This page briefly explains the function of the Community Council for Painscastle and Rhosgoch and describes its relationship to the larger Powys County Council. Wales also has its own Government situated in Cardiff and there is a brief explanation below as to how our community is also represented there as well as at the UK Parliament in Westminster. You will also find contact details for individual members of the Community Council as well as details of forthcoming meetings and also full minutes of previous meetings. There are presently seven councillors representing an electorate of approximately four hundred voters in Painscastle and Rhosgoch.
There are well over 700 town and community councils in Wales comprising over 8000 individual councillors. However, not all communities are represented by their own councils, as these can be established or disbanded at the wishes of each community. These councils vary greatly in size across Wales and may serve simply as representative bodies or can also set a small "precept" or rate that is collected as part of the wider Council Tax set by the County Councils. This may enable the Community Councils to offer services such as the maintenance of public buildings or spaces. More commonly, the Community Council will usually be consulted at an early stage of any local planning application and will be invited to send comments to the County Council Planning Office.
Community Councillors are inevitably, but not always necessarily, local residents and commonly represent a cross-section of local interests such as agriculture or education. They are always approachable by the public and are expected to take an interest in the concerns of local residents. Anybody who is over 18 and a British national may become a community councillor either by election or by co-option. Co-option is when the council chooses from a list of volunteers if there are not enough candidates at election time or if the electorate does not call for an election when a seat falls vacant. Community councillors can represent a political party or be politically independent.
Meetings of the Community Council and its committees and subcommittees are open to the public, except when very sensitive matters are being discussed. Meetings are always announced in advance. Members of the public attending meetings have a limited right to speak and this will always be explained by the Chair. Some meetings will also be attended by our County Councillor, who represents our own community and a few neighbouring villages at Powys County Council. In 2022 we became part of the Lanelwedd ward to the North following administrative changes and at the 2022 elections Gareth Jones was elected to represent us. The County Council is responsible for the provision of major services such as education, social care, waste collection and road maintenance, as well as many others.
The Welsh Government in Cardiff, is responsible for setting overall policy for major public services in Wales and for delivering some of these services directly. These include education, health, environmental and energy policy and many others, but exclude direct taxation of income, or foreign and defence policy, which remain within the remit of the British Government at Westminster. Formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales, the Senedd Cymru is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales and holds the Welsh Government to account. It has 60 elected members (SMs). It is the Welsh equivalent to the UK Parliament in Westminster. The Senedd is located in Cardiff Bay. The SM for Painscastle and Rhosgoch is James Evans, who represents the constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire and was elected in May 2021.
The final link in the governance chain is, of course, the UK Parliament in London. Whilst many significant powers have been devolved to Cardiff over the years, Wales very much remains part of the United Kingdom and we are naturally represented in Westminster by our own Member of Parliament or MP. The MP for Brecon and Radnorshire , and therefore for Painscastle and Rhosgoch, is Fay Jones, who was elected at the General Election in 2019 . Ms Jones is a member of the Conservative and Unionist party. Incidentally, her constituency is the largest by area in England and Wales.
There are well over 700 town and community councils in Wales comprising over 8000 individual councillors. However, not all communities are represented by their own councils, as these can be established or disbanded at the wishes of each community. These councils vary greatly in size across Wales and may serve simply as representative bodies or can also set a small "precept" or rate that is collected as part of the wider Council Tax set by the County Councils. This may enable the Community Councils to offer services such as the maintenance of public buildings or spaces. More commonly, the Community Council will usually be consulted at an early stage of any local planning application and will be invited to send comments to the County Council Planning Office.
Community Councillors are inevitably, but not always necessarily, local residents and commonly represent a cross-section of local interests such as agriculture or education. They are always approachable by the public and are expected to take an interest in the concerns of local residents. Anybody who is over 18 and a British national may become a community councillor either by election or by co-option. Co-option is when the council chooses from a list of volunteers if there are not enough candidates at election time or if the electorate does not call for an election when a seat falls vacant. Community councillors can represent a political party or be politically independent.
Meetings of the Community Council and its committees and subcommittees are open to the public, except when very sensitive matters are being discussed. Meetings are always announced in advance. Members of the public attending meetings have a limited right to speak and this will always be explained by the Chair. Some meetings will also be attended by our County Councillor, who represents our own community and a few neighbouring villages at Powys County Council. In 2022 we became part of the Lanelwedd ward to the North following administrative changes and at the 2022 elections Gareth Jones was elected to represent us. The County Council is responsible for the provision of major services such as education, social care, waste collection and road maintenance, as well as many others.
The Welsh Government in Cardiff, is responsible for setting overall policy for major public services in Wales and for delivering some of these services directly. These include education, health, environmental and energy policy and many others, but exclude direct taxation of income, or foreign and defence policy, which remain within the remit of the British Government at Westminster. Formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales, the Senedd Cymru is the democratically elected body that represents the interests of Wales and its people, makes laws for Wales and holds the Welsh Government to account. It has 60 elected members (SMs). It is the Welsh equivalent to the UK Parliament in Westminster. The Senedd is located in Cardiff Bay. The SM for Painscastle and Rhosgoch is James Evans, who represents the constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire and was elected in May 2021.
The final link in the governance chain is, of course, the UK Parliament in London. Whilst many significant powers have been devolved to Cardiff over the years, Wales very much remains part of the United Kingdom and we are naturally represented in Westminster by our own Member of Parliament or MP. The MP for Brecon and Radnorshire , and therefore for Painscastle and Rhosgoch, is Fay Jones, who was elected at the General Election in 2019 . Ms Jones is a member of the Conservative and Unionist party. Incidentally, her constituency is the largest by area in England and Wales.
The village of Painscastle