Bridgend County Borough Council

Local government of Bridgend County Borough, Wales

Bridgend County Borough Council

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr

Type
Type|

Unitary authority

History
Founded| 1 April 1996
Leadership

Mayor

Heather Griffiths,
Labour
since 15 May 2024[1]

Leader

John Spanswick,
Labour
since 15 May 2024

Chief Executive

Mark Shephard
since 2 January 2019

Structure
Seats| 51 councillors

Political groups

Administration (27)
Labour (27)
Other parties (24)
Independent (22)
Plaid Cymru (1)
Conservative (1)

Length of term

| 5 years
Elections

Voting system

| First-past-the-post

Last election

| 5 May 2022

Next election

| 6 May 2027
Meeting place
Civic Offices, Angel Street, Bridgend, CF31 4WB
Website
www.bridgend.gov.uk

Bridgend County Borough Council (Welsh: Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr) is the governing body for Bridgend County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales.

## History

[edit]

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.[2]

## Political control

[edit]

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 held by the following parties:[3]

Party in control | Years

|

| Labour | 1996–2004
| No overall control | 2004–2012
| Labour | 2012–2017
| No overall control | 2017–2022
| Labour | 2022–present

### Leadership

[edit]

The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Bridgend, with political leadership instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 2004 have been:[4]

Councillor | Party | From | To

|
|
|

Jeff Jones |  | Labour |  | 2004
Cheryl Green[5] |  | Liberal Democrats | Jun 2004 | 14 May 2008
Mel Nott[6] |  | Labour | 14 May 2008 | 5 Oct 2016
Huw David |  | Labour | 5 Oct 2016 | 15 May 2024
John Spanswick[1] |  | Labour | 15 May 2024 |

### Composition

[edit]

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections up to March 2024, the composition of the council was:[7][8]

Party  | Councillors

|

| Labour | 27
| Independent | 22
| Plaid Cymru | 1
| Conservative | 1
Total  | 51

Thirteen of the independent councillors form the "Bridgend County Independents" group. Plaid Cymru and six of the independent councillors sit together as the "Democratic Alliance". The other three independent councillors do not belong to a group.[9] The next election is due in 2027.

## Elections

[edit]

Since 2012, elections take place every five years.

Year  | Seats  | Labour | Plaid Cymru | Liberal Democrats | Conservative | Others  | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  |
1995 | 48  | 46 | 0  | 0  | 0  | 2  | Labour majority controlled
1999 | 54  | 41 | 2  | 5  | 1  | 5  | Labour majority controlled
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 controlled
2017 | 54  | 26 | 3  | 1  | 11  | 13  |
2022 | 51  | 27 | 2  | 0  | 1  | 21  | Labour majority controlled
|  |  |  |  |  |  |

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.[10]

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.[11]

In May 2022, Labour regained a majority and control of the council,[12] though their majority was reduced following the Bridgend Central by-election on 11 August.[13]

## Premises

[edit]

The council is based at the Civic Offices on Angel Street in Bridgend, on the banks of the River Ogmore (Welsh: Afon Ogwr). The building was built in 1986 for the council's predecessor, Ogwr Borough Council.[14]

## Electoral divisions

[edit]

Pre-2022 electoral divisions in Bridgend County Borough

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.[15] 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 [15] | County
councillors | Communities  | Community wards [15]

|
|
|

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

[edit]

Coat of arms of Bridgend County Borough Council

Notes
Originally granted to Ogwr Borough Council on 21 December 1977.
Crest
On a wreath Or and Gules a demi dragon Gules gorged with a steel collar pendent therefrom a steel chain Proper holding in the dexter claw an anchor Azure and resting the sinister claw on a cogwheel Sable.
Escutcheon
Per chevron raguly per pale Or and Gules and Argent in chief on the dexter a lozenge Sable and on the sinister a garb Or and in base three barrulets wavy Azure thereon a dolphin naiant embowed Proper.
Supporters
On the dexter a dragon Gules gorged with a mural crown Or attached thereto a steel chain reflexed over the back Proper attached to a triangular harrow Or supported by the dexter claw and on the sinister a sea horse Argent the tail Vert gorged with a mural crown Or attached thereto a steel chain reflexed over the back Proper attached to an anchor Sable supported by the sinister webbed foot.
Motto
Onward With Confidence[16]

## See also

[edit]

* Ogwr Borough Council

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Smith, Lewis (22 May 2024). "This is the new leader of Bridgend Council". Wales Online. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
2. ^ Abby Boulter (19 February 2015). "Labour suspends six Bridgend councillors for not supporting failed merger bid with Vale of Glamorgan". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
3. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
4. ^ "Council minutes". Bridgend County Borough Council. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
5. ^ "Lib-Dem to head Bridgend coalition". Wales Online. 24 June 2004. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
6. ^ "The leader of Bridgend council Mel Nott announces he will stand down". Wales Online. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
7. ^ "DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL, Bridgend Central, 11 August 2022" (PDF). Bridgend CBC. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
8. ^ "Bridgend". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
9. ^ "Your councillors by political grouping". Bridgend County Borough Council. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
10. ^ "At the end of the rainbow, Labour take back control". The Glamorgan Gem. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
11. ^ Abby Boulter (5 May 2017). "Labour Party suffers 'bloody nose' in Bridgend as it loses overall control". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
12. ^ "Bridgend local elections 2022: Conservatives collapse as Labour regain control of Bridgend". Wales Online. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
13. ^ "The by-election results for Bridgend Central after Labour councillor steps down". Wales Online. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
14. ^ "Contact us". Bridgend County Borough Council. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
15. ^ a b c "The County Borough of Bridgend (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 22 September 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2022.
16. ^ "Wales". Civic Heraldry of Wales. Retrieved 22 March 2021.

## External links

[edit]

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Bridgend County Borough

Bridgend County Borough Council

Communities|

* Brackla
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