Y Bont: 2004: August: Cllr. Webb

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Awst 2004 August

Fifty Five Years of Dedicated Public Service - A Hard Act to Follow

Councillor Rhys Webb is retiring after 55 years of extremely full and unbroken public service and as probably the longest serving County Councillor in Wales with 46 years service.

He first became involved in politics in 1949 when he was elected to the Community Council of Llansantffraid Glyn Dyfrdwy, but by 1958 was standing as an independent candidate for Merioneth County Council. Having been elected, he continued to the present day as County Councillor for Edeyrnion, seeing changes to the County boundaries and County names. He always remained an Independent candidate believing it allowed him to serve his constituents best by not having to follow party lines.

During a distinguished career he became involved in a wide range of local government and charitable activities and was chairman of a number of committees including: Policy Finance and Resources, Highways Planning and Transportation, Culture Libraries and Recreation.

From 1959 to 1974 he also served on many Hospital Management Committees including the Wrexham Maelor and the old North Wales Hospital and was a member of Merioneth Health Committee.

In 1969 he was created Alderman and in 1972 became the Chairman of Merioneth County Council and in 1982 the Chairman of Clwyd County Council, shortly afterwards becoming the leader of the Independent Councillors Group.

1995 saw him elected as the first Chairman of Denbighshire County Council and Deputy Presiding officer of the Welsh Local Government Association.

He has also served on the Board of the Land Authority for Wales and North Wales Police Authority for twenty years where he became Chairman. Somehow, in between these political activities, he also managed to be:

• a Governor of Theatr Clwyd and for four years the Chair of Governors.
• since 1949 a Governor of Ysgol Carrog and since 1974 also Governor of Ysgol Dinas Bran
• for 23 years a Justice of the Peace and later Chairman of the Bench
• for four years a member of the Sports Council for Wales

Amongst his many achievements it should not be forgotten that he was instrumental in ensuring Gysgod y Gaer and the Health Centre were built in Corwen and that a grant was given for the Sports Pavillion. In 1996 he was awarded the OBE for services to the community.

Asked which aspects of his career he had most enjoyed, he picked out his fourteen years serving on the Land Authority for Wales and his twenty years on the Police Authority, an important and rewarding role

He says, “I would like to thank everyone in Edeyrnion for their support over all these years and particularly the people of Carrog and Parc but most especially my wife Valmai. Without her support, forbearance and understanding I could not have become, and remained, a Councillor for so long. I would also like to wish Nigel well and hope he finds the experience as rewarding as I have.” His one disappointment is that Corwen Common (the 14 acres around the Pavillion) was not fully sorted out before his retirement but he believes this will happen within a couple of years bringing an extension to the Railway, a better Pavillion and many other benefits.

As a highly respected Councillor, Rhys Webb put Carrog firmly on the map. As anyone having cause to contact Denbighshire County Council will know, there is rarely, if ever, a necessity to explain where Carrog is. Now, for the first time in 46 years there will be no direct link between this village and the County Council and perhaps one of the changes we will notice is when an enquiry at the County Council results in the question, “Carrog? Now where is that?” We wish both he and Valmai a long, happy and active retirement.