Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council

Merthyr Tydfil Council

Cyngor Merthyr Tudful
Type
Type
History
Founded1905 (Municipal borough)
1908 (County borough)
1974 (Borough)
1 April 1996 (County Borough)
Leadership
Paula Layton,
Independent
since 14 May 2025[1]
Brent Carter,
Labour
since 18 September 2024[2]
Ellis Cooper
since 17 June 2021[3]
Structure
Seats30 councillors
Political groups
Administration (17)
  Labour (14)
  Independent (3)
Other parties (13)
  Independent (11)
  Reform UK (2)
Length of term
5 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
5 May 2022
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Civic Centre, Castle Street, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 8AN
Website
www.merthyr.gov.uk

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (Welsh: Cyngor bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful) 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.[4][5]

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.[6] Following a number of changes of allegiance and a by-election, the independent administration was replaced in September 2024 with a minority Labour administration.[2] Two of the independent councillors subsequently joined Labour in the council's cabinet.[7]

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:[8]

Lower-tier borough

Party in control Years
Labour 1974–1976
Plaid Cymru 1976–1979
Labour 1979–1996

County borough

Party in control Years
Labour 1996–1999
No overall control 1999–2004
Labour 2004–2008
Independent 2008–2012
Labour 2012–2017
No overall control 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[9][10] Labour 2002 May 2008
Jeff Edwards[11][12] Independent May 2008 May 2012
Brendan Toomey[13][14] Labour 16 May 2012 May 2017
Kevin O'Neill[15][16][17] Independent 14 Jun 2017 23 Dec 2020
Lisa Mytton[18][19] Independent 20 Jan 2021 May 2022
Geraint Thomas[20][21] Independent 25 May 2022 18 Sep 2024
Brent Carter[22][2] Labour 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:[23]

Party Councillors
Labour 14
Reform UK 2
Independent 14
Total 30

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.[24] The next election is due in 2027.[25]

Elections

Since 2012, elections have been held every five years:[8]

Year Seats Labour Independent / Others Liberal Democrats Plaid Cymru Notes
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[16]
2022 30 15 15 0 0 New ward boundaries.[26] No overall control; independent-led.

Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.

Premises

Old Town Hall: Council's headquarters until 1989.

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.[27]

Electoral divisions

Electoral divisions in Merthyr Tydfil

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.[28]

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

See also

References

  1. ^ "Council minutes, 14 May 2025". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Lewis, Anthony (20 September 2024). "Councillor once found in brothel 'covered in pink lipstick' is named leader of Merthyr Tydfil Council". Wales Online. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  3. ^ "Appointment of new chief executive for Merthyr Tydfil CBC - Ellis Cooper". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Merthyr Tydfil Urban District / Municipal Borough / County Borough". A Vision of Britain through Time. GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  5. ^ "Local Government (Wales) Act 1994", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1994 c. 19, retrieved 17 October 2022
  6. ^ Lewis, Anthony (26 May 2022). "Independents to lead Merthyr Tydfil's split council amid warnings of instability from Labour". Wales Online. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  7. ^ Lewis, Anthony (4 April 2025). "Independent councillor joins Labour run Merthyr Tydfil Council cabinet". Wales Online. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  8. ^ a b "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Merthyr Tydfil" in search box to see specific results.)
  9. ^ Evans, Rhodri (2 May 2008). "Night of woe for Labour in Merthyr". Wales Online. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  10. ^ Lewis, Anthony (5 April 2022). "The Merthyr councillors who won't be standing at this year's local elections". Wales Online. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Cabinet minutes, 28 May 2008" (PDF). Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  12. ^ "Merthyr Tydfil: Independent council leader loses seat". ITV News. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  13. ^ "Council minutes, 16 May 2012". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  14. ^ "Ousted Merthyr leader Brendan Toomey says people are 'fed up with politics'". Wales Online. 5 May 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Council minutes, 14 June 2017". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Independents win control of Merthyr Tydfil council and oust Labour after delayed ward vote". Wales Online. 9 June 2017. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Merthyr Council leader Kevin O'Neill suspended for seven months". BBC News. 4 January 2021. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  18. ^ "Council minutes, 20 January 2021". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  19. ^ Lewis, Anthony (26 May 2022). "Independents continue to lead Merthyr Tydfil Council after mayor makes casting vote". Nation Cymru. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  20. ^ "Council minutes, 25 May 2022". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  21. ^ Lewis, Anthony (12 September 2024). "Leader of Merthyr Tydfil Council quits". Wales Online. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  22. ^ "Council minutes, 18 September 2024". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  23. ^ "Merthyr Tydfil". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  24. ^ "Your Councillors by Party". Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  25. ^ "Merthyr Tydfil". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
  26. ^ "The County Borough of Merthyr Tydfil (Electoral Arrangements) Orde 2021", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2021/1111, retrieved 18 October 2022
  27. ^ "Merthyr Tydfil Borough Council: An important announcement". Merthyr Express. 28 December 1989. p. 8. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  28. ^ "Election maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
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