The Act
The Act established, from 1 April 1996, twenty-two new unitary authority areas, to be known as 'counties' or 'county boroughs', and abolished the eight local government counties and 37 districts that had been formed in 1974. "Preserved counties", based on the previous local government counties as established in 1974, were created for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievality.
Each new unitary authority area was to have an elected council and be divided into electoral districts, each returning one councillor. The entire council of each area was to be elected every four years, with the first election in 1995.
Section 245 of the Local Government Act 1972 allowed local government districts to petition the Privy Council in order acquire borough status. As the 1994 Act abolished the districts in Wales it inserted a section 245A in the 1972 Act to allow the new unitary authority areas which did not have the status of a borough to acquire it. As the only unitary authority areas that are not already styled as 'boroughs' are styled as 'counties', this leads to the curious provision that a council can petition for its county to become a county borough.
The Secretary of State was empowered to direct a council to make a decentralisation scheme, with area committees being formed of all the councillors for a specified area. This provision has been used to create, for example, area committees for Brecknockshire, Montgomeryshire and Radnorshire in Powys, and the Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd in Gwynedd.
Schedule 1 listed the new counties and county boroughs:
Counties
| English name | Welsh name | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Anglesey | Sir Fôn | The district of Ynys Môn - Isle of Anglesey. |
| Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire | Sir Gaernarfon a Meirionnydd | The districts of Arfon, Dwyfor, and Meirionnydd. |
| Cardiff | Caerdydd | The district of Cardiff, together with (from the district of Taff-Ely) the community of Pentyrch. |
| Cardiganshire | Sir Aberteifi | The district of Ceredigion. |
| Carmarthenshire | Sir Gaerfyrddin | The districts of Carmarthen, Llanelli and Dinefwr. |
| Denbighshire | Sir Ddinbych | The district of Rhuddlan, together with (from the district of Glyndwr) the communities of Aberwheeler, Cynwyd, Llandrillo, Henllan, Denbigh, Llandyrnog, Llangynhafal, Llanynys, Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch, Nantglyn, Cyffylliog, Ruthin, Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, Llanferres, Clocaenog, Efenechtyd, Llandegla, Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Llanarmon-yn-Iajl, Llanelidan, Derwen, Betws Gwerfil Goch, Gwyddelwern, Bryneglwys, Corwen, Llantysilio, Llangollen and Llangollen Rural with (from the district of Colwyn) the communities of Trefnant and Cefnmeiriadog. |
| Flintshire | Sir y Fflint | The districts of Alyn and Deeside and Delyn. |
| Monmouthshire | Sir Fynwy | The district of Monmouth together with (from the district of Blaenau Gwent) the community of Llanelly. |
| Pembrokeshire | Sir Benfro | The districts of Preseli Pembrokeshire and South Pembrokeshire, together with Caldey Island and St Margaret's Island. |
| Powys | Powys | The districts of Montgomeryshire, Radnorshire and Brecknock, together with (from the district of Glyndwr) the communities of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Llansilin and Llangedwyn. |
| Swansea | Abertawe | The district of Swansea, together with (from the district of Lliw Valley) the communities of Gowerton, Llwchwr, Gorseinon, Grovesend, Pontardulais, Mawr, Pont-Lliw, Penllergaer, Llangyfelach and Clydach. |
Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire was subsequently renamed as Gwynedd and Cardiganshire was renamed Ceredigion by their respective councils.
County Boroughs
| English name | Welsh name | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Aberconwy and Colwyn | Aberconwy a Cholwyn | The districts of Aberconwy and Colwyn, but excluding (from the district of Colwyn) the communities of Cefnmeiriadog and Trefnant. |
| Blaenau Gwent | Blaenau Gwent | The district of Blaenau Gwent (excluding the community of Llanelly). |
| Bridgend | Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr | The district of Ogwr, but excluding the communities of Wick, St Bride's Major and Ewenny. |
| Caerphilly | Caerffili | The districts of Islwyn and Rhymney Valley. |
| Merthyr Tydfil | Merthyr Tudful | The district of Merthyr Tydfil. |
| Neath and Port Talbot | Castell-nedd a Phort Talbot | The districts of Neath and Port Talbot, together with (from the district of Lliw Valley) the communities of Pontardawe, Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Cwmllynfell, Ystalyfera and Cilybebyll. |
| Newport | Casnewydd | The district of Newport. |
| Rhondda, Cynon, Taf | Rhondda, Cynon, Taf | The districts of Rhondda, Cynon Valley, and Taff-Ely, but excluding (from the district of Taff-Ely) the community of Pentyrch. |
| Torfaen | Tor-faen | The district of Torfaen. |
| The Vale of Glamorgan | Bro Morgannwg | The district of Vale of Glamorgan, together with (from the district of Ogwr) the communities of Wick, St Bride's Major and Ewenny. |
| Wrexham | Wrecsam | The district of Wrexham Maelor, together with (from the district of Glyndŵr) the communities of Chirk, Glyntraian, Llansantffraid Glyn Ceiriog, and Ceiriog Ucha. |
Aberconwy and Colwyn was subsequently renamed Conwy and Neath and Port Talbot was renamed as Neath Port Talbot by their respective councils.
Read more about this topic: Local Government (Wales) Act 1994
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