POWYS County Council’s trio of member champions will be expected to present a report on the work they have done last year to a meeting of all councillors next month.
Member champions were brought up at a meeting of the council’s Democratic Services committee on Thursday, June 4, as councillors were taken through the head of democratic and scrutiny services annual report for 2025/2026.
This report gives a detailed breakdown of the work being done by the council’s democratic services team that support and help councillors fulfil their roles.
This includes explaining that 148 committee meetings were held last year and the support that was given to ensure they run smoothly.
The report briefly mentioned member champions and said: “During each council electoral cycle, elected members can serve as a member champion, a role that goes beyond traditional committee responsibilities.
“These champions act as a voice for issues or communities, they ensure that the interests of the group or issue they represent are considered in council policymaking and decision processes”
Cllr Pete Lewington (Conservative – Newtown West) said: “I seem to recollect that they were to be given the opportunity to come along annually to give us an update on the work they have done, but I’ve not seen anything in that report there.
“I don’t know if I’m misremembering?”
Head of business intelligence and governance Catherine James said: “We have requested the annual reports from the member champions.”
She said that they were waiting to receive all the reports.
Ms James asked the committee for advice on whether they wanted the member champion reports included in the annual head of democratic and scrutiny report or: “keep them separate.”
Ms James said: “They will be coming to the next full council meeting.”
The next full council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 9.
Committee chairman, Cllr Graham Breeze (Powys Independents – Welshpool Llanerchyddol) said: “Are you happy Pete (Cllr Lewington) that they go straight to full council?”
Cllr Lewington replied: “That’s fine, my preference would be just to go to full council.”
The committee went on to note the report.
Powys council has three member champions.
Cllr Joy Jones (Powys Independents – Newtown East) is the anti-poverty member champion.
Deputy council leader Cllr Matthew Dorrance (Labour – Brecon West) is the armed forces champion.
Cllr Little Brighouse (Non-aligned – Disserth and Trecoed with Newbridge) is the disability members champion.
The roles were reviewed and revamped back in 2024.
In April 2024, Democratic Services on the casting vote of former committee chairman and councillor Elwyn Vaughan who is now a Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for the Gwynedd Maldwyn constituency, voted to scrap the roles.
But at a full council meeting in July 2024 councillors voted to keep the roles.
