As Wales heads into a pivotal year, Powys leaders share their hopes and plans

After 26 years of a Labour Government the current polls are showing the possibility of a seismic shift in voter behaviour and the likelihood of a new government with new policies and priorities.

In Mid Wales much of 2025 has been filled with concerns about the health service, following the requested extension of waiting times for Powys patients at English hospitals by Powys Teaching Health Board, difficulties obtaining GP appointments and the lack of services such as dentists.

Our beautiful countryside has also been a major cause for concern with the national Government’s inheritance tax policy threatening the future of our farmers and many proposals for wind and energy farms.

In our towns many businesses have been struggling with the cost of living crisis, the rise in National Insurance and minimum wage. 

But many of our town councils are battling on with exciting plans for new facilities while our generous volunteers keep many social aspects of life running.

Will any or all of these issues and priorities change in 2026, will our communities face new and unexpected challenges?

Leaders from across Radnorshire, Kington and Powys talk of their hopes, plans and fears as they deliver their new year messages to the people of Powys.

Llandrindod Wells Mayor Councillor Steve Deeks-D’Silva

Happy New Year from the third happiest place to live in Wales! 

Our welcoming community, beautiful surroundings and Victorian architecture earn us a regular spot in the rankings and it comes as a pleasure to see we have been officially recognised again. 

I’m looking forward to a few big projects for 2026 which are about to start. 

Our town was rebranded ‘Llandrindod Wellness’ the first year I was Mayor and we are always looking for practical ways to support our residents and visitors in staying fit, happy and healthy. We’ll be installing a new outdoor gym in the Princes Avenue Leisure Park to promote well-being. Alongside there will sensory play equipment for our younger residents and also some fun outdoor musical instruments. The Park is always open for use so that you’ll be able to exercise and use the equipment at any time that suits you. 

Work will begin on the much-anticipated skate park. This project has been on Llandrindod’s wish list for a long time. 

Construction should start in the Spring and if all goes smoothly it could be ready for the Summer holidays.

Importantly for residents and visitors alike, refurbishments to our public toilets are about to begin and should be ready for use in the Spring. These include the first Changing Places facility in Powys which should make life easier for users with disabilities. 

You may have noticed that we moved offices at the end of 2025 from the Old Town Hall to Temple Chambers. We plan to run some open evenings/days in the New Year. 

If you are interested in becoming a Town Councillor, or if you just want to find out more about what we do, please look out for these events and come along. We are always striving to improve the town for our community. Maybe you have the ideas, the time and enthusiasm to make our town even happier? I’m looking forward to a positive and productive 2026!

Builth Wells Mayor Councillor Mark Hammond

The festive season is a time for reflection and spending time with loved ones, so I hope this special time offers everyone some chance to rest and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. 

It can’t be ignored that 2025 has been a year of challenges as our area continues to face threats to its countryside, services and rural way of life. 

These challenges include the relentless push for industrial-scale wind farm and pylon developments across our countryside. 

We have faced moments that tested our patience, our plans, and even our sense of certainty. But through every difficulty, one thing remained constant: our community’s resilience. 

The residents of Builth and our surrounding neighbours are a group of resolute communities, so challenges will be met head-on. 

Whatever the future holds we must make sure that we support each other. 

The Town Council has also had its own challenges, including the continual issues with the Groe Public Toilets. 

With these in mind, I really want to express my appreciation and thanks to my fellow Town Councillors, the Town Clerk, our Cleaners and Handyman, as well as our brilliant team of volunteers, for all the time and effort they have put in to enhance the life and appearance of the Town. 

We have exciting plans for next year to ensure our Town remains a vibrant and welcoming place for everyone. 

However, as we look ahead, I do feel a sense of optimism. Not because challenges will vanish, but because of the way we meet them—together. 

Our future is not something that happens to us; it’s something we can shape, step by step, with determination. 

I wish you all a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year.

Rhayader Mayor Councillor Christian Walton

Happy new year to all our constituents , councillors ,and partners.

