The Council has held its Annual General Meeting this week, during which Elected Members have completed the appointment of several key roles and responsibilities for the municipal year ahead, 2026-2027.
The AGM took place at the Council Chamber in Pontypridd on Wednesday, April 29 – including election of the Presiding and Deputy Presiding officers, appointments of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, and election of the Council Leader, Deputy Leader, and Leader of the Opposition. Several appointments were also made to various Council committees for the municipal year ahead.
Decisions relating to some key Council functions are listed below, while a full list of the appointments made in Wednesday’s meeting can be viewed online.
Council Leader, Cabinet and Leader of the Opposition
Councillor Ann Crimmings has been elected as the new Leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, following the previous decision of Councillor Andrew Morgan OBE to step down from the role. The Deputy Leader of the Council was also elected on Wednesday – Councillor Maureen Webber BEM has been re-elected to this role. The new Council Leader has announced her Cabinet Member appointments, and their roles and portfolios are as follows:
- Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Lab Cllr Ann Crimmings.
- Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Council Business and the Welsh Language, Lab Cllr Maureen Webber BEM.
- Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Housing, Lab Cllr Mark Norris.
- Cabinet Member for Education & Young People, Lab Cllr Sharon Rees.
- Cabinet Member for Social Care, Lab Cllr Gareth Caple.
- Cabinet Members for Resources, Customer & Energy (job-share arrangement), Lab Cllr Tina Leyshon and Lab Cllr Ros Davis.
- Cabinet Members for Communities, Culture & Leisure (job-share arrangement), Lab Cllr Bob Harris and Lab Cllr Scott Emanuel.
- Cabinet Members for Environment and Capital Infrastructure (job-share arrangement), Lab Cllr Andrew Morgan OBE and Lab Cllr Louisa Addiscott.
PC Cllr Karen Morgan has also been re-elected as the Leader of the Opposition, from the Council’s second largest political group, Plaid Cymru.
Other appointments to key roles
During the Annual General Meeting, several other key appointments were made by Elected Members to democratic and civic roles. These include:
- Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Presiding officer, Lab Cllr Wendy Lewis.
- Deputy Presiding officers, Lab Cllr Barry Stephens and Lab Cllr Sheryl Evans.
- The Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Lab Cllr Emma Watts.
- Deputy Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Lab Cllr Gaynor Warren.
Appointments to Committee Roles
Full Council has also elected Members to important roles relating to the Council’s democratic Committees. These appointments include:
- Planning and Development Committee – Lab Cllr Ross Williams will be the Chair, with Lab Cllr Jayne Smith the committee’s Vice Chair.
- Licencing Committee – Lab Cllr Adam Fox will be the Chair, with Lab Cllr Graham Stacey the committee’s Vice Chair.
- Overview and Scrutiny Committee – Lab Cllr Julie Edwards will be the Chair, with Lab Cllr Rhys Lewis the committee’s Vice Chair. Where is the Scrutiny when you have a Labour chair and vice chair
- Education and Inclusion Scrutiny Committee – PC Cllr Sera Evans will be the Chair, with Lab Cllr Barry Stephens the committee’s Vice Chair.
- Community Services Scrutiny Committee – Lab Cllr Loretta Tomkinson will be the Chair, with Lab Cllr Tina Williams the committee’s Vice Chair.
- Climate Change, Prosperity and Frontline Services Scrutiny Committee – Lab Cllr Craig Middle will be the Chair, with Lab Cllr Wyn Hughes the committee’s Vice Chair.
- Democratic Services Committee – Ind Cllr Will Jones will be the Chair, with Lab Cllr Maureen Webber BEM the committee’s Vice Chair.
- Appeals Committee – Lab Cllr Jayne Brencher will be the Chair.
- RCT Pensions Committee – Lab Cllr Jayne Smith will be the Chair.
Related Posts
Cynon Taf Community Housing Group Bolsters Executive Team with Three Key Appointments
Council capital programme for highways agreed for the year ahead
Cwm Taf University Health Board – Review of Follow-up Outpatient Appointments
