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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 approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance during 2021/22, and adopt it.
RESOLVED to accept the report.
RESOLVED to accept the report.
RESOLVED to accept the report.
RESOLVED 1. To amend Section 13, Part 2 of the Constitution by removing the following function from the Governance and Audit Committee's terms of reference: "to review and scrutinise matters relating to the Council's internal operation, i.e. corporate strategies, partnerships, engagements, business transformation, efficiency arrangements and the workforce and functions carried out by the Finance Department, Corporate Support Department and Leadership Team." 2. To amend Part 7 of the Constitution in accordance with Appendix 1 to allocate the responsibilities noted to the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee. 3. To accept, for information, the amendments to Section 13 - Part 2 of the Constitution, Cabinet Membership and Responsibilities.
RESOLVED to amend the membership of the Governance and Audit Committee Lay Member Interview Panel to include the Council Chair, Chair of the Democratic Services and Cabinet Member for Finance.
RESOLVED 1. To appoint Councillors Beth Lawton, Anne Lloyd-Jones and Dewi Owen to serve on the Standards Committee as Elected Members until the next general local government elections following their appointment. 2. To appoint Councillor Richard Parry Hughes, Llannor Community Council, to serve on the Standards Committee as a Community Committee Member until the next general local government elections following his appointment.
RESOLVED 1. To adopt the allocation of seats as noted in Appendix A to the report, delegating powers to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups. 2. To nominate Councillors Edgar Wyn Owen (Plaid Cymru Group) and John Pughe (Independent Group) to represent the Council on the Police and Crime Panel for the duration of this Council's term in accordance with the allocation given to Gwynedd.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- "Given the crisis caused by the lack of control over second homes, I propose that the Full Council calls on the Welsh Government to take urgent action on the following consultations which ended in February and March; planning legislation and policy for second homes and short-term holiday lets, Welsh language communities housing plan, second homes: local variation to land transaction tax rates.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- "Since 1958, Wales has missed out on one of the biggest global stages, namely the (Men's) Football World Cup. This changed on Sunday evening, 5 June when our National side worked excellently as a team to ensure that we reached the finals of this Competition. The Council congratulates our National Team and wishes them every success in the Finals. The Council also congratulates the Football Association of Wales for nurturing the National Welsh awareness within the team to secure the victory. We congratulate the Association on its use of the Welsh language and also on how it has actively promoted the language. The Football Association of Wales is an example, not only to every other Sports Association in Wales, but to every Institution in our country. In the words of the Football Association of Wales, DIOLCH. In addition, the Council calls on the Welsh Government to take every advantage of our presence in the Finals to promote Our Country and our Language on this global stage.”
Apologies were received from Councillors Louise Hughes, Kim Jones, Edgar Owen, Beca Roberts and Einir Wyn Williams.
The Chairman signed the minutes of the Council's annual meeting held on 19 May, 2022 as a true record.
No declarations of personal interest were received.
Condolences were extended to the following: · Councillor Edgar Owen and the family following the loss of his mother-in-law. · Councillor Kim Jones and the family following the loss of her grandfather. It was also noted that the Council wished to sympathise with everyone in the county’s communities who had recently lost loved ones. The Council stood in silence as a mark of respect and remembrance. Councillor Elfed Wyn ab Elwyn and his wife were congratulated on their wedding, and also on the birth of twins - two boys. Well wishes were expressed to Morwena Edwards, Corporate Director, who was present at her last Council meeting. The Chief Executive noted that Morwena had given nearly 20 years' service to the Council, in her present role as Statutory Director of Social Services / Corporate Director, and as a Head of Department before that, and she had also been acting as Deputy Chief Executive over the last three to four years. He thanked her on a personal level for her support and assistance over the last year and also on behalf of her colleagues at the Council. Then the Leader gave a word of thanks to Morwena on behalf of all members, for her excellent service over the years, and wished her every happiness on her retirement.
None to note.
