Denbighshire County Council

Local government authority in central north Wales

Denbighshire Council

Cyngor Sir Ddinbych

Type
Type|

Unitary authority

History
Founded| 1 April 1996
Preceded by| Clwyd County Council
Rhuddlan
Glyndŵr (part)
Colwyn (part)
Leadership

Leader

Jason McLellan,
Labour
since 24 May 2022[1]

Chairperson

Peter Scott,
Conservative
since 14 November 2023[2]

Chief Executive

Graham Boase
since 1 August 2021[3]

Structure
Seats| 48 councillors

Political groups

Labour (15)
Independent (15)
Conservative (8)
Plaid Cymru (8)
Green (2)

Length of term

| 5 years
Elections

Voting system

| First-past-the-post

First election

| 4 May 1995

Last election

| 5 May 2022

Next election

| 6 May 2027
Meeting place
County Hall, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, LL15 1YN
Website
www.denbighshire.gov.uk

Denbighshire County Council is the unitary local authority for the county of Denbighshire, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall in Ruthin. There have been two bodies called Denbighshire County Council. The first existed from 1889 until 1974, and the current one was created in 1996.

Elections take place every five years. The last election was on 5 May 2022. The council is under no overall control, being administered by a multi-party cabinet led by Jason McLellan of the Labour Party.

## History

[edit]

Elected county councils were established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over administrative functions previously performed by unelected magistrates at each county's quarter sessions. County boundaries were adjusted at the same time such that each urban sanitary district which straddled county boundaries was placed entirely in the county which had the majority of the district's population. There were two such districts on Denbighshire's borders; Denbighshire gained the part of Colwyn Bay which had been in Caernarfonshire, but ceded a small part of Rhyl to Flintshire.[4]

County Hall, Denbigh: One of the first County Council's meeting places

The first elections were held in January 1889. The council formally came into being on 1 April 1889, on which day it held its first meeting at the County Buildings, Wrexham, one of the county's courthouses. Thomas Gee, a Liberal, was the first chairman of the council. At that first meeting, the council debated where future meetings should be held. It was decided that the county council would meet alternately at Denbigh and Wrexham.[5] When meeting in Denbigh, the council met at the County Hall there, another of the county's courthouses (built 1572).[6][7]

At a subsequent meeting in 1891, the council decided to hold its meetings in rotation at Denbigh, Ruthin and Wrexham.[8] Colwyn Bay was added to the cycle of places where the council met in 1900.[9] The council then held its regular meetings in rotation at Denbigh, Colwyn Bay, Ruthin and Wrexham until the abolition of the first incarnation of the county council in 1974.[10] Although the council held its meetings in multiple towns, it decided to consolidate its main offices in a central location. It therefore built the County Offices at Ruthin, which opened in 1909.[11]

That county council and the administrative county of Denbighshire were abolished in 1974, when the area merged with neighbouring Flintshire to become the new county of Clwyd, except for six parishes on the western edge of Denbighshire in the Conwy valley, which went instead to the Aberconwy district of Gwynedd. The remainder of the former administrative county of Denbighshire was split between three of the six districts of Clwyd: Colwyn, Glyndŵr, and Wrexham Maelor.[12]

Under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, Clwyd County Council and the county's constituent districts were abolished, being replaced by principal areas, whose councils perform the functions which had previously been divided between the county and district councils. A new principal area and county of Denbighshire was created with effect from 1 April 1996, covering most of Glyndŵr, two communities from Colwyn, and all of Rhuddlan (the latter having been created in 1974 from areas in Flintshire rather than Denbighshire). The new Denbighshire County Council created in 1996 therefore covers a different area to the pre-1974 county.[13]

## Political control

[edit]

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:[14][15] The last election was 5 May 2022 when the number of councillors elected increased from 47 to 48.[16]

Party in control | Years

|

| No overall control | 1996–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council since 2000 have been:[17]

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Elwyn Edwards[18] |  | Independent | 6 Jun 2000 | 14 May 2002
Eryl Williams |  | Plaid Cymru | 14 May 2002 | 24 Jun 2004
Rhiannon Hughes[19] |  | Independent | 24 Jun 2004 | 22 Oct 2007
Hugh Evans |  | Independent | 6 Nov 2007 | 24 May 2022
Jason McLellan |  | Labour | 24 May 2022 |

Since May 2022 the council has been led by Jason McLellan, of Labour. The cabinet is formed of six Labour and three Plaid Cymru councillors.[20] He was preceded by Hugh Evans, a farmer from Llanelidan, who led the council for over 14 years, who was first elected as leader of the council on 6 November 2007. This followed a vote of no confidence in the previous leader, Rhiannon Hughes, two weeks beforehand.[21] Prior to Hughes, Plaid Cymru councillor Eryl Williams was leader, from 2002 until 2004.

