DOLGELLAU councillor Dyfrig Siencyn has been elected as the new leader of Gwynedd Council.

He was elected on 18 May at the first full council meeting following the recent local elections.

A Gwynedd councillor for the North Dolgellau ward, Cllr Siencyn has been deputy leader of the council since 2014, and leads the Plaid Cymru group on the council.

On his election he said: “I am proud to accept the role of leading Gwynedd Council, and I look forward to working side by side with my fellow members and council officers.

“Despite the pressures we face from several directions, we have a vision and ambition to deliver on behalf of the residents of Gwynedd.

“As a council, we can take pride in what we have achieved over the years, and we will continue to provide firm leadership nationally in our work to promote the use of the Welsh language.”

During the meeting of the full council, Cllr Siencyn noted that he will be appointing Cllr Mair Rowlands (Bangor – Menai) as deputy leader.

Before becoming a council Cabinet member, Cllr Siencyn was chief executive of Farmers Marts Dolgellau, an agricultural cooperative company.

He is a registered rural valuer.

Cllr Siencyn succeeds Dyfed Edwards as leader of Gwynedd Council, who stood down as a councillor at the recent local government elections having served as leader for nine years.

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