“new town,” Torfaen county borough, historic county of Monmouthshire (Sir Fynwy), Wales, in the valley of the Afon Lywd. One of 32 new towns established in the United Kingdom after World War II to relieve congestion and encourage development, Cwmbrân was inaugurated in 1949 in an area of small and decaying industrial villages. It attracted a number of new industries producing automobile components. Nearby are factories producing biscuits (cookies) and nylon yarn. Pop. (2001) urban agglom., 82,701.