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Carmarthenshire County Council

Local government of Carmarthenshire, Wales

Field	Value
name	Carmarthenshire County Council
native_name	Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin
logo_pic	Carmarthenshire County Council.svg
logo_res	200px
house_type	Unicameral
leader1_type	Chair
leader1	Dot Jones
party1
Labour
election1	21 May 2025
leader2_type	Leader
leader2	Linda Evans
party2
Plaid Cymru
election2	13 November 2025
leader3_type	Chief Executive
leader3	Wendy Walters
party3
election3	June 2019
seats	75 councillors
structure1	Carmarthenshire County Council 2025.svg
structure1_res	250
structure1_alt	Carmarthenshire County Council
:	border	darkgray}} Plaid Cymru (37)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Independent (12)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Labour (17)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Reform (2)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Independent (6)}}
:	border	darkgray}} Green (1)}}
term_length	5 years
voting_system1	First past the post
last_election1	5 May 2022
next_election1	6 May 2027
session_room	Carmarthenshire County Hall from across Towy.png
meeting_place	County Hall, Carmarthen, SA311JP
website

Labour Plaid Cymru ; Administration (49) : : ; Other parties (26) : : : :

Carmarthenshire County Council ( or Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin) is the local authority for the county of Carmarthenshire, Wales. It provides a range of services including education, planning, transport, social services and public safety. The council is one of twenty-two unitary authorities that came into existence on 1 April 1996 under the provisions of the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. It took over local government functions previously provided by the three district councils of Carmarthen, Dinefwr, and Llanelli, as well as the county-level services in the area from Dyfed County Council, all of which councils were abolished at the same time.

The council is based at County Hall in Carmarthen.

History

There have been two bodies called Carmarthenshire County Council. The first existed from 1889 until 1974, and the current one was created in 1996.

Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over certain functions which had previously been administered by unelected magistrates at each county's quarter sessions. The first election was held in January 1889 and the majority of the seats were won by the Liberals.

At a preliminary meeting in March 1889 the councillors debated where the new council should meet, with some advocating that meetings should rotate between Carmarthen, Llandeilo and Llanelli, others arguing that meetings should be held solely in Carmarthen. It was resolved by 30 votes to 29 to meet only in Carmarthen. The council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1889, on which day it held its first official meeting at Carmarthen Guildhall (then also known as the Shire Hall).

By 1895 the council had adopted the pattern of holding meetings in rotation at Carmarthen, Llandeilo and Llanelli, and the council's clerk was based in Llandovery. Construction of a new County Hall in Carmarthen started in 1939 but, due to the Second World War, was not completed until 1955.

The Liberals continued to dominate the council until the 1920s, from which time most rural seats were held by independents, while the Labour Party dominated the industrial part of the county.

The original Carmarthenshire County Council was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972, with the area becoming part of the county of Dyfed, which also covered the former counties of Pembrokeshire and Cardiganshire. From 1974 until 1996 the area of the former county of Carmarthenshire was split into the three districts of Carmarthen, Dinefwr, and Llanelli, with Dyfed County Council providing county-level services.

In 1996 the councils established in 1974 were all abolished under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, and Carmarthenshire County Council was re-established as a unitary authority for the area.

Political control

Plaid Cymru won a majority of the council's seats at the 2022 election but lost its majority following a defection in May 2024, since when the council has been under no overall control.

The first election to the re-established council was held in 1995, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1996. Political control of the council since 1996 has been as follows:

Party in control	Years
	1996–2022
	2022–2024
	2024–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1996 have been:

Councillor	Party	From	To
Gerald Meyler		1 Apr 1996	May 1999
Meryl Gravell		May 1999	May 2012
Kevin Madge		May 2012	May 2015
title=New coalition takes over Carmarthenshire council	url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-32728342	website=BBC Wales News	date=13 May 2015	access-date=13 May 2015}}	May 2015	May 2022
Darren Price		25 May 2022	13 November 2025
Linda Evans		13 November 2025

The council's chief executive since 2019 has been Wendy Walters. She succeeded Mark James, who had held the post for 17 years.

