The north of the county borough is greener and retains extensive areas of countryside, especially on the route to Blaenavon.

A market hall of 1893-4, built when the existing facility became too small and needed replacing due to the greatly increased local population.

The previous Vegetable Market (1875) which stood on the same site was demolished, but the first hall built in 1730 still survives in Commercial Street.

Exterior A large iron framed market hall with two full elevations and three secondary entrances through other street frontages, eg.

Built of grey narrow coursed rock faced pennant limestone with some larger stones, and with yellow Ebbw Vale brick dressings and a Welsh slate roof.

This has part glazed wooden doors with pilasters rising to a corbel frieze and a date panel 1893, and a parapet over with raised battlement type features at either end.

The end elevation has first a single light, then a two-light with king mullion, then five three-light windows, the most northerly one with a roundel in a gable above.

Above the entrance is a crow-stepped gable with block at apex and a three light window with stepped head above the door.

[9] In recent years, Able Radio station has increased the scope of their activities, including television productions and their gardening project and associated produce shop, SustainAble.

Torfaen Council has historically been a Labour-controlled authority, however the 2008 Local Elections saw Labour fail to win enough seats to hold a majority, resulting in a coalition with Plaid Cymru and Independent Councillors.

In the 2022 Local Elections, Labour regained majority control of Torfaen County Borough Council, winning 30 out of a possible 40 seats.

In 2012 Torfaen County Borough Council was criticised for keeping 2,400 laptop computers, originally intended to be used by secondary school pupils and teachers, unused for at least a year "because it couldn't figure out what to do" with the equipment, which originally cost over a million pounds.