Llanbradach councillor Colin Mann awarded at Plaid Cymru conference

Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell presenting Cllr Colin Mann with his contribution award

A veteran councillor has been honoured at his party’s annual conference, nearly five decades after he was first elected.

Llanbradach’s Colin Mann, who first became a councillor in 1977, was presented with a special contribution award at the Plaid Cymru party conference in Swansea over the weekend.

Cllr Mann, a former group leader of his party on Caerphilly County Borough Council, was presented his award by South Wales East MS Delyth Jewell, Plaid’s deputy leader.

He joined the party at the time of the 1968 Westminster by-election in Caerphilly, and was first elected to the former Mid Glamorgan County Council in 1977.

Cllr Mann has also been a member of Llanbradach and Pwllypant Community Council since it was established in the 1980s.

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He said: “I’ve been continuously re-elected to all of the above since being voted in the first time thanks to the wonderful support of the people of Llanbradach. A total of 13 times, I believe.

In a response in conference he said: “I was not looking for an award and certainly not expecting one.”

He continued: “I mentioned that I was elected at the same time as a certain [Plaid Cymru council group leader and Caerphilly Senedd by-election candidate] Lindsay Whittle”.

Discussing his achievements in that time, he said: “We had a huge campaign to get the Llanbradach bypass built with numerous meetings, petitions to the Welsh Office and all sorts of lobbying.

“We actually had a meeting attended by 600 people in the former church when there was a threat to suspend planning on the road.

“We also had a 22-year campaign for our new GP surgery before it opened during Covid in July 2021.

“One of the latest high-profile issues that I’m involved with is the campaign to restore the area of Bluebell Wood which had been excavated. We are now in the process of getting the land back for the community.”

Cllr Mann added: “Support is vitally important to anyone doing this type of work and I paid tribute at conference to my wife Diane for the huge support that she has given me over the years.”

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Plaid Cymru

Long-serving councillor honoured at Plaid Cymru party conference

Caerphilly’s by-election candidates for October 23

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