(The Cabinet Members' written responses to the questions had been distributed to the members in advance). (1) Question from Councillor Rhys Tudur “Given that the Council is buying houses on the market with public money, what system do you have in place to ensure that the Council is not paying too much for the houses?" Response from the Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Craig ab Iago "In addition to the written response, I wish to say that I bought my first house around five years ago, and can testify to the fact that buying a house is the third most difficult experience after losing someone close and going through a divorce. You don't know what the unknowns are, you cannot trust anyone and house prices are increasing every day. You don't know who is competing against you, and it was a nightmare year for me and my family. One of the 33 schemes we have in the Housing Action Plan is that we, as a Council, buy houses to help house local people in their communities. Of course, the process where the Council buys houses is even more complex. We must ensure that we don't buy houses that local people are trying to buy. We must make sure that we don't make mistakes and that it costs too much. We must make sure that we buy houses where there is need. It is very complicated and now, of course, unlike 4-5 years ago, we are competing against hedge funds who are now in the home buying market. Airbnb wasn't as popular, and now people are moving here after the 'Zoom Boom' and Covid and Brexit. But the difference between us and residents is that we know what the unknowns are. Our Department has experience of operating in this sector. We have the qualifications. I'm not sure how many surveyors there are in the Department, or in the Council, but even our Chief Executive is a surveyor, and we know everyone who works in the sector. We have the skills and experience and the knowledge, but more importantly in my opinion, we also have the will. People tend to think that our staff live in ivory towers or act on the 'computer says no' principle but I can assure you - this is not the case. I hope that the majority of you here know how I feel about the housing situation and how determined I am to do something about it. I want you to know that all of the staff in the Housing and Property Department also feel the same as me about the subject. They follow Ffordd Gwynedd properly and hopefully you will be able to see this soon. hey are here to house our people in our communities. That is why they come to work every day, and very often, I discuss this with them, and discuss the projects you all will see soon hopefully, and the houses we are buying and so on. I am in discussions with them, and it is an emotional experience for me to see that they are on board with what we are trying to do as councillors. A supplementary question by Councillor Rhys Tudur "Given that a surveyor's valuation can vary, is there more than one valuation from the Council for every house (i.e. do you get more than one price) from a different surveyor?" Response from the Head of Housing and Property Department "The Council employs several surveyors. We have a total of six, and two of them are chartered surveyors, and in making valuations it is a statutory requirement that we ensure value for money, and this is crucial to all the decisions we make on purchasing. Also, of course, they speak to each other about valuations and ensure that we get the best value for our public money." (2) Question from Councillor John Pughe Roberts "Following the Welsh Government's proposed changes to the holiday unit industry "that every holiday unit must be let for at least 252 days, and let for at least 182 days to be eligible for business rates", is this Council willing to call on Welsh Government to exclude the agricultural industry (which has converted hundreds of old farm buildings into holiday units through the diversification system), of any commitment to this new legislative change?." Response by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Ioan Thomas "Gwynedd Council has been unwavering that the need to provide homes for the people of Gwynedd is the most important matter for Gwynedd Council. Every part of Gwynedd - not only the seaside villages - see homes being converted to be holiday units. We cannot overemphasise the impact this loss from the housing stock has on our communities. In response to the Welsh Government consultation, we have noted the need for a taxation system to reflect the damage caused to society by the taxed element. In the Council's opinion, unregulated self-catering holiday units are having a negative impact on society in general, and they should therefore be subject to local taxation. While self-catering holiday units offer an opportunity to promote the local tourism economy when there is a reasonable supply of them, it appears now that the numbers are not sustainable, and living units are being lost in every part of the county by now with people who are able to afford to buy several properties seeing this as an opportunity to invest, but to the detriment of communities and families that cannot afford a home at all. There is currently no consistency between taxation legislation and planning legislation. The Council's response to the consultation was if thresholds continue to be in place for transferring property to the non-domestic taxation system, we believed they should be linked to planning permission rather than the number of nights let. The approval procedure should differentiate between units that are developed specifically for holiday purposes and where there is a planning restriction for that purpose, and homes that have been on the Council's Tax Register as a residential dwelling. We have recently notified Welsh Government, in response to the draft order which amends the thresholds, that they should not look at the number of days of let and availability if a property is built on purpose as a self-contained holiday unit and that a condition is included in the planning permission preventing the use of the property as a principal or only home, or if the property owner has received planning permission to convert the use from being a residential house to being a hotel. We certainly consider agricultural buildings that have been converted into holiday units within this category. The latest change will affect a number of indigenous businesses, and this is a matter of concern. A broader matter arises should such a property move to a Council Tax band, which is what would happen in terms of the Premium. The implications of the Government’s intention to give local authorities the right to increase the Premium level by as much as 300% are currently under consideration, and this is a matter for the Full Council in the long run." A supplementary question from Councillor John Pughe Roberts "Many of these have received planning permission for short term holiday let. Would Gwynedd Council be prepared to change the permission to allow longer stays rather than short-term, and maybe some of them could become housing for local