Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (or simply Neath Port Talbot Council) is the local authority for the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, one of the 22 principal areas of Wales. The council is based at the Civic Centre in Port Talbot. The council was controlled by the Labour Party from its creation in 1996 until 2022, when Plaid Cymru and a group of independent councillors agreed to share power.
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Bwrdeistref Sirol Castell-nedd Port Talbot | |
|---|---|
| History | |
| Founded | 1 April 1996 |
| Preceded by | West Glamorgan County Council Port Talbot Neath Lliw Valley (part) |
| Leadership | |
Mayor | Wayne Carpenter, Independent since 8 May 2025 |
Leader | Steve Hunt, Independent since 7 June 2022 |
Chief Executive | Frances O’Brien since November 2024 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 60 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 5 years |
| Elections | |
Voting system | First past the post |
First election | 4 May 1995 |
Last election | 5 May 2022 |
Next election | 6 May 2027 |
| Meeting place | |
| Civic Centre, Port Talbot, SA13 1PJ | |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
The county borough and its council were created on 1 April 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. The borough covered the combined area of the two former districts of Port Talbot and Neath, as well as a smaller area from Lliw Valley (the majority of which went to Swansea). The new council also took over county-level responsibilities in the area from the abolished West Glamorgan County Council. The 1994 Act originally specified that the borough should be called "Neath and Port Talbot". The new authority was elected in 1995, but acted as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing county and district councils until the new arrangements took effect the following year. During that time, the shadow authority requested a change of name from "Neath and Port Talbot" to "Neath Port Talbot". The government confirmed the change with effect from 2 April 1996, one day after the new council came into being.
Political control
Since the 2022 election, the council has been under no overall control. On 23 May 2022, it was announced that a coalition between the Plaid Cymru and Independent groups would lead the council. The Liberal Democrats and Green Party members would support the coalition via a confidence and supply agreement. Independent councillor Steve Hunt became the new leader of council, with Plaid Cymru councillor Alun Llewelyn as the new deputy leader.
The first election to the new council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been as follows:
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 1996–2022 | |
| No overall control | 2022–present | |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Neath Port Talbot. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The first leader, Noel Crowley, had been the last leader of the old Port Talbot Borough Council. The leaders since 1996 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noel Crowley | Labour | 1 Apr 1996 | Jun 2004 | |
| Derek Vaughan | Labour | 25 Jun 2004 | May 2009 | |
| Ali Thomas | Labour | 15 May 2009 | May 2017 | |
| Rob Jones | Labour | 26 May 2017 | 6 Mar 2021 | |
| Ted Latham | Labour | 17 Mar 2021 | May 2022 | |
| Steve Hunt | Independent | 7 Jun 2022 | ||
Composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2025, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Labour | 26 | |
| Independent | 19 | |
| Plaid Cymru | 11 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | |
| Green | 1 | |
| Total | 60 | |
As of July 2025, seventeen of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group", which forms the council's administration with Plaid Cymru. One independent sits with the Liberal Democrats as the "Coedffranc Liberal & Independent" group, and the other independent does not belong to a group. The next election is due in 2027.
Elections
Elections take place every five years, electing sixty councillors. The last election was 5 May 2022.
| Year | Seats | Labour | Plaid Cymru | Independent | Liberal Democrats | Green | Others | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 65 | 52 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority control |
| 1999 | 64 | 40 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | Labour majority control |
| 2004 | 64 | 36 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 | Labour majority control |
| 2008 | 64 | 37 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 3 | Labour majority control |
| 2012 | 64 | 52 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority control |
| 2017 | 64 | 43 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority control |
| 2022 | 60 | 27 | 12 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | No overall control; Independent / Plaid Cymru coalition |
Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.
Premises
The council's main offices are at the Civic Centre in Port Talbot, which had been built in 1987 for the former Port Talbot Borough Council. Other offices are located at the New Neath Civic Centre, and The Quays in Baglan Bay.
When created in 1996, the council also inherited the former Neath Civic Centre, which was subsequently demolished in 2008 to make way for a retail development.
Electoral wards
Following a 2021 local government boundary review, the number of electoral wards dropped from 42 to 34, with the number of elected councillors reducing from 64 to 60, effective from the 2022 local elections.
