TAXPAYER WIN: New council bosses claim £15,000 a year saving as Llanelli councillor expenses axed

The move delivers on a key election pledge made by the new administration, which seized control of the council recently.

At a meeting of the Full Council, members voted to remove the Attendance Allowance (£30 per meeting), the Mayoral Allowance (£1,500 per annum), and the Deputy Mayoral Allowance (£500 per annum).

These payments were introduced in 2022 under the previous Labour administration, then led by Councillor David Darkin.

The new administration states that unlike County Councillors, who receive salaries due to the scale and statutory responsibilities of their roles, serving as a Town Councillor has always been a voluntary position.

This long-standing principle has defined Llanelli Town Council and its operations for decades, according to the new leadership.

The Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales did not mandate these payments, simply giving councils the discretion to introduce payments of up to £30 per meeting if they wished.

Independent Council Leader Cllr Sean Rees, who also confirmed he would not be accepting the Leader’s Allowance, hailed the decision.

“We have been consistent on this issue,” Cllr Rees said. “For decades, the role of a Councillor at Llanelli Town Council has been recognised and respected as a voluntary public service position.”

He added: “We said that we would remove these expenses and we have now delivered this in our first meeting as a new Administration.”

Deputy Council Leader Cllr Michael Cranham stated that town councillors’ attendance and additional role-based expenses are “unnecessary, counterproductive and are an unjustifiable cost to the taxpayer.”

“At a time when households continue to face sustained financial pressure, this £15,000 annual saving represents a meaningful commitment to respecting every pound of public money and restoring trust in local government,” Cllr Cranham added.

The following Councillors voted in favour of removing the expenses: Cllr Sean Rees, Cllr Michael Cranham, Cllr Steve Williams, Cllr Louvain Roberts, Cllr Andrew Bragoli, Cllr Sarah Evans, Cllr Terry Davies, Cllr Lillith Fenris, Cllr John Jones, Cllr Amanda Carter, and Cllr Alan Cameron Williams.

Labour Town Councillors who were present at the meeting abstained from the vote, a move that is likely to fuel further political debate in the town.

The Council has confirmed that these payments will now cease with immediate effect, marking a significant shift in how Llanelli Town Council operates.

The new administration also stated it remains committed to supporting future councillors of all backgrounds through targeted discretionary support, which it claims does not drain the budget like the previous expenses system.

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Row erupts in Llanelli as councillors trade blows over ‘watered‑down’ Skip Day plan

The dispute follows Llanelli Town Council’s decision to back a pilot “Skip Day” scheme aimed at helping residents dispose of bulky waste and cut down on illegal dumping. But behind the scenes, the debate has turned into a full‑blown political scrap over who is to blame for the town’s mounting rubbish problem — and who should pay to fix it.

Labour group leader David Darkin, who submitted the original motion, said fly‑tipping in Llanelli had reached “unacceptable levels” and accused the Plaid‑led Carmarthenshire County Council of failing to get a grip on waste and enforcement.

He said the motion only passed after being softened by Independent group leader Sean Rees, whose members outnumber Labour on the town council.

“Labour does not hold a majority,” he said. “The motion could not have passed without Councillor Rees, who insisted on weakening the language calling out county‑level failure. I accepted the amended wording because securing action was better than letting the motion fall — but the underlying problem hasn’t gone away.”

Darkin said residents were being “let down twice” — first by fly‑tipping, and then by a county system he says isn’t working.

Labour colleague Shaun Greaney went further, accusing Plaid of being “to blame” for the mess and branding the Independent amendment “ineffective” and “feeble”.

“Residents are sick of rubbish piling up,” he said. “Plaid are in power in County Hall and seem oblivious to the concerns of residents. Councillor Rees and former Labour councillor Sarah Evans backed a scaled‑back plan that lets the county council off the hook. It’s a betrayal of residents’ real concerns.”

But Independents Sean Rees and Sarah Evans hit back hard, accusing Labour of proposing a scheme that would have landed residents with higher bills during a cost‑of‑living crisis.

They said the unamended Skip Day plan could have cost “up to £100,000 a year”, calling it “financially reckless”.

“Either Labour have found a magic money tree, or they were prepared to push the Town Council to financial ruin,” they said in a joint statement.

They also accused Labour of political timing, saying the party had “years to address fly‑tipping” and was only now treating it as an emergency “with elections on the horizon”.

“Residents already pay enough council tax for waste collection,” they said. “We were not prepared to see them pay twice for the same service. Our amendment was responsible, evidence‑led and sustainable.”

The Skip Day pilot will now go ahead — but the political fallout shows no sign of being tidied away.

#CllrSarahEvans #CllrShaunGreaney #DavidDarkin #Llanelli #LlanelliTownCouncil #SeanRees #WelshLabour