New Caerphilly Leader vows to tackle key issues including A469 repairs

The new Leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council has pledged to take positive action to improve the lives of residents across the borough by “getting things done”.

Cllr Jamie Pritchard, aged 40, has become the youngest leader in Caerphilly County Borough’s history. He previously served as Deputy Leader, holding the Regeneration brief since 2021 and has represented the Morgan Jones Ward for the last 13 years.

He was elected as Leader at a meeting of Full Council on Tuesday 11th November, following the resignation of the former Leader back in September.

On day one as leader, he has pledged to address the long-awaited repair work to the A469 between Tirphil and Pontlottyn. The road has been impacted by ground movement over recent years and is in need of significant structural work to stabilise the site.

“I’m delighted to be elected Leader of Council and I will dedicate all my energy helping to improve the lives of residents in communities across the whole county borough. I will be in every corner of the county borough, meeting with people and hearing from the community,” said Cllr Pritchard.

“The ongoing issues with the A469 are having a significant impact on residents and businesses in the Upper Rhymney Valley, so I want to take swift and decisive action to get this done.”

“I have had urgent discussions within the council to identify the funding needed to deliver an engineering solution as quickly as possible. I am re-issuing our call to Welsh Government to support us in undertaking these priority works as a matter of urgency,” he added.

The council has previously appointed specialist consultants to carry out a range of ground investigations and geotechnical analysis at the site. This has enabled extensive analysis and understanding of the complex conditions that have caused the deterioration of the A469.

Cllr Pritchard has pledged to keep the community updated over the coming weeks about the financial options and next steps.

The new Leader has also announced that Cllr Shayne Cook and Cllr Carol Andrews will become Deputy Leaders and Cllr Amanda McConnell will be the new Cabinet Member for Climate Change.