Bangor City Council


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 and the new Gwynedd Council, based in Caernarfon.
The city council's roles include consultation on all planning applications within the city boundaries, as well as applications for alcohol licenses. Its current responsibilities extend to maintaining footpaths and bus shelters, as well as managing a number of woodland areas and open public spaces.
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 pier for a nominal one penny. However, in 2012 the council only had £1 million of the estimated £2 million needed to repair it. The council-financed £1 million restoration began in 2017, phased over three to four years.
In addition the city council owns a number of important buildings, including the Town Clock, the City Council Offices and Penhryn Hall in Ffordd Gwynedd. It owns Nantporth Football Stadium, which it leases to Nantporth CIC. It also owns the HwB centre at Tan y Fynwent, a multi purpose community space located in the city centre.
In June 2012 a curfew keeping young people out of Bangor city centre made the UK national news. 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.
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.

Representation

Twenty councillors were elected from the eight electoral wards in the city, namely: Deiniol, Dewi, Garth, Glyder, Hendre, Hirael, Marchog and Menai. In 2017 half of the seats were won by Plaid Cymru. The eight wards also elected ten county councillors to Gwynedd Council.
As a result of The County of Gwynedd Order 2021 the Deiniol ward was split and merged with its neighbouring wards of Hendre and Hirael, effective from the 2022 elections. Representation on the city council was adjusted to Dewi, Garth, Glyder, Hendre, Hirael, Marchog and Menai, remaining at a total of twenty councillors.

Mayor

The council elects a city mayor and deputy mayor annually. 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 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.
List of City Mayors since 1974:
2025- Richard Medwyn Hughes
2024 - Gareth M.Parry

2023 - Dr.Elin Walker Jones

2022 - Gwynant Roberts

2021 - Owen J. Hurcum

2020 - John Wynn Williams

2019 - John Wynn Williams

2018 - John Wynn Jones

2017 - Derek C. Hainge

2016 - Dewi Wynn Williams

2015 - Evelyn M. Butler

2014 - Jean Elizabeth Forsyth

2013 - Douglas Madge

2012 - Bryn Hughes

2011 - Edward Huw Williams

2010 - Dorothy M. Bulled, MBE

2009 - Jean Elizabeth Forsyth

2008 - John Wynn Jones

2007 - Derek C. Hainge

2006 - Douglas Madge

2005 - Geraint H. Roberts

2004 - Bryn Hughes

2003 - June E. Marshall

2002 - Dorothy M. Bulled

2001 - John Martin

2000 - Tony W.Eccles

1999 - John Wynn Jones

1998 - Derek C. Hainge

1997 - Lesley Hales

1996 - Gill Luther-Jones

1995 - Evelyn M. Butler

1994 - T. Arwyn Evans

1993 - Gareth Buckley-Jones

1992 - John Llewelyn-Jones

1991 - Keith Greenly-Jones

1990 - Doreen N. Murray

1989 - Tony W. Eccles

1988 - John Martin

1987 - Edward T. Dogan

1986 - R. Keith Marshall

1985 - Christine C. Norris

1984 - Iris M.Parry, MBE, JP

1983 - Frank Woodcock

1982 - John Haydn Jones

1981 - Edward T. Dogan

1980 - Glenda W.Jones

1979 - Gareth Buckley-Jones

1978 - Jean D. Christie

1977 - Charles A. Hainge

1976 - Iris M. Parry

1975 - Frank Woodcock

1974 - Jean D. Christie