New member of Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board

Cllr Ann Davies has been named Executive Board Member for Communities and Rural Affairs, following the departure of Cllr Cefin Campbell who has been elected Member of the Senedd for the Mid and West Wales region.

Cllr Davies, a member of the Plaid Cymru group, has served Carmarthenshire County Council as a councillor for Llanddarog ward since 2017.

In that time she has sat on the council’s licensing committee, communities scrutiny committee and represented Carmarthenshire on the Community Health Council.

Her new position will see her carrying out Executive Board functions on behalf of the council on matters relating to Communities and Rural Affairs - this includes a lead role on climate change, equalities, community safety, third sector partnerships, wellbeing and tackling poverty, as well as advocating for the needs of rural Carmarthenshire.

As a tenant farmer with her husband in Llanarthne, where she also runs a children’s nursery with her daughter, Cllr Davies brings with her plenty of experience.

“It will be a challenge, but I’m looking forward to it and thank the Leader for entrusting the portfolio to me,” she said.

“I have been a tenant farmer since 1991 working alongside my husband and family. I was brought up within the YFC movement which itself provided opportunity and experience which will stand me in good stead.

“I’m passionate not only about rural affairs but the wellbeing of all people in Carmarthenshire as a whole. My time on the communities scrutiny committee and community health council has provided plenty of insight and experience - I look forward to getting more involved and advocating for people’s right to live well as well as pushing forward new initiatives and policies to tackle climate change.”

Welcoming her to the Executive Board, Leader of the Council, Cllr Emlyn Dole, said: “There were many contenders for this post but Ann is absolutely right for this role - she is a good communicator and will bring her strengths socially, agriculturally and geographically. She will work well on many different levels and I look forward to supporting her in this very important role.

“We were the first local authority in Wales to create an executive board portfolio covering rural affairs which grew to include communities and climate change - it is a hugely important role serving matters that affect us all.”

To the outgoing Executive Board member Cllr Campbell, the Leader added: “Cefin leaves the Executive Board with our thanks. He has brought passion, vision and commitment and has carried out his work with aplomb, which has stood us well. He is to be congratulated for his work in creating the Ten Towns initiative which will set the direction for economic development across 10 rural market towns, as well as the regeneration of Tyisha in Llanelli. He has also brought experience and a level head to matters of equality. We are in his debt, and I wish him well.”

The Executive Board is responsible for the overall business of the council and meets every two weeks to make decisions and recommendations to Full Council.

Executive Board members can also make decisions individually on certain matters.

Decisions of the Executive Board are subject to scrutiny by a different group of councillors, who meet as Scrutiny Committees to check and monitor what the Executive Board does.

Members of the public also have a role in scrutinising the Executive Board - anyone who lives, owns a business or who is employed by the council has the right to ask Executive Board members a question as part of public meetings and anyone can watch Executive Board meetings live online.