The Standards Committee of Carmarthenshire Council met on Tuesday 25 November 2025 to consider several requests for dispensations, review protocols for handling complaints between councillors, and discuss the duties of group leaders. The committee granted dispensations to several councillors, allowing them to speak and vote on matters where they had declared an interest, and agreed to revise the protocol for dealing with low-level complaints between members.

Dispensation Requests

The committee considered multiple requests for dispensations, which allow councillors with a personal interest in a matter to still participate in discussions and votes.

Councillor Alex Evans, who is a Governor of both Ysgol Pontiets and Ysgol Pum Heol, sought dispensation to speak, vote, and make written representations regarding the proposed closure of Ysgol Pontiets. The committee granted this dispensation, allowing him to participate in council business relating to these schools until 31 December 2026. This was necessary because while there are exemptions for school governors, Councillor Evans's role as governor at both schools meant the standard exemptions did not fully apply to the specific situation of Ysgol Pontiets' potential closure.

A group of six councillors from Llandeilo Town Council – Charlotte Morgan, Geraint Price, Kate Glanville, Gordon Kilby, Katie Rees, and Charlote Walker – applied for dispensation to speak, vote, and make written representations concerning proposals for a bypass for Llandeilo. Their homes and businesses are potentially affected by the bypass plans. The committee granted this dispensation, allowing them to participate in Llandeilo Town Council business related to the bypass until the end of the current electoral term. This was supported by the fact that these six councillors represent half of the town council, and their participation was deemed not to damage public confidence.

Protocol for Dealing with Low-Level Complaints Between Members

The committee reviewed the existing protocol for resolving low-level complaints between councillors, which aims to reduce the number of such cases referred to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. The current protocol places the responsibility for resolving these issues with political group leaders.

Following consultation with group leaders, it was noted that there was no appetite for significant changes to the current protocol. However, the committee requested that the Legal Services Manager consult with group leaders to address specific points. These include clarifying the protocol for complaints between unaffiliated members, adding a protocol for complaints between group leaders, and establishing a procedure for dealing with persistent low-level breaches of the code. A revised draft protocol will be submitted to the next meeting for consideration.

Group Leaders Duty

The committee discussed the duties of political group leaders, as outlined in the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, which requires them to promote high standards of conduct among their group members and cooperate with the Standards Committee. A reporting template and assessment criteria for group leaders' annual reports were reviewed.

The committee agreed to make changes to the reporting template and to add the duty for group leaders to resolve low-level complaints. They also provisionally agreed that group leaders would meet with the committee on 1 June 2026 to discuss their annual reports, with an informal meeting with the Chair and Vice-Chair scheduled for early 2026. The deadline for group leaders to submit their annual reports was set for two weeks prior to the committee meeting.

Review of the Standards Committee Action Log

The committee received an update on the progress of actions from previous meetings. It was noted that following a letter from the Legal Services Manager, a meeting had taken place with Cwmamman Community Council regarding their failure to submit data for three consecutive years. The council provided reasons for the non-submission, including changes in clerk and illness. The committee also noted that a letter regarding the Civility and Respect pledge had been sent to all councils, with positive responses received from two councils and further interest from others.