The new leader of Carmarthenshire Council said no one party had a monopoly on good ideas, and encouraged opposition councillors to come forward with their suggestions and "work together for the common good". Cllr Darren Price, of Plaid Cymru, said all elected members wanted Carmarthenshire to flourish.
He was confirmed as the leader of the authority at the council's annual meeting, admitting that if someone had said he would be in this position three weeks ago he would have "looked at them in disbelief". Cllr Price was thrust into his new role after previous council leader Emlyn Dole surprisingly lost his seat at the elections on May 5. The democratic process, said Cllr Price, could be a cruel one.
Plaid, with 38 out of 75 councillors, will continue to run the council in coalition with the Independents. Cllr Price said firm foundations had been laid by the previous administration. "The challenge is now to build on those foundations," he said. You can get more Carmarthenshire news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Cllr Price, who represents Gorslas, said councillors wanted to tackle climate change, the cost of living crisis, regenerate the economy, provide quality housing, raise educational standards, ensure the most vulnerable received social care and support, improve public transport, make the streets cleaner, and deliver effective council services.
He said delivering on plans to improve Carmarthen, Llanelli and Ammanford town centres would be a key focus for the new administration. He said he also wanted to build on previous work to revive 10 rural towns in the county. Cllr Price said he looked forward to Carmarthen Mart, whose future was secured by the council, thriving in the years to come - and he described farming as the backbone of rural life.
He said he wanted to increase the number of electric vehicle charging points in the county and insisted the council could become a net zero authority by 2030, as planned, as long as "we all work together". Plans for 2,000 additional affordable homes over five years was not just about the number, he said, but building the right homes in the right place and creating jobs.
Cllr Price also said a 10-year education strategy included commitments to invest in schools and ensure high standards in bilingual education. There would also, he said, be continued investment in leisure services.
Independent leader, Cllr Jane Tremlett, endorsed Cllr Price's opening remarks about encouraging input from all elected members. "I think every member has that role to play, and I hope that will be embraced by everybody," she said.
Labour leader Cllr Rob James welcomed the tone set by Cllr Price but said he felt he hadn't captured the challenge of what lay ahead. Cllr James said he had heard harrowing stories from residents about what they feared would be "the darkest and coldest winter for many years".
He said: "The cost of living crisis is a true crisis. We need emergency action and a local package of support." Cllr James also said 44 of the county's schools were in a category C - or poor - condition, and that town centres were in desperate need of support. He said Labour would work with the administration and that Labour councillors would "push forward with our policies".
The council's new chairman, Cllr Rob Evans, said he hoped councillors would work together. "Our residents are going to suffer, and we are there to help them all along the way," he said.
