Llanelli Rural

Llanelli Rural
Community
Llanelli Rural Location within Carmarthenshire
Principal area	Carmarthenshire
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Police	Dyfed-Powys
Fire	Mid and West Wales
Ambulance	Welsh

Llanelli Rural (Welsh: Llanelli Gwledig) is a community in the southeast of Carmarthenshire, Wales.

Description

Despite its name, Llanelli Rural covers large parts of the Llanelli urban area, including Bynea, Llwynhendy, Cefncaeau, Pemberton, Bryn, Cwmcarnhywel, Cwmbach, Cynheidre, Penygraig, Penceilogi, Dafen, Felinfoel, Swiss Valley, along with the villages of Pont-Henri, Pontiets, Pwll, and Five Roads, as well as a number of hamlets. The community surrounds Llanelli, except at the coast.

According to the 2001 census it had a population of 21,043,^[1] increasing to 22,800 at the 2011 Census.^[2]

Llanelli Rural is bordered by the communities of: Llanelli; Pembrey and Burry Port Town; Trimsaran; Llangyndeyrn; Pontyberem; Llannon; and Llangennech, all being in Carmarthenshire; and by: Gorseinon; Llwchwr; Gowerton; Llanrhidian Higher; and Llanrhidian Lower, all being in the City and County of Swansea.

Llanelli Rural Council

Llanelli Rural Council Cyngor Gwledig Llanelli
Type
Type	Community council
Leadership
Leader	Cllr. Susan Lewis, Labour
Deputy Leader	Cllr. Edward Skinner, Labour
Chair	Cllr. Martin Davies, Plaid Cymru
Vice Chair	Cllr. Susan Lewis, Labour
Seats	21
Meeting place
Vauxhall Buildings, Vauxhall, Llanelli
Website
www.llanelli-rural.gov.uk

Llanelli Rural Community Council governs the area at a community level. The council headquarters is located in Llanelli town centre.

In 2013/14 Llanelli Rural Council received £959,530 via the council tax precept, the highest of any community council in Wales.^[3]

Current composition (after the May 2022 election)

Group affiliation		Members[4]
	Labour	10
	Plaid Cymru	4
	Independent	7
	Vacant	0
Total		21

Following the previous full election on 4 May 2017 the council composition was:^[5]

Group affiliation		Members
	Labour	13
	Plaid Cymru	4
	Independent	4
Total		21

Following the election in May 2022 the council elected Cllr. Susan Lewis as leader and Cllr. Edward Skinner as deputy leader.

Election history

2017 election

Ward	Party		Rural councillors elected - May 2017[5]
Bynea		Labour	Stephen Donoghue
		Labour	Michelle Donoghue
		Labour	Ian Wooldridge
Dafen		Independent	Sharen Davies
		Labour	Tegwen Devichand
		Labour	Susan Lewis
		Labour	Andrew Rogers
Felinfoel		Labour	John Evans
		Labour	Bill Thomas
Glyn		Independent	Jim Jones
		Independent	Carol Rees
Hengoed		Independent	Sian Caiach
		Plaid Cymru	Martin Davies
		Labour	Bethan Williams
		Plaid Cymru	Jennifer Susan Phillips
Pemberton		Labour	Fozia Akhtar
		Labour	Jason Peter Hart
		Labour	Rafia Najmi
		Labour	Ella Simmons
Swiss Valley		Independent	Giles Morgan
		Conservative	Jordan Spencer Randall

2021 By-elections

Councillors Mina Najmi and Ella Simmons left the council in 2020, leading to a by-election for their Pemberton ward seats on 6 May 2021.^[6] The by-election saw Christopher Beer (Labour) and Samantha Nurse (Independent) elected.^[7]

Following the death of Carol Rees in 2021, Alexander Evans (originally independent but joined Plaid Cymru soon after) was co-opted to serve as a member for the Glyn ward.

Although originally elected under a Labour ticket, Sharen Davies and Jason Hart left the party and became independent members in 2018 and 2021 respectively. Jordan Randall was originally elected as a Plaid Cymru candidate but moved to the Conservative party. Ian Wooldridge also crossed from Plaid Cymru to Labour during his term of office.

2022 election

Ward	Party		Rural councillors elected - May 2022[8]
Bynea		Labour	Deryk Cundy
		Labour	Michelle Donoghue
		Independent	Simon Ford
Dafen		Labour	Rob Evans
		Labour	Sue Lewis
		Labour	Andrew Rogers
		Labour	Neil Stephens
Felinfoel		Labour	Nysia Evans
		Labour	Eve Evans
Glyn		Plaid Cymru	Alex Evans
		Plaid Cymru	Owen Williams
Hengoed		Labour	Edward Skinner
		Plaid Cymru	Susan Phillips
		Labour	Bethan Williams
		Plaid Cymru	Martin Davies
Pemberton		Independent	Sharen Davies
		Independent	Jason Peter Hart
		Independent	Samantha Nurse
		Independent	Andrew Stephens
Swiss Valley		Independent	Giles Morgan
		Independent	Stephen Bowen

Chairs of Council

• 2024/25 Martin Davies
• 2023/24 Susan Phillips
• 2022/23 Gyles Morgan
• 2021/22 Tegwen Devichand
• 2019/21 Sharen Davies
• 2018/19 Sian Caiach
• 2017/18 John Evans
• 2016/17 Stephen M Donoghue
• 2015/16 Martin Davies
• 2014/15 Lindy J Butlern
• 2013/14 Thomas J “Jim” Jones
• 2012/13 Tegwen Devichand
• 2011/12 Susan Lewis
• 2010/11 Sharen Davies

References

1. Census 2001 Statistics Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
2. "Community population 2011". Retrieved 14 April 2015.
3. Professor Michael Woods (2013). Developing a Comprehensive Understanding of Community and Town Councils in Wales (PDF). Aberystwyth University. pp. 6, 52. ISBN 978-1-4734-0874-6.
4. Council Members and Wards
5. Town and Community Council Election Results 2017, Carmarthenshire County Council. Retrieved 18 December 2019
6. "Llanelli Rural Council seats could be decided by election in May". In Your Area. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
7. "Town and community council election results 2021". South Wales Guardian. 10 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
8. "Election Results". Llanelli Online News. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2023.

External links

• Llanelli Rural Council
• Llanelli Rural Council Training