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 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.

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: (Put "Neath Port Talbot" in search box to see specific results.)

Party in controlYears 1996–2022 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 1 Apr 1996 Jun 2004 Derek Vaughan 25 Jun 2004 May 2009 Ali Thomas 15 May 2009 May 2017 Rob Jones 26 May 2017 6 Mar 2021 Ted Latham 17 Mar 2021 May 2022 Steve Hunt 7 Jun 2022 21 Sep 2026 Alun Llewellyn (Acting) 21 Sep 2026

Composition Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to September 2026, the composition of the council was: Party Councillors 22 23 11 3 1Total60

As of September 2026, twenty 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 independents do 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.

YearSeatsLabourPlaid CymruIndependentLiberal DemocratsGreenOthersNotes199565 52 3 8 2 0 0Labour majority control19996440107205Labour majority control20046436107209Labour majority control20086437119403Labour majority control2012645284000Labour majority control20176443155100Labour majority control202260271218210No 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 '*':

WardCommunities (Parishes)Places coveredAberavonAberavonAberdulaisBlaenhonddan* (Aberdulais and Cilfrew wards)CilfrewAllt-WenCilybebyll* (Allt-Wen ward)Cilhendre, TrebanosBaglanBaglan and Baglan BayBaglan MoorBlaengwrachBlaengwrach* and Glynneath Town* (West Central ward)CwmgwrachBriton Ferry EastBriton Ferry Town* (Craig-y-darren and Cwrt Sart wards)Briton Ferry WestBriton Ferry Town* (Brynhyfryd and Shelone Wood wards)Giant's GraveBryn and CwmavonBryn and CwmafanBrynbryddan, PontrhydyfenBryncoch NorthBlaenhonddan* (Bryn-côch North ward)Bryncoch SouthBlaenhonddan* (Bryn-côch South ward)CadoxtonBlaenhonddan* (Cadoxton ward)CilfrewCimlaNeath* Town (Cefn Saeson and Crynallt wards)Cefn Saeson, CimlaCoedffranc CentralCoedffranc* (East Central and Central wards)Skewen, CaewathenCoedffranc NorthCoedffranc* (North ward)Birchgrove, Moore Town, Longford, SkewenCoedffranc WestCoedffranc* (West and West Central wards)Coed Darcy, Crymlyn Bog, Crymlyn Burrows, Pant y Sais, Jersey Marine, Llandarcy, SkewenCrynantCrynant*Tre-ForganCwmllynfellCwmllynfell*Bryn-Melyn, Pen Rhiw-fawr,CymmerGlyncorrwg (Cymmer ward)DyffrynDyffryn Clydach*Bryncoch, Dyffryn, Longford, Neath Abbey, White GatesGlyncorrwgGlyncorrwg (Glyncorrwg ward)GlynneathGlynneath Town* (East, Central and West wards)Blaengwrach, Cwmgwrach, Morfa Glas, RheolaGodre'r GraigYstalyfera* (Godre’r graig ward)CilmaengwynGwaun-Cae-GurwenGwaun-Cae-Gurwen* (Cwmgors and Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen wards)Cwmgors, Gwaun Laision.GwynfiGlyncorrwg (Gwynfi ward)Abergwynfi, BlaengwynfiLower BrynammanGwaun-Cae-Gurwen* (Lower Brynamman and Tai’r Gwaith wards)TairgwaithMargam and TaibachMargam and Margam MoorsMargam, Taibach, Coed Hirwaun & GoytreNeath EastNeath Town* (Melyncrythan and Penrhiwtyn wards)Melincryddan, Pencaerau, PenrhiwtynNeath NorthNeath Town* (Castle and Llantwit wards)LlantwitNeath SouthNeath Town* (Gnoll and Mount Pleasant wards)Cimla, Mount PleasantOnllwynOnllwyn*Banwen, Dynffyn CellwenPelennaPelenna*Pontrhydyfen, TonmawrPontardawePontardawe Town* (Pontardawe and Rhyd-y-fro wards)Rhyd-y-fro, YnysmeudwyPort TalbotPort TalbotCirrinau, Cwm Dyffryn, Mynydd Emroch, Pen y Cae, VelindreResolvenClyne and Resolven*RhosCilybebyll* (Gellinudd and Rhos wards)Cilmaengwyn, GellinuddSandfields EastSandfields EastSandfields WestSandfields WestSeven SistersSeven Sisters*Bryndulais, TynewyddTonnaTonna*TrebanosPontardawe Town* (Trebanos ward)Craig Trebanos, PontardaweYstalyferaYstalyfera* (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

References

External links Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council