Posted on: Wednesday 15 October 2025
Cabinet members have agreed a plan to work more closely with town and community councils.
The Torfaen One Voice Wales Charter sets out how the councils will collaborate on area such as joint working, youth engagement, consultation and communication.
The aim is to empower to communities to get involved in decision-making, as well as helping them to identify local needs and deliver solutions.
Cllr Peter Jones, Executive Member for Corporate Governance, said: “This charter sets out how we aim to work together with, and for the benefit of, our local communities to improve wellbeing in each of our communities. We aim to work closely together with a shared vision and aim for Torfaen.
“The charter builds on existing good practice and embraces the shared principles of openness, equality of status, respect for each other’s opinions, honesty and our common priority of putting citizens at the heart of what we do to create a more resilience, healthier, fairer and more equitable place to live.”
The charter was developed with the six Town & Community Councils in the Torfaen area.
The charter will focus on partnership working to ensure that the town and community councils’ knowledge of the specific needs and challenges of their area are shared with the council. This will also help to ensure services are delivered in the most appropriate manner, with regard to value for money and added value for local people.
It was shaped by the council’s Community Well-being Strategy which aims to redefine relationships between local authorities and communities through shared principles and commitments.
A recent Windrush celebration and exhibition (pictured), hosted by Cwmbran Community Council, with support from the West Gwent Community Cohesion team, is an example of the local councils working more closely together.