THE DRIVE through the village of Cefn Cribwr down to Kenfig Hill and Pyle is a roughly two mile stretch of road that shows Wales at its finest on a clear day.
With scenic views of Bridgend county borough to the south, and a snap-shot of the coast to the west, with Port Talbot steelworks framed between rows of houses in the distance, it is one that almost seems to encapsulate this part of the world at a glance.
However, while these views have become a soothing and consistent sight to many in the Bridgend communities over the years, in recent months the political outlook for the area has become slightly less clear.
This was evident at a council by-election held in May, 2025, which saw a seat in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr won by the authority’s first Reform UK councillor, Owain Clatworthy.
He took his seat after edging out the second placed Labour candidate Gary Chappell by only 30 votes, to join two sitting Labour members for the area- current deputy leader, Cllr Jane Gebbie, and Mayor for Bridgend, Cllr Huw David.
It comes at a time when support for the party seems to be on the rise across the country, with a number of seats gained at council elections in England as well as at other recent Welsh by-elections in both Llanelli and Torfaen.
It also came just weeks before the leader of Reform UK, Nigel Farage, visited the nearby town of Port Talbot to kick-start the party’s Senedd election campaign, claiming they expected to not only win seats, but to also win enough to govern Wales.
Speaking to locals in the ward of Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr, known historically as a Labour area, some feel a sense of anxiety over potential changes to the political status-quo, though for others they feel this small part of Bridgend has sent out a big message in the build up to 2026.
Nigel Harris lives in the village of Kenfig Hill and said that when it came to politics, many people were frustrated with what they considered to be a lack of action in the area, with more needing to be done to help its communities.
He said: “The problem with a lot of politicians is that they promise you everything, then when it actually comes down to it they don’t do anything at all.
“You only have to look outside at the grass in Kenfig Hill. It hasn’t been cut for ages and it’s coming to the point where its up to your knees in some places.
“The roads are really bad with pot holes, there’s a general lack of public toilets, and a lot of people are starting to get annoyed because, despite giving more, we seem to be going backwards.
“The local high streets are dying in front of us, and everything you hear is just negative, so it doesn’t surprise me to hear that people are looking for something different.”
Brian Smith said he felt that the latest by-election had also reflected frustrations with national problems, such as the cost-of-living crisis and the closure of the blast furnaces at the nearby Port Talbot steelworks site.
He said: “People want change and I think there’s going to be a big shock with how the votes go next year at the Senedd, with some moving away from the more traditional Labour or Conservative votes that we’ve seen in the past.
“Of course, some of that will be because of local matters, but wider issues like the winter fuel allowance and the closure of the blast furnaces in Port Talbot will also play a big part in places like this.
“The steelworks is a big one for me, as it always employed a lot of people in and around this area and they all saw the decision to save the Scunthorpe site while letting this one go.”
One resident who did not wish to be named said other national issues like securing the future of the NHS and tackling illegal immigration were also factors that would influence voters, stating: “Somebody’s got to stop all these boats coming in. The National Health Service is on its knees at the moment and something has got to be done.”
For Ahmed Tezgel however, he felt that politicians across all parties needed to do more to engage with residents and live up to promises, adding: “I don’t mind any party just as long as they are going to help the community.”
Speaking after his shock election win in May, 2025, which made him only the second Reform Councillor in Wales at the time, Cllr Owain Clatworthy, 20, said: “I’m incredibly humbled and it’s a true honour to have been elected.
“I ran a campaign based on people because many are fed up of being ignored and want to see change. The work begins now to build a better future for everyone in the ward and I will stand up for the community and put people first.”
