New Mayor elected for Welshpool

Cllr Revd Bill Rowell has been elected as the new Mayor of Welshpool, stepping up unopposed from the Deputy Mayor position he held under previous mayor, Cllr Phil Owen.

Cllr Rowell has enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks having only joined the council in September 2024, and he is now expected to be the town’s Mayor when the Tour de France rolls into Welshpool in July 2027.

That is because mayors generally take on two yearly terms in Welshpool, should they so wish.

He was nominated by Cllr Morag Bailey, seconded by Phil Pritchard, and was voted in unanimously at last night’s annual meeting. Cllr Bailey will take the chains as Deputy.

“Thank-you for your confidence in me and I hope I can live up to it,” said Cllr Rowell.

“I want to express my huge appreciation to outgoing mayor Phil Owen. At a time of immense change and quite a lot of challenge to this council, we had exactly the right person in the post.”

Cllr Rowell joined the council following a by-election for the Gungrog Ward.