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.
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[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 |
[edit] Recent Issues
[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] 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 district 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 governed by the unitary authority, causing an imbalance in the local government structure of Wales[2].
[edit] External links
Local authorities for subdivisions created by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994
Anglesey • Blaenau Gwent • Bridgend • Caerphilly • Cardiff • Carmarthenshire • Ceredigion • Conwy • Denbighshire • Flintshire • Gwynedd • Merthyr Tydfil • Monmouthshire • Neath Port Talbot • Newport • Pembrokeshire • Powys • Rhondda Cynon Taff • Swansea • Torfaen • Vale of Glamorgan • Wrexham
