Monmouthshire County Council (; or simply Monmouthshire Council) is the local authority for the county of Monmouthshire, one of the principal areas of Wales.
The current unitary authority was created in 1996 and covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county of Monmouthshire. The county council is based at County Hall in the hamlet of The Rhadyr, near Usk.
Since the 2022 elections the council has been under no overall control, with Labour the largest party. The leader of the council since the 2022 elections has been Mary Ann Brocklesby of Labour.
History
The current Monmouthshire County Council is the second body of that name. The first Monmouthshire County Council was created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over the local government functions of the quarter sessions. That council was based in Newport, initially meeting at the town hall and later building itself headquarters at Shire Hall in 1902. In 1891, Newport was made a county borough, removing it from the administrative area of the county council, although the council continued to be based there.
The first Monmouthshire County Council was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, when the area was absorbed into the new county of Gwent. Gwent County Council moved its headquarters to a new County Hall at Croesyceiliog on the outskirts of Cwmbran, which was already under construction at the time of the 1974 reforms.
The current Monmouthshire County Council was created in 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, which abolished Gwent County Council and the area's five district councils, creating new unitary authorities. The new authorities in Gwent were based on the previous districts, with the new Monmouthshire authority covering the pre-1996 Monmouth Borough plus the community of Llanelly from Blaenau Gwent district.
Political control The council has been under no overall control since the 2022 election. Following that election a Labour minority administration formed to run the council. The Green Independent Group subsequently joined Labour to run the council as a coalition in May 2023.
The first election to the new council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been as follows: (Put "Monmouthshire" in search box to see specific results.)
Party in controlYears 1996–1999 1999–2004 2004–2012 2012–2017 2017–2022 2022–present
Leadership The leaders of the council since 2002 have been:
Councillor Party From To Andrew Crump Jul 2002 David Waring Jul 2002 Jun 2004 Andrew Crump Jun 2004 May 2008 Peter Fox May 2008 13 May 2021 Richard John "Councillor Richard John announced as new Leader of Monmouthshire County Council", Monmouthshire County Council, 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021 13 May 2021 May 2022 Mary Ann Brocklesby 19 May 2022
Composition Following the 2022 election and subsequent changes up to August 2025, the composition of the council was: Party Councillors 21 19 5 1Total46 Four of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group", the other sits with the Green councillor as the "Green Independent Group". The latter group forms the part of the council's administration with Labour. The next election is due in 2027.
Elections Elections take place every five years. In the 2022 elections, Labour became the largest party, with 22 seats, and the Conservatives lost their overall majority, winning 18 of the 46 seats. The final result was decided by the toss of a coin after a tie between Conservative and Labour candidates in the ward of Llanfoist Fawr and Govilon; the seat was taken by the Conservatives. After the election, Labour formed a minority administration, with Mary Ann Brocklesby appointed as the first female leader of the council.
YearSeatsLabourConservativeOthersGreenLiberal DemocratsPlaid CymruNotes1995422611401 0Labour majority control19994218194010No overall control; minority Labour administration2004439235042Conservative majority control. New ward boundaries.2008437291051Conservative majority control201243111910030No overall control; Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalitionMonmouthshire County Council, "Election results at a glance". Retrieved 19 May 201220174310255030Conservative majority control20224622185100No overall control; minority Labour administration. New ward boundaries. Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.
Premises From 1996 until April 2012, the council's administrative headquarters were at the six-storey former Gwent County Hall at Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran – outside its own administrative area in the neighbouring borough of Torfaen and shared with Torfaen County Borough Council. It was closed because of "concrete cancer" and later demolished. In 2010 the authority had decided to relocate its headquarters functions to new offices at The Rhadyr in the community of Llanbadoc, just outside the town of Usk. Monmouthshire County Council press release, "This council is coming home", 12 January 2010 Planning permission for the new building was granted in September 2011. Free Press, Plans for new Monmouthshire council HQ in Usk are approved, 29 September 2011 The council moved to temporary offices in Magor while the new building was under construction.
A BBC television documentary "Carrying On at the Council" was broadcast in February 2012, after being filmed with Monmouthshire County Council over a period of seven months, in the lead up to their office move. The new county hall cost £6 million and was opened in 2013.
Electoral districts, areas and communities
For the purposes of electing councillors, the principal area is divided into forty-two electoral divisions, each returning one councillor, except Llanelly, known as Llanelly Hill, which has two councillors. These divisions date from 2004.The County of Monmouthshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2002 (2002 No. 3275 (W.313))
The council operates a decentralised system of administration, with four area committees: Bryn y Cwm, covering the Abergavenny area Central Monmouthshire, centred on Monmouth Lower Wye, for the Chepstow area Severnside, the area around CaldicotMonmouthshire Council – Area Committees
Although the council is described as a "unitary authority", there is in fact a second tier of government, with the entire area being divided into communities, all of which has either a town or community council.
