Your council
Torfaen: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
Torfaen County Borough Council: Welsh unitary authority (unitary), Wales. GOV.UK lists it as a unitary council.
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Road maintenance: Reporting
- Street lighting: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Electoral register: Applications for service
- Primary school places: Applications for service
- Secondary school places: Applications for service
- Library facilities: Providing information
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Average Band D council tax in Torfaen for 2026–27: £2,155.68 a year. Of that, £1,691.60 is set by the council, £403.53 by the police and, on average, £60.55 by community councils.
Every band
| Band | A year |
|---|---|
| A- | £1,197.60 |
| A | £1,437.12 |
| B | £1,676.64 |
| C | £1,916.16 |
| D | £2,155.68 |
| E | £2,634.72 |
| F | £3,113.76 |
| G | £3,592.80 |
| H | £4,311.36 |
| I | £5,029.92 |
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education | £131.7 million |
| Social services | £90.7 million |
| Council fund housing | £28.9 million |
| Local environmental services | £18.2 million |
| Roads and transport | £12.2 million |
| Libraries, culture, heritage, sport and recreation | £8.1 million |
| Planning, economic and community development | £5.0 million |
| Local tax collection | £1.1 million |
| Debt financing costs | £9.9 million |
| Law, order and protective services | none budgeted |
| Central administration | £3.9 million |
| Other revenue expenditure | £3.6 million |
| Revenue expenditure | £313.4 million |
Life in Torfaen: the official facts
- People living here
- 93,973 people
- Typical age
- 42 years
- Money to live on, per person, per year
- £20,558
- Typical weekly pay, before tax
- £663
- Children growing up in poverty
- 27.9%
- People claiming unemployment-related benefits
- 3.6%
- Average price of a home
- £194,895
- How many years of pay a home costs
- 5.1 times yearly pay
- Years in good health: women
- 52.8 years
- Years in good health: men
- 54.1 years
- Greenhouse gases, per person
- 4.1 tonnes per person
- Homes and businesses that can get the fastest broadband
- 82.7%
- Public chargers for electric cars
- 155.1 per 100,000 people
- Businesses trading here
- 2,760 businesses
Who runs the council
40 seats in 2026. Run by: Labour, with a majority.
Councillors by party: Labour Party 28, Independent / Other 8, Reform UK 4.
Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.
All 40 councillors, by ward
- Chris Tew (Independent / Other) — Abersychan
- Giles Davies (Independent / Other) — Abersychan
- Lynda Clarkson (Labour Party) — Abersychan
- Janet Jones (Independent / Other) — Blaenavon
- Liam Cowles (Labour Party) — Blaenavon
- Nick Horler (Independent / Other) — Blaenavon
- Fiona Cross (Labour Party) — Coed Eva
- Joanne Gauden (Labour Party) — Croesyceiliog
- Richard Clark (Labour Party) — Croesyceiliog
- Jayne Watkins (Labour Party) — Fairwater
- Rose Seabourne (Labour Party) — Fairwater
- Mandy Owen (Labour Party) — Greenmeadow
- Karl Gauden (Labour Party) — Llanfrechfa and Ponthir
- Alan Slade (Reform UK) — Llantarnam
- David Thomas (Reform UK) — Llantarnam
- Jason O'Connell (Reform UK) — Llantarnam
- David Williams (Labour Party) — Llanyrafon
- Jon James (Labour Party) — New Inn
- Nick Byrne (Labour Party) — New Inn
- Rosemary Matthews (Labour Party) — New Inn
- Anthony Hunt (Labour Party) — Panteg
- Nathan Yeowell (Labour Party) — Panteg
- Norma Parrish (Labour Party) — Panteg
- David Daniels (Labour Party) — Pontnewydd
- Stuart Ashley (Labour Party) — Pontnewydd
- Sue Morgan (Labour Party) — Pontnewydd
- Alfie Best (Labour Party) — Pontnewynydd and Snatchwood
- Nicholas Simons (Labour Party) — Pontnewynydd and Snatchwood
- Caroline Price (Labour Party) — Pontypool Fawr
- Gaynor James (Labour Party) — Pontypool Fawr
- Mark Jones (Independent / Other) — Pontypool Fawr
- Catherine Bonera (Independent / Other) — St. Dials
- Elizabeth Haynes (Independent / Other) — St. Dials
- Jon Horlor (Labour Party) — Trevethin and Penygarn
- Stuart Keyte (Reform UK) — Trevethin and Penygarn
- Colette Thomas (Labour Party) — Two Locks
- Peter Jones (Labour Party) — Two Locks
- Ron Burnett (Independent / Other) — Two Locks
- Lucy Williams (Labour Party) — Upper Cwmbran
- Steven Evans (Labour Party) — Upper Cwmbran