May I start by thanking all town councillors and there family’s for their hard work and support ,also our county councillor Angela Davies whose hard work for our community this year has been exemplary and I feel we are very lucky to have her. Our clerk Julie Stephens whose work effort and drive helps us move forward with all projects able supported by our finance officer Sam Lipscomb whose hard work is greatly appreciated.

In 2025, Rhayader Town Council advanced several key initiatives focused on renewable energy, economic regeneration, and community governance.

Community Energy Scheme: Rhayader was selected as one of only five community groups in Powys to receive a funded feasibility study for a local renewable energy initiative. 

The study, conducted by consultancy Dulas Ltd, explores the potential for locally generated solar energy to reduce costs for residents and create a new income stream for the council.

The council successfully moved forward with the Transforming Towns Shopfront Scheme. By November 2025, 32 local businesses had signed up for this grant-funded program to improve and renovate town centre shopfronts.

The council reopened the Bryntitli Windfarm Trust Community Fund in October 2025, providing grants of up to £1,000 for local voluntary organizations and community groups.

It collaborated with Powys County Council to develop a Placemaking Plan for Rhayader. This plan aims to identify investment gaps and ensure the town can access future funding opportunities for sustainable development.

The council organized local commemorations for the 80th Anniversary of VE Day on May 8, 2025, including a beacon burning on Gwastedyn Hill.

Rhayader rugby club building as a community asset transferred from the county council to the town council.

In 2026, Rhayader Town Council plans to transition from the feasibility phase to the implementation of major regeneration and sustainability projects.

Following the selection for a funded Community Energy feasibility study, the council hopes to move forward with a locally generated solar energy scheme. 

The goal for 2026 is to seek partners to bring the project to fruition, aiming to reduce electricity costs for participants and generate income to be reinvested into the community.

2026 is the final year of the Transforming Towns Shopfront Scheme. The council plans to manage the distribution of grant money to the 18 participating local businesses as they complete their renovation works. All work must be completed and claimed by December 2026.

The council aims to use its new Placemaking Plan to identify and secure additional investment gaps, ensuring the town is positioned for future funding opportunities related to economic recovery and sustainable development.

Rhayader and Cwmdauddwr Corporation: The council hopes to further establish this corporation to drive specific local projects and diversify its income streams beyond the annual precept.

The council will be involved in the rollout of the new Powys Local Development Plan (LDP), which is scheduled to be in place by spring 2026 to guide local housing and planning decisions.

Kington Mayor Councillor Philip Sell

What was the last year like for you? I think most of us will have had moments that weren’t as good as we had hoped for, or concerns about tensions on the international stage, niggling financial and political worries. 

So, maybe it’s good to put the old year behind us and look to the year ahead.

As we stand on the threshold of this New Year, I look with optimism to the future.

A new year gives new beginnings, new chances, new possibilities. All that newness gives us chances to put right the things that didn’t go well last year: to do the things we didn’t have time for last year; to mend broken relationships; to try something different, to take on a new challenge or activity- and, yes, even to mend the broken fences, too!

It’s been a great year for Kington! Most notably the recent award to Kington Walks of the King’s Award for Voluntary Service- the equivalent of an MBE for an organisation. Many congratulations to them. 

This is just one of so many groups of volunteers in our town who run clubs, social activities, the food bank, sports clubs and so much more. We are rightly proud of how our community works together to support each other and to grow together.

We look forward to the year ahead, with all its exciting possibilities. One landmark event is on June 27, when Kington will, for the first time, be hosting the County Armed Forces day celebrations. I do hope you will join in the fun that day. Watch out for more information!

Whatever your own plans are for 2026, I wish you a happy, health and prosperous year. May all your endeavours be fruitful and may this year be a good one for you all.

Knighton Mayor Councillor Tom Taylor

The first seven months of my term as Mayor of Knighton have been quite eventful and the Town Council has achieved quite a lot to benefit the town in this time.

We have reopened the toilets at Offa’s Dyke Centre after they had been closed for four years and successfully gained a substantial grant to refurbish the toilets behind the Knighton Hotel.