From April 2022 the council leader was paid a salary of £53,550.[22]

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to March 2025, the composition of the council was:

Party  | Councillors

|

| Labour | 15
| Independent | 13
| Conservative | 9
| Plaid Cymru | 8
| Green | 2
| Liberal Democrats | 1
Total  | 48

Of the independent councillors, nine sit together as the 'Independent Group' (which also includes the Liberal Democrat), three form the 'Denbighshire Independent Alliance' group, and the other is not aligned to any group.[23] The next election is due in 2027.[24]

One seat (Alyn Valley, Con) was elected unopposed at the 2022 election.[25]

## Elections

[edit]

Summary of the council composition after council elections, click on the year for full details of each election.[26][27]

Year  | Seats  | Labour | Independent | Plaid Cymru | Conservative | Green | Liberal Democrats | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  |  |
1995 | 49  | 20 | 19  | 7  | 0  | 0  | 3  |
1999 | 47  | 13  | 23[a] | 8  | 2  | 0  | 1  | New ward boundaries.[28]
2004 | 47  | 8  | 23[b] | 7  | 7  | 0  | 2  |
2008 | 47  | 7  | 13  | 8  | 18 | 0  | 1  |
2012 | 47  | 18 | 12  | 7  | 9  | 0  | 1  |
2017 | 47  | 13  | 8  | 9  | 16 | 0  | 1  |
2022 | 48  | 19 | 12  | 8  | 6  | 2  | 1  | New ward boundaries.[29]
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

1. ^ Includes five candidates elected to represent the Democratic Alliance of Wales.
2. ^ Includes three candidates elected to represent the Democratic Alliance of Wales.

Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.

## Premises

[edit]

The council is based at County Hall in Ruthin. The building was originally built in 1909 as offices for the old Denbighshire County Council, and was initially called County Offices. Between 1974 and 1996 the building served as the headquarters of Glyndŵr District Council. Most of the building was demolished in 2002 and a modern building called County Hall built behind the retained frontage of the 1909 original, with the rebuilt headquarters being completed in 2004.[30][31][32] The council also has offices at Russell House on Churton Road in Rhyl, which had been built in 1991 for the former Rhuddlan Borough Council.[33]

## Electoral divisions

[edit]

The county borough is divided into 29 electoral wards returning 48 councillors.[34] Few communities in Denbighshire are coterminous with electoral wards. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas based on the 2017 election:

Ward[35] | County
Councillors  | Communities (and community wards)

|
|

Bodelwyddan c | 1  | Bodelwyddan (town) *
Corwen c | 1  | Corwen (town) *
Denbigh Central | 1  | Denbigh (town)  | (Central ward)
Denbigh Lower | 2  | (Lower ward)
Denbigh Upper/Henllan | 2  | (Upper ward)
Henllan
Dyserth c | 1  | Dyserth *
Efenechtyd | 1  |

* Betws Gwerfil Goch *
* Clocaenog *
* Derwen *
* Efenechtyd *

Llanarmon-yn-Ial/Llandegla | 1  |

* Llanarmon-yn-Ial *
* Llandegla *
* Llanferres *

Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd/Llangynhafal | 1  |

* Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd *
* Llangynhafal *

Llandrillo | 1  |

* Cynwyd *
* Llandrillo *

Llandyrnog | 1  |

* Aberwheeler *
* Llandyrnog *
* Llanynys *

Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd/Gwyddelwern | 1  |

* Bryneglwys *
* Gwyddelwern *
* Llanelidan *
* Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd *

Llangollen | 2  |

* Llangollen (town) *
* Llantysilio *

Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch | 1  |

* Cyffylliog *
* Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch*
* Nantglyn *

Prestatyn Central | 2  | Prestatyn (town)  | (Central ward)
Prestatyn East | 2  | (East ward)
Prestatyn Meliden | 1  | (Meliden ward)
Prestatyn North | 3  | (North and North West wards)
Prestatyn South West | 2  | (South West ward)
Rhuddlan c | 2  | Rhuddlan (town)
Rhyl East | 2  | Rhyl (town)  | (East ward)
Rhyl South | 2  | (South ward)
Rhyl South East | 3  | (South East ward)
Rhyl South West | 2  | (South West ward)
Rhyl West | 2  | (West ward)
Ruthin c | 3  | Ruthin (town)
St. Asaph East | 1  | St. Asaph (town)  | (East ward)
St. Asaph West | 1  | (West ward)
Trefnant | 1  |

* Cefn Meiriadog *
* Trefnant *

Tremeirchion | 1  |

* Bodfari *
* Cwm
* Tremeirchion *
* Waen *

* = Communities which elect a community council
c = Ward coterminous with community of the same name[36]

## Democratic Alliance of Wales

[edit]

The Democratic Alliance of Wales (DAW) was a political party[37] partly comprising former Labour Party members,

The DAW stood 14 candidates in the 1999 Denbighshire Council election, with five winning seats in Prestatyn.[38] The three successful DAW candidates in Prestatyn North—Michael German, Isobel German and Jeff Hughes—had been elected as Labour councillors at the 1995 elections.[38] One of the DAW founders, Gwynn Clague, was elected as a county councillor for Prestatyn South West, and became mayor of Prestatyn Town Council. He was particularly known for his criticisms of the county council's performance, as well as the town council's finances. By October 2003, he had left DAW and was unaligned.[39]

At the 2004 all-council election, the three DAW councillors in the Prestatyn North ward stood for re-election, retaining their seats.

