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welcome to BRIDGEND COUNTY LABOUR GROUP

Bridgend County Borough Council along with other Councils play a central role in governing Wales as they provide the local leadership and services necessary for their communities.

Continued austerity, sustained budget cuts and an out of date finance system are all placing council services under huge financial pressure.  In Bridgend, the Council delivers over 700 local services, including:

  • Education for example providing schools, transport to get children to school and providing opportunities for adult learning;
  • Housing such as finding accommodation for people in need and maintaining social housing;
  • Social Services for example caring for and protecting children, older people and disabled people;
  • Highways and Transport including maintaining roads and managing traffic flow;
  • Waste Management including collecting rubbish and recycling;
  • Leisure and Cultural Services for example providing libraries, leisure services and arts venues;
  • Consumer Protection such as enforcing trading standards and licencing taxis;
  • Environmental Health and Services for example making sure that the food provided in pubs and restaurants is safe to eat, and controlling pollution locally;
  • Planning including managing local development and making sure buildings are safe;
  • Economic Development for example attracting new businesses and encouraging tourism; and
  • Emergency Planning for things like floods or terrorist attacks.

As well as delivering local services, Bridgend County Borough is one of the biggest employer in the area and contribute significantly to the local economy.   Bridgend County Borough Council has to provide certain statutory services. These are set out in legislation and cover services like social care, environmental health inspection and planning.   Bridgend County Borough Council guided by its Labour administration has chosen to also provide other services such as leisure and culture through social enterprise partners Halo and Awen Cultural Trust.  It commission millions of pounds worth of services with external organisations in the private and third sectors.

Bridgend County Borough Council also has a wider statutory duty, to advance equality of opportunity and eliminate discrimination. The Council is also legally required to make sure that every decision they make takes account of the needs of future generations as well as the existing population.

Bridgend County Borough Council also works with a range of local and national partners and bodies in delivering local services, providing democratic representation and providing strategic leadership, such as:

  • Fire and Rescue Authorities;
  • Police and Crime Commissioners; and
  • National Resources Wales (NRW).

Bridgend County Borough Council works closely with neighbouring councils RCT, NPT, Vale of Glamorgan, Merthyr and Cardiff in designing, commissioning or delivering joint services.  In this way they make sure that services are delivered in the most cost effective and efficient ways possible.

The Council also works with the Wales Audit Office (WAO), Estyn and the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) – these organisations audit, inspect and/or regulate local authorities and their services, and report on the standards of service, how they are governed and how they spend public money.

Bridgend County Borough Council is made up of 54 elected members (Councillors).  The councillor’s role and responsibilities include:

  • representing the ward for which they are elected;
  • decision-making;
  • developing and reviewing council policy;
  • scrutinising decisions taken by the councillors on the executive or cabinet;
  • regulatory, quasi-judicial and statutory duties; and
  • community leadership and engagement.

County Councillors may choose to hold regular drop-in surgeries.  Surgeries are a chance for residents to meet their county councillor and discuss their problems or concerns. County Councillors may also spend time visiting constituents in their homes. Most queries from residents come via social media, emails and phone calls.  County Councillors are also expected to attend council committee and scrutiny meetings.  All Labour County Councillors in Bridgend sit on at least three committees, with the majority sitting on five.

Since May 2017 the Labour Group have been running a minority administration with 26 elected members. For more information on the members please click here.