In 1889 Oystermouth Urban District Council was established and was responsible for local administration until it voted in 1918 to hand over its powers to Swansea. It ceased to exist in 1923 and Oystermouth and Mumbles came under the direct control of Swansea. Many in the area regretted the loss of administrative autonomy, so, when the opportunity arose in the 1980’s, there was wide support for the establishment of a Community Council. Peggy Jones, Mr. Maurice Edwards and Mr. Werner Sivertson, amongst others, campaigned hard to bring this about. They were successful and in 1983 Mumbles Community Council came into being under the Chairmanship of Werner Sivertson. The first Clerk to the Council, Mr. Peter Douglas – Jones was succeeded by Mrs. Liz Taylor, Mr. John Pickard (who held the post for 15 years) and Mr. Alastair Wilson. The present Clerk is Mr. Steve Heydon. At first, Mumbles Community Council led a peripatetic existence, holding its meetings in various schools and halls, until it leased an office in Walters Crescent in April 1997. The Community Council wards and the number of councillors for each are Mayals (3), Newton (4), Oystermouth (5) and West Cross (6). Over the years, they have worked together to represent the people of Mumbles, support local organisations, improve the street scene and the environment and provide enhanced services. The work of the Council is funded by the precept – a relatively small amount paid by domestic council tax payers to enable the Community Council to carry out its work. Large projects, such as the improvements around Bracelet Bay, have been delivered through working arrangements with the City and County of Swansea; such agreements are likely to increase in the future as more powers are devolved to community councils.
