Councillor permitted to speak and vote on three community group matters

A long-serving Ceredigion County Councillor had a number of applications for dispensation to discuss his community work in the council chamber approved this week.

County Councillor Keith Evans, also a community councillor for Llandysul, spoke at Wednesday’s (August 5) ethics and standards committee asking for dispensation to speak and vote in discussions involving three outside bodies he is involved with.

These are Calon Tysul Cymdeithas Chwaraeon Llandysul and Pont-Tyweli.

At Calon Tysul – Llandysul’s swimming pool and leisure centre – Cllr Evans said he is an advisor to the board which works “very hard to sustain and maintain that facility” with a need to raise thousands of pounds  a year to keep going.

Cllr Evans is chairman of Cymdeithas Chwaraeon Llandysul, a limited company running sports facilities in the town which again require fundraising to keep going.

While at Pont-Tyweli Cllr Evans was involved in setting up the not for profit group supporting the town and its economy, along with residents with schemes such as community buses.

“You can compartmentalise the different community groups you are affiliated to. Overall people will see me as a fair, reasonable person and I represent the people to the best of my ability,” he said, reminding the committee of his 35-year involvement in local government.

All three groups could potentially make revenue requests to either council.

Cllr Evans was granted permission to speak and vote on matters involving the organisations at both county and community council level but there was some discussion about whether voting at community level could be seen as “bad form in the eyes of the public.”

Independent member Rif Winfield said it would be more suitable to allow Cllr Evans to speak but not vote, with Hywel Jones adding that the dispensation process was to protect the member from possible views of the public.