Carmarthenshire County Council

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carmarthenshire County Council (Welsh: Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin) is the administrative 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.

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.

[edit] 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." ^[1]

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.

[edit] Electoral divisions

The county is divided into 68 electoral wards. 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	Other geographic areas	Former district council	Population (2001 census)
Abergwili	Abergwili, Llanllawddog		Carmarthen	2,271
Ammanford	Ammanford Town* (Iscennen and Pantyffynnon wards)		Dinefwr	2,664
Betws	Betws*		Dinefwr	1,834
Bigyn	Llanelli Town* (Bigyn ward)		Llanelli District	6,347
Burry Port	Cefn Sidan (community) (Burry Port ward)		Llanelli District	4,209
Bynea	Llanelli Rural* (Bynea ward)		Llanelli District	3,091
Carmarthen Town North	Carmarthen Town* (Carmarthen Town North ward)		Carmarthen	5,291
Carmarthen Town South	Carmarthen Town* (Carmarthen Town South ward)		Carmarthen	3,526
Carmarthen Town West	Carmarthen Town* (Carmarthen Town West ward)		Carmarthen	4,313
Cenarth	Cenarth, Newcastle Emlyn		Carmarthen	1,995
Cilycwm	Cil-y-cwm, Llansadwrn and Llanwrda*		Dinefwr, Carmarthen	1,446
Cynwyl Elfed	Cynwyl Elfed, Bronwydd, Llanpumsaint, and Newchurch and Merthyr		Carmarthen	2,743
Cynwyl Gaeo	Cynwyl Gaeo, Llansawel and Llanycrwys*		Dinefwr	1,554
Dafen	Llanelli Rural* (Dafen ward)		Llanelli District	3,433
Elli	Llanelli Town* (Elli ward)		Llanelli District	3,156
Felinfoel	Llanelli Rural* (Felinfoel ward)		Llanelli District	1,948
Garnant	Cwmamman* (Pistillwyd and Twyn wards)		Dinefwr	1,965
Glanamman	Cwmamman* (Grenig and Tircoed wards)		Dinefwr	2,261
Glanymor	Llanelli Town* (Glanymor ward)		Llanelli District	4,888
Glyn	Llanelli Rural* (Glyn ward)		Llanelli District	2,032
Gorslas	Gorslas*		Dinefwr	3,742
Hendy	Llanelli* (Hendy ward)		Llanelli District	3,039
Hengoed	Llanelli Rural* (Hengoed ward)		Llanelli District	3,829
Kidwelly	Kidwelly Town*	Mynydd-y-garreg	Llanelli District	3,829
Laugharne Township	Laugharne Town, Eglwyscummin, Llanddowror and Pendine*		Carmarthen	2,924
Llanboidy	Llanboidy, Cilymaenllwyd and Llangynin*		Carmarthen	1,982
Llanddarog	Llanddarog* and Llanarthney		Carmarthen	1,833
Llandeilo	Llandeilo Town* and Dyffryn Cennen*		Dinefwr	1,937
Llandovery	Llandovery Town* and Llanfair-ar-y-bryn*		Dinefwr	2,870
Llandybie	Llandybie* (Llandybie and Heolddu wards)		Dinefwr	3,738
Llanegwad	Llanegwad, Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn and Llanfynydd*		Dinefwr, Carmarthen	2,424
Llanfihangel Aberbythych	Llanfihangel Aberbythych* and Llangathen*		Dinefwr	1,716
Llanfihangel-ar-Arth	Llanfihangel-ar-Arth* and Llanllwni*		Carmarthen	2,727
Llangadog	Llangadog, Llanddeusant and Myddfai*		Dinefwr	1,951
Llangeler	Llangeler*		Carmarthen	3,222
Llangennech	Llangennech*		Llanelli District	4,510
Llangunnor	Llangunnor*		Carmarthen	2,282
Llangyndeyrn	Llangyndeyrn*		Carmarthen	2,953
Llannon	Llannon*		Llanelli District	4,999
Llansteffan	Llansteffan, Llangain and Llangynog*		Carmarthen	2,209
Llanybydder	Llanybydder* and Pencarreg*		Carmarthen	2,543
Lliedi	Llanelli Town* (Lliedi ward)		Llanelli District	5,036
Llwynhendy	Llanelli Rural* (Pemberton ward)		Llanelli District	4,276
Manordeilo and Salem	Manordeilo and Salem, and Talley		Dinefwr	2,121
Pembrey	Cefn Sidan (community)* (Pembrey ward)		Llanelli District	3,374
Penygroes	Llandybie (Penygroes ward)		Dinefwr	2,429
Pontamman	Ammanford* (Myddynfych and Wernddu wards)		Dinefwr	2,629
Pontyberem	Pontyberem*		Llanelli District	2,829
Quarter Bach	Quarter Bach*		Dinefwr	2,933
Saron	Llandybie* (Saron Ward)		Dinefwr	2,467
St Clears	St Clears Town*		Carmarthen	2,820
St. Ishmael	Llandyfaelog* and St. Ishmael*		Carmarthen	2,529
Swiss Valley	Llanelli Rural* (Swiss Valley ward)		Llanelli District	2,434
Trelech	Abernant, Llanwinio, Meidrim* and Trelech*		Carmarthen	2,092
Trimsaran	Trimsaran*		Llanelli District	2,533
Tycroes	Llanedi* (Tycroes ward)		Llanelli District	2,156
Tyisha	Llanelli* (Tyisha ward)		Llanelli District	3,995
Whitland	Whitland Town* and Henllanfallteg		Carmarthen	2,066