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Bridgend County Borough Council
Local government of Bridgend County Borough, Wales
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Local government of Bridgend County Borough, Wales
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| name | Bridgend County Borough Council | |
| native_name | Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr | |
| logo_pic | Bridgend County Borough Council.svg | |
| logo_res | 160 | |
| logo_alt | Bridgend County Borough Council logo | |
| house_type | Unitary authority | |
| foundation | 1 April 1996 | |
| leader1_type | Mayor | |
| leader1 | Huw David | |
| party1 | ||
| Labour | ||
| election1 | 14 May 2025 | |
| leader2_type | Leader | |
| leader2 | John Spanswick | |
| party2 | ||
| Labour | ||
| election2 | 15 May 2024 | |
| leader3_type | Chief Executive | |
| leader3 | Jake Morgan | |
| party3 | ||
| election3 | July 2025 | |
| seats | 51 councillors | |
| structure1 | Bridgend County Borough Council 2024.svg | |
| structure1_res | 250 | |
| structure1_alt | Bridgend County Borough Council composition | |
| : | border | darkgray}} Labour (26) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Independent (22) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Conservative (1) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Plaid Cymru (1) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Reform (1) |
| term_length | 5 years | |
| voting_system1 | First-past-the-post | |
| last_election1 | 5 May 2022 | |
| next_election1 | 6 May 2027 | |
| session_room | Town crests, Bridgend - geograph.org.uk - 2275192.jpg | |
| meeting_place | Civic Offices, Angel Street, Bridgend, CF314WB | |
| website |
Labour Labour ; Administration (26) : Labour (26) ; Other parties (25) : Independent (22) : Conservative (1) : Plaid Cymru (1) : Reform (1)
Bridgend County Borough Council () is the governing body for Bridgend County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales.
History
Bridgend County Borough and its council came into effect from 1 April 1996, following the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. Bridgend County Borough Council largely replaced Ogwr Borough Council, though St Brides Major, Ewenny and Wick were transferred from Ogwr to the Vale of Glamorgan.
In November 2014 the council voted to propose a merger with the neighbouring Vale of Glamorgan Council, though this was rejected by the Welsh Government's Public Services Minister, Leighton Andrews, as not meeting the criteria to be able to proceed.
Political control
The council has been under Labour majority control since the 2022 election.
The first election to the 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:
| Party in control | Years |
|---|---|
| 1996–2004 | |
| 2004–2012 | |
| 2012–2017 | |
| 2017–2022 | |
| 2022–present |
Leadership
The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Bridgend, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1996 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Jones | 1 Apr 1996 | Jun 2004 | |||||
| url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/lib-dem-to-head-bridgend-coalition-2434531 | title=Lib-Dem to head Bridgend coalition | work=Wales Online | date=24 June 2004 | access-date=5 April 2019 }} | Jun 2004 | May 2008 | |
| Mel Nott | 14 May 2008 | 5 Oct 2016 | |||||
| Huw David | 5 Oct 2016 | 15 May 2024 | |||||
| title=Council minutes, 15 May 2024 | url=https://democratic.bridgend.gov.uk/documents/g4581/Printed%20minutes%2015th-May-2024%2016.00%20Council.pdf?T=1&LLL=0 | website=Bridgend County Borough Council | access-date=17 August 2025}} | 15 May 2024 |
Composition
Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | Total | 51 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | |||
| 22 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 1 | |||
| 1 |
Thirteen of the independent councillors form the "Bridgend County Independents" group. Plaid Cymru and seven of the independent councillors sit together as the "Democratic Alliance". The other two independent councillors do not belong to a group. The next election is due in 2027.
Elections
Since 2012, elections take place every five years.
| Year | Seats | Labour | Plaid Cymru | Liberal Democrats | Conservative | Others | Notes | Welsh Labour}}; width: 3px;" | Plaid Cymru}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Conservatives}}; width: 3px;" | Independent politician}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Labour}}; width: 3px;" | Plaid Cymru}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Conservatives}}; width: 3px;" | Independent politician}}; width: 3px;" | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 48 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Labour majority control | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | 54 | 41 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | Labour majority control | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 54 | 22 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 11 | Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Independent coalition | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | 54 | 27 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 54 | 39 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 10 | Labour majority control | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 54 | 26 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 51 | 27 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 21 | Labour majority control |
Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.
Prior to the May 2008 elections Bridgend Council was run by a coalition of Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Plaid Cymru and Independent councillors. After the election the leadership returned to the Labour Party, led by councillor Mel Nott.
The council elections on 5 May 2017 saw Labour lose its majority control of the council with, for example, three of the four Brackla seats being taken by the Conservatives from Labour. Keith Edwards and Ross Thomas, who'd been deselected by Labour for voting against the proposed local authority merger, won as Independents in Maesteg.
In May 2022, Labour regained a majority and control of the council, though their majority was reduced following the Bridgend Central by-election on 11 August.
Premises
The council is based at the Civic Offices on Angel Street in Bridgend, on the banks of the River Ogmore (). The building was built in 1986 for the council's predecessor, Ogwr Borough Council.
