Wrthi'n llwytho
Y penderfyniadau fel y mae cofnodion y cyngor yn eu cofnodi. Bydd crynodeb mewn iaith glir yn dilyn pan fydd wedi'i ysgrifennu.
RESOLVED that, subject to the above point of accuracy in the Welsh version, the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2026 be received and confirmed as a correct record.
RESOLVED that Cabinet approve and formally adopt the Policy to facilitate and encourage the internal use of Welsh.
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approve the Community Engagement Policy, Public Participation Strategy and Petitions Scheme as presented, and (b) commits to a review process for all three documents at least once after every Local Council election with the first review during 2029 which would allow the documents time to be embedded into the Council’s way of working.
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approves the award of the contract in order to develop a new building to facilitate the safe and correct storage of salt for the purpose of winter maintenance operations, which are servicing the north of the county, and (b) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix B to the report) as part of its consideration.
RESOLVED that Cabinet’s forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 11.10 am.
Councillor Diane King, Lead Member for Education, Children and Families
No declarations of interest had been raised.
No urgent matters had been raised.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that, subject to the above point of accuracy in the Welsh version, the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2026 be received and confirmed as a correct record.
The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 24 March 2026 were submitted. Accuracy – Page 5, Also Present – Councillor Emrys Wynne pointed out that the names of observing councillors had been replicated in the ‘Also Present’ section of the Welsh version of the minutes. RESOLVED that, subject to the above point of accuracy in the Welsh version, the minutes of the meeting held on 24 March 2026 be received and confirmed as a correct record.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that Cabinet approve and formally adopt the Policy to facilitate and encourage the internal use of Welsh.
Councillor Emrys Wynne presented the report seeking Cabinet approval and adoption of the new policy to facilitate and encourage the internal use of Welsh. The policy had been created in response to legal requirements and aimed to increase the daily use of Welsh in the workplace and support the national aim of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050. The policy also aligned with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Strategy which identified the workplace as a key area for maintaining and growing the use of Welsh, particularly to prevent a decline in speakers after leaving education. The policy had been attached to the report. Councillor Wynne emphasised the important role of the workplace in the daily use of Welsh and strengthening the Council’s existing provision to develop a purposeful policy which, together with the work of key partners including health, would improve Welsh services, opportunities to use Welsh, and increase the status of Welsh. He also thanked the officers involved for their hard work in formulating the new policy. The Head of Corporate Support Services: People, Welsh Language Officer and the Communications and Engagement Manager attended for this item. The Head of Service advised that the policy facilitated more use of Welsh in the workplace at a level staff were comfortable with. The policy had been developed after looking at good practice in other organisations and consultation with Welsh Language Champions, Cabinet Lead Member, Welsh Language Steering Committee and Senior Leadership Team who were supportive of the policy. One change to the policy was highlighted: the percentage of respondents to the latest staff survey who ‘agree or strongly agree’ with the statement ‘the council supports and encourages the use of Welsh in the workplace’ increased from 84% to 85.3%. The Welsh Language Officer guided Cabinet through the detail of the policy, to build on the existing good work that had taken place and use existing resources to adapt and strengthen the Council’s approach to create more opportunities for staff to use Welsh. There was a focus on creating an environment where Welsh could thrive, through leadership, building confidence and administrative infrastructure with clear guidance in place. The action plan included a mix of existing practices and additional steps to be more innovative which were further elaborated on at the meeting. It was suggested that the policy be reviewed every year and adjusted after five years to ensure the action points were still relevant to the Council’s priorities. Cabinet welcomed the detailed new policy and considered it to be well thought out, building effectively on the current good practice already in existence. It set out how staff could be supported, whatever their level of Welsh, though positive measures, fostering and embedding the natural use of Welsh in the workplace. Key themes included building staff confidence, creating opportunities, and providing support. During the ensuing debate, main points of discussion focused on the following – · members highlighted the important role of the Welsh Language Champions in supporting individual teams and officers confirmed there was no limit on the number of positions. Additional champions would be welcomed, including those with Welsh learner backgrounds who could also serve as role models · the action plan included promoting drafting in Welsh from the outset with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s guidance awaited. Given the significance of that action with a mindset of Welsh first officers agreed to proceed with its implementation and develop the guidance to support staff in this activity with any subsequent advice from the Commissioner incorporated as appropriate · it was noted that the policy had received some negative press coverage with the policy’s intention to encourage staff and provide opportunities to develop skills and use Welsh as widely as possible being misrepresented. However, it was noted that there had also been some very positive responses to the new policy · it was a requirement under the Welsh Language Standards to assess the linguistic requirements of each role within the Council. The intention was to develop a database categorising the level of Welsh language skills required for each role, to inform recruitment by setting clear expectations in job advertisements and to support workforce planning. Training would be planned to meet needs and support staff in attaining the required level to undertake roles across the Council. There were 5 levels of Welsh language skills with managers typically determining the appropriate level for each role which formed part of the job description, providing greater clarify and encouraging prospective applicants · to better aid understanding of the policy’s intentions, it was agreed to replace the word ‘Target’ with ‘Support’ to read ‘Support departments with low performance in mystery shopper exercises to receive the training’. Councillor Emrys Wynne also commended those who participated in the recent North East Wales Welsh Learners’ Eisteddfod held at Queen’s Market in Rhyl, reporting that it was a positive and successful event that benefited all involved. RESOLVED that Cabinet approve and formally adopt the Policy to facilitate and encourage the internal use of Welsh.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approve the Community Engagement Policy, Public Participation Strategy and Petitions Scheme as presented, and (b) commits to a review process for all three documents at least once after every Local Council election with the first review during 2029 which would allow the documents time to be embedded into the Council’s way of working.
