Bangor City Council

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Bangor City Council

Cyngor Dinas Bangor
Type
Type
Leadership
Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Gwynant Roberts (2021/22)[1], Plaid Cymru
Seats20
Meeting place
Penrhyn Hall, Ffordd Gwynedd, Bangor
Website
bangorcitycouncil.com
Electoral wards in Bangor, Gwynedd

Bangor City Council or officially the City of Bangor Council is an elected community council serving Bangor in Gwynedd, Wales.

Background[]

Bangor's council was created in 1883 by royal charter. In 1974 it became City of Bangor Council, after Bangor had been granted city status, though many of its previous powers were passed to Arfon Borough Council (1974–1996)[3] and the new Gwynedd Council, based in Caernarfon.[4]

The city council's roles include consultation on all planning applications within the city boundaries, as well as applications for alcohol licenses.[5] Its current responsibilities extend to maintaining footpaths and bus shelters, as well as managing a number of woodland areas and open public spaces.[5]

Garth Pier, owned by the council

The city council is most notably responsible for the maintenance of Wales' second longest pier, the Garth Pier. After Arfon Borough Council had decided to demolish it in 1974, Bangor City Council bought the 1,550 feet (470 m) pier for a nominal one pence.[6] However, in 2012 the council only had £1 million of the estimated £2 million needed to repair it.[7] The council-financed £1 million restoration began in 2017, phased over three to four years.[8]

In addition the city council owns a number of important buildings, including the Town Clock, the City Council Offices and Penhryn Hall (containing the Council Chamber) in Ffordd Gwynedd.[5] It owns Nantporth Football Stadium, which it leases to Bangor City Football Club. It also owns Hafan Drop-in Centre and Coed Mawr Community Centre.[5]

In June 2012 a curfew keeping young people out of Bangor city centre made the UK national news.[9] Bangor City Council had to call an emergency meeting to raise their concerns, because Gwynedd Council and the local police had imposed the curfew without consulting city councillors.[10]

In May 2021 Bangor became the first Welsh city council and the sixteenth in the UK to pass a resolution supporting the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.[11]

Representation[]

Twenty councillors are elected from the eight electoral wards in the city, namely: Deiniol (2), Dewi (3), Garth (2), Glyder (3), Hendre (2), Hirael (2), Marchog (3) and Menai (3). In 2017 half of the seats were won by Plaid Cymru.[12] The eight wards also elect ten county councillors to Gwynedd Council.[citation needed]

Mayor[]

The council elects a city mayor and deputy mayor annually.[4][13] The Mayor making for 2020 was delayed by a year due to COVID-19 and both the Deputy Mayor and Mayor were to remain in their posts for another year until 2021.

In May 2021 22-year old Owen J Hurcum was elected mayor, the youngest ever mayor in Wales and also possibly the first non-binary person in the world to hold such a position. [14]

Council composition[]

Following the election on 4 May 2017 Plaid Cymru were the largest party, holding half of the seats.

As of 3 March 2021[15]
Affiliation Members
Plaid Cymru 8
Independent 7
Labour 4
Liberal Democrat 1

In June 2018 a vacancy arose in the Deiniol ward after one of the councillors moved away from the city.[16]

Welsh Labour won a by-election on 29 November 2019, for the Hirael ward.[17]

On 3 March 2021 the then Deputy Mayor of Bangor, Owen Hurcum, resigned as a representative of Plaid Cymru citing transphobia within the party and sat as an Independent.[18]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Bangor City Council". Bangor City Council. Retrieved 11 May 2021. Public Notice – Mayor 2021/22 – Councillor Owen J Hurcum – Deputy Mayor 2021/22 – Councillor Gwynant Roberts
  2. ^ Branwen Jones (28 March 2020). "Bangor's youngest ever mayor hopes to bring 'fresh ideas' to the city - here's what they've got planned". Daily Post. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  3. ^ "History Of The Council". Bangor City Council. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b Tomos Hughes (18 May 2012). "The Mayor and Mayoress' year". North Wales Chronicle. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "Roles and Responsibilities Of The Council". Bangor City Council. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Bangor Garth - History". National Piers Society. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  7. ^ George Herd (20 February 2012). "Bangor pier: potential £1m shortfall for maintenance work". BBC News. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  8. ^ Dale Spridgeon (26 August 2017). "Bangor pier's £1m restoration project gets underway". North Wales Chronicle. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  9. ^ John Bingham (16 June 2012). "North Korea or Bangor? City centre curfew on all under-16s". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Bangor dispersal order prompts city council meeting". BBC News. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Bangor becomes first Welsh Council to support Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons". 4 May 2021.
  12. ^ "The City of Bangor Council". Bangor City Council. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  13. ^ Geraint Jones (9 May 2014). "New mayor of Bangor installed". North Wales Chronicle. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  14. ^ Sian Elvin (12 May 2021). "Welsh city votes in 'world's first non-binary mayor'". Metro. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
  15. ^ "Councillors". Bangor City Council.
  16. ^ "Bangor City Council Vacancy for Deiniol Ward". The Bangor Aye. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
  17. ^ "LABOUR WIN HIRAEL WARD IN BANGOR CITY COUNCIL BY-ELECTION". The Bangor Aye. 29 November 2019.
  18. ^ "Plaid Cymru Regional Candidate Steps down over Helen Mary Jones promotion of transphobia". Nation Cymru. 3 March 2021.
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