people?" Response by the Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Ioan Thomas "My understanding is that the Minister is considering exceptions. I am not aware of what they are, and I think that we might have to wait until these exceptions are made public. But certainly, I sympathise with a number of businesses that will be affected by this, and certainly, we will convey this message to Welsh Government." (3) A Question by Councillor Gwynfor Owen "Following the Cabinet's decision on 27 July 2021 to introduce the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO): Dog Control, I would like to know how many owners have been issued a penalty for letting their dogs onto exclusion zones on our beaches in Meirionnydd, and on which beaches in Meirionnydd have these penalties been issued?" Answer from the Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal and Gwynedd Consultancy, Councillor Berwyn Parry Jones "As you can see from the written response, no penalties have been issued since the order was announced. It is intended to increase the maritime staff as there is a shortage at the moment due to retirement and staff moving to other posts. The Cabinet has also allocated a budget to employ two enforcement wardens, but although these jobs have been advertised more than once, there have been no applicants. This of course is a problem across the Council - trying to fill vacancies, and in the private sector also. There is a need to emphasise that penalties are the last step to take and the aim is to educate dog owners. Therefore the job descriptions have been amended to place greater emphasis on changing behaviour and raising awareness with the hope that these posts will be filled soon." A supplementary question by Councillor Gwynfor Owen "As this is a major problem on the beaches of Llandanwg and Harlech, would the Cabinet Member do his best to seek to add these beautiful beaches to the locations that receive the feather flags and to prioritise these beaches once the necessary officers are employed?" Answer from the Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal and Gwynedd Consultancy, Councillor Berwyn Parry Jones "As someone who has participated in several triathlons in Harlech, I can attest, that Harlech beach is not only very beautiful, but is also a very long beach! I will certainly ask the Department to ensure that feather flags reach the beaches of Harlech and Llandanwg as soon as possible, and further, when the wardens are in place, that the beaches of Llandanwg and Harlech are prioritised as needed." (4) Question from Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts "The new guidelines on categorising schools according to Welsh language provision introduces new arrangements in September 2022. What is Gwynedd's progress on this?" Response from the Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown "The situation is that every school must state clearly to parents and the local authority which language they will teach in, and this procedure has been in place since 2007. The options, of course, are Welsh or English or a combination of both languages. In the context of the Welsh Government publication - 'Cymraeg 2050: A Million Speakers' Welsh Government wants to review its categorisation policy to enable parents to select their children's education route with greater confidence, but from our perspective in this county, the language policy in Gwynedd in any case is to ensure an inclusive Welsh medium and bilingual education for all learners, irrespective of race, background or identity. I'm sure that you will agree that this is something for us all to take much pride in, and the success of this policy has been evident in the thousands of natural Welsh-speakers we have produced in our schools in this county. The new procedure for categorising reflects what is already happening in this county, and it will not lead to many changes for us, i.e. in accordance with the guidelines from Welsh Government and their guidance, the county's primary schools will go to Category 3, which coincides with Gwynedd's language policy, that Welsh is the school's main language of teaching, communicating and also its ethos. Every secondary school in the county will also move to Category 3, apart from two schools that currently do not quite meet the requirements. We will, of course, expect the two schools in question to develop their Welsh medium provision, but, for the time being, they will be placed in Category T3 (Transitional) and the Department will work very closely and support those schools to ensure the progress we wish to see. Therefore, to summarise, Gwynedd schools will be operating the new categorisation procedure from September, and the new procedure will be in full accordance with the successful language policy we already have in this county." Supplementary Question from Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts "A Category 3 secondary school is where a little over half the pupils complete at last 70% of their activities through the medium Welsh. That is the minimum. The guidelines encourage extending the provision. Should we not strive towards placing Gwynedd schools in Category 3P therefore, where the secondary school teaches 100% of the pupils for at least 90% of the time through the medium of Welsh?" Response from the Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown "There are currently only 10 3P schools in Wales, and each of those is down in the South East area, where they must define themselves alongside many English-medium schools. Of course, the situation is entirely different here in Gwynedd where every learner receives Welsh and bilingual education and they leave our schools as natural Welsh-speakers. Our policy is therefore fully inclusive. Of course, we would all wish to see schools increase their provision, and Category 3 enables this in full as 70% of provision is the minimum. We can improve and we can encourage and work with the schools to increase that provision, and I believe that it is important to do so without creating linguistic segregation and to remain inclusive as we currently area. Gwynedd's language policy is working, and is inclusive. Data from the last Census shows that 73% of three-year-old children speak Welsh and by the time they reach 15 years old, the percentage has increased to 92%. The data also shows that Gwynedd has the highest number of Welsh-speakers from ethnic minority backgrounds outside Cardiff, which attests to the fact that every learner here in our county receives Welsh education in an inclusive way, and I'm sure that you agree that this is very important. On a more personal note, that fact that I’m standing before you today speaking Welsh is thanks to the education I received in the county's schools, as my parents are incomers from England, and I was brought up in English, and I have learnt my Welsh in this county's primary and secondary schools. It is therefore a policy that works and it is a successful policy."
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance during 2021/22, and adopt it.
