The people of Carmarthenshire have just three months to save the county, according to the leader of the council.

Welsh Government plans to carry out a massive shake-up of local authorities in Wales in July could see Carmarthenshire merged back into a Dyfed-style “super county” with Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion or find itself split in two with the resultant halves bolted on to different authorities.

Councillor Kevin Madge has said he is deeply concerned over what the future may hold when the local government map of Wales is redrawn this summer.

Last year, proposals to reduce the number of authorities from the current 22 to 12 would have left Carmarthenshire as one of only two authorities to escape the axe.

However, the collapse of the initial plans has left the county in limbo ahead of a July announcement with rumours emanating from Cardiff Bay that the total number of authorities in Wales is likely to be reduced to eight – or possibly even six.

Such a move would undoubtedly impact on the current shape of Carmarthenshire, with the county as it currently exists, all but certain to be wiped from the map.

“For the Welsh Government to break up Carmarthenshire would be an absolute disaster,” said Cllr Madge.

“The council is currently the right size – if we were to merge into a much larger authority we would lose our identity and control over ourselves.

“We desperately need the people of Carmarthenshire involved and voice their opposition.

“The great fear is that this issue will be lost in the General Election coverage and by the time it comes to the fore it will be too late and the decisions will have been made.”

Councillor Madge said that while the future remained an unknown, any changes to the structure of the authority would have a major impact.

“We have no idea at present what the redrawn map is going to look like,” he said

“We currently have a 10-year housing plan for local authority homes, but if Carmarthenshire was to be broken up that would fall apart.

“We have modernised our housing stock and installed solar panels on as many properties as we can.

“We are far ahead of other authorities so breaking up Carmarthenshire would be a disaster for housing alone.

“We would face years of this authority going backwards.

“The people have to step up to save Carmarthenshire.

“We need to make it clear to the Assembly that this is not acceptable."