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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED to agree the motion as presented.
RESOLVED to: 1. Approve the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 – 2030/31.
RESOLVED to approve: 1) the role description, person specification and criteria (Appendix 1&2). 2) Membership of the Selection /Interview Panel as follows: • Chair of the Council (and in absence, Vice Chair); • Chair and Vice Chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee (or other independent members nominated by the Monitoring Officer as necessary) • Town and Community Council representative nominated by One Voice Wales. • Independent/Lay Panel member (Chair of the selection panel) (nominated by the Monitoring Officer) 3) To appoint Alan Davies as a lay member on to the Mid Wales CJC Standards Sub-Committee.
RESOLVED: 1) To approve Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration and Carbon Management as a member of the Local Access Forum for a term of up to 3 years; and 2) that the applicants, 1-19 indicated in Appendix 1 of the report, be appointed to the Local Access Forum for the period 2025-2028.
Councillors Ceris Jones and Carl Worrall apologised for their inability to attend the meeting.
· Councillor Euros Davies declared a personal and prejudicial interest in relation to minute 6 below, and withdrew from the meeting during discussions; · Councillors Bryan Davies, Gethin Davies, Ifan Davies, Marc Davies, Meirion Davies, Keith Evans, Rhodri Evans, Wyn Evans, Chris James, Gwyn James, Gareth Lloyd, John Roberts, Mark Strong and Alun Williams declared a personal interest in relation to minute 6 below; · Eifion Evans, Chief Executive on behalf of all Officers present declared a personal interest in relation to minute 6 in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Local Government.
The Chairman of the Council, Councillor Ann Bowen Morgan extended her condolences to the family and friends of Dave Daycock, Monitoring Officer for the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Services following their recent bereavement and to the family and friend of Richard Martin following their recent bereavement. Richard Martin was a Lay Member of the School Admissions Panel for several years providing an important service to Ceredigion County Council. The Chair also congratulated the following: a) Ceredigion County Council on receiving a Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Gold Award; b) Ceredigion Youth Service on receiving a Bronze Quality Mark for Youth Work in Wales; c) Roger Thomas, the Chief Fire Officer for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service upon his retirement; d) Ifan Charles on his appointment as Chief Constable of Dyfed-Powys Police; e) Ceredigion Young Farmers’ on a successful 2025 Rali; f) ‘Y Seler’, Aberaeron on receiving Outstanding Achievement Award in the Restaurant of the Year category at the Food Awards Wales 2025; g) ‘The Ship Inn’, Aberporth on receiving the Best Bar and Grill Award at the Food Awards Wales 2025; h) ‘Clarach Bay Holiday Village’ on winning the Best Holiday Park in Wales at the Welsh Hospitality Awards 2025; i) ‘LanoTech’ based in Aberystwyth on winning the Best Rural StartUp at the UK National StartUp Awards 2025; j) Congratulations to everyone that competed at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show this year; k) Congratulations to everyone that competed at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham this year; l) Wenna Bevan Jones, Llandysul on receiving the R Alun Evans Medal at the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham; m) Barbara Roberts, Aberaeron on received the Aled Roberts Memorial prize; n) Nest Jenkins from Lledrod, Professor Ann Parry Owen, and Gareth Wiliam from Bow Street on being admitted as new members to the Gorsedd; o) Hawys Richards on winning a Gold Medal at the World Transplant games; p) Mike Davies, Works Leader, Highways and Environment Services and Edward Land, ICT Service Delivery Manager, on being selected to represent Wales in the Marathon against England at Abingdon, Oxford recently; q) Councillor Carl Worrall on being selected Manager of the Wales Fishing Team and his wife Pam Worral a member of the team who completed in Portugal in September; r) Owen Jac Roberts, Leia Vobe and Reuben Learwill from Ceredigion who will be competing at a gymnastics competition in Portugal next week; s) Rali Ceredigion following a recent and very successful event.
