# Powys County Council

Powys County Council (Welsh: Cyngor Sir Powys) is the local authority for Powys, one of the 22 principal areas of Wales. The council is based at County Hall in Llandrindod Wells.

## History

The county of Powys was created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the area of the three administrative counties of Brecknockshire, Montgomeryshire, and Radnorshire, which were abolished at the same time. From 1974 until 1996 there were two principal tiers of local government, with Powys County Council as the upper tier authority and three district councils below it, each of which corresponded to one of the pre-1974 counties: Brecknock Borough Council, Montgomeryshire District Council, and Radnorshire District Council.
The three districts were abolished under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, with Powys County Council becoming a unitary authority with effect from 1 April 1996, taking on the functions formerly performed by the district councils.

## Political control

The council has been under no overall control since 2017. Following the 2022 election a Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition formed to take control of the council. The Green councillor later joined the coalition.
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been held by the following parties:
Upper-tier county council
| Party in control | Party in control | Years |
| | Independent | 1974–1996 |
Unitary authority
| Party in control | Party in control | Years |
| | Independent | 1996–2017 |
| | No overall control | 2017–present |

### Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2002 (formally called the chairman of the board prior to 2011) have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To |
| Michael Jones | Independent | 2002 | 17 May 2012 |
| David Jones | Independent | 17 May 2012 | 10 Jan 2014 |
| Barry Thomas | Independent | 10 Jan 2014 | 7 May 2017 |
| Rosemarie Harris | Independent | 18 May 2017 | 8 May 2022 |
| James Gibson-Watt | Liberal Democrats | 26 May 2022 | |

### Composition

Following the 2022 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to October 2024, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Liberal Democrats | 22 |
| | Independent | 17 |
| | Conservative | 15 |
| | Labour | 9 |
| | Plaid Cymru | 4 |
| | Green | 1 |
| Total | Total | 68 |
Of the independent councillors, 15 form the 'Powys Independents' group and the other two are not affiliated to any group. The next election is due in 2027.

## Elections

Elections are held every five years. Since the last ward boundary changes in 2022, 68 councillors have been elected from 60 wards. Prior to 2012, elections were generally held every four years.
| Year | Seats | Independent | Labour | Liberal Democrats | Conservative | Plaid Cymru | Green Party | Notes |
| 1995 | 84 | 62 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | Independent majority controlled |
| 1999 | 73 | 57 | 6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New ward boundaries. Independent majority controlled |
| 2004 | 73 | 54 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Independent majority controlled |
| 2008 | 73 | 45 | 4 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 0 | Independent majority controlled |
| 2012 | 73 | 48 | 6 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | Independent majority controlled |
| 2017 | 73 | 30 | 7 | 13 | 19 | 2 | 1 | Independent–Conservative coalition |
| 2022 | 68 | 17 | 9 | 24 | 14 | 3 | 1 | New ward boundaries. Lib Dem–Lab Coalition |
Party with the most elected councillors in bold. Coalition agreements in Notes column.

## Cabinet
### 2022–present

| Position | Holder | Political group | Ward |
| Leader of the Council | James Gibson-Watt | Liberal Democrats | Glasbury |
| Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys | Matthew Dorrance | Labour | Brecon West |
| Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys | David Selby | Liberal Democrats | Newtown Central and South |
| Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Transformation | David Thomas | Labour | Tawe Uchaf |
| Cabinet Member for a Caring Powys | Sian Cox | Liberal Democrats | Llangors with Bwlch |
| Cabinet Member for a Safer Powys | Richard Church | Liberal Democrats | Welshpool Castle |
| Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys | Pete Roberts | Liberal Democrats | Llandrindod South |
| Cabinet Member for a Greener Powys | Jackie Charlton | Liberal Democrats | Llangattock and Llangynidr |
| Cabinet Members for Future Generations | Sandra Davies | Labour | Cwm-twrch Ynyscedwyn |
| Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys | Jake Berriman | Liberal Democrats | Llandrindod North |