Electoral divisions
Main article: List of electoral wards in Bridgend County Borough
Prior to May 2022, the county borough was divided into 39 electoral wards.
Since the 2022 local elections the county borough has been divided into 28 electoral wards electing 51 councillors. Some communities also have their own elected council and community wards. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated community wards. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*':
| Ward | County | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| councillors | Communities | Community wards | |
| Aberkenfig | 1 | Llangynwyd Lower* | |
| Newcastle Higher* (part) | Aberkenfig | ||
| Blackmill | 1 | Ogmore Valley* (part) | Blackmill |
| Evanstown | |||
| Brackla East and | |||
| Coychurch Lower | 2 | Brackla* (part) | Brackla East |
| Coychurch Lower* | |||
| Brackla East Central | 1 | Brackla* (part) | Brackla East Central |
| Brackla West | 1 | Brackla* (part) | Brackla West |
| Brackla West Central | 1 | Brackla* (part) | Brackla West Central |
| Bridgend Central | 3 | Bridgend* (part) | Morfa |
| Newcastle | |||
| Bryntirion, Laleston and | |||
| Merthyr Mawr | 3 | Merthyr Mawr* | |
| Laleston* (part) | Laleston/Bryntirion | ||
| Caerau | 2 | Maesteg* (part) | Caerau |
| Nantyffyllon | |||
| Cefn Glas | 2 | Laleston* (part) | Cefn Glas 1 |
| Cefn Glas 2 | |||
| Coity Higher | 3 | Coity Higher* | Coity |
| Litchard | |||
| Pendre | |||
| Cornelly c | 2 | Cornelly* | |
| Garw Valley | 3 | Garw Valley* | Bettws |
| Blaengarw | |||
| Llangeinor | |||
| Pontycymmer | |||
| Llangynwyd | 1 | Llangynwyd Middle* | |
| Maesteg East | 2 | Maesteg* (part) | Maesteg East |
| Maesteg West | 2 | Maesteg* (part) | Maesteg West |
| Nant-y-Moel | 1 | Ogmore Valley* (part) | Nant-y-Moel |
| Newton | 1 | Porthcawl Town* (part) | Newton |
| Nottage | 1 | Porthcawl Town* (part) | Nottage |
| Ogmore Vale | 1 | Ogmore Valley* (part) | Ogmore Vale |
| Oldcastle | 2 | Bridgend Town* (part) | Oldcastle |
| Pencoed and Penprysg | 3 | Coychurch Higher* | |
| Pencoed* | Felindre | ||
| Hendre | |||
| Penprysg | |||
| Pen-y-fai | 1 | Newcastle Higher* (part) | Pen-y-fai |
| Porthcawl East Central | 2 | Porthcawl Town* (part) | East Central |
| Porthcawl West Central | 1 | Porthcawl Town* (part) | West Central |
| Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr | 3 | Cefn Cribwr* | |
| Pyle* | |||
| Rest Bay | 1 | Porthcawl Town* (part) | Rest Bay |
| St Bride's Minor and | |||
| Ynysawdre | 3 | St Bride's Minor* | Bryncethin |
| Bryncoch | |||
| Sarn | |||
| Ynysawdre* | Tondu | ||
| Brynmenyn |
- = Communities which elect a community council
Arms
References
References
- "Council minutes, 14 May 2025".
- "Bridgend council appoints new chief executive".
- Abby Boulter. (19 February 2015). "Labour suspends six Bridgend councillors for not supporting failed merger bid with Vale of Glamorgan". [[Wales Online]].
- "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
- (28 March 1996). "Damning report for outgoing council". Bridgend and Ogwr Post.
- (24 June 2004). "Lib-Dem to head Bridgend coalition". Wales Online.
- (11 April 2012). "Labour's battle to retain control of Bridgend council". Wales Online.
- "Council minutes, 14 May 2008".
- (31 August 2016). "The leader of Bridgend council Mel Nott announces he will stand down". [[Wales Online]].
- "Council minutes, 5 October 2016".
- (6 March 2024). "Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council to step down".
- "Council minutes, 15 May 2024".
- (22 May 2024). "This is the new leader of Bridgend Council". Wales Online.
- "DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL, Bridgend Central, 11 August 2022".
- "Bridgend". Thorncliffe.
- "Your councillors by political grouping".
- (9 May 2008). "At the end of the rainbow, Labour take back control". The Glamorgan Gem.
- Abby Boulter. (5 May 2017). "Labour Party suffers 'bloody nose' in Bridgend as it loses overall control". [[Wales Online]].
- (6 May 2022). "Bridgend local elections 2022: Conservatives collapse as Labour regain control of Bridgend". Wales Online.
- (17 August 2022). "The by-election results for Bridgend Central after Labour councillor steps down". Wales Online.
- "Contact us".
- (22 September 2021). "The County Borough of Bridgend (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021". [[The National Archives (United Kingdom).
- "Wales". Civic Heraldry of Wales.
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