Mountain Ash East
Mountain Ash East is a community and coterminous electoral ward in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It primarily includes the part of the town of Mountain Ash east of the River Cynon. The community was formed in 2016 when the larger community of Mountain Ash was divided into East and West to match the ward boundaries. History and description. The Mountain Ash East community came into effect on 1 December 2016 following the enactment of "The Rhondda Cynon Taf (Communities) Order 2016". It includes the village of Mountain Ash to the east of the River Cynon and also  the villages of Newtown, Caegarw, Cwmpennar and Cefnpennar. According to the 2011 UK Census Mountain Ash East had a population of 2,909. Mountain Ash East includes the village's Grade II listed St Margaret's Church, designed by John Pollard Seddon. Electoral ward. An electoral ward of Mountain Ash East pre-existed the community. The ward elects one county councillor to Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. Since 1995 the ward has been represented on the council by Plaid Cymru councillor, Pauline Jarman, who was previously a councillor on Cynon Valley Borough Council. She first stood for election in 1976 . Cllr Jarman has been leader of the Plaid Cymru group on Rhondda Cynon Taff Council since 1996. The Plaid Cymru numbers doubled to 18 after the May 2017 election and are the official opposition on the council.