Carmarthenshire County Council has formally welcomed its new leader as part of a Plaid-Independent alliance.
Cllr Darren Price has been named as the Leader of the Council and Chair of the Cabinet after Plaid Cymru secured the majority of votes with 38 seats out of 75 at the Local Government Elections earlier this month.
Cllr Price is a member of the Plaid Cymru group and has served Carmarthenshire County Council as a councillor for the Gorslas Ward since 2012.
He replaces former leader Cllr Emlyn Dole who failed to retain his Pontyberem seat at the May council elections.
At the council’s Annual General Meeting today, Cllr Price’s appointment was confirmed along with his new Cabinet team which is made up of 10 council members including the Leader of the Council.
Cabinet is responsible for the overall business of the council and meet every two weeks to make decisions and recommendations to Full Council. It can also make decisions individually on certain matters.
Five members of the previous administration have retained their seat with five new members announced today:
- Deputy and Cabinet Member for Homes – Cllr Linda Evans (Plaid Cymru)
- Cabinet Member for Workforce – Cllr Philip Hughes (Independent)
- Cabinet Member for Resources – Cllr Alun Lenny (Plaid Cymru)
- Cabinet Member for Rural Affairs and Planning Policy – Cllr Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru)
- Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Decarbonisation and Sustainability – Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen (Plaid Cymru)
- Cabinet Member for Transport, Waste and Infrastructure Services – Cllr Edward Thomas (Independent)
- Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure Culture and Tourism – Cllr Gareth John (Plaid Cymru)
- Cabinet Member for Education and the Welsh Language – Cllr Glynog Davies (Plaid Cymru)
- Cabinet Member for Health and Social Services – Cllr Jane Tremlett (Independent)
Carmarthenshire County Council Leader, Cllr Darren Price said: “Over the next few years I am really keen to engage with members from across the chamber, on a regular basis, to discuss their ideas and concerns and to work together for the common good.
“As an Administration we want to tackle Climate change, the cost of living crisis, regenerate our county’s economy and town centres, provide quality housing, raise educational standards, ensure social care support to our most vulnerable, improve public transport, see cleaner streets and deliver quality and effective council services.
“The council has already been doing a tremendous amount of work in these areas and our task now is to build on those firm foundations and realise our ambitions for Carmarthenshire.”
Neath Port Talbot Council also recently announced a new Plaid-Independent coalition after the incumbent Labour party failed to win a majority.
(Lead image: Carmarthenshire Council)
