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Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
Local government of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales
Local government of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, Wales
| Field | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| name | Merthyr Tydfil Council | |
| native_name | Cyngor Merthyr Tudful | |
| native_name_lang | cym | |
| coa_pic | Merthyr Tydfil arms.png | |
| coa_res | 80 | |
| logo_pic | Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council.svg | |
| logo_res | 205 | |
| house_type | Unitary authority | |
| foundation | 1905 (Municipal borough) | |
| 1908 (County borough) | ||
| 1974 (Borough) | ||
| 1 April 1996 (County Borough) | ||
| leader1_type | Mayor | |
| leader1 | Paula Layton | |
| party1 | ||
| Independent | ||
| election1 | 14 May 2025 | |
| leader2_type | Leader | |
| leader2 | Brent Carter | |
| party2 | ||
| Labour | ||
| election2 | 18 September 2024 | |
| leader3_type | Chief Executive | |
| leader3 | Ellis Cooper | |
| party3 | ||
| election3 | 17 June 2021 | |
| seats | 30 councillors | |
| structure1 | United Kingdom Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council 2025.svg | political_groups1 = |
| : | border | darkgray}} Labour (14) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Independent (3) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Independent (11) |
| : | border | darkgray}} Reform UK (2) |
| term_length | 5 years | |
| voting_system1 | First-past-the-post | |
| last_election1 | 5 May 2022 | |
| next_election1 | 6 May 2027 | |
| session_room | Merthyr Tydfil Civic Centre - geograph.org.uk - 3000225.jpg | |
| session_res | 250 | |
| meeting_place | Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF478AN | |
| website |
1908 (County borough) 1974 (Borough) 1 April 1996 (County Borough) Independent Labour ;Administration (17) : Labour (14) : Independent (3) ;Other parties (13) : Independent (11) : Reform UK (2)
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council () is the governing body for Merthyr Tydfil County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council is based at the Civic Centre on Castle Street in Merthyr Tydfil. The council has been under no overall control since 2017. A minority Labour administration has been running the council since 2024, supported by some of the independent councillors.
History
The parish of Merthyr Tydfil was governed by a local board from 1850 until 1894, when it was replaced by an urban district council. The urban district was incorporated as a borough in 1905, creating the first Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council. In 1908 the council took over county-level functions from Glamorgan County Council in the area, becoming a county borough. It retained county borough status until 1974, when there were significant changes to local government under the Local Government Act 1972. From 1974 until 1996, Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council was a lower-tier district council, with Mid Glamorgan County Council providing county-level services in the area. Since the abolition of Mid Glamorgan County Council in 1996, Merthyr Tydfil has again been a county borough.
Political control
The council has been under no overall control since 2017. Following the 2022 election, the independents and Labour each had 15 councillors. The independents managed to form the council's administration on the mayor's casting vote. Following a number of changes of allegiance and a by-election, the independent administration was replaced in September 2024 with a minority Labour administration.
The first election to the council following the Local Government Act 1972 was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its revised powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:
Lower-tier borough
| Party in control | Years |
|---|---|
| 1974–1976 | |
| 1976–1979 | |
| 1979–1996 |
County borough
| Party in control | Years |
|---|---|
| 1996–1999 | |
| 1999–2004 | |
| 2004–2008 | |
| 2008–2012 | |
| 2012–2017 | |
| 2017–present |
Leadership
The role of Mayor of Merthyr Tydfil is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2002 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvey Jones | 2002 | May 2008 | |
| Jeff Edwards | May 2008 | May 2012 | |
| Brendan Toomey | 16 May 2012 | May 2017 | |
| Kevin O'Neill | 14 Jun 2017 | 23 Dec 2020 | |
| Lisa Mytton | 20 Jan 2021 | May 2022 | |
| Geraint Thomas | 25 May 2022 | 18 Sep 2024 | |
| Brent Carter | 18 Sep 2024 |
Composition
Following the 2022 election, and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to June 2025, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Councillors | Total | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 14 |
Nine of the independent councillors sit together as the 'Independent Group', two form the 'Dowlais and Pant Community Independents' and the other three are not aligned to a group. Cabinet positions are held by members of Labour, the Dowlais and Pant Community Independents group, and one of the non-aligned independents. The next election is due in 2027.
