30 councillors represent 11 wards. The council's own meetings website
Labour, without a majority. The leader is Brent Carter (Labour). Every seat is up for election on Thursday 6 May 2027. The election guide has who holds the seats now and your ward.
The Council approved a revised housing allocations policy, a new grants policy, and temporary extra space for Greenfield Special School at the former St Mary's Primary School. It also approved the Youth Service's five-year plan for 2027 to 2032 and received the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board's annual report. Councillors also made a formal request that future reports on the Redhouse be public where possible.
Cabinet approved the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 scheme of delegation and the Annual Equality Report 2025-2026, and recommended to Full Council the interim use of the former St Mary's Primary School site for Greenfield Special School. It also approved the 2025/26 capital budget changes, the repurposing of earmarked reserves and the 2026/27 schools financial risk categories, and noted the Care Inspectorate Wales inspection of the Initial Response Service and the draft Bright Futures Education Strategy, which Full Council will consider in November.
At its meeting, Cabinet considered the Council's quarter 1 performance, risk and finance report, and approved the annual corporate risk report and the annual health and safety enforcement service plan. It also agreed an action plan following Care Inspectorate Wales's May 2026 visit to children's services, and received information reports on Flying Start and local authority school governor appointments.
Full Council met on 30 September 2026 to consider reports on staff, council policies and adult social care. Councillors also received six reports for information only, and no minute has yet been published for the Health Visiting Services item.
The Scrutiny Committee: Thriving Merthyr Tydfil met on 22 September 2026 to consider four items: proposed changes to the Allocations Policy for Community Housing, the 2025/26 planning performance report, kerbside recycling participation, and the committee's forward work programme. The minute records that members supported the housing policy and the planning report, and were happy with the recycling report. The housing policy will go to Full Council, where all councillors vote, for approval after this scrutiny.
On 21 September 2026 the Healthier Merthyr Tydfil Scrutiny Committee considered four social services reports: the Adult Social Care Accommodation Strategy, the Corporate Parenting Board annual report, the Social Services annual report for 2025-26, and a Care Inspectorate Wales assurance visit. The Committee noted the reports and asked for more information on deprivation, small-area data and dementia figures for the Accommodation Strategy. It also asked for an update to its forward work programme to add a site visit.
The Committee considered a draft Multi-Location Meetings Policy, which sets out how meetings can be attended in person or remotely, and supported it subject to agreed amendments before it goes to Full Council. It also received reports on decarbonisation and the Social Partnership Duty, and discussed its forward work programme, where the Chair raised concern that no future items were scheduled. The minutes record no formal decisions on those three reports or on the programme.
Members considered the council's school balances and medium-term financial plans, and the draft Bright Futures education strategy for 2026 to 2030. They noted both reports and asked for comparative funding and benchmarking information. They also agreed to arrange a workshop and a site visit to the new 3-16 school.
The next council elections in Wales are on Thursday 6 May 2027. Every seat on every council is up for election.
Welsh Government. Closes 2 December 2026
Welsh Government. Closes 4 December 2026
Welsh Government. Closes 18 December 2026
Welsh Government. Closes 4 January 2027