Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council is the governing body for Rhondda Cynon Taf, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council headquarters are at the Llys Cadwyn development in Pontypridd.

History

The council was established on 1 April 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, covering the area of the three former districts of Rhondda, Cynon Valley, and Taff-Ely (except Pentyrch, which went to Cardiff). As well as taking over the functions of the abolished district councils, the new authority also took over the functions of the abolished Mid Glamorgan County Council in the area. The new county borough was described in the 1994 Act with different spellings in English and Welsh: Rhondda Cynon Taff (English) / Rhondda Cynon Taf (Welsh). The council now uses the latter spelling for both languages.

Political control

The council has been under Labour majority control since 2004. The first election to the council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been held by the following parties:

Leadership

The first leader of the council, Bill Murphy, was the last leader of the old Rhondda Borough Council. The leaders since 1996 have been:

Composition

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections in September and November 2022, the composition of the council was: Four of the independent councillors sit together as the 'RCT Independent Group', the other two form the 'Independent Group'. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Since 2012, elections take place every five years. Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in notes column.

Premises

The council is based at the Llys Cadwyn development on Taff Street in the centre of Pontypridd. The complex was built in 2020, comprising a library, council customer contact point, café, leisure facilities and offices. The offices were initially marketed for rent, with some being taken up, notably by Transport for Wales. In 2023 the council decided to move its council chamber and principal offices into some of the remaining vacant office space at 2 Llys Cadwyn, moving into the building in early 2024. The council was previously based at The Pavilions, a group of 1990s office buildings at the Cambrian Industrial Park in the community of Cwm Clydach on the outskirts of Tonypandy in the Rhondda, which is the largest urban area in the borough. When the council was created it inherited the offices of the three former district councils, being Rock Grounds on High Street in Aberdare from Cynon Valley, the Municipal Offices on Llewellyn Street in Pentre from Rhondda, and the Municipal Buildings on Gelliwastad Road in Pontypridd from Taff-Ely. In the period leading up to the creation of the new authority there was some debate about where the new council should be based, with Plaid Cymru leading a campaign for Pontypridd to be the headquarters, but Labour preferring a location in the Rhondda. The recently built site at The Pavilions was secured for the new council in 1995. The older offices at Aberdare and Pontypridd continue to be used by the council as secondary offices, whilst the Pentre building has been sold. The Pavilions is earmarked to become a new special school for the area.

Mayors of Rhondda Cynon Taf

Past mayors of the council are:

Electoral wards

Since the 2022 elections, the Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough has been divided into 46 electoral wards returning 75 councillors. Some of these electoral wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. Some communities have their own elected council. The following table lists council electoral wards, communities and associated geographical areas:

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