Rhondda Cynon Taff
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Geography | |
| Area - Total - % Water |
Ranked 13th 424 km² ? % |
|---|---|
| Admin HQ | Tonypandy |
| ISO 3166-2 | GB-RCT |
| ONS code | 00PF |
| Demographics | |
| Population: - Total (2006 est.) - Density |
Ranked 2nd 233,900 Ranked 7th 552 / km² |
| Ethnicity | 98.9% White. |
| Welsh language - Any skills |
Ranked 13th 21.1% |
| Politics | |
 Rhondda Cynon Taf Council |
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| Control
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Labour |
| MPs | |
Rhondda Cynon Taff (RCT; Welsh: Rhondda Cynon Taf) is a county borough in the preserved county of Mid Glamorgan, South Wales, Wales, U.K..
The county borough borders Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly to the east, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to the south, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot to the west and Powys to the north. Its main towns are Aberdare, Mountain Ash and Pontypridd. Rhondda Cynon Taff is the second most populous local authority area in Wales.
See List of places in Rhondda Cynon Taff for a list of towns and villages.
Contents |
[edit] History
The county borough was formed on April 1, 1996, by the merger of the former Mid Glamorgan districts of Cynon Valley, Rhondda and Taff-Ely (with the exceptions of Creigiau and Pentyrch, which were added to Cardiff). Its name reflects all these, and the rivers Cynon, Rhondda and Taff. In the nineteenth century the Rhondda had over 60 mines
[edit] Industry
The district developed from the discovery and mining, primarily for export, of high quality Welsh coals, such as steam coal, via Cardiff and Barry docks. The landscape was dominated by coal waste heaps and deep mine pit-heads. Many of the roads are lined with semi-ribbon development of closely packed Victorian terraces of houses which have given the Rhondda valleys their distinctive appearance. In the 1980s, privatisation of British Coal resulted in the closure of many of the coal mining activities in the valleys, devastating the local economy.
As deep mines closed, a number of very large open-cast coal mines were created and remain in operation especially towards the north of the area.
The Welsh Development Agency, which was formed in 1976 to help reverse the economic down-turn in Wales caused by the recession in both the coal and steel industries, was very active in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area in supporting and encouraging industrial and commercial re-generation. Recent investment in the area has included the Dragon International Film Studios, currently under construction (2006) on the site of Llanillyd open cast mine. This project is headed by Sir Richard Attenborough and will include TV studios, editing suites and a large film studio complex. The location of the project has led it to become known locally as "Valleywood", even though the Welsh Valleys are some miles away.
The Rhondda Cynon Taf Business Club, run by the County Council in conjunction with its patrons was re-launched in 2006 at the Pop Factory in Porth by Lord Attenborough. The Business Club provides an excellent way for businesses to network, share best practice and improve business opportunities. More Information is available at the Rhondda Cynon Taf Business Club Web Site [1]
[edit] Environment
The Coal industry has had major adverse impacts on the quality of the environment such that most of the rivers were severely polluted to the exclusion of all fish life. Recent decades have shown great improvement with Salmon recorded from the River Taff and the River Rhondda but the continued presence of man-made obstacles in the rivers is inhibiting their return to their pre-industrial condition.
The chemical industry has also had adverse effects due to the dumping of toxic waste in the now disused Brofiscin Quarry in the village of Groesfaen. Dumping took place over a 7 year period between 1967 and 1973 by Monsanto. It is estimated that the cleanup costs could be more than £100 million. A Dr Papageorge, formerly Monsanto's chief scientist, estimates that between 60,000 and 80,000 tonnes of PCB contaminated wastes were dumped there.[1]
[edit] Government
The area is governed by Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council.
[edit] Education
Best Performing Secondary Schools in RCT, based on 5 GCSE passes, A-C Grade, according to the most recent report by Estyn as the Office of Her Majesty's Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales :
72% Y Pant School, Pontyclun (English)
71% St John Baptist(CIW) High School, Aberdare (English)
63% Ysgol Gyfun Rhydfelen, Pontypridd (Welsh)
61% Ysgol Gyfun Rhydywaun, Penywaun (Welsh)
52% Treorchy Comprehensive School, Treorchy (English)
50% Aberdare Girls School, Aberdare (English)
50% Cardinal Newman Cath Comp. School, Pontypridd (English)
49% Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari, Llanharry (Welsh)
47% Bryncelynnog Comp. School, Pontypridd (English)
47% Ysgol Gyfun Y Cymmer, Porth (Welsh)
44% Aberdare Boys' Comprehensive School, Aberdare (English)
44% Coed y Lan Comp, Cilfynydd (English)
42% Blaengwawr Comprehensive School, Aberdare (English)
41% Ferndale Comm School, Ferndale (English)
37% Tonypandy Comp School, Tonypandy (English)
34% Porth County Comm School, Porth (English)
34% Tonyrefail School, Tonyrefail (English)
30% Mountain Ash Comprehensive School, Mountain Ash(English)
25% Hawthorn High School, Pontypridd (English)
[edit] Twin Towns
Rhondda Cynon Taf is twinned with the city of Nürtingen and Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg(Germany)
[edit] External links
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