Bridgend County Borough Council

Bridgend County Borough Council

Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
Bridgend County Borough Council ; Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr
Type
Type	Unitary authority
History
Founded	1 April 1996
Preceded by	Mid Glamorgan County Council
Leadership
Mayor of Bridgend	Cllr Stuart Baldwin, Labour ; since 15 May 2019
Leader of the Council	Cllr Huw David, Labour ; since 5 October 2016
Deputy Leader	Cllr Hywel Williams, Labour
Leader of the Opposition	Cllr Norah Clarke, Independent
Chief executive	Mark Shephard (Interim) ; since 2 January 2019
Structure
Seats	54 councillors
Political groups	Administration (26) Labour (26) Other parties (28) Independent (16) Conservative (7) Plaid Cymru (3) Liberal Democrat (1) Propel (1)
Length of term	5 years
Elections
Voting system	First-past-the-post
First election	4 May 1995
Last election
Next election
Meeting place
	Civic Offices, Bridgend
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.

Background[]

Bridgend County Borough and Bridgend County Borough 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.

Current composition[]

Group affiliation		Councillors^[1]
Group affiliation		2017	Current
	Labour	26	26
	Independent	13	16
	Conservative	11	7
	Plaid Cymru	3	3
	Liberal Democrats	1	1
	Propel	0	1
Total		54	54

Historic results[]

Year	Labour	Liberal Democrats	Conservative	Plaid Cymru	Others
	26	1	11	3	13
2012	39	3	1	1	10
	27	11	6	1	9
2004	22	13	7	1	11
	41	5	1	2	5
1995	39	2	2	1	4

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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Leadership[]

	From	To
Huw David	5 October 2016
Mel Nott	May 2008	5 October 2016^[5]
Cheryl Green	June 2004 ^[6]	May 2008
Jeff Jones		2004

Electoral divisions[]

Electoral divisions in Bridgend County Borough

The county borough is divided into 39 electoral wards. Some of these wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. Some communities have their own elected council. The following table lists council wards, communities and associated geographical areas. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*':

Ward	Communities (Parishes)
Aberkenfig	Llangynwyd Lower* Newcastle Higher* (Aberkenfig ward)
Bettws	Garw Valley* (Bettws ward)
Blackmill	Ogmore Valley* (Blackmill and Evanstown wards)
Blaengarw	Garw Valley* (Blaengarw ward)
Brackla ^c	Brackla*
Bryncethin	St Bride's Minor* (Bryncethin ward)
	St Bride's Minor* (Bryncoch ward)
Bryntirion, Laleston and Merthyr Mawr	Merthyr Mawr* Laleston* (Laleston/Bryntirion ward)
Caerau	Maesteg* (Caerau and Nantyffyllon wards)
Cefn Cribwr ^c	Cefn Cribwr*
Cefn Glas	Laleston* (Cefn Glas 1 ward)
Coity	Coity Higher* (Coity ward)
Cornelly ^c	Cornelly*
Coychurch Lower ^c	Coychurch Lower*
	Pencoed* (Felindre ward)
	Pencoed* (Hendre ward)
	Coity Higher (Litchard ward)
Llangeinor	Garw Valley* (Llangeinor ward)
	Laleston* (Cefn Glas 2 ward)
Llangynwyd	Llangynwyd Middle*
	Maesteg* (East ward)
	Maesteg* (West ward)
Morfa	Bridgend Town* (Morfa ward)
	Ogmore Valley* (Nant-y-Moel ward)
Newcastle	Bridgend Town* (Newcastle ward)
Newton	Porthcawl Town* (Newton ward)
Nottage	Porthcawl Town* (Nottage ward)
Ogmore Vale	Ogmore Valley* (Ogmore Vale ward)
Oldcastle	Bridgend Town* (Oldcastle ward)
	Coity Higher* (Pendre ward)
Penprysg	Coychurch Higher* Pencoed* (Penprysg ward)
Pen-y-fai	Newcastle Higher* (Pen-y-fai ward)
Pontycymer	Garw Valley* (Pontycymer ward)
	Porthcawl Town* (East Central ward)
	Porthcawl Town* (West Central ward)
Pyle ^c	Pyle*
Rest Bay	Porthcawl Town* (Rest Bay ward)
Sarn	St Bride's Minor* (Sarn ward)
Ynysawdre ^c	Ynysawdre*

* = Communities which elect a community council
^c = Ward coterminous with community of the same name

In January 2019 a consultation period began, to review the wards and representation in the county. It was proposed to reduce the number of electoral wards for 39 to 32, with a reduction in councillors from 54 to 52.^[7]

Arms[]

Coat of arms of Bridgend County Borough Council hide
Notes Originally granted to Ogwr Borough Council on 21st 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^[8]

References[]

^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
^ "At the end of the rainbow, Labour take back control". The Glamorgan Gem. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^ 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.
^ Abby Boulter (5 May 2017). "Labour Party suffers 'bloody nose' in Bridgend as it loses overall control". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
^ "The leader of Bridgend council Mel Nott announces he will stand down". Wales Online. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^ "Lib-Dem to head Bridgend coalition". Wales Online. 24 June 2004. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
^ "Consultation on changes to BCBC electoral wards". Glamorgan Gem. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
^ "Wales". Civic Heraldry of Wales. Retrieved 22 March 2021.

External links[]

Bridgend County Borough Council

[1] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. Retrieved 23 April 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[2] "At the end of the rainbow, Labour take back control". The Glamorgan Gem. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 5 April 2019.

[3] 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.

[4] Abby Boulter (5 May 2017). "Labour Party suffers 'bloody nose' in Bridgend as it loses overall control". Wales Online. Retrieved 4 April 2019.

[5] "The leader of Bridgend council Mel Nott announces he will stand down". Wales Online. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2019.

[6] "Lib-Dem to head Bridgend coalition". Wales Online. 24 June 2004. Retrieved 5 April 2019.

[7] "Consultation on changes to BCBC electoral wards". Glamorgan Gem. 28 January 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019.

[8] "Wales". Civic Heraldry of Wales. Retrieved 22 March 2021.

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