Districts of Wales

The districts of Wales were a form of local government in Wales used between 1974 and 1996. There were thirty-seven districts, and they were the second tier of local government introduced by the Local Government Act 1972, being subdivisions of the eight counties introduced at the same time. This system of two-tier local government was abolished in 1996 and replaced with the current system of unitary principal areas.

Each district was administered by an elected district council. The council was entitled to petition for a charter granting borough status, whereupon the district became a borough and the district council a borough council headed by a mayor. In addition, a district could be granted letters patent granting city status.

For the list of districts before 1974, see List of rural and urban districts in Wales in 1973.

Districts 1974–1996

CodeLocal Government Act 1972 c.70. Schedule 4: Local Government Areas in Wales, Part II: Districts District Status CountyArea 1974Population estimate 1974Population estimate 1992OPCS Key Population and statistics 1992 cited in Headquarters Successor UAGD4AberconwyBoroughGwynedd49,73054,100LlandudnoConwyC4Alyn and DeesideDistrictClwyd68,28074,500HawardenFlintshireGD1Anglesey - Ynys MônBoroughGwynedd62,02069,300LlangefniIsle of AngleseyGD3ArfonBoroughGwynedd53,64056,100BangorGwyneddGT3Blaenau GwentBoroughGwent84,08076,900Ebbw ValeBlaenau Gwent, MonmouthshireP3BrecknockBoroughPowys37,12041,500BreconPowysSG1CardiffCitySouth Glamorgan285,760295,600CardiffCardiffD4CarmarthenDistrictDyfed49,91056,200CarmarthenCarmarthenshireD1CeredigionDistrictDyfed55,43067,900AberystwythCeredigionC1ColwynBoroughClwyd45,99056,400Colwyn BayConwy, DenbighshireMG3Cynon ValleyBoroughMid Glamorgan69,63065,600AberdareRhondda Cynon TafC3DelynBoroughClwyd59,44069,700FlintFlintshireD6DinefwrBoroughDyfed36,14038,700LlandeiloCarmarthenshireGD2DwyforDistrictGwynedd25,87027,300PwllheliGwyneddC5GlyndŵrDistrictClwyd38,45042,000RuthinDenbighshire, Powys, WrexhamGT2IslwynBoroughGwent66,14067,200BlackwoodCaerphillyD5LlanelliBoroughDyfed76,72074,600LlanelliCarmarthenshireWG2Lliw ValleyBoroughWest Glamorgan57,46064,200PenllergaerNeath Port Talbot, SwanseaGD5MeirionnyddDistrictGwynedd30,83032,900DolgellauGwyneddMG4Merthyr TydfilBoroughMid Glamorgan61,49060,100Merthyr TydfilMerthyr TydfilGT5MonmouthDistrictBorough from 1988Gwent66,09076,700PontypoolMonmouthshireP1Montgomery, renamed Montgomeryshire 1986DistrictPowys43,58053,700NewtownPowysWG3NeathBoroughWest Glamorgan66,15066,300NeathNeath Port TalbotGT1NewportBoroughGwent135,910137,200NewportNewportMG1OgwrBoroughMid Glamorgan126,570134,200BridgendBridgend, Vale of GlamorganWG4Afan, renamed Port Talbot on 1 January 1986BoroughWest Glamorgan58,58051,100Port TalbotNeath Port TalbotD2Preseli, renamed Preseli Pembrokeshire on 1 April 1987DistrictDyfed61,70071,200HaverfordwestPembrokeshireP2 Radnor, renamed Radnorshire on 8 May 1989DistrictPowys18,67024,000Llandrindod WellsPowysMG2RhonddaBoroughMid Glamorgan87,71079,300PentreRhondda Cynon TafC2RhuddlanBoroughClwyd49,92055,000RhylDenbighshireMG5Rhymney ValleyDistrictMid Glamorgan103,800104,000HengoedCaerphillyD3South PembrokeshireDistrictDyfed37,06042,700Pembroke DockPembrokeshireWG1SwanseaCityWest Glamorgan190,370189,400SwanseaSwanseaMG6Taff-ElyBoroughMid Glamorgan86,88099,700PontypriddCardiff, Rhondda Cynon TafGT4TorfaenBoroughGwent88,87091,300PontypoolTorfaenSG2Vale of GlamorganBoroughSouth Glamorgan106,490114,800BarryVale of GlamorganC6Wrexham MaelorBoroughClwyd106,800117,200WrexhamWrexham

Outside the district.

References