Blaenau Gwent
 | |
| Geography | |
| Area - Total - % Water | Ranked 22nd 109 km² ? % |
|---|---|
| Admin HQ | Ebbw Vale |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-BGW |
| ONS code | 00PL |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2005 est.) - Density | Ranked 20th 68,400 Ranked 4th 631 / km² |
| Ethnicity | 99.1% White. |
| Welsh language - Any skills | Ranked 21st 13.3% |
| Politics | |
 Blaenau Gwent Council http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/ | |
| Control | Labour |
| MP | Dai Davis |
Blaenau Gwent is a county borough and parliamentary constituency in South Wales. It borders the principal areas of Monmouthshire and Torfaen to the east, Caerphilly to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Abertillery, Brynmawr, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar.
Contents |
Government
The borough was formed in 1974 as a local government district, in the new county of Gwent. It was a merger of the Monmouthshire urban districts of Abertillery, Ebbw Vale, Nantyglo and Blaina and Tredegar, along with Brynmawr urban district and the parish of Llanelly in Brecknockshire.
It was reconstituted in 1996 as a county borough, excluding Llanelly which instead was transferred to the reconstituted Monmouthshire.
Politics
Blaenau Gwent hit the headlines at the 2005 UK General Election when an independent candidate, Peter Law, won the Westminster seat. He had resigned from the Labour Party in protest at the imposition of an all-women candidates' shortlist following the retirement of incumbent MP Llew Smith, and defeated the official Labour candidate, Maggie Jones, by a majority of 9,121 votes. The seat had previously been held by Aneurin Bevan and Michael Foot, and was considered one of Labour's safest. Law died April 25, 2006 and in the by-election, a former supporter of his, Dai Davis won, running as an independent candidate. Peter Law's widow, Trish Law won his former Welsh Assembly seat, also running as an independent candidate.
Electoral divisions
The county borough is divided into 16 electoral wards returning 42 councillors. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*':
| Ward | Communities (Parishes) | Other geographic areas |
| Abertillery | Abertillery & Llanhilleth Town* (Abertillery ward) | Rhiw Park, Aberillery Park |
| Badminton | That part of the Community of Beaufort specified in relation to the existing district ward of Badminton in column 2 of the Schedule to the Blaenau Gwent (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1986 | Newchurch, Glyncoed |
| Beaufort | That part of the Community of Beaufort specified in relation to the existing district ward of Badminton in column 2 of the Schedule to the Blaenau Gwent (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1986 | Garn Lydan, Carmeltown, |
| Blaina | Nantyglo & Blaina Town* (Blaina ward) | Cwm Celyn, Bournville |
| Brynmawr | Brynmawr Town* | |
| Cwm | Cwm | Waunllwyd |
| Cwmtillery | Abertillery & Llanhilleth Town* (Cwmtillery ward) | Rose Heyworth |
| Ebbw Vale North | That part of the Community of Ebbw Vale specified in relation to the existing district ward of Ebbw Vale North in column 2 of the Schedule to the Blaenau Gwent (Electoral Arrangements) Order 1986 | Mountain Air, Willowtown, Waunypound, Newtown |
| Ebbw Vale South | That part of the Community of Ebbw Vale not contained in the Ebbw Vale North ward | Garden City, Tyllwyn, Hilltop, Briery Hill |
| Georgetown | Tredegar Town* (Georgetown ward) | Troedrhiwgwair, Peacehaven |
| Llanhilleth | Abertillery & Llanhilleth Town* (Llanhilleth ward) | Brynithel, Aberbeeg, Swffryd |
| Nantyglo | Nantyglo & Blaina Town* (Nantyglo ward) | Winchestown, Coalbrookvale, Garn Fach, Coed Cae |
| Rassau | That part of the Community of Beaufort not contained in the Badminton and Beaufort wards | Nantycroft |
| Sirhowy | Tredegar Town* (Sirhowy ward) | Tafarnaubach, Waundeg, Trevil, Dukestown, Rhoslan |
| Six Bells | Abertillery & Llanhilleth Town* (Six Bells ward) | Warm Turn |
| Tredegar Central and West | Tredegar Town* (Central and West ward) | Bedwellty Pits, Cefn Golau, Ashvale |
External links
| Principal areas of Wales |  |
|---|---|
| Subdivisions created by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 Anglesey | Blaenau Gwent | Bridgend | Caerphilly | Cardiff | Carmarthenshire | Ceredigion | Conwy | Denbighshire | Flintshire | Gwynedd | Merthyr Tydfil | Monmouthshire | Neath Port Talbot | Newport | Pembrokeshire | Powys | Rhondda Cynon Taff | Swansea | Torfaen | Vale of Glamorgan | Wrexham | |
| Local government counties and districts of Wales 1974 – 1996 |  |
Local authorities created by the Local Government Act 1972 CLWYD: Alyn and Deeside | Colwyn | Delyn | Glyndŵr | Rhuddlan | Wrexham Maelor |
Categories
Principal areas of Wales | Blaenau Gwent | Traditional county of Monmouthshire