Pembrokeshire County Council

Pembrokeshire County Council (Cyngor Sir Penfro) is the local authority for the county of Pembrokeshire, one of the principal areas of Wales.

Political control
Since the 2017 election the council has been led by a coalition of some of the independent councillors, Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats, with the same coalition continuing following the 2022 election.

The first election to the modern council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1996. Independent councillors have held over half the council's seats ever since 1996:

Different groupings have formed among the independent councillors at different times, sometimes forming administrations with councillors from political parties. Between 1996 and 2017 the leader of the council came from the "Independent Political Group" (later called the "Independent Plus Political Group"). That group's numbers were reduced from 33 to 13 at the May 2017 election. Its leader Jamie Adams blamed the poor performance at that election on the IPPG's close connections to the council's discredited former chief executive.

Leadership
The leaders of the council since 1996 have been:

Composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to May 2023, the composition of the council is:

Of the independent councillors, 17 sit together as the "Independent Group" and the other 19 are not affiliated to any group. The leader of the council, David Simpson, is one of the non-affiliated independent councillors, and positions of responsibility in the council's cabinet are held by other non-affiliated independents and members of the Labour, Liberal Democrat and Plaid Cymru groups. At a confidence vote in May 2023, the Conservatives, Independent Group and two of the non-affiliated councillors (29 in total) voted that they did not have confidence in the leader, whilst Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru and the other 17 non-affiliated councillors (31 in total) voted that they did have confidence. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections
Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 60 councillors, representing 59 wards. The ward of Pembroke: Monkton and St Mary South elects two councillors, the rest elect one councillor.

Party with the most elected councillors in bold.

Premises
When created in 1996 the council inherited offices from the two predecessor authorities: Cambria House in Haverfordwest from Preseli Pembrokeshire District Council and Llanion Park in Pembroke Dock from South Pembrokeshire District Council, along with the former County Offices of Dyfed County Council on St Thomas's Green in Haverfordwest. The first meeting of the new authority was held at Shire Hall, Haverfordwest, which had been the meeting place of the pre-1974 Pembrokeshire County Council. Subsequent meetings were held at Cambria House. It was decided shortly after the new council's creation to build a new headquarters adjoining Cambria House. The new building was named County Hall, with the first full council meeting in the new building being held in October 1999. Cambria House was demolished shortly afterwards. The new County Hall was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 22 November 2001.

The first Pembrokeshire County Council was established in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, to govern the administrative county of Pembrokeshire. This first county council was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972.

History
Pembrokeshire County Council was created under the Local Government Act 1888 to take over the local government responsibilities of the Pembrokeshire Quarter Sessions. The first elections were held in January 1889, and the council came into its powers on 1 April 1889. Henry George Allen, a Liberal, was appointed the first chairman of the county council. The first formal meeting of the county council was held on 1 April 1889 at the Shire Hall in Haverfordwest.

Subdivisions
District councils subordinate to the county council were established under the Local Government Act 1894, replacing the earlier sanitary districts (except those which were municipal boroughs). The districts of Pembrokeshire from 1894 to 1974 were:

Premises
The county council generally held its meetings at the Shire Hall at 47 High Street, Haverfordwest. In 1923 the council acquired the former Pembrokeshire and Haverfordwest Infirmary at the corner of St Thomas Green and Winch Lane, which had been built in 1872, converting it to become their main offices. The old infirmary became known as the County Offices, and remained the council's headquarters until its abolition in 1974. The building was subsequently used as an area office by Dyfed County Council. Following the re-establishment of Pembrokeshire County Council in 1996 and the opening of a new County Hall in 1999 the County Offices became surplus to requirements and so were demolished and a leisure centre built on the site, opening in 2009.

Abolition
The council was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on 31 March 1974. From 1 April 1974 the area was split between the two new districts of Preseli and South Pembrokeshire, both of which were subordinate to the new county of Dyfed.