Composition

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to August 2025, the composition of the council was:

Party	Councillors	Total	75
	37
	18
	2
	18

Of the independent councillors, 12 sit together as the "Independent Group" and the other six are unaffiliated to any group. The council's cabinet is made up of Plaid Cymru and Independent Group councillors. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

Elections take place every five years. The last election was held on 5 May 2022.

Year	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Conservative	Plaid Cymru}}; width: 3px;"	Welsh Labour}}; width: 3px;"	Independent}}; width: 3px;"
1995	80	7	37	32	3	1
1999	74	13	28	32	1	0
2004	74	16	25	33	0	1
2008	74	31	12	30	1	0
2012	74	28	23	23	0	0
2017	74	36	22	16	0	0
2022	75	38	23	14	0	0	Plaid Cymru majority control

Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in Notes column.

Electoral divisions

The county is divided into 51 electoral wards returning 75 councillors. In July 2021 Welsh Government accepted a number of ward change proposals by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales, the changes gave a better parity of representation. Thirty-four wards remained unchanged.

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	Communities	Councillors Returned	Former district council	Electorate 2022
1	Abergwili	Abergwili, Llanllawddog	1	Carmarthen
2	Ammanford	Ammanford Town* (Iscennen, Pontamman and Pantyffynnon wards)	2	Dinefwr
3	Betws	Betws*	1	Dinefwr
4	Bigyn	Llanelli Town* (Bigyn ward)	3	Llanelli
5	Burry Port	Pembrey and Burry Port Town (Burry Port ward)	2	Llanelli
6	Bynea	Llanelli Rural* (Bynea ward)	2	Llanelli
7	Carmarthen Town North and South	Carmarthen Town* (North and South wards)	3	Carmarthen
8	Carmarthen Town West	Carmarthen Town* (Carmarthen Town West ward)	2	Carmarthen
9	Cenarth and Llangeler	Cenarth, Llangeler and Newcastle Emlyn*	2	Carmarthen
10	Cilycwm	Cil-y-cwm, Llansadwrn, Llanwrda, Cynwyl Gaeo and Llanycrwys*	1	Dinefwr,
Carmarthen
11	Cwarter Bach	Cwarter Bach*	1	Dinefwr
12	Cynwyl Elfed	Cynwyl Elfed, Bronwydd and Llanpumsaint*	1	Carmarthen
13	Dafen and Felinfoel	Llanelli Rural* (Dafen and Felinfoel ward)	2	Llanelli
14	Elli	Llanelli Town* (Elli ward)	1	Llanelli
15	Garnant	Cwmamman* (Pistillwyd and Twyn wards)	1	Dinefwr
16	Glanamman	Cwmamman* (Grenig and Tircoed wards)	1	Dinefwr
17	Glanymor	Llanelli Town* (Glanymor ward)	2	Llanelli
18	Glyn	Llanelli Rural* (Glyn ward)	1	Llanelli
19	Gorslas	Gorslas*	2	Dinefwr
20	Hendy	Llanedi* (Hendy ward)	1	Llanelli
21	Hengoed	Llanelli Rural* (Hengoed ward)	2	Llanelli
22	Kidwelly and St. Ishmael	Kidwelly Town and St Ishmael	2	Llanelli
23	Laugharne Township	Laugharne Township, Eglwyscummin, Llanddowror and Pendine*	1	Carmarthen
24	Llanboidy	Llanboidy, Cilymaenllwyd and Llangynin*	1	Carmarthen
25	Llanddarog	Llanddarog* and Llanarthney	1	Carmarthen
26	Llandeilo	Llandeilo Town and Dyffryn Cennen	1	Dinefwr
27	Llandovery	Llandovery Town and Llanfair-ar-y-bryn	1	Dinefwr
28	Llandybie	Llandybie* (Llandybie and Heolddu wards)	2	Dinefwr
29	Llanegwad	Llanegwad, Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn and Llanfynydd*	1	Dinefwr,
Carmarthen
30	Llanfihangel Aberbythych	Llanfihangel Aberbythych and Llangathen	1	Dinefwr
31	Llanfihangel-ar-Arth	Llanfihangel-ar-Arth and Llanllwni	1	Carmarthen
32	Llangadog	Llangadog, Llanddeusant and Myddfai*	1	Dinefwr
33	Llangennech	Llangennech*	2	Llanelli
34	Llangunnor	Llangunnor*	1	Carmarthen
35	Llangyndeyrn	Llangyndeyrn and Llandyfaelog	2	Carmarthen
36	Llannon	Llannon*	2	Llanelli
37	Llanybydder	Llanybydder and Pencarreg	1	Carmarthen
38	Lliedi	Llanelli Town* (Lliedi ward)	2	Llanelli
39	Llwynhendy	Llanelli Rural* (Pemberton ward)	2	Llanelli
40	Manordeilo and Salem	Manordeilo and Salem, Llansawel and Talley*	1	Dinefwr
41	Pembrey	Pembrey and Burry Port Town* (Pembrey ward)	2	Llanelli
42	Pen-y-groes	Llandybie (Penygroes ward)	1	Dinefwr
43	Pontyberem	Pontyberem*	1	Llanelli
44	Saron	Llandybie* (Saron Ward)	2	Dinefwr
45	St Clears and Llansteffan	St Clears Town Llansteffan, Llangain and Llangynog	2	Carmarthen
46	Swiss Valley	Llanelli Rural* (Swiss Valley ward)	1	Llanelli
47	Trelech	Abernant, Llanwinio, Meidrim, Newchurch and Merthyr and Trelech*	1	Carmarthen
48	Trimsaran	Trimsaran*	1	Llanelli
49	Tycroes	Llanedi* (Tycroes and Llanedi wards)	1	Llanelli
50	Tyisha	Llanelli* (Tyisha ward)	2	Llanelli
51	Whitland	Whitland Town* and Henllanfallteg	1	Carmarthen

