Principal Area
The current unitary authority was created on 1 April 1996 as a successor to the district of Monmouth along with the Llanelly community from Blaenau Gwent, both of which were districts of Gwent. The use of the name "Monmouthshire" rather than "Monmouth" for the area was controversial, being supported by the MP for Monmouth, Roger Evans, but being opposed by Paul Murphy, MP for Torfaen (inside the historic county of Monmouthshire but being reconstituted as a separate unitary authority). By area it covers some 60% of the historic county, but only 20% of the population. A new council headquarters building at the site of Coleg Gwent, Usk is in the process of being completed. Planning permission for a new office building at Usk, to provide the authority's central facilities, was granted in September 2011. Some council functions moved in 2011 to offices at Magor.
In comparison to the pre-1974 areas it covers:
- the former boroughs of Abergavenny and Monmouth
- the former urban districts of Chepstow and Usk
- the former rural districts of Abergavenny, Chepstow and Monmouth
- the former rural district of Pontypool, except the community of Llanfrechfa Lower
- the parish of Llanelly from the former Crickhowell Rural District in Brecknockshire
Read more about this topic: Monmouthshire
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