Carmarthenshire County Council

File:County Hall 1.png

County Hall, Carmarthen

Carmarthenshire County Council (Welsh: Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin) is the administrative unitary authority for the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales, providing a range of services under the control of elected county councillors that include education, planning, transport and streetscene, social services and public safety since 01.04.96, in light of the Local Government Act Wales (1996) introduced by the Conservative government of John Major.

Carmarthenshire

Sir Gaerfyrddin

Geography
Area - Total - % Water	Ranked 3rd 2,395 km² ? %
County Town	Carmarthen
Largest Town	Llanelli
ISO 3166-2	GB-CMN
ONS code	00NU
Demographics
Population: - Total (2022) - Density	Ranked Ranked / km²
Ethnicity	99.4% White
Welsh language - Any skills	Ranked 3rd 63.6%
Politics
Arma of carmarthenshire County Council Carmarthenshire County Council http://www.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/
Control
MPs	Nick Ainger Nia Griffith Adam Price
AMs	Angela Burns (Con) (Carmarthen W. & S. Pembrokshire) Helen Mary Jones (Plaid) (Llanelli) Rhodri Glyn Thomas (Plaid) (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr)
MEPs	Wales

The Leader of the Council is Cllr. Meryl Gravelle, and the Chief Executive is Mark James. The council is based in County Hall in Carmarthen, the former Carmarthen Prison. The council administers areas of the former county of Dyfed that were formerly done by Carmarthen District, Dinefwr Borough and Llanelli Borough councils and functions from Dyfed County Council were also transferred to the new body.

Political makeup

Elections take place every four years. The last election was 1 May 2008.[2]

Current composition

Group affiliation		Members
style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color"|	Independent	30
style="width: 4px" bgcolor=Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/color|	[[Plaid Cymru|Template:Plaid Cymru/meta/shortname]]	29
style="width: 4px" bgcolor=Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/color|	[[Labour Party (UK)|Template:Labour Party (UK)/meta/shortname]]	11
style="background-color:Template:Independent (politician)/meta/color"|	People First	2
	Liberal Democrats	1
	Unaffiliated	1
Total		74

Historic results

Year	Plaid Cymru	Labour	Liberal Democrats	Others
2008	31	12	1	30
2004	16	25	1	32
1999	16	27	0	31

Electoral divisions

Electoral ward map of Carmarthenshire

The county is divided into 68 electoral wards returning 74 councillors. Most of these wards are coterminous with communities. Most communities in Carmarthenshire have a community council. For each ward, councillors are elected to sit on Carmarthenshire County Council. The following table lists council wards, community councils and associated geographical areas. Communities with their own community council are marked with a *.