Premises

The council meets and has its main offices at County Hall in Carmarthen, which had been completed in 1955 for the original Carmarthenshire County Council, and served as the headquarters of Dyfed County Council between 1974 and 1996. The council has customer service centres in Ammanford, Carmarthen and Llanelli.

Arms

References

"Council minutes, 21 May 2025".
(2 May 2019). "Welsh council appoints first ever female chief executive - but she will earn £30k less than previous boss". Wales Online.
(1 February 1889). "County Councils. The Carmarthenshire Elections.". Carmarthen Journal.
(21 March 1889). "Carmarthenshire County Council". South Wales Daily News.
(5 April 1889). "County Councils: Carmarthenshire". Carmarthen Journal.
(1895). "Kelly's Directory of Monmouthshire and South Wales".
"County Hall, Carmarthen". Historypoints.org.
"Dyfed County Council Records". Archives Hub.
{{cite legislation UK. (1972)
{{cite legislation UK. (1994)
(13 May 2024). "Plaid Cymru councillor quits the party and rips into its National Executive Committee". Nation Cymru.
"Compositions Calculator". University of Exeter.
(15 November 1995). "Council's new leader". Carmarthen Journal.
(12 May 1999). "Parties locked in power struggle". Carmarthen Journal.
(26 May 1999). "Meryl's 'first lady'". Carmarthen Journal.
(14 May 2012). "Carmarthenshire council leader Meryl Gravell steps down after 13 years". BBC News.
(15 May 2012). "Carmarthenshire Labour-Independent coalition excludes largest party". ITV News.
(11 May 2015). "Carmarthenshire council leader Kevin Madge voted out". BBC News.
(13 May 2015). "New coalition takes over Carmarthenshire council".
Dalling, Robert. (2022-05-06). "Leader of Carmarthenshire Council loses his seat".
"Council minutes, 25 May 2022".
Youle, Richard. (2022-07-06). "Why town centres will have to be different, says council leader".
https://www.southwalesguardian.co.uk/news/25617902.carmarthenshire-council-leader-councillor-darren-price-quits/
(2 May 2019). "Welsh council appoints first ever female chief executive - but she will earn £30k less than previous boss". Wales on Line.
(10 January 2019). "Carmarthenshire chief executive Mark James to retire". BBC News.
"Carmarthenshire". Thorncliffe.
"Your councillors by party".
"Election Centre".
(22 September 2021). "The County of Carmarthenshire (Electoral Arrangements) Order 2021". Legislation.gov.uk.
"Carmarthenshire Boundary review 2018".
"Carmarthen County Hall". Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.
"Contact us: visit".
"Wales". Civic Heraldry of Wales.

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