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Bridgend County Borough (Welsh: Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) is a county borough in the south-east of Wales. The county borough has a total population of 139,200 people, and contains the town of Bridgend, after which it is named. Its members of the Senedd are Sarah Murphy MS, representing the Bridgend Constituency, and Huw Irranca-Davies MS representing the Ogmore Constituency, and its members of the UK parliament are Chris Bryant, Chris Elmore, and Stephen Kinnock.
Bridgend County Borough
Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr (Welsh) | |
|---|---|
Left to right:
| |
 Coat of arms | |
| Motto: Onward With Confidence | |
 Bridgend shown within Wales | |
| Coordinates: 51°33′17″N 03°35′29″W / 51.55472°N 3.59139°W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | Wales |
| Preserved county | Mid Glamorgan |
| Incorporated | 1 April 1996 |
| Administrative HQ | Bridgend |
| Government | |
| • Type | Principal council |
| • Body | Bridgend County Borough Council |
| • Control | Labour |
| • MPs | 3 MPs
|
| • MSs | 2 MSs |
| Area | |
• Total | 97 sq mi (251 km2) |
| • Rank | 17th |
| Population (2022)[2] | |
• Total | 146,136 |
| • Rank | 8th |
| • Density | 1,510/sq mi (583/km2) |
| Welsh language (2021) | |
| • Speakers | 9.2% |
| • Rank | 19th |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-BGE |
| GSS code | W06000013 |
| Website | bridgend |
The county borough lies at the geographical heart of south Wales. Its land area of 110 mi2 (285 km2) stretches 12 miles (20 km) from east to west and occupies the Llynfi, Garw and Ogmore valleys. The largest town is Bridgend (pop: 39,773), followed by Maesteg (pop: 20,700) and Porthcawl (pop: 19,238). It is situated on the Ogmore River and its tributaries, although the Ewenny and Ogwr Fach rivers form the border with the Vale of Glamorgan for much of their length.
It was formed on 1 April 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. It includes all of the former Ogwr borough apart from the communities of Wick, St Bride's Major and Ewenny, which went to Vale of Glamorgan. Bridgend County Borough was divided into 20 communities: Brackla, Bridgend, Cefn Cribwr, Coity Higher, Coychurch Higher, Coychurch Lower, Cornelly, Garw Valley, Laleston, Llangynwyd Lower, Llangynwyd Middle, Maesteg, Merthyr Mawr, Newcastle Higher, Ogmore Valley, Pencoed, Porthcawl, Pyle, St Bride's Minor and Ynysawdre. The communities of Brackla, Bridgend and Coychurch Lower make up the town of Bridgend.
Government
editThe region is governed by Bridgend County Borough Council, a principal council. It is currently in the control of the Labour party with 26 seats out of 54.[citation needed]
From 2024, Bridgend County Borough would be in three UK Parliament constituencies, Aberafan Maesteg, Bridgend, and Rhondda and Ogmore.[4]
Schools
editParks and green spaces
editBryngarw Country Park is the largest (113 acres) country park in the borough. It offers many amenity based areas including an adventure play area, barbecue and picnic areas, car park, cafe, visitor centre and toilets; as well as a patchwork of woodland, grassland and freshwater habitats. Bryngarw Country Park is a Grade II listed Historic Park and Garden and has been designated a 'Green Flag' Park since 2010. The Oriental Garden in the park has been noted as a 'Visit Wales Sustainable Tourism, Historic Gardens Centre of Excellence' by the 'One Historic Garden, Centre of Excellence'.[5]
Kenfig National Nature Reserve with Glamorgan's largest natural lake, Kenfig Pool, is set on the edge of this area, with views from Sker beach across Swansea Bay to Gower. It is one of the finest wildlife habitats in Wales,[citation needed] and one of the last remnants of a huge dune system that once stretched along the coast from the River Ogmore to the Gower peninsula. The reserve is home to unique wild orchids, as well as insects and wildlife. Kenfig is one of the most important sites in Britain for nature conservation.[6]
Parc Slip Nature Reserve is an environment of wetlands, woodlands and meadows at the Parc Slip Nature Park where there is a wealth of wildlife.[citation needed] After a century of coal mining on the site, the Wildlife Trust began to manage the land for nature in the late 1980s. Varied habitats have since been created and the park supports an increasing diversity of wildlife.[7][8]
Notable people
editFreedom of the Borough
editThe following people and military units have received the Freedom of the Borough of Bridgend:[9]
Individuals
editMilitary units
edit- The Royal Welsh: 30 August 2008
- 2 Company 1st Battalion The Welsh Guards: 11 May 2011[10]
Demographics
editEthnicity
editAs of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the county borough's ethnic groups are as follows:[11]
| Ethnic group | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White | 96.8% |
| Asian | 1.5% |
| Mixed | 1.2% |
| Black | 0.3% |
| Other | 0.3% |
Religion
editAs of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the county borough's religious make-up is as follows:[11]
| Religion | |
|---|---|
| No religion | 52.3% |
| Christianity | 40.4% |
| Islam | 0.5% |
| Other | 0.5% |
| Buddhism | 0.3% |
| Hinduism | 0.2% |
| Sikhism | 0.1% |
| Judaism | 0.1% |
| not stated | 5.6% |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Democracy and elections". Bridgend County Borough Council. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "How life has changed in Bridgend: Census 2021". Office for National Statistics. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "2023 Parliamentary Review - Revised Proposals | Boundary Commission for Wales". Boundary Commission for Wales. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
- ^ "Welcome to Bryngarw House, Brynmenyn, Bridgend". Bryngarwhouse.co.uk. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^ "Country Parks". Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ "Country Parks". Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ "Country Parks". Archived from the original on 13 September 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^ "Freedom of the Borough - Bridgend County Borough Council". Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2016.
- ^ "Hero soldiers honoured in freedom march of Bridgend". 11 May 2011.
- ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – Bridgend Local Authority (W06000013)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 July 2024.