Busnes diweddaraf y cynghorau

Gwynedd, Y Cyngor, 5 Mawrth 2026

Budget 2026/27

RESOLVED 1. To establish a budget of £379,701,110 for 2026/27 to be funded through a Government Grant of £264,009,390 and £115,691,720 of Council Tax income (which is a base increase of 4.75% plus a further 0.42% to cover the levy from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, which gives a total of 5.17%) 2. To establish a capital programme of £40,179,430 in 2026/27, to be funded from the sources set out in Appendix 4 of the report.

Pynciau: Cyllideb a'r dreth gyngor

Gwynedd, Y Cyngor, 5 Mawrth 2026

Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) - Updating the Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA)

RESOLVED The amendments to the Inter-Authority Agreement (IAA) for the Wales Pension Partnership were accepted. The Head of Legal Department, in consultation with the Head of Finance, was authorised to take the necessary actions to complete the agreement.

Gwynedd, Y Cyngor, 5 Mawrth 2026

Amendments to the Members Code of Conduct and the Councils Whistle Blowing Policy

RESOLVED 1. To adopt the amendments to the Principles of Conduct and Members' Code of Conduct in accordance with the statutory requirement. The Council is also asked to authorise the Monitoring Officer to amend the Local Resolution Procedure to correspond with the Code of Conduct where these provisions are referenced. 2. The content of the revised Whistle-blowing Policy was set out in the Constitution.

Pynciau: Sut mae'r cyngor yn cael ei redeg

Gwynedd, Y Cyngor, 5 Mawrth 2026

Notices of Motion

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- In January 2026, the Westminster Government made a u-turn regarding their plans to make digital ID cards mandatory for proving the right to work, following a significant response from members of the public with a petition signed by over 3 million being submitted to the Government stating their opposition to DI. While the mandatory requirement for employment has been dropped, the government plans to move verification processes on-line by 2029, leading to concerns that a digital identification system will still be introduced gradually through the back door, as it were. That this Council is totally opposed to the Digital Identification system and that Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Welsh Government to oppose DI in line with the Government in Scotland and also in line with several local authorities across the UK. Convenience should never come at the expense of personal liberty. 13(b) NOTICE OF MOTION FROM COUNCILLOR ELIN HYWEL The notice of motion was submitted by Councillor Elin Hywel under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and was seconded. The member set out the context to her motion, noting:- · That democracy cannot function without trust, and that it is won or lost through the way people speak, conduct themselves or the decisions that are made. It was stressed that trust in politics was currently extremely low. · It was a very challenging time for the residents of Gwynedd at the moment with national and local events affecting trust in politicians. · She noted that the responsibility lay with Councillors and asked the question, what was their part? As councillors they had a responsibility to declare and demonstrate a willingness to exercise and maintain trust. She explained that to declare this was only the first step. · She expressed that only 38-39% of Gwynedd residents had voted in the Local Government Election back in 2022, and that 28 seats had been elected uncontested. As a result there had been no democratic procedure in those areas, because without a choice there was no election. · She welcomed the Senedd's actions through the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act to strengthen the integrity of public life and place honesty at its heart. · She expressed that most of the Councillors were here for the best reason which was to improve people's lives and to create better communities. She highlighted that discussions could be heated but that serving the residents of Gwynedd was focal to everyone. · She noted that what happened in the Chamber needed to serve to strengthen democracy and to build respect and confidence in organisations. · It was explained that if we can lead through words then we must be honest and they must truly mean something, because by losing trust in words there will be a loss of trust in democracy. · She emphasised that the motion was not intended as a partisan accusation or finger-pointing but to stand together on one principle and to follow the Senedd's actions to strengthen integrity. She noted that Councillors had a duty to maintain and restore public trust. Members provided observations on the notice, stating the following:- · Trust was the foundation of democracy, because if the public were not involved then the connection between members and the public would disappear. The trust must be earned, and we must be transparent and respectful in our work and discussions. · It was acknowledged that there were challenges but these were not unique challenges. It was expressed that the motion was a positive call to lead by example and to make it clear that Councillors took their responsibility seriously. · A member disagreed with the paragraph about the Councillors who had been elected uncontested meaning that there was no democratic procedure, as individuals did have a choice, the choice to put their names forward and therefore there was a democratic procedure. It was expressed that it was not a reflection of trust but the need to encourage more people to get involved and to stand up for their area, and the need to include this as part of the motion. · It was highlighted that some seats were perhaps elected uncontested because the public was satisfied with the Councillor who had been serving them. · The public's reasons for not standing were discussed, highlighting that time and work commitments can be reasons. · The motion was supported, stating that the 2022 figures caused concern in terms of polling rates and a high number being elected uncontested. Reference was made to the need to look at culture, because trust was dependent on how individuals and organisations behaved, and the place and environment where individuals feel comfortable and safe to voice their opinions. · It was noted that the motion was timely and that we needed to look at what we could do locally. A member expressed the need to look at what hung in the balance, as research showed that if people lose trust in an organisation they will move to non-organisational right-wing leaders. · Plaid Cymru was asked to trust the Independent Group when considering chairs as they felt that their voice was not being heard. · A member expressed that claiming there is no democratic choice if a Councillor is elected uncontested was not an insult to those particular Councillors, but rather a reflection of the flaws in the system. · A member asked how the Senedd legislation was relevant to the motion. It was expressed that there had been an amendment to the legislation to ensure that lying during election campaigning was illegal. By doing this the Senedd had prioritised honesty and recognised the importance of that. It was noted that in a time where people do not trust politicians, it needs to be highlighted that transparency and honesty were at the heart of Gwynedd politics. RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- In accordance with the Notice of Motion received from her pursuant to Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Elin Hywel will propose as follows:- This Council recognises that trust is the foundation of democracy. We know that recent events locally, nationally and internationally have undermined that relationship with the people of Gwynedd. Democracy cannot function healthily without public trust in those who represent them; that trust enables people to participate in local democracy and, in turn, ensures their voice in shaping their future. Evidence from the Office for National Statistics indicates that trust in politics and politicians is at a very low level, with only one in five trusting political parties, and that there is a direct link between low trust and low participation. In light of that, this Council notes the low turnout in the 2022 Cyngor Gwynedd election, in line with wider trends throughout Wales, with around 38-39% voting, and that 28 of the 69 seats were elected uncontested, meaning that a large number of Gwynedd's constituents did not have a democratic choice. The Council recognises that these figures highlight a serious challenge to the health of local democracy and to the relationship between constituents and their representatives. It is recognised that our behaviour as public leaders sets the standard for democratic discussion. That trust cannot be built, or participation increased, unless we model those values ourselves. This Council welcomes the actions of the Senedd through the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act to strengthen the integrity of public life and place honesty and truth at the heart of our democratic culture. Accordingly, this Council makes it clear that we have a duty, both personally and collectively, to maintain and restore the public's trust. We are committed to the truth, to transparency, to fairness, and to respect - the cornerstones of our right to represent the people of Gwynedd.