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.[3] The town of Haverfordwest was a county corporate with its own quarter sessions, but was deemed too small to run its own county council functions; it was therefore included in administrative county of Pembrokeshire and administered by Pembrokeshire County Council.[4]
The first elections were held in January 1889, and the council came into its powers on 1 April 1889.[5] On that day the council held its formal meeting at the Shire Hall in Haverfordwest, the courthouse (built 1837) which had served as the meeting place of the quarter sessions which preceded the county council.[6]Henry George Allen, a Liberal, was appointed the first chairman of the council.[7]
The first incarnation of the county council was abolished in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. 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, with county-level functions passing to the new Dyfed County Council.[8]
In 1996 the councils established in 1974 were all abolished under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, and Pembrokeshire County Council was re-established as a unitary authority for the area.[9]
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.[10]
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.[11][12]
Of the independent councillors, 19 sit together as the "Independent Group" and the other 17 are not affiliated to any group. The leader of the council, Jon Harvey, 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 and Plaid Cymru groups.[21] The next election is due in 2027.
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; all the other wards elect one councillor each.[22]
The council is based at County Hall on Freemens Way in Haverfordwest.
The original county council generally held its meetings at the Shire Hall at 47 High Street, Haverfordwest.[24] 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.[25]
When re-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.[26] 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.[27] Cambria House was demolished shortly afterwards. The new County Hall was formally opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 22 November 2001.[28]
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