Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council

Local government of Neath Port Talbot, Wales

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (or simply Neath Port Talbot Council) is the local authority for the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, one of the 22 principal areas of Wales. 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.

The county borough and its council were created on 1 April 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) 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 majority of which went to Swansea). 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.

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.

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 (parishes) 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 '*':

WardCommunities (Parishes)Places coveredAberavonAberavonAberdulaisBlaenhonddan* (Aberdulais and Cilfrew wards)CilfrewAllt WenCilybebyll* (Allt Wen ward)Cilhendre, TrebanosBaglanBaglan and Baglan BayBaglan MoorBlaengwrachBlaengwrach* and Glynneath Town* (West Central ward)CwmgwrachBriton Ferry EastBriton Ferry Town* (Craig y darren and Cwrt Sart wards)GoytreBriton Ferry WestBriton Ferry Town* (Brynhyfryd and Shelone Wood wards)Giant's GraveBryn and CwmavonBryn and CwmafanBrynbryddan, PontrhydyfenBryncoch NorthBlaenhonddan* (Bryn côch North ward)Bryncoch SouthBlaenhonddan* (Bryn côch South ward)CadoxtonBlaenhonddan* (Cadoxton ward)CilfrewCimlaNeath* Town (Cefn Saeson and Crynallt wards)Cefn Saeson, CimlaCoedffranc CentralCoedffranc* (East Central and Central wards)Skewen, CaewathenCoedffranc NorthCoedffranc* (North ward)Birchgrove, Moore Town, Longford, SkewenCoedffranc WestCoedffranc* (West and West Central wards)Coed Darcy, Crymlyn Bog, Crymlyn Burrows, Pant y Sais, Jersey Marine, Llandarcy, SkewenCrynantCrynant*Tre ForganCwmllynfellCwmllynfell*Bryn Melyn, Pen Rhiw fawr,CymmerGlyncorrwg (Cymmer ward)DyffrynDyffryn Clydach*Bryncoch, Dyffryn, Longford, Neath Abbey, White GatesGlyncorrwgGlyncorrwg (Glyncorrwg ward)GlynneathGlynneath Town* (East, Central and West wards)Blaengwrach, Cwmgwrach, Morfa Glas, RheolaGodre'r GraigYstalyfera* (Godre’r graig ward)CilmaengwynGwaun Cae GurwenGwaun Cae Gurwen* (Cwmgors and Gwaun Cae Gurwen wards)Cwmgors, Gwaun Laision. GwynfiGlyncorrwg (Gwynfi ward)Abergwynfi, BlaengwynfiLower BrynammanGwaun Cae Gurwen* (Lower Brynamman and Tai’r Gwaith wards)TairgwaithMargamMargam and Margam MoorsNeath EastNeath Town* (Melyncrythan and Penrhiwtyn wards)Melincryddan, Pencaerau, PenrhiwtynNeath NorthNeath Town* (Castle and Llantwit wards)LlantwitNeath SouthNeath Town* (Gnoll and Mount Pleasant wards)Cimla, Mount PleasantOnllwynOnllwyn*Banwen, Dynffyn CellwenPelennaPelenna*Pontrhydyfen, TonmawrPontardawePontardawe Town* (Pontardawe and Rhyd y fro wards)Rhyd y fro, YnysmeudwyPort TalbotPort TalbotCirrinau, Cwm Dyffryn, Mynydd Emroch, Pen y Cae, VelindreResolvenClyne and Resolven*RhosCilybebyll* (Gellinudd and Rhos wards)Cilmaengwyn, GellinuddSandfields EastSandfields EastSandfields WestSandfields WestSeven SistersSeven Sisters*Bryndulais, TynewyddTaibachTaibachGoytreTonnaTonna*TrebanosPontardawe Town* (Trebanos ward)Craig Trebanos, PontardaweYstalyferaYstalyfera* (Ystalyfera ward)Gurnos