Plaid Cymru retain overall control of Ceredigion County Council

Katy Jenkins, local democracy reporter

Plaid Cymru retained overall control of Ceredigion County Council following the local election vote on Thursday.

Plaid retains 20 councillors out of 38 representing 34 wards, although there are some changes to the areas represented while the Liberal Democrat party also maintains seven seats.

There are now nine independent councillors in the new membership and one representative of Gwlad – a Welsh independence party formed in 2017.

Cabinet member Dafydd Edwards has lost his Llansanffraid seat, as did Ray Quant in Borth and Catrin Miles in Teifi, and there are some new faces among the longstanding members who have been re-elected.

Elizbeth Evans kept her Aberaeron and Aberath seat for the Lib Dems with 702 votes where Peter Lloyd, independent, got 142 votes.

Aberporth

Plaid candidates Clive Davies and Gethin Davies won in Aberporth with 824 and 793 votes respectively, while independent candidate Sue Lewis received 451 votes.

In Aberystwyth Morfa and Glais there are another two Plaid members with Mark Strong and Alun Williams returning to the council, with a new face Carl Worrall representing the party in Aberyswyth Penparcau, along with Steve Davies.

Endaf Edwards returns to Aberystwyth Rheidol with 228 votes for Plaid Cymru, and two new party members will represent Beulah and Llangoedmor – Amanda Edwards with 804 votes and Chris James with 759.

Independent candidate Hugh Hughes will represent Borth —after his 378 votes beat independent Ray Quant’s 237 and Naomi Salmon of the Green Party’s 277.

Plaid’s Matthew Vaux replaces independent Dan Potter in New Quay and Llanllwchaearn after receiving 482 votes compared to 409 and in Ceulan and Maesmawr Catrin Davies will represent the party, beating independent Dillwyn Lewis.

Marc Davies retains his Ciliau Aeron seat and John Roberts stays on for the Lib Dems in Faenor with 381 votes, while independent Kieth Evans keeps his Llandysul south seat with 478 votes.

In Llandysul north and Troedyraur Maldwyn Lewis retains his seat for Plaid, as does Gareth Davies in Llanbadarn Fawr with 518 votes compared to 75 and 74 for the independent and Lib Dem candidates.

In Llanfarian Lib Dem Geraint Hughes won with 524 votes compared to Plaid candidate Simon Warburton’s 246 while Plaid candidate Ceris Jones one in Llanfihangel Ystrad by just three votes, 434 compared to independent Fordon Evans’ 431.

Plaid Cymru’s Eryl Evans won in Llangybi, and group leader Bryan Davies retained Llannarth, along with Keith Henson who takes Llansanffraid with 446 votes.

Gwyn Evans will represent GWLAD –  a pro-independence party – on the council  for Llanrhystud and independent Euros Davies retains his Llanwenog seat.

Independent Wyn Evans won Lledrod and Gwyn James kept his Penbryn seat, inpendent Dai Mason was beaten in Trefeurig by Caryl Roberts for Plaid, with 428 to 384 votes, while Ifan Davies returns for the Tregaro and Ystrad Fflur seat.

Rhodri Davies retained Melindwr for Plaid and Sian Maehrlein won in the Mwldan ward for the Lib Dems with 441 votes, with the party also taking the Teifi seat with Elaine Evans 330 votes comapred to 284 for Plaid’s Catrin Miles and 88 for Labour’s John Pope.

The Lib Dems also won in Ystwyth with Meirion Davies retaining his seat with 500 votes compared to 348 for Plaid’s Kerry Ferguson.

Returning to the council are two independent members, one Lib Dem, one Plaid Cymru member and one Labour member.

The Lampeter electoral ward – which was an uncontested seat – will be reduced to one member, with Hag Harries, Labour councillor, remaining after Ivor Williams stood down.

Former cabinet members Rhodri Evans in Llangeitho and Gareth Lloyd in Llandysilio and Llangrannog are in uncontested seats.

Plaid member Wyn Thomas returns to Llandyfriog and Lib Dem Paul Hinge in Tirymynach.