Ceredigion District Council

52°14′22″N 4°15′59″W / 52.23956°N 4.26638°W / 52.23956; -4.26638

Ceredigion
District
History
 • Created1 April 1974
 • Abolished31 March 1996
 • Succeeded byCeredigion County Council
 • HQAberystwyth
Contained within
 • County CouncilDyfed

Ceredigion District Council was one of six district-level authorities in the county of Dyfed, Wales, from 1974 until 1996. The district had an identical area to the pre-1974 administrative county of Cardiganshire. From its creation in 1974 the district used the name "Ceredigion" rather than "Cardiganshire", which had been used for the former county council. Further local government reorganisation in 1996 saw Dyfed County Council abolished and Ceredigion become a unitary authority, with the district council taking over county-level services to become Ceredigion County Council.

History

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The district of Ceredigion was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. It covered the administrative county of Cardiganshire, which was abolished at the same time. County-level functions passed to the new Dyfed County Council, which replaced Cardiganshire County Council, Carmarthenshire County Council and Pembrokeshire County Council. The new Ceredigion district replaced the previous nine district-level authorities in Cardiganshire:[1][2]

The district was reconstituted under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, taking over county-level functions in its area from Dyfed County Council, which was abolished, on 1 April 1996. The 1994 act specified that the new authority was to have both an English and a Welsh name: Cardiganshire / Sir Aberteifi.[3] The new authority was elected in 1995, but acted as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing district and county councils until the new arrangements took effect the following year. During that time, the shadow authority requested a change of name from Cardiganshire / Sir Aberteifi to Ceredigion for both languages. The government confirmed the change with effect from 2 April 1996, one day after the new council came into being.[4][5]

Political control

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The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. A majority of the seats on the council were held by independents throughout the council's existence.[6][7]

Party in control Years
Independent 1974–1996

Council elections

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Premises

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Aberystwyth Town Hall

The council maintained a number of offices around the district, mostly inherited from its predecessor authorities. Although the district covered the same area as the former Cardiganshire County Council, it was successor authority to the former district-level authorities, not the county council. As such, the former county council's main offices at Swyddfa'r Sir in Aberystwyth passed to Dyfed County Council rather than the new district council.[8] The district council's main office was Aberystwyth Town Hall which had been built in 1962 for the former Aberystwyth Borough Council.[9] In the early 1990s the council built itself a new office at Penmorfa in Aberaeron, which initially served as a secondary office.[10][11] Penmorfa subsequently became the headquarters for the new Ceredigion County Council in 1996.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 28 September 2022, Schedule 4, Part II
  2. ^ "The Districts in Wales (Names) Order 1973", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1973/34, retrieved 28 September 2022
  3. ^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 28 September 2022
  4. ^ "Hansard: Written Answers". UK Parliament. 2 April 1996. Retrieved 3 October 2022.
  5. ^ "The County of Ceredigion (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2002/3278, retrieved 2 October 2022
  6. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Cardiff Welsh District County Council Election Results 1973-1991" (PDF). The Elections Centre (Plymouth University). Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  8. ^ Shrewsbury, Hereford and Mid Wales Telephone Directory, 1975. Page 48: Ceredigion District Council: Aberystwyth Town Hall / Bridge Street, Aberystwyth / County Hall, Aberaeron / 1 North Road, Aberaeron / Brynderwen, Adpar, Newcastle Emlyn / Council Offices, Tregaron / High Street, New Quay / Morgan Street, Cardigan / Town Hall, Lampeter. Page 85: Dyfed County Council: Area Office, Swyddfa' Sir, Aberystwyth
  9. ^ "No. 54334". The London Gazette. 1 March 1996. p. 3180.
  10. ^ Planning application 890453, New council offices at Penmorfa, Aberaeron, granted 18 June 1990
  11. ^ "No. 53783". The London Gazette. 7 September 1994. p. 12630.
  12. ^ "No. 54475". The London Gazette. 24 July 1996. p. 9921.