The Chair of the Council welcomed Iwan Cray, Deputy-Chief Fire Officer, Stephen Phillips, the Deputy Section 151 Officer, and Councillor John Davies, Chair of the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority to the meeting. Iwan Cray and Stephen Philips gave an overview of the Community Risk Management Plan 2040, their vision to deliver the best possible service for the communities of Mid and West Wales, and the current and future challenges in terms of culture, climate change, medical response, the estate, succession planning and finance and governance. It was noted that the revenue budget requirement for 2025/26 had been set at 6.3%, reducing to 3.1% for 2026/27 and 3.2% for 2027/28. Councillor Bryan Davies thanked the Officers for their presentation, noting the excellence service provided by the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Services as well as other services such as the Coastguards, the RNLI and social services who save lives. However, if the levy increases significantly, the Council Tax will need to be increased accordingly, or other services provided by the Council will have to be cut. He also noted that Ceredigion County Council had recently submitted a response to the Welsh Government’s consultation upon the Reform of Fire and Rescue Authorities in Wales noting that the current Levying arrangements aren’t conducive to the role of local authority as it brings with it an entirely different relationship as distinct from, for example, the Police Authority and its precept arranging where it is directly accountable to the local Council Taxpayer. Councillor John Davies, Chair of the Mid and West Wales Fire Authority agreed that the levying arrangements were not working, and that from his experience with Heddlu Dyfed-Powys Police, the precept arrangement provides a direct line of accountability to taxpayers. He noted that they had also responded to the consultation, and that this was an opportunity to review the costing and profile of the service which had resulted in a reduction to the salary of the Chief Fire Officer with a saving of £24k. He noted that ensuring value for money was a priority whilst balancing this with risks. Councillor Elizabeth Evans asked whether discussion regarding the location of the Aberaeron Fire Station were still ongoing, and Iwan Cray, the Deputy Fire Officer confirmed that he welcomed the opportunity to discuss this further. He highlighted his concerns regarding the condition of the estate in general, which would be funded from reserves. Eifion Evans, Chief Executive noted the importance of airing these discussions in a public forum, noting that the condition of the estate was also a concern for Ceredigion County Council. He noted his disappointment that there is no quality improvement plan for care homes, and that the Council was putting pressure on the Welsh Government to develop a plan similar to that for 21st Century Schools. He also noted that the increased levy, the need to improve the infrastructure and the endless requirements and duties placed upon the Authority by the Fire Service such as replacing fire doors at every location was placing additional pressure on taxpayers as there are no financial resources available to absorb these significant costs. Eifion Evans noted that the anticipated settlement for the Council from Welsh Government was unlikely to be above 3.1%, and that this was the 3rd year that they Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Services has set a levy that was considerably higher than that received by Ceredigion County Council. He also noted that the map of Fire Stations showed that Ceredigion was heavily reliant on volunteers who do an excellent job compared with areas such as Swansea which have 24 hour full-time employees, and asked that the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service apply a fairer approach to the levy, as the residents of Ceredigion pay more per head compared to other authorities. Councillor Keith Henson asked whether the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service had established the level of risk resulting from the Wales Building Safety Bill, and how much this would cost in Ceredigion. Councillor John Davies confirmed that he did not have any figures at present, however they would look into the matter. Councillor Keith Evans noted his disappointment that there had been no opportunities to discuss the Fire Station in Llandysul. Councillor Marc Davies enquired about the Cultural Change Programme, and Iwan Cray confirmed that this is an important piece of work focussing on training and ‘active bystanders’. Councillor Shelley Childs addressed a local concern, asking if parking on both sides of narrow roads was a cause for concern in terms of access. He acknowledged that this is a Police matter, and Iwan Cray confirmed that they had run a small campaign a few months ago, and that smaller vehicles are mobolised where the problem is known. Iwan Cray offered to discuss this matter following the meeting, and Councillor Shelley Childs recommended that a discussion take place which also involved the police and other partners. Councillor Ann Bowen Morgan, Chair of the Council thanked the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service for their presentation. This was re-iterated by Members.
4 To confirm the Minutes of the Meetings of the Council held on 17 July 2025 It was RESOLVED to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Council meeting held on 17 July 2025. Matters arising Councillor Rhodri Evans asked if the work to realign pay grades at all levels had commenced. Eifion Evans the Chief Executive confirmed that a scoping exercise to establish a timeline was being developed and that work would continue over the next few months. It was confirmed that this would not affect the budget for 2026/27.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to agree the motion as presented.