Prior to this, the county borough was divided into 42 wards, listed below, returning a total of 64 councillors. Some of these wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. There are 19 community councils in the county borough area. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*':
| Ward | Communities (Parishes) | Places covered |
|---|---|---|
| Aberavon | Aberavon | |
| Aberdulais | Blaenhonddan* (Aberdulais and Cilfrew wards) | Cilfrew |
| Allt-Wen | Cilybebyll* (Allt-Wen ward) | Cilhendre, Trebanos |
| Baglan | Baglan and Baglan Bay | Baglan Moor |
| Blaengwrach | Blaengwrach* and Glynneath Town* (West Central ward) | Cwmgwrach |
| Briton Ferry East | Briton Ferry Town* (Craig-y-darren and Cwrt Sart wards) | Goytre |
| Briton Ferry West | Briton Ferry Town* (Brynhyfryd and Shelone Wood wards) | Giant's Grave |
| Bryn and Cwmavon | Bryn and Cwmafan | Brynbryddan, Pontrhydyfen |
| Bryncoch North | Blaenhonddan* (Bryn-côch North ward) | |
| Bryncoch South | Blaenhonddan* (Bryn-côch South ward) | |
| Cadoxton | Blaenhonddan* (Cadoxton ward) | Cilfrew |
| Cimla | Neath* Town (Cefn Saeson and Crynallt wards) | Cefn Saeson, Cimla |
| Coedffranc Central | Coedffranc* (East Central and Central wards) | Skewen, Caewathen |
| Coedffranc North | Coedffranc* (North ward) | Birchgrove, Moore Town, Longford, Skewen |
| Coedffranc West | Coedffranc* (West and West Central wards) | Coed Darcy, Crymlyn Bog, Crymlyn Burrows, Pant y Sais, Jersey Marine, Llandarcy, Skewen |
| Crynant | Crynant* | Tre-Forgan |
| Cwmllynfell | Cwmllynfell* | Bryn-Melyn, Pen Rhiw-fawr, |
| Cymmer | Glyncorrwg (Cymmer ward) | |
| Dyffryn | Dyffryn Clydach* | Bryncoch, Dyffryn, Longford, Neath Abbey, White Gates |
| Glyncorrwg | Glyncorrwg (Glyncorrwg ward) | |
| Glynneath | Glynneath Town* (East, Central and West wards) | Blaengwrach, Cwmgwrach, Morfa Glas, Rheola |
| Godre'r Graig | Ystalyfera* (Godre’r graig ward) | Cilmaengwyn |
| Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen | Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen* (Cwmgors and Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen wards) | Cwmgors, Gwaun Laision. |
| Gwynfi | Glyncorrwg (Gwynfi ward) | Abergwynfi, Blaengwynfi |
| Lower Brynamman | Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen* (Lower Brynamman and Tai’r Gwaith wards) | Tairgwaith |
| Margam | Margam and Margam Moors | |
| Neath East | Neath Town* (Melyncrythan and Penrhiwtyn wards) | Melincryddan, Pencaerau, Penrhiwtyn |
| Neath North | Neath Town* (Castle and Llantwit wards) | Llantwit |
| Neath South | Neath Town* (Gnoll and Mount Pleasant wards) | Cimla, Mount Pleasant |
| Onllwyn | Onllwyn* | Banwen, Dynffyn Cellwen |
| Pelenna | Pelenna* | Pontrhydyfen, Tonmawr |
| Pontardawe | Pontardawe Town* (Pontardawe and Rhyd-y-fro wards) | Rhyd-y-fro, Ynysmeudwy |
| Port Talbot | Port Talbot | Cirrinau, Cwm Dyffryn, Mynydd Emroch, Pen y Cae, Velindre |
| Resolven | Clyne and Resolven* | |
| Rhos | Cilybebyll* (Gellinudd and Rhos wards) | Cilmaengwyn, Gellinudd |
| Sandfields East | Sandfields East | |
| Sandfields West | Sandfields West | |
| Seven Sisters | Seven Sisters* | Bryndulais, Tynewydd |
| Taibach | Taibach | Goytre |
| Tonna | Tonna* | |
| Trebanos | Pontardawe Town* (Trebanos ward) | Craig Trebanos, Pontardawe |
| Ystalyfera | Ystalyfera* (Ystalyfera ward) | Gurnos |
Council Interests
The Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council administrates or jointly controls a number of business interests, which include:
- Afan Forest Park
- Margam Country Park
Arms
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