Torfaen County Borough Council

Last updated

Torfaen County Borough Council

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen
Arms of Torfaen County Borough Council.svg
Torfaen County Borough Council.svg
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Rose Seabourne,
Labour
since 24 May 2022 [1] [2]
Anthony Hunt,
Labour
since 1 January 2017
Stephen Vickers
since 5 July 2021 [3]
Structure
Seats40 councillors [4]
Torfaen County Borough Council 2025.svg
Political groups
Administration
  Labour (28)
Other Parties
  Independent (8)
  Reform UK (4)
Length of term
5 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Pontypool Civic Centre (geograph 2484234).jpg
Civic Centre, Hanbury Road, Pontypool, NP4 6YB
Website
www.torfaen.gov.uk

Torfaen County Borough Council (Welsh : Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen) is the governing body for Torfaen, one of the Principal Areas of Wales.

Contents

History

The borough council was created in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as a lower-tier district council with borough status. Gwent County Council provided county-level services for the area. [5] The county council was abolished in 1996 and Torfaen became a principal area with county borough status, with the council taking over the functions previously performed by the county council. [6]

Borough status allows Torfaen to give the chair of the council the title of mayor. However, the council discontinued the role of mayor in 2018. A presiding member role has been created instead to chair meetings. [7]

In June 2024 the council agreed to share a chief executive with neighbouring Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. [8] Torfaen's existing chief executive, Stephen Vickers, was subsequently appointed to the role of joint chief executive for the two councils from January 2025. [9]

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2012.

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: [10]

Lower-tier borough

Party in controlYears
Labour 1974–1996

County borough

Party in controlYears
Labour 1996–2008
No overall control 2008–2012
Labour 2012–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since c.1984 have been:

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Brian Smith [11] Labour c.19842004
Bob Wellington [12] [13] [14] Labour 200431 Dec 2016
Anthony Hunt [14] Labour 1 Jan 2017

Composition

Following the 2022 election, by-elections in February 2023 and 2025, and changes of allegiance in April 2023 and August 2024, the composition of the council was: [15] [16] [17]

PartyCouncillors
Labour 28
Independent 8
Reform UK 4
Total40

Of the independent councillors, five sit together as the 'Independent Group', and the other three sit together as the 'Torfaen Independent Group'. [18] The next election is due in 2027. [19]

Elections

Summary of the council composition after council elections: [20]
YearSeats Labour Independent Conservative Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru Control of council
1995 44411110Labour majority control
1999 44393110Labour majority control
2004 44347120Labour majority control. New ward boundaries. [21]
2008 441816 [a] 523Labour minority led.
2012 44308402Labour majority control [22]
2017 442911400Labour majority control [23]
2022 403010000Labour majority control. New ward boundaries. [24]
  1. Including three candidates elected to represent Blaenau Gwent People's Voice.

Premises

The council is based at the Civic Centre on Hanbury Road in Pontypool, comprising Pontypool Town Hall, built in 1856, and a large extension to it which was built in 1991. [25] Between 1996 and 2012, the council also used the six-storey former Gwent County Hall at Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran, sharing the building with Monmouthshire County Council. County Hall closed because of "concrete cancer" and was later demolished, with the council consolidating its offices at the Civic Centre in Pontypool. [26]

Mayoralty

The roles of mayor and deputy mayor were removed from the council in May 2018 as part of the 2018/19 budget. Instead, the council created the post of Presiding Member and Deputy Presiding Member to chair council meetings. From May 2018, the roles and functions undertaken by a mayor have been undertaken by the leader of the council and cabinet members. [27] [28]

Past Mayors

The mayors of Torfaen from 1974 until the post's abolition in 2018 were: [29]

1974–1974: G M Day
1974–1975: D B Richards
1975–1976: M L Lee
1976–1977: D W Puddle
1977–1978: G S R Powell
1978–1979: S E A James
1979–1980: A J Davies
1980–1981: G S Evans
1981–1982: K Morgan
1982–1983: P Roberts
1983–1984: G I Davies
1984–1985: C Little
1985–1986: H J Rosser
1986–1986: C G Thomas
1986–1988: D J Lloyd
1988–1989: W M Howell
1989–1990: B J Cunningham
1990–1991: S Richards
1991–1992: D J Rex
1992–1993: T Davies
1993–1994: F H Bacon
1994–1995: M H Morgan
1995–1996: D Miller
1996–1997: S Smith
1997–1998: S J Brooks
1998–1999: K Edmunds
1999–2000: B I Ryan
2000–2001: G R Clark
2001–2002: C Thomas
2002–2003: Jack Everson
2003–2004: Doug Davies
2004–2005: Yvonne Warren
2005–2006: Lyndon Irwin
2006–2007: Mary Barnett
2007–2008: Bill King
2008–2009: Nye James
2009–2010: Bob Jones
2010–2011: Tom Huish
2011–2012: Philip Seabourne
2012–2013: Wayne Tomlinson
2013–2014: Neil Mason
2014–2015: Mandy Owen
2015–2016: Giles Davies
2016–2017: Veronica Crick
2017–2018: Jessica Powell

