Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Neath Port Talbot County Borough 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.
History
The county borough and its council were created on 1 April 1996 under the Local Government 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 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:
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:Composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2025, the composition of the council was: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 |
| Year | Seats | 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 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 | Places covered |
| Aberavon | Aberavon | |
| Aberdulais | Blaenhonddan* | Cilfrew |
| Allt-Wen | Cilybebyll* | Cilhendre, Trebanos |
| Baglan | Baglan and Baglan Bay | Baglan Moor |
| Blaengwrach | Blaengwrach* and Glynneath Town* | Cwmgwrach |
| Briton Ferry East | Briton Ferry Town* | Goytre |
| Briton Ferry West | Briton Ferry Town* | Giant's Grave |
| Bryn and Cwmavon | Bryn and Cwmafan | Brynbryddan, Pontrhydyfen |
| Bryncoch North | Blaenhonddan* | |
| Bryncoch South | Blaenhonddan* | |
| Cadoxton | Blaenhonddan* | Cilfrew |
| Cimla | Neath* Town | Cefn Saeson, Cimla |
| Coedffranc Central | Coedffranc* | Skewen, Caewathen |
| Coedffranc North | Coedffranc* | Birchgrove, Moore Town, Longford, Skewen |
| Coedffranc West | Coedffranc* | 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 | |
| Dyffryn | Dyffryn Clydach* | Bryncoch, Dyffryn, Longford, Neath Abbey, White Gates |
| Glyncorrwg | Glyncorrwg | |
| Glynneath | Glynneath Town* | Blaengwrach, Cwmgwrach, Morfa Glas, Rheola |
| Godre'r Graig | Ystalyfera* | Cilmaengwyn |
| Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen | Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen* | Cwmgors, Gwaun Laision. |
| Gwynfi | Glyncorrwg | Abergwynfi, Blaengwynfi |
| Lower Brynamman | Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen* | Tairgwaith |
| Margam | Margam and Margam Moors | |
| Neath East | Neath Town* | Melincryddan, Pencaerau, Penrhiwtyn |
| Neath North | Neath Town* | Llantwit |
| Neath South | Neath Town* | Cimla, Mount Pleasant |
| Onllwyn | Onllwyn* | Banwen, Dynffyn Cellwen |
| Pelenna | Pelenna* | Pontrhydyfen, Tonmawr |
| Pontardawe | Pontardawe Town* | Rhyd-y-fro, Ynysmeudwy |
| Port Talbot | Port Talbot | Cirrinau, Cwm Dyffryn, Mynydd Emroch, Pen y Cae, Velindre |
| Resolven | Clyne and Resolven* | |
| Rhos | Cilybebyll* | Cilmaengwyn, Gellinudd |
| Sandfields East | Sandfields East | |
| Sandfields West | Sandfields West | |
| Seven Sisters | Seven Sisters* | Bryndulais, Tynewydd |
| Taibach | Taibach | Goytre |
| Tonna | Tonna* | |
| Trebanos | Pontardawe Town* | Craig Trebanos, Pontardawe |
| Ystalyfera | Ystalyfera* | 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