We have instigated a testing regime of the River Teme with help from Woodland Tots who carry out the tests. The tests are weekly throughout the summer and flags are displayed to indicate whether the river is safe for humans (and dogs) to bathe in. This was funded by the Town Council and Powys County Council.

We were awarded a Silver at the Wales in Bloom Awards in November and thanks to all the volunteers and the businesses who helped with the displays. The flower planters provided by the Town Council. Next year we are going for gold!

18 fabulous new homes built by S.J. Roberts for Barcud Housing Association have been taken up mainly by Knighton people at Cwrt y Clawdd. This only happened because of a decision by Knighton Town Council to refuse a planning application extension forcing the land owners to sell to Barcud.

New bus services have been introduced by Powys and Transport for Wales after intense lobbying by the Town Council and we now have new direct services to Craven Arms, Llandrindod, Newtown, Hereford and Leominster. They also provide a useful town service.

Thanks go to all the volunteers who put up the Christmas lights and children’s party at the Civic Centre.

Our Town Crier has passed away and he is sadly missed by his family and the townsfolk. 

Also missed will be our loyal servant of 15 years, Brian Paul, who cleaned our streets. He retired at the end of November. We are currently looking for a replacement.

Thanks to all our town councillors for their support in getting these improvements through, and thanks to Cllr Tina Sharp for covering for me when I was off duty due to illness.

Also thanks to our Town Clerk, Lorian Craggs Alferoff, whose dedication and efficiency enables the Town Councillors to be well informed for our monthly debates.

For 2026 we are looking forward to more improvements to our town.

Powys has approved our recommendations for modifications to the blanket 20mph speed limit throughout the town. Hopefully they will be implemented soon and the 20mph will revert to 30mph for most of Presteigne Road.

We are hoping to provide a stage in Pinner’s Hole for outdoor performances and we are also hopeful that Powys will take up our offer of financial assistance to provide additional safe bus stops at Fronhir/Pontfaen and a bus stop in West Street to serve the town centre.

Presteigne and Norton Mayor Councillor Deb Edwards

I would like to extend heart felt wishes of health, happiness, and hope to every resident of our community. 

During 2025 in Presteigne and Norton we have continued to push to better our community in many ways.

I am personally particularly proud of the works largely funded by the aid of a Brilliant Basics grant to ensure that Went’s Meadow is accessible to all, with new pathways designed for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. Inclusion is at the heart of the vision, and every improvement brings us closer as a community where everyone feels welcome .

Once again we saw the wonderful community spirit in action with the build and completion of a community storage facility as a permanent home for items used at events such as Sheep Music and  Presteigne Carnival, cornerstones of our vibrant local culture.

Digitally we have set up a new website, making it easier for residents to access council information and to contact the council if needed.

Coed Llanandras, our relatively new nature reserve, has not only been attracting a wealth of hard-working volunteers but also some important visitations from the biodiversity world! 

Work to maintain our dark skies status continues and a new volunteer group now meets informally to discuss ongoing steps. Dark Sky status, even once awarded, must be maintained through ongoing education, annual reports etc. Work on the first annual report to the International Dark Sky Association is well underway.

Thanks are due to all Town Councillors for their input and efforts into all matters discussed at meetings and for working as a team for the benefit of Presteigne and Norton.

As we look ahead to the dawn of a New Year, we also pause to remember those dear friends, neighbours and loved ones who are no longer with us. Their contributions, kindness and presence remain woven into the fabric of our community, and in their memories and we will honour them by nurturing the community they helped build.

On behalf of the Town Council, I thank you all for the contributions, large or small that make our home so special. 

Let us step into the New Year with optimism, compassion and determination to build an even brighter future

Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

A Happy New Year to you All

County Councillor William Powell, Chair of Powys County Council

How can it possibly be the turn of another year? Maybe it is the passing of time or the 24/7 news cycle, a feature of modern life, but there is no denying it. 

As many Mid Wales Journal readers will know, January takes its name from Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, doors and gateways. 

