase, Clasemont, Park View Estate, Penfillia Estate, Treboeth, Tirdeunaw, Pinewood, Mynydd Garnlywd and Bryn Rock38,7563.572,453
    23NewtonMumbles* Caswell, Langland Bay13,1502.361,335
    24OystermouthMumbles* Norton, Mumbles, Thistleboon14,3152.012,147
    25PenclawddLlanrhidian Higher* Blue Anchor, Llanmorlais, Penclawdd, Crofty and Wernffrwd13,67214.3257
    26PenderryPenderryPenlan, Portmead, Blaen-y-Maes, Fforesthall and Caereithin310,9814.042,718
    27PenllergaerPenllergaer*Penllergaer and part of Gorseinon12,4346.01405
    28PennardPennard*Bishopston, Fairwood Common, Kittle, Parkmill, Southgate12,64811.64227
    29Penyrheol
  • Grovesend*
  • Gorseinon*
    		• Grovesend and Waun Gron25,7808.61671
    30PontarddulaisPontarddulais*Pontarddulais town25,29315.61339
    31St. ThomasSt. ThomasBon-y-maen, Dan-y-graig, Landore, Port Tennant, SA1 Waterfront, Swansea Docks, Kilvey Hill and the Grenfell Park Area, St. Thomas26,3735.911,078
    32SkettySkettyCarnglas, Clyne Valley, Derwen Fawr, Hendrefoilan, Killay, Singleton Park, Sketty village, Tycoch, Cwmgwyn513,7996.872,009
    33TownhillTownhillCwm-Gwyn, Mayhill, Mount Pleasant, Townhill38,4431.84,691
    34UplandsUplandsBrynmill, St. Helens, Cwmgwyn, Ffynone and The Lons, Uplands413,3552.315,781
    35Upper LoughorLlwchwr* Loughor12,8451.611,767
    36West CrossMumbles* Manselfield, Norton, Mumbles and Newton, West CrossRemove Manselfield from the West Cross Ward. It is within the Bishopston Ward. As shown.26,4752.482,611

    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:
    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.

    Local education authority

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

    Council premises