Aberavon (electoral ward)

The electoral ward of Aberavon electoral ward includes the communities of Baglan and Baglan Bay, in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales.[1] Baglan falls within the parliamentary constituency of Aberavon.

Aberavon
Location of Aberavon ward within
Neath Port Talbot County Borough
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament
Councillors
  • Scott Bamsey (Plaid Cymru)
  • Stephanie Lynch (Labour)
  • Nigel Hunt (Plaid Cymru)
List of places
UK
Wales
Neath Port Talbot

Overview

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It is based upon the historic town of Aberavon. Aberavon Ward is bounded by the wards of Sandfields West and Sandfields East to the south-west; Baglan to the north; Port Talbot to the east and Margam to the south. The ward boundaries are defined by the roads surrounding it: the M4 Motorway to the north east; the A4241 to the north-west; Afan Way to the south-west and the River Afan to the south-east.

The Aberavon Ward can be roughly divided into two parts. There is the residential area to the southeastern part of the ward beside the River Afan. The north western area consists of areas of industrial estate land called the Baglan Industrial Park which includes a number of out of town retail premises as well as business and manufacturing premises.

Aberavon is currently a ward for the purposes of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council elections. Since 1995 it has been represented by Labour, Social Democrat and Plaid Cymru councillors.

County council elections

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2020 by-election

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Sitting Labour councillor, Steffan ap Dafydd, died suddenly on 10 July 2020.[2]

The by-election for his replacement took place on 6 May 2021, the turnout was 44.6% and the results were as follows:[3]

Candidate Party Votes Status
Stephanie Lynch Labour 677 Labour hold
Andrew Dacey Plaid Cymru 647
Liz Hill O'Shea Conservative 199
Diane Thomas Independent 144
Ceri Golding Gwlad 121
Julie Mills Propel 34

2017

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In the 2017 local council elections, the results were:[4]

Candidate Party Votes Status
Scott Bamsey Plaid Cymru 543 Plaid Cymru gain
Steffan ap Dafydd Labour 500 Labour hold
Nigel Hunt Plaid Cymru 491 Plaid Cymru gain
Diane Thomas Plaid Cymru 485
Colin Clement Labour 475
Keith Priddle Labour 442
Ceri Golding Independent 376
John Davies Independent 313
Mark Jones Independent 307
Marian Lewis Independent 265
Cen Phillips Liberal Democrats 260

2012

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In the 2012 local council elections, the electorate turnout for Aberavon was 35.84%. The results were:

Candidate Party Votes Status
Ceri Golding Labour 751 Labour gain
Mark Jones Labour 740 Labour gain
Anthony Taylor Social Democratic Party 702 Social Democratic Party hold
Barbara Trahar Labour 613
John Sullivan Social Democratic Party 556
Jeff Dinham Social Democratic Party 550
Paul Nicholas-Jones Plaid Cymru 185

Following the election all three elected councillors left their respective parties and sat as unaffiliated councillors. Jones and Golding were deselected as candidates prior to the following May 2017 election, and decided to stand as Independents.[5]

History 1889-1974

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Aberavon first became an electoral ward in the late nineteenth century with the formation of Glamorgan County Council.

In 1889, Richard Jenkins, a local tinplate manufacturer became the first Liberal member for Aberavon, defeating John Morgan Smith.

Aberavon 1889
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Richard Jenkins 401 53.5
Conservative John Morgan Smith 348 46.5
Majority 53 7.0

Following Jenkins's elevation to the aldermanic bench, Smith won the seat.

Aberavon by-election 1889
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Morgan Smith 418
Liberal Evan Davies 347
Majority 71

Smith held the seat at the elections of 1892, 1895, 1898, 1901, 1904 and 1907.

Aberavon Borough Council

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Aberavon was also an electoral ward of the Aberavon Borough Council which was reformed and extended in 1861. In 1921, the old borough was merged with Margam Urban District Council, formed in 1894 to create the Port Talbot Municipal Borough.

References

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  1. ^ "Aberavon Ward Profile" (PDF). Neath Port Talbot Borough Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Sadness and shock as much loved former Cefn Hengoed teacher and Neath Port Talbot county councillor Steffan ap Dafydd dies suddenly". Wales Online. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
  3. ^ "AberavonElectoral Division - Declaration of Result of Poll" (PDF). Neath Port Talbot Council. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  4. ^ "Election results for Aberavon: County Borough Council - Ordinary Elections - Thursday, 4th May, 2017". Neath Port Talbot Council. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  5. ^ Gemma Parry (14 March 2017). "Councillors deselected for "not being Labour enough"". Wales Online. Retrieved 1 September 2018.