Carmarthenshire’s Leader has outlined his commitments and priorities for the next 12 months.

Cllr Emlyn Dole although it was for the coming year the programme would also give an indication of the longer term vision and plans for Carmarthenshire and would establish a firm foundation for addressing the needs of the county for future generations.

“Local government is facing an uncertain time with budgetary pressures aligned with increased demand for services both placing significant pressure on our services,” Cllr Dole said. “In addition to this there is a significant amount of uncertainty about the future role and shape of local government and we will have to await the outcome of the Assembly elections and subsequent new government direction to find out our future position.

“However, this does not change the focus of this Council for the next 12 months – we will continue to deliver the most effective and efficient services for the people of Carmarthenshire whilst looking at all avenues to develop our provision by collaborating between existing services and other partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors.

“We need to be bold and we need to think big in order to deliver the very best for Carmarthenshire.”

Cllr Dole outlined his priorities as being:

• Implementing the 15-year regeneration plan for Carmarthenshire with a view to creating over 5,000 jobs and investing over £220 million over the next 5-years alone
• Improving the County’s infrastructure to enable accessibility and development opportunities
• Ensuring continued progress with modernising the local education curriculum and facilities
• Making the Council the most open and transparent Council in Wales to enable us to make continuous improvement
• Ensure the Council’s community based services deliver outcomes to support community resilience
• Ensuring the Council makes the best use of its resources
• Strengthen the position of the Welsh language in the County

Cllr Dole added: “My focus, and the focus of this authority in terms of delivery will remain very much on Carmarthenshire and we will ensure that the county’s voice is fully represented in any discussions about future arrangements.

“These are challenging and uncertain times but with uncertainty come opportunities and we will face the challenges and deliver the best outcomes for social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being of the people of Carmarthenshire.”

Read the report here