Council leader confirms resignation

The leader of Conwy County Council has announced he will step down from his role next month.

Abergele councillor Charlie McCoubrey, the leader of the Conwy First Independent Group, made the council’s other 55 councillors aware of his decision yesterday evening.

Cllr McCoubrey became the council’s leader in May 2021, replacing former leader Sam Rowlands, who is now a Senedd Member.

Special council meeting

A spokeswoman for Conwy County Borough Council said: “The leader, Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, announced yesterday (23 September) that he intends to stand down from the role at a special council meeting on the 8 October 2025.

“Council will now start the process to elect a new leader in accordance with established procedures.”

Cllr McCoubrey, a retired dentist and a former promising junior boxer, had long campaigned against the Welsh Government formula used to calculate how much money Conwy is given as part of its annual local government settlement.

The leader has repeatedly pointed out how much worse off Conwy is per head of the population compared to South Wales councils and neighbouring authorities, Gwynedd and Denbighshire.