Although Labour retained the vast majority of seats, three candidates captured seats previously held by Labour. As at the previous election, over half of the wards saw Labour candidates returned unopposed.
Three Independent gains were recorded, including at Bryncoch where Labour lost the seat held by the late J.T. Evans for over forty years. At Coedffranc, Martin Thoms, unsuccessful three years previously, took second place behind long-serving Independent William David. The third Independent victory was at Glyn-neath, where Richard Arthur, a Labour councillor for twelve years until 1958, took a seat from his former party.
