Gwent County Council
Gwent County Council was the local authority that governed the county of Gwent in South Wales from its creation in 1974 to its abolition in 1996.
The council took over the geographical area and main roles of the previous councils, Monmouthshire County Council and Newport County Borough Council. Five district councils provided a second tier of government, namely Blaenau Gwent, Islwyn, Monmouth, Newport and Torfaen.
The first elections to the council took place on 12 April 1973, with 78 councillors elected from 66 electoral wards. Councillors acted in a shadow capacity until the new council came into full effect on 1 April 1974.
The council was initially based at the Monmouthshire Shire Hall in Newport, while a new headquarters was being built in Cwmbran, completed in 1977.
The first Chief Executive of Gwent County Council was James Bray, who had previously been deputy clerk of Monmouthshire County Council. The Chairman of Gwent County Council from 1974 was 78-year-old Councillor Barney O'Neill, who had previously been a representative on Monmouthshire County Council and Chepstow Urban Council.| Year | Labour | Conservative | Liberals
| Plaid Cymru | Communist | Ratepayers | Independent |
| 1993 | 55 | 6 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 1989 | 55 | 7 | - | - | - | - | 1 |
| 1985 | 65 | 9 | 1 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 1981 | 63 | 12 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
| 1977 | 36 | 27 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 1973 | 59 | 12 | 3 | 1 | - | 2 | 1 |
