In the run up to this year's local government elections, we spoke to Plaid Cymru's group leader at Neath Port Talbot Council Alun Llewelyn about some of the county borough's most pressing issues. Here's what he had to say.
Just as Ystalyfera's iron and tinplate industry helped turn it into the village that it is today, Ystalyfera - in turn - has helped shape the lives of those who have called it home. That is the case for the Plaid Cymru group leader at Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC) before the 2022 election period, Alun Llewelyn, who said the village where he grew up and raised his own family has been one of the biggest influences in him turning to politics.
"What we have seen over the years is the decline of the traditional industries and where that leaves us in terms of employment, economy and social structure," said Mr Llewelyn. "When I returned to live in the area I took a direct interest into how we could influence change for the better [and] still it has been a real struggle in the south Wales valleys and it still is.
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"It is one of the motivating factors that I still have, which is to try and make sure that long-talked about valleys strategies - that get paid lip service to on so many occasions - [are made] a reality."
Despite unsuccessful runs in the 2010 parliamentary elections and the 2016 Senedd elections as a Plaid Cymru candidate for Neath, Alun still believes he can make a difference at county borough level. This year, he is looking to retain his seat on NPTCBC and is running as a candidate for Cwmllynfell and Ystalyfera in the local government elections on May 5.
Looking at how he would like to see valley communities in Neath Port Talbot rejuvenated, the Ystalyfera councillor pointed to their potential. "There hasn't been enough ambition for the valleys," said Alun.
"There is a lot of focus on problems, and a lot of those problems are real, but there is huge potential. A large proportion of the county live in the valley areas, we have got very attractive environments, we have got the potential for improved transport links. Small businesses can be very successful in valley areas as they can be in our towns. There is so much that could be achieved."
Local businesses
For Alun, focusing on local businesses could be the key to unlocking the potential of valley communities. This, he said, was clear in one of the county borough's main issues of empty shops and depleted high streets.
He said: "The main issues that have been raised here, but it is common in other areas too, is the need to regenerate the area. We have empty properties [and] there is a far greater potential for supporting small businesses to establish and re-establish in the village.
“One of the successful aspects that we have seen has been a very good occupancy of local business and industrial units and we have two main sites in Ystalyfera. The first is at the Gurnos Industrial Estate, which has had a very high occupancy rate since it was established in the 1990s, and then local businesses have established a very successful business park, the Swansea Valley Business Park on the outskirts of Ystalyfera.
“It shows that if we can create the opportunities and make sure that there are more business units that are suitable for small and medium size enterprises, we could really create local employment and local entrepreneurship. That is part of the potential I am referring to. There is a need to invest in the village centre as well."
Council tax
Since proposals for a freeze on council tax was first mentioned by NPTCBC earlier in the year, Alun and other opposition members called for this to go further. Plaid Cymru and independent councillors got together and suggested that the 8.8% increase in funding from the Welsh Government ahead of the budget could be used to fund a council tax cut.
When asked about his thoughts on council tax, Alun said: "In Neath Port Talbot, we have had one of the highest council tax [rates] for a quarter of a century in Wales, which is still the case unfortunately given the latest budget. People become very disillusioned that they are paying such high council tax and yet seeing the condition of communities deteriorating. [That] is certainly an important factor here in Ystalyfera, but it is also true for communities all across the county borough.
“I give credit to the Welsh Government that this year’s settlement has been much better. It is the first time in many years [that] we haven’t actually had cuts in services, but we need to build on that urgently because we need to rebuild the fabric of communities.
“We need to invest in those communities and we need to keep faith with people that are in their own lives working hard and very often contributing to communities on a voluntary basis.”
According to Welsh Government statistics, Neath Port Talbot is in the upper echelons of average band D council tax charged in Wales. Of the 22 local authorities, NPTCBC has the second highest average band D council tax level at £1,996. However, cabinet members argued that most people living in the county borough do not live in band D properties. To address the rising cost of living during the budget, cabinet members also voted to set aside £2m for the development of a Hardship Relief Scheme.
Welsh language
Every year, councils in Wales are required to submit a Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) to demonstrate its aims to help the Welsh Government reach its target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050. As part of their WESP for 2022-23, NPTCBC has set itself the objective of creating a further three Welsh medium schools in the county borough.
Sharing his thoughts on the Welsh language in Neath Port Talbot, Alun said: "It is very important to be positive about the language. The language belongs to everybody in Neath Port Talbot. We do welcome that there have been some forward steps in the recent Welsh Education Strategic Plan, which for the first time ever has [seen] proposals to create a new Welsh medium primary school in the county.
"[However], we still have concerns about the decisions that were taken about centralising primary schools in the Swansea Valley."
It was announced last year that three primary schools in the Swansea Valley - Alltwen and Llangiwg primary schools in Pontardawe, and Godre'rgraig near Ystalyfera - will close in 2024. An English-medium replacement school is being built on council-owned land at Parc Ynysderw, Pontardawe to accommodate 630 full-time pupils.
A number of councillors, including Alun, expressed their frustration over what they perceived to be a lack of proper consultation at the time and a threat to the Welsh language in local communities. Alun added: "There has been huge disillusionment with the proposals to close several local primary schools and a feeling that people weren't being listened to. That is going to undermine credibility in local government if we can't genuinely engage with people and if they feel like they aren't being listened to.
"The approach that we would want to take would be trying to make sure that communication is improved and that genuine consultation is improved so that people can have a real say in the way forward." Cabinet members argued at the time that a more modern facility was needed and that it would be of benefit to the children attending it.
Looking ahead to the election
Plaid Cymru members including Alun are under no illusions that this year's local government elections in Neath Port Talbot will be a challenge. However, there is confidence from the party in meeting the challenge, according to Alun. This year, Plaid Cymru has 34 candidates running in Neath Port Talbot - 15 less than Labour.
Alun said: "Because Labour have run Neath Port Talbot Council since it was established in the mid-1990s - it is perhaps taken for granted that Labour have an entrenched position - but, actually at the moment Labour's majority on the council has been significantly reduced.
"It is actually very close and you only need a certain number of Plaid seats to change hands and Labour could lose their overall majority for the first time. I would encourage people to look seriously at us as an opposition to Labour."
You can find all the candidates listed for each ward in Neath Port Talbot County Borough on the Neath Port Talbot Council website. Want the latest news from Neath Port Talbot County Borough straight to your inbox? Sign up for free here.