## Premises

The council has its headquarters at County Hall on Spa Road East in Llandrindod Wells, which opened in 1990. The site was formerly occupied by the Pump House Hotel, which had been the meeting place of the former Radnorshire County Council from 1889 and then served as both the offices and meeting place of Powys Council Council following the local government reorganisation in 1974. The old building was found to be structurally unstable in the late 1980s and it was decided to build a new county hall on the same site.
The council also has three area offices, being one inherited from each of the three former districts abolished in 1996:
* Neuadd Brycheiniog in Brecon, built in the 1980s as the headquarters for Brecknock Borough Council.
* The Gwalia in Llandrindod Wells, built in 1900 as the Gwalia Hotel, becoming offices of Radnorshire County Council 1950–1974 then Radnorshire District Council 1974–1996.
* Park Office in Newtown, built in 1968 as Newtown Town Hall, being the shared headquarters of Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Urban District and Newtown and Llanidloes Rural District Councils, then used as an area office for Montgomeryshire District Council 1974–1996
The former headquarters of Montgomeryshire District Council at Neuadd Maldwyn in Welshpool also served as an area office for Powys County Council until 2019 when it was sold.

## Electoral wards

Powys is administered by Powys County Council and has 68 elected councillors representing 60 council wards. Although it is a unitary authority, the highway functions of the council, along with the allocation of small grants, are delegated to the three Shire Committees. Brecknockshire has 24 councillors, Radnorshire has 15 and Montgomeryshire has 34.
Local elections take place every five years. Some of the electoral wards are coterminous with communities (parishes) of the same name. There are 112 communities in the principal area. Nearly all communities have a local community council.
The following table lists the council wards, the political group representing them, and the communities they cover. Communities with a community council are indicated with a '*':
| Ward | Political group | Councillor | Communities |
| Aber-craf and Ystradgynlais | Labour | Huw Williams | Ystradgynlais* (part) |
| Aber-craf and Ystradgynlais | Labour | Sarah Williams | Ystradgynlais* (part) |
| Banwy, Llanfihangel and Llanwddyn | Plaid Cymru | Bryn Davies | Banwy* Llanfihangel-yng-Ngwynfa* Llangynog* Llanwddyn* Pen-y-Bont-Fawr* |
| Berriew and Castle Caereinion | Conservative | Adrian Jones | Berriew* Castle Caereinion* |
| Brecon East | Labour | Liz Rijnenberg | Brecon* (part) |
| Brecon East | Labour | Chris Walsh | Brecon* (part) |
| Brecon West | Labour | Matthew Dorrance | Brecon* (part) |
| Brecon West | Labour | David Meredith | Brecon* (part) |
| Bronllys and Felin-fach | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Colbert | Bronllys* Erwood* Felinfach* |
| Builth | Independent | Jeremy Pugh | Builth Wells* |
| Caersws | Conservative | Les George | Caersws* Carno* |
| Churchstoke | Liberal Democrats | Danny Bebb | Churchstoke* |
| Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower | Liberal Democrats | Claire Hall (since November 23 by-election) | Crickhowell* Vale of Grwyney* Cwmdu and District* (part) |
| Crickhowell with Cwmdu and Tretower | Liberal Democrats | Chloe Masefield (since November 23 by-election) | Crickhowell* Vale of Grwyney* Cwmdu and District* (part) |
| Cwm-twrch | Labour | Sandra Davies | Ystradgynlais* (part) |
| Disserth and Trecoed with Newbridge | Independent | Little Brighouse | Disserth and Trecoed* Llanyre* (part) |
| Dolforwyn | Conservative | Gareth Pugh | Abermule with Llandyssil* Bettws* |
| Forden and Montgomery | Green | Jeremy Thorp | Forden* (part) Montgomery* |
| Glantwymyn | Plaid Cymru | Elwyn Vaughan | Cadfarch* Glantwymyn* |
| Glasbury | Liberal Democrats | James Gibson-Watt | Clyro* Glasbury* |
| Guilsfield | Conservative | Ian Harrison | Guilsfield* |
| Gwernyfed | Liberal Democrats | William Lloyd | Gwernyfed* Llanigon* |
| Hay | Liberal Democrats | Gareth Ratcliffe | Hay* |