Elections
Since 2012, elections have been held every five years:
| Year | Seats | Labour | Independent / Others | Liberal Democrats | Plaid Cymru | Notes | Welsh Labour}}; width: 3px;" | Independent politician}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | Plaid Cymru}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Labour}}; width: 3px;" | Independent politician}}; width: 3px;" | Welsh Liberal Democrats}}; width: 3px;" | Plaid Cymru}}; width: 3px;" | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 33 | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority controlled | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | 33 | 16 | 13 | 0 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 33 | 17 | 16 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority controlled | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | 33 | 8 | 19 | 6 | 0 | Independent majority controlled | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | 33 | 23 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Labour majority controlled | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 33 | 15 | 18 | 0 | 0 | Independent majority controlled | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 30 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | New ward boundaries. No overall control; independent-led. |
Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.
Premises
Until 1989 the council was based at Merthyr Tydfil Town Hall, which had been built between 1896 and 1898 for the old urban district council. In 1989 a new civic centre was built on Castle Street, which opened as the council's headquarters at the start of January 1990.
Electoral divisions
.svg){kind=spacer}
The county borough is divided into 11 electoral wards returning 30 councillors. Most of these wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name.
Bedlinog & Trelewis Community Council is the only community council in Merthyr Tydfil.
The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas.
| Ward | Communities (Parishes) | Other geographic areas |
|---|---|---|
| Bedlinog c | Bedlinog | Cwmfelin, Trelewis |
| Cyfarthfa c | Cyfarthfa | Clwydyfagwyr, Gelli-deg, Heolgerrig, Winch Fawr, Ynysfach |
| Dowlais | Pantyscallog, Rhydybedd, Tair Twynau, Dowlais Top, Caeharris, Caeracca, | |
| Gurnos c | Gurnos | |
| Merthyr Vale c | Merthyr Vale | Aberfan, Mount Pleasant, |
| Park c | Park | |
| Penydarren c | Penydarren | Galon Uchaf |
| Plymouth | Troed-y-rhiw | Abercanaid, Pentrebach |
| Town c | Town | Twynyrodyn, Penyard |
| Treharris c | Treharris | Quakers Yard, Pentwyn, Fiddler's Elbow, Edwardsville |
| Vaynor c | Vaynor | Cefn Coed, Pontsticill, Trefechan |
c = Ward coterminous with community of the same name
References
References
- "Council minutes, 14 May 2025".
- (17 June 2021). "Appointment of new chief executive for Merthyr Tydfil CBC - Ellis Cooper".
- "Merthyr Tydfil Urban District / Municipal Borough / County Borough". GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth.
- {{cite legislation UK. (1994)
- (26 May 2022). "Independents to lead Merthyr Tydfil's split council amid warnings of instability from Labour". Wales Online.
- (4 April 2025). "Independent councillor joins Labour run Merthyr Tydfil Council cabinet". Wales Online.
- "Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
- (2 May 2008). "Night of woe for Labour in Merthyr". Wales Online.
- (5 April 2022). "The Merthyr councillors who won't be standing at this year's local elections". Wales Online.
- "Cabinet minutes, 28 May 2008".
- (4 May 2012). "Merthyr Tydfil: Independent council leader loses seat". ITV News.
- "Council minutes, 16 May 2012".
- (5 May 2017). "Ousted Merthyr leader Brendan Toomey says people are 'fed up with politics'". [[Wales Online]].
- "Council minutes, 14 June 2017".
- (9 June 2017). "Independents win control of Merthyr Tydfil council and oust Labour after delayed ward vote". [[Wales Online]].
- (4 January 2021). "Merthyr Council leader Kevin O'Neill suspended for seven months". [[BBC News]].
- "Council minutes, 20 January 2021".
- (26 May 2022). "Independents continue to lead Merthyr Tydfil Council after mayor makes casting vote". Nation Cymru.
- "Council minutes, 25 May 2022".
- (12 September 2024). "Leader of Merthyr Tydfil Council quits". Wales Online.
- "Council minutes, 18 September 2024".
- (20 September 2024). "Councillor once found in brothel 'covered in pink lipstick' is named leader of Merthyr Tydfil Council". Wales Online.
- "Merthyr Tydfil". Thorncliffe.
- "Your Councillors by Party".
- "Merthyr Tydfil". Thorncliffe.
- {{cite legislation UK. (2021)
- (28 December 1989). "Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council: An important announcement". Merthyr Express.
- "Election maps". [[Ordnance Survey]].
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