Following the rejection of Denbighshire council leader Rhiannon Hughes in October 2007, DAW group leader Mike German was touted as a possible successor.[40]

At the 2008 all-council election, the three remaining DAW councillors stood as Independents, losing to the Conservatives.[41]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Council minutes, 24 May 2022". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
2. ^ "Council minutes, 14 November 2023". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
3. ^ "New Chief Executive for Denbighshire County Council". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
4. ^ Pulling, Alexander (1889). A Handbook for County Authorities. London: William Clowes and Sons. p. 21. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
5. ^ "The First Meeting of Denbighshire County Council". Denbighshire Free Press. Denbigh. 6 April 1889. p. 7. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
6. ^ "Denbighshire". Carnarvon and Denbigh Herald. Caernarfon. 8 November 1889. p. 8. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
7. ^ Cadw. "The County Hall (Grade II*) (984)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
8. ^ "Denbighshire County Council". Denbighshire Free Press. Denbigh. 14 February 1891. p. 5. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
9. ^ "County Council Meeting at Colwyn Bay". Weekly News and Visitors' Chronicle. Conwy. 3 August 1900. p. 2. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
10. ^ Municipal Year Book. Municipal Journal. 1966. p. 745\. "Four quarterly meetings... The March meeting is held at Denbigh, June meeting at Colwyn Bay, September meeting at Wrexham, and December meeting at Ruthin..."
11. ^ "New County Offices, Ruthin". Denbighshire Free Press. Denbigh. 27 March 1909. p. 8. Retrieved 12 March 2025.
12. ^ "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 6 November 2022
13. ^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 30 October 2022
14. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
15. ^ "Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021". legislation.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 19 November 2021.
16. ^ "Welsh Statutory Instruments 2021 No. 1159 (W. 284)". legislation.gov.uk. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
17. ^ "Council minutes". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
18. ^ Davies, Shaun (27 August 2019). "County council pays tribute to Elwyn Edwards". Denbighshire Free Press. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
19. ^ Darren Devine (23 October 2007). "Leader resigns over schools vote". Wales Online. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
20. ^ Denbighshire County Council (30 May 2022). "The Leader, Cabinet and Elected Councillors". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
21. ^ "Llanelidan farmer is new Denbighshire Council leader", Daily Post (North Wales), 6 November 2007. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
22. ^ "Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales: annual report 2022 to 2023" (PDF). Welsh Government/Llywodraeth Cymru. 24 February 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
23. ^ "Councillors". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
24. ^ "Denbighshire". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
25. ^ "County council elections (local elections)". Denbighshire County Council. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
26. ^ "Denbighshire County Council Election Results 1995-2012". Elections Centre Plymouth University. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
27. ^ "Wales at the polls: Local elections 2017". ITV News. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
28. ^ "The County of Denbighshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1998", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1998/3139, retrieved 9 November 2022
29. ^ "The County of Denbighshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2021/1159, retrieved 9 November 2022
30. ^ "Planning Applications". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 31 October 2021. "Planning application 02/2000/0223: Demolition of existing buildings and retention of main facades of existing Council Offices to allow for construction of new Council Office complex at County Hall, Wynnstay Road, Ruthin, granted 3 July 2000"
31. ^ "New HQ for councillors". BBC. 11 September 2002. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
32. ^ "Who should cut tape for county HQ?". Daily Post. 13 May 2004. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
33. ^ "Council offices". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
34. ^ Welsh Statutory Instruments 2021 No. 1159 (W. 284) (18 October 2021). "Welsh Statutory Instruments, 2021 No. 1159 (W. 284), Local Government, Wales - The County of Denbighshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021". www.legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 May 2022.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
35. ^ "Election results by Wards". Denbighshire County Council. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
36. ^ Election Maps, Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
37. ^ "Standing Committee on Bills: Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Bill". Hansard. Parliament.uk. 3 February 2000. Retrieved 28 November 2020. The Minister has raised the spectre of small political parties, such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Democratic Alliance of Wales, committing offences during an election and, because it is the party that appears in court and can be convicted of whatever misdemeanour it is accused of, the party can then disband and the members can go off and form another party, perhaps the democratic alliance of Wales 2001 party.
38. ^ a b "Denbighshire County Council Election Results 1995-2012" (PDF). The Elections Centre, Plymouth University. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
39. ^ "'Hell will freeze over before I tell them sorry'". Daily Post. 1 October 2003. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
40. ^ Darren Devine (23 October 2007). "Leader resigns over schools vote". Wales Online. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
41. ^ "Election results for Prestatyn North - Thursday, 1 May 2008". Denbighshire County Council. April 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2020.

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[edit]

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