| Ithon Valley | Independent | Geoff Morgan | Llanbadarn Fawr* Llanbadarn Fynydd Llanbister* Llanddewi Ystradenny* |
| Kerry | Conservative | Benjamin Breeze | Kerry* (part) |
| Knighton with Beguildy | Liberal Democrats | Corinna Kenyon-Wade | Beguildy* Knighton* |
| Knighton with Beguildy | Independent | Ange Williams | Beguildy* Knighton* |
| Llanafanfawr with Garth | Independent | Bryan Davies | Cilmeri* Duhonw* Llanafan-fawr* Llanwrthwl* Treflys* (part) |
| Llanbrynmair | Plaid Cymru | Gary Mitchell | Llanbrynmair* Trefeglwys* |
| Llandinam with Dolfor | Conservative | Karl Lewis | Kerry* (part) Llandinam* Mochdre* |
| Llandrindod North | Liberal Democrats | Jake Berriman | Llandrindod Wells* (part) |
| Llandrindod South | Liberal Democrats | Josie Ewing | Llandrindod Wells* (part) |
| Llandrindod South | Liberal Democrats | Pete Roberts | Llandrindod Wells* (part) |
| Llandrinio | Conservative | Lucy Roberts | Bausley with Criggion* Llandrinio* |
| Llandysilio | Independent | Arwel Jones | Carreghofa* Llandysilio* |
| Llanelwedd | Independent | Gareth Emlyn Jones | Aberedw* Glascwm* Llanelwedd* Painscastle* |
| Llanfair Caereinion and Llanerfyl | Independent | Gareth Jones | Llanerfyl* Llanfair Caereinion* |
| Llanfyllin | Conservative | Peter Lewis | Llanfyllin* |
| Llangattock and Llangynidr | Liberal Democrats | Jackie Charlton | Llangattock* Llangynidr* |
| Llangors with Bwlch | Liberal Democrats | Sian Cox | Llangors* Cwmdu and District* (part) |
| Llangunllo with Norton | Independent | Deb Edwards | Llanfihangel Rhydithon* Llangunllo* Presteigne* (part) Whitton* |
| Llangyniew and Meifod | Conservative | Jonathan Wilkinson | Llangyniew* Meifod* |
| Llanidloes | Liberal Democrats | Gareth Morgan | Llangurig* Llanidloes* Llanidloes Without* |
| Llanidloes | Liberal Democrats | Glyn Preston | Llangurig* Llanidloes* Llanidloes Without* |
| Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant and Llansilin | Conservative | Aled Davies | Llangedwyn* Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant* Llansilin* |
| Llansantffraid | Conservative | Gwynfor Thomas | Llanfechain* Llansantffraid* |
| Llanwrtyd Wells | Independent | Peter James | Llangamarch* Llanwrtyd Wells* Treflys* (part) |
| Llanyre with Nantmel | Independent | Claire Jonson-Wood | Abbeycwmhir* Llanyre* (part) Nantmel* St. Harmon* |
| Machynlleth | Plaid Cymru | Alwyn Evans (Since 9 October 2024 by-election) | Machynlleth* |
| Maescar and Llywel | Independent | Edwin Roderick | Cray* Llywel* Maescar* |
| Newtown Central and South | Liberal Democrats | Kelly Healy | Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn* (part) |
| Newtown Central and South | Liberal Democrats | David Selby | Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn* (part) |
| Newtown East | Independent | Joy Jones | Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn* (part) |
| Newtown North | Liberal Democrats | Adam Kennerley | Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn* (part) |
| Newtown West | Conservative | Peter Lewington | Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn* (part) |
| Old Radnor | Independent | Edward Jones | Gladestry* New Radnor* Old Radnor* |
| Presteigne | Independent | Beverley Baynham | Presteigne* (part) |
| Rhayader | Liberal Democrats | Angela Davies | Rhayader* |
| Rhiwcynon | Independent | Heulwen Hulme | Aberhafesp* Dwyriw* Manafon* Tregynon* |
| Talgarth | Liberal Democrats | William Powell | Talgarth* |
| Talybont-on-Usk | Liberal Democrats | Raiff Devlin (since November 23 by-election) | Glyn Tarell* Llanfrynach* Talybont-on-Usk* |
| Tawe Uchaf | Labour | David Thomas | Tawe Uchaf* Ystradfellte* |
| Trelystan and Trewern | Conservative | Amanda Jenner | Forden* (part) Trewern* |
| Welshpool Castle | Liberal Democrats | Richard Church | Welshpool* (part) |
| Welshpool Gungrog | Liberal Democrats | Carol Robinson | Welshpool* (part) |
| Welshpool Llanerchyddol | Independent | Graham Breeze | Welshpool* (part) |
| Ynyscedwyn | Labour | Susan McNicholas | Ystradgynlais* (part) |
| Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew | Conservative | Iain McIntosh | Honddu Isaf* Llanddew* Merthyr Cynog* Trallong* Yscir* |