Cornelly was created following The Bridgend (Cynffig, Cornelly and Pyle Communities) (Electoral Changes) Order 2002 which divided Cynffig into Cornelly and Pyle (divided by the mainline railway). Councillors to the new Cornelly Community Council were elected at the May 2004 elections.[2]
Cornelly includes two villages, North Cornelly and South Cornelly, and it is bisected by the A48 and M4. Sand dunes in the area conceal the walled town of Kenfig, founded in the 1120s and overwhelmed in the late 14th century.[3] Another notable local feature is Sker House, a historic building which overlooks the dunes.[3] North Cornelly is part of the urban area of Pyle.