The Llanfair Clydogau community council includes the whole of what historically were the Cardiganshire parishes, or villages, of Llanfair Clydogau and Cellan.
In December 1894 both Llanfair and Cellan, for the first time, in common with all other areas in Wales, put into place a new local government structure based upon the administrative unit of the parish. Accordingly, secular parish councils, as distinct from earlier structures associated with the Church, were elected. Each of the two elected councils had an appointed clerk and put into place a pattern of meetings by which the electors of the area could bring to the attention of the members any local matter of concern, to seek action or what was often the case, a referral to the Cardiganshire County Council; a body with much greater financial resources and legal powers to act. Matters discussed in these early days included: schools, flooding, river bridges, road conditions and the tipping of rubbish. As society changed, so too did the subject content. In the middle years of the 20th century it included, for instance: rural electrification and telephone services, including the provision of call boxes. Llanfair had a parish council in 1894 of nine members, with 16 people standing for the newly created posts. John Evans of Llanfair Shop was elected as the first chairman. In Cellan, the parish council had seven members and Evan Andrew Davies of Bayliau was elected as the first chairman.
In April 1974 both parish councils experienced a name change to that of community council. This was in common with the whole of Wales.
A unified Llanfair Clydogau-Cellan Community Council
In 1987 as part of a review of local government throughout Ceredigion, the county council engaged in an extensive consultation in order to try to create larger local government units. Arising from this the decision was taken by the County Council to set up a new “community of Llanfair Clydogau , comprising the present Community of Llanfair Clydogau and the present Community of Cellan”. It was decided that the community should have a council of 10 members, drawn from two wards:
- Llanfair Clydogau ward with 5 councillors
- Cellan ward with 5 councillors
Community Councillors
Community councillors are elected from their ward and serve a four year term of office.
The community council meets approximately every six weeks and alternates its venues between Llanfair Village Hall and the Millennium Hall in Cellan. The present pattern is to start at 7.30 pm, usually on a Thursday.
The notice and agenda for each meeting is displayed on notice boards in both Cellan and Llanfair.
Any member of the public can attend a meeting as discussions take place in public.
The meeting is chaired by the chairman elected for a particular financial year.
The notice of meeting and agenda is prepared by the clerk whom the councillors appoint for this purpose.
The community council levies an annual community charge or precept upon its households, in order to fund its activities. In 2014 it was £3,500, and has been unchanged for several previous years. It is collected by the county council. It should be noted that the councillors are unpaid.
The council owns two former British Telecom phone boxes: one in the centre of Cellan and the other at Glan Rhyd in Llanfair and has retained them as historically significant landmarks. It also owns and maintains the four litter bins within the area, plus several of the roadside grit bins.
Amongst the main activities discussed in recent years are the following:
- Commenting on all local planning applications received by the planning authority (Ceredigion Council);
- Commenting upon all consultation documents received from the Ceredigion Council such as the local structure plan, flood prevention, the delivery of local services;
- School transport matters, acting as a conduit between the local population and the local education authority;
- Road maintenance;
- Speeding traffic;
- Repair and maintenance of bridges;
- Effect of snow and ice on the roads and the need to increase the number of grit bins;
- Litter and rubbish collection and disposal in order to secure smart and tidy communities;
- Health board plans and service delivery;
- Assisting the various church and chapel representatives, through a financial grant, maintain the graveyards within the two villages.
- Unauthorised building.
- Liaison with the Dyfed Powys Police force.