Torfaen County Borough Council

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

Torfaen County Borough Council

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen
Logo
Type
Type
History
Founded1 April 1974
Leadership
Rose Seabourne,
Labour
since 24 May 2022
Anthony Hunt,
Labour
since 1 January 2017[1]
Stephen Vickers
since 5 July 2021[2]
Structure
Seats40 councillors[3]
Political groups
Administration
  Labour (29)
Other Parties
  Independent (11)
Length of term
5 years
Elections
First past the post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Civic Centre, Hanbury Road, Pontypool, NP4 6YB
Website
www.torfaen.gov.uk

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.[4] 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.[5]

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.[6]

Political control

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 held by the following parties:[7]

Lower-tier borough

Party in controlYears
Labour1974–1996

County borough

Party in controlYears
Labour1996–2008
No overall control2008–2012
Labour2012–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1984 have been:[8]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Brian Smith[9] Labourc. 198413 Jun 2004
Bob Wellington[10] Labour29 Jun 200431 Dec 2016
Anthony Hunt Labour1 Jan 2017

Composition

Following the 2022 election and a by-election in February 2023 and change of allegiance in April 2023, the composition of the council was:[11][12]

Party Councillors
Labour29
Independent11
Total 40

Of the independent councillors, four sit together as the "Independent Group", three form the "Torfaen Independent Group" and the other four do not belong to a group as at July 2023.[13] The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Summary of the council composition after council elections:[14]

Year Seats Labour Independent Conservative Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru Notes
1995 44 41 1 1 1 0 Labour majority controlled
1999 44 39 3 1 1 0 Labour majority controlled
2004 44 34 7 1 2 0 Labour majority controlled. New ward boundaries.[15]
2008 44 18 16[lower-alpha 1] 5 2 3 Labour minority led.
2012 44 30 8 4 0 2 Labour majority controlled[16]
2017 44 29 11 4 0 0 Labour majority controlled[17]
2022 40 30 10 0 0 0 Labour majority controlled. New ward boundaries.[18]

Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column

  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.[19] 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.[20]

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.[21][22]

Past Mayors

The mayors of Torfaen from 1974 until the post's abolition in 2018 were:[23]

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

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 '*':[18]

Ward Communities 'Other 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 Inn Cwmoody, 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 Cwmbran Thornhill, West Pontnewydd
Wainfelin Pen Tranch (Wainfelin ward) Tranch, Pantygasseg

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