Councillor Julie Matthews presented the report and draft Community Engagement Policy, Public Participation Strategy and Petitions Scheme to Cabinet for approval. A brief summary of each document was provided as follows – Community Engagement Policy – had been developed as the culmination of a three-year research project in response to the Council not having a formal, organisation-wide approach to managing consultation and engagement activities. The policy aimed to set out clear principles for listening to and engaging with residents and other stakeholders, provide clear definitions of the types of engagement and consultation that may be undertaken and outlined the methods and techniques appropriate to each type of engagement Public Participation Strategy – was a legislative requirement introduced mid-way through the research cycle for the development of the Engagement Policy which required the Council to outline existing mechanisms for facilitating public participation and how they could be improved. Although the documents were similar the Participation Strategy was more limited in scope and it was decided to develop both documents in tandem but keep them separate. The Participation Strategy let people see at a glance how they could get involved and the Engagement Policy provided a more robust set of guidelines for what that involvement would look like. Petitions Scheme – was a further legislative requirement for an administrative document providing guidance on how the Council would accept and respond to any petitions made to the Council. The Head of Corporate Support Service: People, Public Engagement Officer and Communications and Engagement Manager were in attendance. The documents had been developed following an extensive consultation and engagement process which had received strong support from residents, and there was a commitment to review them regularly. Subject to approval of the documentation, work would commence to raise awareness among the public and internal staff, and the necessary support would be provided to ensure they were used to best effect. Cabinet welcomed the documentation, emphasising the importance of incorporating residents’ views as part of the process and ensuring that constructive feedback was used to influence and inform decision-making through a clear and transparent process for all involved. The inclusion of visual aids, such as tables, to summarise key points was positively received, and it was suggested that greater use be made of infographics and similar tools in future to enhance understanding and engagement, particularly when presenting more detailed or technical information. The following issues were raised during the subsequent debate – · details were provided of internal work with staff to support the rollout of the new documentation, ensuring a clear understanding of expectations in relation to involving communities in decisions that affected them, and of how best to carry out such engagement to manage expectations and maintain clarity · additional information was provided on the range of external communication methods employed, including County Voice which had experienced a significant increase in user engagement, and social media utilising both the corporate account and relevant local community channels to target specific audiences. Response rates had improved through consistent delivery of messages alongside the provision of additional supporting materials such as question-and-answer (Q&A) sheets. Work with services would further assist in identifying the most effective communication methods · the importance of ensuring the involvement of groups specifically affected by particular decisions, and of engaging with them in an appropriate manner, was recognised. It was noted that response rates among young people were comparatively lower than those of older age groups. Officers advised that supporting materials would accompany the documentation, identifying key groups for engagement, and communication methods would continue to be reviewed to determine the most effective way of engaging different audiences, including young people, going forward. The Leader referred to a recent meeting with City, Town and Community Councils where the importance of community engagement was emphasised. He highlighted the need for early engagement with residents, City, Town and Community Councils and stakeholders on matters affecting them at the earliest possible stage. RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approve the Community Engagement Policy, Public Participation Strategy and Petitions Scheme as presented, and (b) commits to a review process for all three documents at least once after every Local Council election with the first review during 2029 which would allow the documents time to be embedded into the Council’s way of working.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approves the award of the contract in order to develop a new building to facilitate the safe and correct storage of salt for the purpose of winter maintenance operations, which are servicing the north of the county, and (b) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix B to the report) as part of its consideration.
Councillor Barry Mellor presented the report seeking Cabinet approval to appoint a contractor to progress the salt barns project after successful completion of the tender process. The Commissioning and Award Report had been included as a confidential appendix due to commercial sensitivity and Cabinet was advised to exclude the press and public if they wished to discuss that element of the report. Cabinet was reminded that the project had been developed due to issues with the salt storage facilities which led to environmental concerns and a risk to the resilience of the service’s winter operations. The provision of fit for purpose new salt storage facilities would provide a more efficient working environment and ensure compliance with environmental standards, and provide further resilience for winter maintenance and adverse weather service delivery. The business case and funding for the project had been supported previously by the Asset Management Group and Capital Scrutiny Group, and Cabinet had previously approved the project, funding allocation and the procurement exercise. Given the tender estimate was above the £2m threshold Cabinet approval was required to award the contract. Cabinet discussed the project with the Works Unit and Streetscene Manager, noting it had arisen in response to environmental concerns raised by Natural Resources Wales over salt runoff from existing salt storage facilities into watercourses, as well as issues relating to the resilience of winter service operations. The project would address both matters by enabling salt to be stored appropriately thereby preventing runoff, reducing moisture content, and improving its effectiveness going forward. Cabinet remained supportive of the project and the benefits it would deliver. Members had also been pleased to note that the project had been subject to the appropriate scrutiny through the relevant democratic processes, including the Asset Management Group and the Capital Scrutiny Group. In terms of timescales, subject to Cabinet approval to award the contract and progress the scheme, it was anticipated that construction would commence later this year. RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approves the award of the contract in order to develop a new building to facilitate the safe and correct storage of salt for the purpose of winter maintenance operations, which are servicing the north of the county, and (b) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix B to the report) as part of its consideration.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED that Cabinet’s forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 11.10 am.
The Cabinet forward work programme was presented for consideration and members noted the following additions – · Medium Term Financial Strategy and Plan – added to May · Low Carbon Heat Grant for County Hall – added to May RESOLVED that Cabinet’s forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 11.10 am.
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