The eighteenth election to Glamorgan County Council, south Wales, took place in April 1949. It was preceded by the 1946 election and followed by the 1952 election.

Labour's comfortable majority on the council, including the aldermanic bench, remained unchanged.

There were no boundary changes at this election.

Many candidates were returned unopposed.

Among the Labour candidates returned unopposed was John Shea (Briton Ferry) who had been selected in a 'referendum' to succeed George Gethin, who had died some months before the election.^[1]

Labour retained their majority as comfortably as in all previous elections, and captured both the Garw Valley ward^[2] and the Coedffranc ward^[3] from the Communists.

In addition to the 66 councillors the council consisted of 22 county aldermen. Aldermen were elected by the council, and served a six-year term. Following the 1928 election, there were eleven Aldermanic vacancies, all of which all of which were filled by Labour nominees despite the protestations of their opponents.^[4]

The following retiring aldermen were re-elected:

• Sidney Cadogan (Lab, Rhondda)
• W.H. Davies (Lab, Gower)
• Alfred Evans (Lab, Rhondda)
• Rhys Evans (Lab, Treorchy)
• Tom Evans (Lab, Pengam)
• Daniel T. Jones (Lab, Ystalyfera)
• W. Arthur Jones (Lab, Tonyrefail)
• Evan Phillips (Lab, Caerphilly)
• Rev W. Degwel Thomas (Lab, Neath)

The following new aldermen were elected:

• H.J. Cook (Lab, Penarth)
• Mervyn Payne (Lab, Pencoed)

Eleven vacancies were caused by the election of aldermen.