Party of Wales Neath and Swansea East For Fairness. For Ambition. For You.

A new coalition is set to lead Neath Port Talbot Council after representatives from the Independent, Plaid Cymru and Dyffryn Independent groups made an agreement to share power. The Welsh Liberal Democrats and Green Party members will support the coalition via a confidence and supply agreement. 

The nominated Leader of Council is Councillor Steve Hunt and the nominated Deputy Leader is Plaid Cymru group Leader, Councillor Alun Llewelyn.  

The coalition and supporting groups will hold 33 seats out of a total of 60. 

The announcement comes after more than two weeks of talks between the parties and brings an end to 26 years of Labour administration in the county borough, the first time since the council was formed in the Local Government Re-organisation of 1996.  

Alun Llewelyn, Leader of the Plaid Cymru group said:   

“This will be a new administration with new priorities for Neath Port Talbot. We have had productive discussions over the past two weeks and anticipate a lot of common ground on many issues. I look forward to working together to build trust and confidence in our council by engaging in a respectful collaboration, that puts our communities’ needs first.” 

Sioned Williams, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for South Wales West said: 

“This new administration provides an opportunity to forge a more cooperative Council that works in genuine partnership with other parties, community groups and the public. I am confident that the Plaid Cymru group of councillors will grasp this opportunity to act on the priorities of our communities and deliver the change we so desperately need to see. 

Congratulations and thank you to Councillor Alun Llewelyn and the rest of the Plaid Cymru group for all the work you’ve done to deliver this historic result.” 

With a commitment to working with people to strengthen the county borough’s communities, economy and environment, the programme for coalition administration sets out a vision for the future with a strong focus on partnership and collaboration. Having contributed significantly to shaping ‘Recover, Reset, Renew’, the council’s corporate plan, the new administration intends to build on and enhance this.  

Priorities will include:  

• improving the physical environment in the county borough;  
• improving education outcomes for all, including working with officers and communities to reconsider the decision taken to create a super-school in the Swansea Valley area;  
• exploring options to generate revenue, boost investment and help ease cost of living crisis locally;   
• developing and delivering a strategy to enable the valleys and villages to reach their full potential, which looks at investment, infrastructure and connectivity;   

• bringing new life to the town centres; and   
• improving the economy of Neath Port Talbot  

The programme also outlines the intention to learn from the pandemic to improve health and social care through effective working across all sectors to reduce isolation and make services and support more accessible for users and families. This is complimented by a focus on providing a range of housing across the county borough, including affordable housing, and an aim to ensure that local people benefit from housing construction and supply chains.  

Environment, Leisure, Culture and Heritage issues will also be key, with plans to develop an environmental strategy with the involvement of communities and voluntary groups, a culture strategy to promote economic, leisure, social and wellbeing benefits, and a firm commitment to grow and build on the existing Celtic Leisure assets.   

The council’s next administration will be formally appointed at a Council meeting in mid-June.