The same theme was immortalised in King George VI’s Christmas message of encouragement and hope in 1939, itself inspired by the poem ‘The Gate of the Year' by Minnie Louise Haskins.

 And just as then, so we in our time look through that door into a New Year, with a mix of apprehension and hope.

2025 has been a challenging year for many, with man-made uncertainties at home: the ‘cost of living’ crisis, pressure on our hospitals and blue light services, the care sector under strain, concerns around illegal migration and fears triggered by inheritance tax changes for our farmers. 

These are matched abroad by the ongoing brutality in Ukraine and the relentless undermining of  75 years of our North Atlantic/European defence by Donald Trump's fascination with the Kremlin hardman, Vladimir Putin, not to mention Russian interference in our national life.

However, as Powys County Council Chair, I believe that, rather than obsessing about things that are beyond our influence, we should celebrate what is best about our county, the warmth and strength of our communities and the values that we hold dear. 

I believe that, as 2026 unfolds, we should focus more on the bridge builders, rather than those who stoke division and hate in our society. 

In the words of the late MP, Jo Cox, whom I had the privilege of knowing: ''We are far more united and have far more in common, than that which divides us.'' 

Happy New Year - Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

Brecon and Radnorshire Senedd Member James Evans

Wishing everyone a brighter, healthier and happier New Year.

2026 is set to be a year of major change in Welsh politics. 

After 26 years of Welsh Labour running the Welsh Government, the polls suggest a significant shake-up could be on the way in May’s Senedd election. 

Many constituents ask whether devolution has worked and whether we still need a Welsh Parliament. 

I understand those concerns, but we have never truly tested our democracy, because we have only ever had one party in power. 

That is about to change, and I hope Wales will finally have the chance to flourish under a new Government.

This election will also be the first under the new voting system. Each party will put forward up to six candidates, and voters will elect 96 Members of the Senedd instead of the current 60. 

Constituencies are now much larger, with Brecon & Radnorshire becoming “Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd", stretching from Llanbadarn Fynydd in the north all the way down to Jersey Marine in the south. And these boundaries are set to change again in 2030.

I have long opposed Senedd expansion and the huge cost that comes with it. 

At a time when our NHS, our schools and our roads desperately need investment, I believe expanding the Senedd is the wrong priority. 

Only the Welsh Conservatives have consistently voted against it. Labour, Plaid Cymru, the Lib Dems, and even Reform, have all supported expansion.

Another consequence of the new system is that many people will no longer be able to vote for a specific individual they know and trust. 

For decades, people have backed the person who delivers for the area, not just the party. Under this new structure, that personal link risks being lost.

Whatever your views, I urge everyone to use their vote next May. This is your chance to shape the future of Wales and deliver the improvements we urgently need in our health service, our schools and our local communities.

Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe MP David Chadwick

The festive season is a moment of rest, reflection and connection. Yet for too many residents in Mid Wales this season is overshadowed by the prolonged cross border healthcare waiting times that continue to hold people back from living full and healthy lives. With what should be a time of comfort and joy becomes instead a period marked by uncertainty and pain.

Sadly, too often I hear from constituents who have waited years for essential procedures such as hip or knee replacements. 

These delays force people to endure chronic pain and reduced mobility, even though identical operations could be completed within months just over the border in England. This situation is not inevitable. These extended waiting times are caused by a lack of funding, creating avoidable and unjust delays for people living in Mid Wales. This is a political choice.

That is why I have taken this fight directly to Parliament. I have already secured a national debate on cross border healthcare, ensuring that the voices of Mid Wales residents are heard at the highest level.

 I have challenged ministers from both the Welsh and UK Governments and pressed them to end this unfair system once and for all. This is only the beginning. 

I will continue driving this issue forward until our communities receive the fair, compassionate and timely healthcare they deserve.

Whether you are celebrating or not, I wish all my constituents a peaceful and happy new year. And if you are working, I thank you for everything you do to support our communities across Mid Wales.

As always, if I can assist you in any way, please contact me at david.chadwick.mp@parliament.uk or on 01792 316380.