Familiar Builth Wells Mayoral team has ‘great ideas’ for the coming year

Builth Wells Town Council has a familiar mayoral team in office for 2026/2027.

Councillor Alan Waller was elected as the Mayor for the year with Councillor Gwyn Davies voted as Deputy Mayor.

Both have served as mayor and deputy mayor several times in the past for the town.

Councillor Waller said: “I would like to thank the Council for appointing me as Mayor again this year.

“This will be my second term as Mayor, and I have also served as Deputy Mayor five times, four of which were alongside Gwyn.

“I believe we work very well together and already have some great ideas for the coming year.

“All of our Council members work hard within the town to make it a better place to live, and I am very proud to have been chosen for this role once again.”

They said; “the town council continues to work towards helping to improve the environment and wellbeing of the community we serve.”

Out-going mayor Councillor Mark Hammond, had previously announced he will also stand down as a councillor by the end of the year along with his wife and council clerk Louise Hammond.

Councillor Hammond said: “My final year as Mayor has been full of challenges but also some fantastic moments: my standout memory is the instigation of the Mayor’s Achievement Awards for under 18s.

“It was such a hard decision to make, so I ended up choosing two very worthy winners in Erin Lois Coyle and Kathryn Pope.

“Challenges have included the continued threat to our countryside by, what I have termed as, the “gold rush” to force numerous windfarms and pylons without a coherent plan.

“We also have the consistent threat to our public services posed by Powys County Council’s ‘Sustainable Powys’ programme.

“Like many Town Councils, financial constraints loom large for us. We are having to cut our cloth accordingly, whilst still seeking to do our very best for the Town. The Groe Toilets feature heavily in this respect, costing the Town Council around £40k per year to maintain and clean etc. This summer is going to be challenging where the toilets are concerned, particularly during Royal welsh week.

“Also a challenge is going to be the Christmas lights…for the last six years or so I have taken on the responsibility for doing the paper work and applying for all the appropriate licences, which has on occasions taken nearly six months from start to finish. However, current circumstances make this more and more challenging, so we will be looking at a fresh approach to this as the year goes on.

“I am also due to leave Council in November, and will remember my time with fondness. I am certain my fellow Councillors will continue to work hard for the Town, and also must give my thanks and respect to our Clerk, Louise, who has kept the Council running smoothly, and kept us Councillors focussed on what is important.”

In an annual report of the year the council highlighted the successful family fun day held in 2025 which attracted over 500 people, its hugely successful Christmas events including Santa on a sleigh visiting nurseries and creches in Builth Wells and Llanelwedd, the Christmas grotto at the Strand Hall and the charity tractor run which raised almost £6,000 for charity.

They said the town’s Christmas lights were also spectacular and brought people from near and far to see them. They thanked the dedicated group of councillors and volunteers who give up their time to make them look fantastic.

They also highlighted the council’s bee and butterfly garden and the work on it from volunteers, the council’s hanging baskets for the town, supplying and maintaining free dog waste bags in the dispensers on the Groe, transformation work at the Croeso site and grants to various charities including the Heritage Society, Pottery HWB, and Community Support.

Work to the town’s war memorial should be completed by the end of July 2026 and although there will be no fun day this year the council will focus on a new festive lights display and they have funded a bouncy castle for Builth Wells Carnival.

The clerk said; “Our town councillors, who are all unpaid volunteers and give up their own time to help the community, remain a dedicated team and will continue to work hard in order to see how they can develop and improve on what the council does, over the forthcoming year, and in addition our updated three year strategic plan is still active.”