The Standards Committee met to review actions, consider dispensation requests, review code of conduct training and data, and discuss decisions by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) and the Adjudication Panel for Wales (APW). The committee granted several dispensations to community councillors, allowing them to participate in discussions and votes on matters where they would otherwise have a conflict of interest. The committee also expressed disappointment to Cwmamman Community Council for failing to provide requested data for three years.

• Dispensation Requests for Community Councillors

The committee considered several requests for dispensation from community councillors who sought to participate in discussions and votes on matters where they had a personal interest. All dispensations were granted, but with some limitations placed on the councillors.

The Standards Committee granted dispensation to Councillor Claire Louise Thomas of Henllanfallteg Community Council to speak and make written representations, but not vote, on matters pertaining to Llanfallteg Millenium Hall. Councillor Thomas is a trustee of the hall and would therefore have a personal interest in any council business relating to it. The dispensation is valid until the end of the current electoral term and was granted under Regulations 2(2)(d), 2(2)(e) and 2(2)(h) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensation) (Wales) Regulations 2001, because:

• the nature of the member's interest was such that the member's participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority's business
• the interest is common to the member and a significant proportion of the general public
• the business relates to the finances or property of a voluntary organisation of whose management committee or board the councillor is a member of and the councillor has no other interest in the business.

The Standards Committee granted dispensation to Councillor Peter Caunt of Henllanfallteg Community Council to speak and make written representations, but not vote, on matters pertaining to Henllanfallteg Community Association, which manages the community village hall. Councillor Caunt is the volunteer treasurer of the association and would therefore have a personal interest in any council business relating to it. The dispensation is valid until the end of the current electoral term and was granted under Regulations 2(2)(d), 2(2)(e) and 2(2)(h) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensation) (Wales) Regulations 2001, because:

• the nature of the member's interest was such that the member's participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority's business
• the interest is common to the member and a significant proportion of the general public
• the business relates to the finances or property of a voluntary organisation of whose management committee or board the councillor is a member of and the councillor has no other interest in the business.

The Standards Committee granted dispensation to Councillor Keith Harding of St Ishmael Community Council to speak and make written representations, but not vote, on matters pertaining to access to the beach at Ferryside. Councillor Harding lives next to the beach access point and would have a personal interest in any council business relating to this issue. The dispensation is valid until the date of the next meeting of the Standards Committee, currently scheduled for 25 November 2025 and was granted under Regulations 2(2)(d), 2(2)(e) and 2(2)(f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensation) (Wales) Regulations 2001, because:

• the nature of the member's interest was such that the member's participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority's business
• the interest is common to the member and a significant proportion of the general public
• the participation of the member in the business to which the interest related to was justified by the member's particular role or expertise.

The Standards Committee granted dispensation to Councillor Meinir James, a County Councillor and Llandyfaelog Community Councillor, to speak and make written representations in relation to council business of either council regarding renewable energy issues that could be of concern to Ynni Sir Gâr Community Interest Company. Councillor James is a member of Ynni Sir Gar and would therefore have a personal interest in any council business relating to or likely to affect the company. The dispensation is valid until the end of the current electoral term and was granted under Regulations 2(2)(d) and 2(2)(f) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensation) (Wales) Regulations 2001, because:

• the nature of the member's interest was such that the member's participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority's business
• the participation of the member in the business to which the interest related to was justified by the member's particular role or expertise.

The Standards Committee granted dispensation to Councillors Paul Stephens, Janae Holliday, Alan J Batte, Peter Thomas, Philip George, Hywel Gibbon, Keith Harding, Lena Siddall, Alicia Dalton, Davinia King, Dawn Afzal and Scott Wyld of St Ishmael Community Council to speak, make written representations and vote on council business at meetings of St Ishmael Community Council regarding matters pertaining to the Heol Ddu Solar Farm that is situated within the area of the Community Council. All of the councillors are directly affected by the project by virtue of its impact upon their land or business. The dispensation was granted under Regulations 2(2)(a), 2(2)(d) and 2(2)(e) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensation) (Wales) Regulations 2001, because:

• no fewer than half of the members of the relevant authority by which the business was to be considered had an interest which related to that business
• the nature of the member's interest was such that the member's participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority's business
• the interest is common to the member and a significant proportion of the general public.

The Standards Committee granted dispensation to Councillors Nicola Jones, Eifion Jones, Jenny Jones, Shan Rees, Carys Thomas, Rheinallt Jones, Janet Knott, Elfyn Williams, Viv Davies and Meinir James of Llandyfaelog Community Council to speak, make written representations and vote on council business at meetings of Llandyfaelog Community Council regarding matters pertaining to the Heol Ddu Solar Farm project. The councillors are either directly affected by the project or are close personal associates of persons who are. Furthermore, the councillors are close personal associates of the Council chair and clerk, who are landowners involved in the project. The dispensation was granted under Regulations 2(2)(a), 2(2)(d) and 2(2)(e) of the Standards Committees (Grant of Dispensation) (Wales) Regulations 2001, because:

• no fewer than half of the members of the relevant authority by which the business was to be considered had an interest which related to that business
• the nature of the member's interest was such that the member's participation in the business to which the interest relates would not damage public confidence in the conduct of the relevant authority's business

• the interest is common to the member and a significant proportion of the general public.

• Code of Conduct Training and Data

The committee received a report on the code of conduct training session held for Town and Community councillors on 10 July 2025, noting that 32 delegates attended the remote session. The committee also reviewed code compliance data from Town and Community Councils, gathered between May and July 2025. The data suggested a good awareness of the code of conduct among councillors.

The committee resolved to issue reminder letters to councils who had failed to respond to the 2024/25 survey and to make written representations to Cwmamman Community Council expressing the committee's disappointment in its failure to provide the Council with the requested data for a period of 3 years. The committee also resolved to make written representations to community councils providing further information to increase awareness of the Civility and Respect pledge and encourage councils to sign up.

• Annual Report of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

The committee received the annual report of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW), which detailed the Ombudsman's activities during 2024/25. The report addressed code of conduct complaints, maladministration complaints and initiative investigations carried out by the PSOW during the reporting period. The Legal Services Manager reported that the latter two areas of activity fell outside the remit of the Standards Committee. The committee noted that while the number of code of conduct complaints against Carmarthenshire Council members was relatively high, none of these had been upheld or had resulted in any action. The committee welcomed the recommendations emanating from the PSOW independent review whereby the political affiliation of the Accused Member would no longer be recorded on the pre-assessment and assessment documentation and furthermore, the PSOW had resolved to revert to its previous practice of notifying the Accused member of the complaint once it is received.

• Recent Adjudication Panel and Ombudsman Decisions

The committee considered a report which detailed the findings of the Adjudication Panel for Wales (APW) in respect of two published code of conduct complaints. The information provided the Committee with points of learning when implementing the code and providing training to councillors.