Councillor Euros Davies withdrew from the meeting during discussions. Proposer: Councillor Endaf Edwards Seconder: Councillor Catrin M S Davies This Council notes: The ongoing and deeply concerning conflict in Gaza has led to significant loss of innocent life and widespread humanitarian suffering. Despite a temporary ceasefire in January 2025, hostilities have resumed, and conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate. This Council further notes: The Dyfed Pension Fund has confirmed that approximately £1.5 million around 0.04% of its total assets-is directly invested in companies based in Israel. This Council believes: Public sector pension fund investments in Ceredigion and across Wales should not support war crimes, human rights violations, or breaches of international law, regardless of financial returns. While the Dyfed Pension Fund Committee operates independently of Ceredigion County Council's political structures, Council has the right to express its views on matters of ethical concern. Ceredigion County Council should strive to be a leader in responsible and ethical investment, reflecting its core values of justice, sustainability, and international solidarity. This Council resolves: 1. To reaffirm Ceredigion's commitment to ethical governance and global justice, aligning local decision-making with principles of sustainability and respect for international law. 2. To express, in the strongest terms, that it does not wish to be associated with companies potentially complicit in war crimes or human rights violations. 3. To write to the Welsh Pension Partnership, conveying these concerns and requesting a review of current investments, with consideration for divestment in line with fiduciary duties, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) risks, and its Responsible Investment Strategy. 4. To request that the Dyfed Pension Fund and Welsh Pension Partnership strengthen their ethical investment policies, ensuring robust due diligence before any investment-particularly regarding potential complicity in human rights violations. 5. To call on the Dyfed Pension Fund Committee and Welsh Pension Partnership to regularly review and publicly report on progress toward divestment from unethical holdings, and to provide transparency on how ethical considerations are integrated into investment decisions. Councillor Endaf Edwards, Peace Ambassador for Ceredigion County Council presented the notice of motion highlighting the atrocities of the conflict, the loss of innocent lives, humanitarian suffering, wide-spread destruction and the ongoing famine. He noted that Gaza is a coastal strip of land 41km long and between 6km and 12km wide, similar to the distance from New Quay to Ynyslas. Gaza has a total area of 360 square kilometres compared to Wales which has a total area of 20,800 square kilometres. Councillor Catrin M S Davies outlined her personal experiences whilst visiting the areas, asking that Councillors support the motion to disinvest from unethical holdings of Israeli businesses in Gaza. Members condemed both the horrific attach by the terrorists of Hamas on 7th October 2023 and the response by the Israeli Government which resulted in a devastating human toll among innocent civilians in Gaza, noting that their thought went out to survivors and the family and friends of those who lost their lives. However, they noted that an association between companies in which the Dyfed Pension scheme invest, and any potentially complicity in war crimes and human rights violations had not been evidenced. They also noted that Ceredigion County Council employees had not been consulted upon this matter. Councillor Elizabeth Evans proposed an improvement to the Notice of Motion, removing items 2,3 and 4 from the original proposal as follows: This Council resolves: • To reaffirm Ceredigion's commitment to ethical governance and global justice, aligning local decision-making with principles of sustainability and respect for international law. • To call on the Dyfed Pension Fund Committee and Welsh Pension Partnership to regularly review and publicly report on progress toward divestment from unethical holdings, and to provide transparency on how ethical considerations are integrated into investment decisions. This was seconded by Councillor Rhodri Evans. Councillor Hugh Hughes proposed an alternative improvement to the Notice of Motion, making the proposal much broader, solidifying ethical investments moving forward, as follows: This Council resolves: • To reaffirm Ceredigion's commitment to ethical governance and global justice, aligning local decision-making with principles of sustainability and respect for international law. • Ceredigion County Council does not wish to be associated with companies that breach international law as defined by the United Nations • Dyfed Pension Fund Committee and Welsh Pension Partnership must review and be explicit about their ethical investment policy including matters relating to human rights, environmental, social and governance. This was seconded by Councillor Caryl Roberts. Members were advised to vote on the second improvement first as proposed by Councillor Hugh Hughes; however following a vote, this proposed improvement was not carried. Members subsequently voted on the first improvement proposed by Councillor Elizabeth Evans; and following a vote this proposed improvement was not carried either. Following a further vote on the original notice of motion, it was RESOLVED to agree the motion as presented.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to: 1. Approve the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 – 2030/31.
