# 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.

## 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. 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.
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.
In June 2024 the council agreed to share a chief executive with neighbouring Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council.
In January 2025 councillors from Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent approved the permanent appointment of Stephen Vickers as the Joint Chief Executive for both Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen County Borough Councils. The decision supports a federation of two councils of equal status with a federated leadership team whilst maintaining financial and political sovereignty and governance arrangements.

## 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:
Lower-tier borough
| Party in control | Party in control | Years |
| | Labour | 1974–1996 |
County borough
| Party in control | Years |
| Labour | 1996–2008 |
| No overall control | 2008–2012 |
| Labour | 2012–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1984 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Brian Smith | Labour | c. 1984 | 13 Jun 2004 |
| Bob Wellington | Labour | 29 Jun 2004 | 31 Dec 2016 |
| Anthony Hunt | 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:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Labour | 28 |
| | Independent | 8 |
| | Reform UK | 4 |
| Total | Total | 40 |
Of the independent councillors, five sit together as the 'Independent Group', three sit together as the 'Torfaen Independent Group', and three more did not belong to a group until August 2024 when they joined Reform UK and became the party's first councillors in Wales. The next election is due in 2027.

## Elections

Summary of the council composition after council elections: :
| Year | Seats | Labour | Independent | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Plaid Cymru | Control of council |
| 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. |
| 2008 | 44 | 18 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 3 | Labour minority led. |
| 2012 | 44 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2 | Labour majority controlled |
| 2017 | 44 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority controlled |
| 2022 | 40 | 30 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority controlled. New ward boundaries. |
* ↑ 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. 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.

## 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.

### Past Mayors

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

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 '*':
| 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 | Llantarnam Cwmbran Central* (Southville ward) | Croes-y-mwyalach, Oakfield, Old Cwmbran |
| Llanyrafon North | Llanyrafon (Llanyrafon North ward) | |
| Llanyrafon South | Ponthir* Llanyrafon (Llanyrafon South ward) | Llanfrechfa |
| New Inn | New Inn | Cwmoody, Sluvad |
| Panteg | Panteg | Griffithstown, Sebastopol |
| Pontnewydd | Pontnewydd Cwmbran Central* (Northville ward) | 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 | Cwmbran Central* (Two Locks ward) Henllys | Hollybush |
| Upper Cwmbran | Upper Cwmbran | Thornhill, West Pontnewydd |
| Wainfelin | Pen Tranch (Wainfelin ward) | Tranch, Pantygasseg |