Bryn y Cwm area Electoral Division Community Other PlacesCantref Abergavenny (Town) (part)Knoll EstateCastle Abergavenny (Town) (part)Croesonen Llantilio Pertholey (part)Llwynu (part)CrucorneyCrucorney and GrosmontCampstone, Cupid's Hill, Cwmyoy, Forest Coal Pit, Grosmont, Henllan, Llangattock-Lingoed, Llangua, Llanthony, Llanvetherine, Llanfihangel Crucorney, Monmouth Cap, Pandy, Pedbidwal, Stanton, Wern GiffordGoetre FawrGoetre FawrLittle Mill, Mamhilad, Nant-y-derry, Pencroesoped, Penperlleni, Grofield Abergavenny (Town) (part)LansdownAbergavenny (Town) (part)Llwynu (part), Major's BarnLlanelly HillLlanelly Blackrock, Clydach, Gellifelin, Gilwern, Maesygwartha, Waun Wen Llanfoist Fawr Llanfoist Fawr (part) Belli-glas, Llanellen, LlanfoistLlanoverLlanarth and LlanoverAberffrwd, Betws newydd, Bryngwyn, Clytha, Croes Hywel, Llanarth, Llanddewi Rhydderch, Llanfair Kilgeddin, Llanvapley, Llanvihangel Gobion, Penpergwm, Pit Clytha, The Bryn, Upper Llanover, Wern-y-Cwrt, Llanwenarth Ultra Llanfoist Fawr (part)Govilon, LlanwenarthMardy Llantilio Pertholey (part)Bryngwenin, Llanddewi Skirrid, PrioryAbergavenny (Town) (part)
Central Monmouthshire area Electoral Division Community Other PlacesDixton with OsbastonMonmouth (Town) (part)Buckholt, Osbaston, Dixton, Dixton Road, Town Centre (part), Manson, Manson Cross, Leasbrook Lane, Newton CourtDrybridgeMonmouth (Town) (part)Ancrehill, Brook EstateLlanbadocGwehelog Fawr and LlanbadocGlascoed, Gwehelog, Kemeys Commander, Llancayo, Monkswood, Rhadyr, Trostrey Llangybi Fawr Llangybi, Llanhennock and Llantrisant FawrCoed y paen, Gwernesney, Newbridge-on-Usk, Llandegveth, Llanllowell, Llangybi, Llantrisant, Tredunnock Llantilio CrossennyLlangattock-Vibon-Avel and Llantilio CrossennyBont, Caggle Street, Cross Ash, Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern, Norton, Rockfield, St. Maughans, Skenfrith, Tal-y-coed, Treadam, Walson Mitchel TroyMitchel TroyCwmcarvan, Dingestow, Jingle Street, Wonastow, Tregare, Lydart (part)Overmonnow Monmouth (Town) (part)Wonastow RoadRaglan Raglan Coed-y-fedw, Kingcoed, Llandenny, Llangovan, Pen-y-clawdd, Twyn y SheriffTrellech United Trellech UnitedCatbrook, Hoop, Llandogo, Llanishen, Maryland, Penallt, The Narth, Treleck, WhitebrookUskUsk (Town)WyeshamMonmouth (Town) (part)Wyesham, Hadnock, The Kymin
Lower Wye area Electoral Division Community Other areasCaerwentCaerwentCarrow Hill, Crick, Five Lanes, Llanvair Discoed, Trewen, St. Brides Netherwent, Carrow Hill, Highmoor HillDevaudenDevauden and LlangwmCobbler's Plain, Gaer Fawr, Howick, Itton, Llanfihangel Tor-y-Mynydd, Llangwm, Llansoy, Star Hill, Wolvesnewton Larkfield Chepstow (part)Bulwark (part), High Beech, Hardwick Hill, Hardwick Court, Garden City (part)St Arvans St Arvans and TinternBarbadoes Green, Botany Bay, Chapel Hill, Porthcasseg, Parkhouse, The Cot St Christopher'sChepstow (part)Bulwark (part), The TriangleSt Kingsmark Chepstow (part)St. Lawrence Park, The Danes, Bayfield Hamlet, The Bayfields, Crossway GreenSt Mary'sChepstow (part)Chepstow Town Centre, Lower Chepstow, Garden CityShirenewtonMathern and ShirenewtonBullyhole Bottom, Earlswood, Gaerllwyd, Mathern, Mounton, Mynydd-bâch, Newton Green, Pwllmeyric, Pen-y-Cae Mawr, Haysgate Thornwell Chepstow (part)Bulwark (part), Thornwell
Severnside Electoral Division Community Other areasCaldicot Castle Caldicot (Town) (part)DewstowCaldicot (Town) (part)Green LaneCaldicot (Town) (part)Mill Magor with Undy (part)Knollbury, Llandevenny, MagorPortskewett PortskewettIfton, Leechpool, Mount Ballan, SudbrookRogiet RogietLlanfihangel RogietSevernCaldicot (Town) (part)DeepweirThe Elms Magor with Undy (part)St. Bride's Netherwent, Undy, Vinegar HillWest End Caldicot (Town) (part)
References