Councillor Gareth Davies, Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement presented the report to Council noting that the Medium Term Financial Strategy is update on an annual basis, providing an overarching approach that the Council will need to adopt in aiming to achieve its priorities, taking into account the external legislative, economic environment and indicative projected spending pressures and funding during this period. He noted that the Medium-Term Financial Strategy had been considered by the Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee at its meeting on 29 September 2025, and by Cabinet on 7 October 2025 where it had been recommended for approval by Council. He highlighted the key budget priorities that had been achieved, which included Ysgol Dyffryn Aeron; the Community Housing Scheme; the first Wellbeing Centre in Lampeter; the Aberaeron Coastal Defence Scheme in Aberaeron; 2 new Children’s in county facilities; the Centre for Independent Living in Penmorfa; the relocation of residents from Tregerddan into Hafan y Waun, optimising building usage to include working with the Hywel Dda University Health Board; attracting major national events to Ceredigion; and the introduction of Electric Vehicles for parking services. Councillor Gareth Davies gave an outline of the financial challenges, and scenarios based upon indicative Welsh Government settlements and Council Tax increases, which would lead to a headline Budget Gap of £6.7m over the next 5 years, reducing to a budget shortfall of £3.5m after factoring in an annual Budget Reductions target through continuous improvement measures and decisions already made. He noted that Audit Wales had made several positive comments in their review of the Council’s Financial Sustainability, recommending that the period of Financial Strategy planning was extended, and as such the Medium-Term Financial Strategy now extends over a period of 5 years. However, continued financial sustainability is unrealistic and unachievable, and the only other alternative would be to reduce front-line services which would require considerable political decision-making. Councillor Gareth Davies gave an overview of the external regulators’ review of the Council’s performance, including Care Inspectorate Wales, Estyn and Audit Wales which have largely been very positive and complimentary about the Council’s performance. He noted that gearing ratio for Ceredigion between the Welsh Government Settlement to Council Tax had reduced from 80:20 to 69:31 over the past 10 years, whilst other authorities such as Caerphilly receive a much higher settlement resulting in a gearing ratio of 79:21. In addition to this, Ceredigion has the highest proportion of properties in Band E compared to other Authorities in Wales which have significantly more properties in the lower Band categories, whilst cost pressures and inflation are higher in Ceredigion due to the demographic shift of an ageing population and a significant reduction in school pupil numbers. Councillor Rhodri Evans, Vice-Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Corporate Resources Committee noted that the report received an interesting and constructive debate during its meeting held on 29 September 2025. He noted that the report was well-written and thanked the Finance Team for all their hard work in preparing the Medium-Term Financial Strategy. He noted that the committee had considered the budget priorities, the cost pressures and the Welsh Government funding, and that they had requested additional information regarding the Council Tax collection rate. Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council thanked Officers for the detailed report, noting the continued lobbying of the Welsh Government and the UK Government to provide additional funding. Following a discussion and a vote it was unanimously RESOLVED to: 1. Approve the Medium-Term Financial Strategy 2026/27 – 2030/31.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve: 1) the role description, person specification and criteria (Appendix 1&2). 2) Membership of the Selection /Interview Panel as follows: • Chair of the Council (and in absence, Vice Chair); • Chair and Vice Chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee (or other independent members nominated by the Monitoring Officer as necessary) • Town and Community Council representative nominated by One Voice Wales. • Independent/Lay Panel member (Chair of the selection panel) (nominated by the Monitoring Officer) 3) To appoint Alan Davies as a lay member on to the Mid Wales CJC Standards Sub-Committee.
Councillor Matthew Vaux, Cabinet Member for Partnerships, Housing, Legal and Governance and Public Protection presented the report to Council noting that following the resignation of Carol Edwards, it was necessary to recruit a new independent member to the Ethics and Standards Committee to maintain the Committee’s composition, as set out in the Constitution, and as required by legislation. He noted that the role description, person specification and criteria and membership of the Selection / Interview Panel was last considered by Council on 13 July 2023, and that the Council was being asked to endorse the above and to nominate one of the remaining lay members for the role of the Mid Wales CJC Standards Sub-Committee in place of Carol Edwards and excluding the Chair and Vice-Chair. It was RESOLVED to approve: 1) the role description, person specification and criteria (Appendix 1&2). 2) Membership of the Selection /Interview Panel as follows: • Chair of the Council (and in absence, Vice Chair); • Chair and Vice Chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee (or other independent members nominated by the Monitoring Officer as necessary) • Town and Community Council representative nominated by One Voice Wales. • Independent/Lay Panel member (Chair of the selection panel) (nominated by the Monitoring Officer) 3) To appoint Alan Davies as a lay member on to the Mid Wales CJC Standards Sub-Committee.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1) To approve Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration and Carbon Management as a member of the Local Access Forum for a term of up to 3 years; and 2) that the applicants, 1-19 indicated in Appendix 1 of the report, be appointed to the Local Access Forum for the period 2025-2028.
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council presented the report to the Council noting that in accordance with regulation 6(1) and 6(2) of the Countryside Access (Local Access Forum)(Wales) Regulations 2001, the Council is required to appoint one Council Member for a term of up to 3 years, in addition to the remaining members of the Local Access Forum for the period 2025 to 2028. Following a recruitment campaign a total of 19 applications for new members had been submitted to include Alison Smart, Aeron Jenkins, Andre Francis, Elin Jones, Mark Webb, Felicity Wills, Glyn Davies, Mina Morel, Richard Evans, James Wiliams, Tom Cowcher, Maurice Kyle, Peter White, Helen Donan, Robert Griffiths, Richard Price, Merris Griffiths, Matthew Cole and Chris Morel. Following a vote, the Council RESOLVED: 1) To approve Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration and Carbon Management as a member of the Local Access Forum for a term of up to 3 years; and 2) that the applicants, 1-19 indicated in Appendix 1 of the report, be appointed to the Local Access Forum for the period 2025-2028.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.