	Ward	Community Council	Councillors Returned	Former district council	Population (2001 census)
1	Abergwili	Abergwili*, Llanllawddog*	1	Carmarthen	2,271
2	Ammanford	Ammanford Town* (Iscennen and Pantyffynnon wards)	1	Dinefwr	2,664
3	Betws	Betws*	1	Dinefwr	1,834
4	Bigyn	Llanelli Town* (Bigyn ward)	2	Llanelli	6,347
5	Burry Port	Cefn Sidan (community) (Burry Port ward)	2	Llanelli	4,209
6	Bynea	Llanelli Rural* (Bynea ward)	1	Llanelli	3,091
7	Carmarthen Town North	Carmarthen Town* (Carmarthen Town North ward)	2	Carmarthen	5,291
8	Carmarthen Town South	Carmarthen Town* (Carmarthen Town South ward)	2	Carmarthen	3,526
9	Carmarthen Town West	Carmarthen Town* (Carmarthen Town West ward)	2	Carmarthen	4,313
10	Cenarth	Cenarth*, Newcastle Emlyn*	1	Carmarthen	1,995
11	Cilycwm	Cil-y-cwm*, Llansadwrn* and Llanwrda*	1	Dinefwr, Carmarthen	1,446
12	Cynwyl Elfed	Cynwyl Elfed*, Bronwydd*, Llanpumsaint*, and Newchurch and Merthyr*	1	Carmarthen	2,743
13	Cynwyl Gaeo	Cynwyl Gaeo*, Llansawel* and Llanycrwys*	1	Dinefwr	1,554
14	Dafen	Llanelli Rural* (Dafen ward)	1	Llanelli	3,433
15	Elli	Llanelli Town* (Elli ward)	1	Llanelli	3,156
16	Felinfoel	Llanelli Rural* (Felinfoel ward)	1	Llanelli	1,948
17	Garnant	Cwmamman* (Pistillwyd and Twyn wards)	1	Dinefwr	1,965
18	Glanamman	Cwmamman* (Grenig and Tircoed wards)	1	Dinefwr	2,261
19	Glanymor	Llanelli Town* (Glanymor ward)	2	Llanelli	4,888
20	Glyn	Llanelli Rural* (Glyn ward)	1	Llanelli	2,032
21	Gorslas	Gorslas*	2	Dinefwr	3,742
22	Hendy	Llanelli* (Hendy ward)	1	Llanelli	3,039
23	Hengoed	Llanelli Rural* (Hengoed ward)	2	Llanelli	3,829
24	Kidwelly	Kidwelly Town*	1	Llanelli	3,829
25	Laugharne Township	Laugharne Town*, Eglwyscummin, Llanddowror* and Pendine*	1	Carmarthen	2,924
26	Llanboidy	Llanboidy*, Cilymaenllwyd* and Llangynin*		Carmarthen	1,982
27	Llanddarog	Llanddarog* and Llanarthney		Carmarthen	1,833
28	Llandeilo	Llandeilo Town* and Dyffryn Cennen*	1	Dinefwr	1,937
29	Llandovery	Llandovery Town* and Llanfair-ar-y-bryn*		Dinefwr	2,870
30	Llandybie	Llandybie* (Llandybie and Heolddu wards)	2	Dinefwr	3,738
31	Llanegwad	Llanegwad*, Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn* and Llanfynydd*	1	Dinefwr, Carmarthen	2,424
32	Llanfihangel Aberbythych	Llanfihangel Aberbythych* and Llangathen*	1	Dinefwr	1,716
33	Llanfihangel-ar-Arth	Llanfihangel-ar-Arth* and Llanllwni*		Carmarthen	2,727
34	Llangadog	Llangadog*, Llanddeusant* and Myddfai*	1	Dinefwr	1,951
35	Llangeler	Llangeler*	1	Carmarthen	3,222
36	Llangennech	Llangennech*	2	Llanelli	4,510
37	Llangunnor	Llangunnor*	1	Carmarthen	2,282
38	Llangyndeyrn	Llangyndeyrn*	1	Carmarthen	2,953
39	Llannon	Llannon*	2	Llanelli	4,999
40	Llansteffan	Llansteffan*, Llangain* and Llangynog*	1	Carmarthen	2,209
41	Llanybydder	Llanybydder* and Pencarreg*	1	Carmarthen	2,543
42	Lliedi	Llanelli Town* (Lliedi ward)	2	Llanelli	5,036
43	Llwynhendy	Llanelli Rural* (Pemberton ward)	2	Llanelli	4,276
44	Manordeilo and Salem	Manordeilo and Salem*, and Talley*	1	Dinefwr	2,121
45	Pembrey	Cefn Sidan (community)* (Pembrey ward)	2	Llanelli	3,374
46	Pen-y-groes	Llandybie (Penygroes ward)	1	Dinefwr	2,429
47	Pontamman	Ammanford* (Myddynfych and Wernddu wards)	1	Dinefwr	2,629
48	Pontyberem	Pontyberem*	1	Llanelli	2,829
49	Quarter Bach	Quarter Bach*	1	Dinefwr	2,933
50	Saron	Llandybie* (Saron Ward)	2	Dinefwr	2,467
51	St Clears	St Clears Town*	1	Carmarthen	2,820
52	St. Ishmael	Llandyfaelog* and St. Ishmael*	1	Carmarthen	2,529
53	Swiss Valley	Llanelli Rural* (Swiss Valley ward)	1	Llanelli	2,434
54	Trelech	Abernant*, Llanwinio*, Meidrim* and Trelech*	1	Carmarthen	2,092
55	Trimsaran	Trimsaran*	1	Llanelli	2,533
56	Tycroes	Llanedi* (Tycroes ward)	1	Llanelli	2,156
57	Tyisha	Llanelli* (Tyisha ward)	2	Llanelli	3,995
58	Whitland	Whitland Town* and Henllanfallteg	1	Carmarthen	2,066

Public confidence

Over the past few years the Council has had some bad press. Allegations of corruption within the planning department and the Housing department's inefficiency to house local people have been well reported by the Carmarthen Journal and Llanelli Star.

Bribery trial

In November 2006, local property developer Kevin Green of Burry Port was brought to trial regarding allegations that he tried to bribe Chief Executive Mark James with £5,000 cash.

In summer 2005, Mr Green wrote to Mr James requesting a meeting to discuss ideas for affordable housing at land near a former cattle breeding centre at Travellers Rest. On 2 September, five days before the proposed meeting, Mr Green came to Mr James' office to talk through the arrangements for the meeting with the chief executive's personal assistant Liz Thomas. Geraint Walters QC, prosecuting then alleges: "Just as the defendant came to leave he handed Mrs Thomas a padded envelope which was addressed to Mark James. He said it was important Mark James received the envelope before the meeting - he said the envelope contained papers for Mr James' eyes only."

On opening the envelope, Mrs James found £5,000 in £20 notes, and nothing else. On Mr James's return to the office, the Police were called. Mr Green was arrested that same day.

Secession of Llanelli

There have recently been many decisions made by the Carmarthenshire authorities, including the Council that have been very unpopular and arguably damaging to the communities of Llanelli. In reaction, there have been calls to reinstate the local government borough of Llanelli either as a county borough or as an area with city status, making the entire area independent of Carmarthenshire. These calls have so far been avoided or denied by politicians as it would essentially half the population administered by the unitary authority, causing an imbalance in the local government structure of Wales.

External links

• Carmarthenshire County Council