Merthyr Tydfil County Borough

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough has been one of the 22 unitary authorities in Wales since 1 April 1996 (though the area was originally granted county borough status in 1908). Merthyr Tydfil County Borough today has a population of 59,000. It is located in the historic county of Glamorgan and takes its name from Merthyr Tydfil town. The County Borough consists of the northern part of the Taff Valley and the smaller neighbouring Taff Bargoed Valley.County Borough StatusFollowing the industrial revolution and growth, initially from the iron and steel industry, in Dowlais, Cyfarthfa, Penydarren and Plymouth, and then later from the coal-mining industry in Aberfan, Treharris and Bedlinog the area was originally granted county borough status in 1908., despite protests from the southern part of the borough, where it was claimed that links were stronger with Pontypridd. In 1935, a Royal Commission argued that Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, then heavily burdened by the cost of maintaining many unemployed people, should be abolished and merged with Glamorgan. The county council refused the proposal. The current borough boundaries date back to 1974, when Merthyr Tydfil became a local government district in the administrative county of Mid Glamorgan. It reverted to a county borough again on 1 April 1996.