Bridgend Central

Bridgend Central (Welsh: Canol Pen-y-bont) is the name of an electoral ward in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. It covers part of the county town of Bridgend. The ward elects three councillors to Bridgend County Borough Council.

The ward was created following the recommendations of a 2019 local government boundary review, with the merger of the former county wards of Morfa and Newcastle.[1]

According to the 2011 UK Census, the population of the Morfa ward was 4,692[2] and in the Newcastle ward it was 5,421.[3] The boundary review predicted an electorate of 8,103.[1]

2022 local election

Two of the three seats were won by Independents and the third by Labour's Stuart Baldwin. Independent Steve Bletsoe was already a Bridgend Town councillor and pledged to use his position to tackle the communal waste problem in the town.[4]

Bridgend CBC election, 5 May 2022[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Tim Wood 1,159 44.7
Labour Stuart Baldwin 1,112 42.9
Independent Steven Bletsoe 1,072
Independent Steven Easterbrook 1,048
Labour Ceri Evans 1,043
Labour David White 980
Conservative Thomas Dwyer 324 12.5
Conservative Alex Hughes-Howells 310
Conservative Marco Pucella 297

Only a few days after the election, Stuart Baldwin announced he was stepping away from politics and would not be taking up his seat. A by-election was required to fill the vacancy.[5] Baldwin cited the increasinging toxicity of local politics and said he'd been attacked online, followed home after meetings and physically confronted for his views and his sexuality.[6]

2022 by-election

A by election was arranged for 11 August 2022[7] to elect a replacement for Labour's Stuart Baldwin. It was won by independent candidate Steve Easterbrook with 716 votes, beating Labour's Ceri Evans by 126 votes.[8]

See also

References
  1. "Review of the Electoral Arrangements of the County Borough of Bridgend – Final Recommendations Report" (PDF). Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales. October 2019. pp. 33–34. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  2. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Morfa Ward (as of 2011) (W05000615)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  3. UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Newcastle Ward (as of 2011) (W05000617)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  4. "Bridgend local elections 2022: Conservatives collapse as Labour regain control of Bridgend". Wales Online. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  5. Rhys Gregory (16 May 2022). "Bridgend candidate opts not to take up councillor role". Wales 247. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  6. Lewis Smith (11 May 2022). "The recently-elected Bridgend councillor who won't be taking up his seat". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  7. "Notice of Election – Election of a Councillor of the Bridgend Central Electoral Division" (PDF). Bridgend County Borough Council. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  8. "The by-election results for Bridgend Central after Labour councillor steps down". Wales Online. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
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