Electoral divisions

Electoral wards in Torfaen Torfaen UK ward map (blank).svg
Electoral wards in Torfaen

The county borough is divided into 20 electoral wards, returning 40 councillors. There are 6 elected community councils in the region. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*': [24]

WardCommunitiesOther geographic areas
Abersychan Abersychan Varteg, Cwmavon, Cwmffrwd, Talywain, The British, Pentwyn, Garndiffaith,
Blaenavon Blaenavon Town*Coed Cae, Elgam, Forge Side, Garn-y-erw
Brynwern Pontymoile (Brynwern ward)
Coed Eva Fairwater (Coed Eva ward)
Croesyceiliog North Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon* (Croesyceiliog North ward)
Croesyceiliog South Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon* (Croesyceiliog South ward)
Cwmynyscoy Pontymoile (Cwmynyscoy ward) Blaendare, Upper Race
Fairwater Fairwater (Fairwater and Oaksford ward)Ty Canol
Greenmeadow Fairwater (Greenmeadow ward)
Llantarnam Croes-y-mwyalach, Oakfield, Old Cwmbran
Llanyrafon North Llanyrafon (Llanyrafon North ward)
Llanyrafon South Llanfrechfa
New Inn New InnCwmoody, Sluvad
Panteg Panteg Griffithstown, Sebastopol
Pontnewydd Pontrhydyrun, Lowland, Northville
Pontnewynydd Pen Tranch (Pontnewynydd ward)Cwmffrwdoer
Pontypool Pontymoile*
Snatchwood Pen Tranch (Snatchwood ward)
St. Cadocs and Penygarn
St Dials Cwmbran Central* (St. Dials ward)
Trevethin Trevethin (Trevethin ward)
Two Locks Hollybush
Upper Cwmbran Upper CwmbranThornhill, West Pontnewydd
Wainfelin Pen Tranch (Wainfelin ward) Tranch, Pantygasseg

References

  1. "Council minutes, 24 May 2022". Torfaen County Borough Council. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  2. "Council minutes, 13 May 2025". Torfaen County Borough Council. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  3. Gill, Emily (23 March 2021). "Torfaen Council announces new chief executive". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  4. "Open Council Data UK - compositions councillors parties wards elections". opencouncildata.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2020.
  5. "Local Government Act 1972", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1972 c. 70, retrieved 9 October 2022
  6. "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 9 October 2022
  7. "Mayor of Torfaen". Torfaen County Borough Council. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  8. Owen, Twm (11 June 2024). "Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent shared chief executive salary agreed". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  9. "Torfaen Councillors approve appointment of Joint Chief Executive". Torfaen County Borough Council. 21 January 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  10. "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Torfaen" in search box to see specific results.)
  11. "Former council leader dies aged 63". South Wales Argus. 26 July 2004. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  12. "Tributes to former council leader". South Wales Argus. 27 July 2004. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  13. Mansfield, Ruth (28 November 2016). "Wales' longest serving council leader to stand down". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  14. 1 2 "Council minutes, 13 December 2016" (PDF). Torfaen County Borough Council. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  15. Owen, Twm (3 February 2023). "Newly-elected Torfaen Council councillor for Llantarnam speaks". South Wales Argus. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  16. Hill, Jonathon (18 April 2023). "Councillor leaves Welsh Labour party over 'insulting' proposed bin collection cuts". Wales Online. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  17. "Torfaen council: First Reform councillor elected in by-election". BBC News. 14 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  18. "Your councillors by party". Torfaen County Borough Council. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  19. "Torfaen". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 13 August 2025.
  20. Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael. "Torfaen County Borough Council Election Results 1995–2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Plymouth University. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  21. "The County Borough of Torfaen (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2002/3279, retrieved 10 October 2022
  22. "Torfaen County Borough Council Election Results 1995-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre Plymouth University. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  23. "Wales at the polls: Local elections 2017". ITV News. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
  24. 1 2 "The County Borough of Torfaen (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2021/1139, retrieved 10 October 2022
  25. Cadw. "Town Hall (Grade II) (3132)". National Historic Assets of Wales. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  26. "Cwmbran County Hall demolition may need hole filling". BBC News. 27 October 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2019.
  27. "Former Torfaen council mayors speak out on budget proposal to scrap role". Free Press Series. 21 February 2018.
  28. "Mayor of Torfaen | Torfaen County Borough Council". www.torfaen.gov.uk.
  29. "Past mayors". Torfaen County Borough Council. Retrieved 10 October 2022.