Submitted - a report by the Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, asking the Council to approve and adopt Gwynedd Council's Performance Report 2021/22 as a clear, balanced and accurate picture of the Council's performance in 2021/22. During his presentation, the Leader referred to successes such as developing a Regeneration Plan, building the new Ysgol y Garnedd and adopting a Climate Change Plan. He also referred to matters to improve, such as a failure to address the post-16 education question in Arfon, but he was confident that this would be a priority in the coming years of the Council's new Plan. He also noted there had been a delay in the Cricieth area on the development of a new school due to the need to carry out an archaeological survey. The Leader then referred to the summary of the services' day to day work at the end of the report, thanking the Planning Service officers for their excellent work in preparing research and solutions in the second home field. He also noted, as the Joint Local Development Plan was coming to an end, there was a need to reconsider the collaboration arrangements, and he explained, in light of discussions between Gwynedd and Anglesey planning officers, they had concluded that it should be recommended to continue with the process to terminate the existing collaboration, as a result of the changes to the national, regional and local planning policy context since the collaboration arrangement was established in 2001. He explained further that both councils would continue to collaborate closely on arrangements to monitor the old Joint Development Plan, along with any other opportunities that would arise. The matter would be submitted to the Gwynedd Council Cabinet and Anglesey's Council Executive on 19 July and should both bodies agree, both counties would develop their own separate Local Development Plan. Members were given an opportunity to make observations and ask questions. The following matters were raised by individual members: · Referring to highlights of the year on page 16 of the agenda, it was asked how the Council was performing against the target in terms of recycling, reusing or composting domestic waste and in particular against Welsh Government's landfill target. In response, it was noted that Gwynedd's performance was over 64% at the moment, compared with the statutory target of 70% by March 2025. A possible slippage was seen over the Covid period in residual waste and there was a need to remind residents of the food waste and recycling collection service. Further, there would be a need to look at a work programme to move the agenda to ensure that we reached the statutory target. In terms of landfill, it was explained that no waste went to landfill and that all residual waste was incinerated at Parc Adfer, Flintshire as part of a joint partnership between councils in north Wales. · Referring to a comment on page 19 of the agenda that the cost of living crises "has forced the Council to divert resources and adapt by committing itself to new work and projects", it was asked whether our budget was robust enough to face these challenges, or was there a need to revise the matter. It was also asked, if diversification was required, where would the resources come from, and would this create a gap in our services. In response, it was noted that for the first time we knew what our settlement for next year and the following year was going to be. The general settlement for Wales was 3.5% for next year and 2.5% for the following year, but Gwynedd was always lower than the national average. Should inflation increase to 11% by autumn this year, as anticipated, Gwynedd and every other council would be in a very difficult position. No one could have foreseen such a situation. It was very much hoped that the Government would understand this and help the Council in some way, but there was a need plan in advance in the event that this would not happen. · Dissatisfaction was expressed that visitors who came to holiday homes in the Aberdyfi area did not recycle and they overfilled their refuse sacks, and filled other people's bins with these sacks. In response, it was noted that this was a problem in several areas across the county where there were holiday homes, and we were faced with a challenge to change the system and for the recycling officers to go out and target and ensure compliance with the service. It was noted further that the Head of Highways and Municipal would contact the member to see what could be done in Aberdyfi specifically. · Dissatisfaction was expressed regarding the references to the development of Trawsfynydd Power Station in the report, on the grounds that we were being mis-led about the safety of such nuclear sites. It was noted that locating the new development alongside what was already on the site meant that one endangered the other, and it would also affect our chances of having Independence for Wales, due to the cost associated with decommissioning. Surprise was expressed also that Plaid Cymru was tabling this, given that Plaid was opposed to any new nuclear energy sites. On the grounds of those arguments, an amendment was proposed that the Council should either delete the paragraphs that refer to nuclear developments (namely the fourth paragraph on page 24 of the agenda, and the third paragraph on page 26), or refuse the report as a whole. Another member noted that the matter under consideration was an expression of unequivocal support to a project in the future that had not yet earned formal approval through the Council's democratic process. In response, the Monitoring Officer explained that all that was before the Council was a factual report about the performance of projects that already existed, and that the principle of those projects was not under consideration. He also explained that the Trawsfynydd project had already been through a democratic process as was referred to in the Council Plan that was adopted by the Council in March of this year, but that the Council was not in order to reopen the matter within 6 months. The member also suggested that it would be possible to amend the wording of the paragraphs to refer to fact rather than aspiration. In response, the Monitoring Officer explained that several aspects of the report referred to projects that were in the pipeline, and detailed their performance so far. Removing/changing the wording did not change the project or the factual context, and by approving the report, the members were approving the Council's performance, rather than approve the project itself. · Referring to the Council's Well-being Objective of ensuring that Gwynedd residents enjoy happy, healthy and safe lives (page 20 of the report), it was noted that the county's residents no longer felt happy, healthy or safe. People were suffering as they were unable to have access to GPs or ambulances, and there were no nursing beds at all in Pen Llŷn and the need for the Council to influence Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in some way was emphasised. In response, it was noted that the Council's ability to solve this problem was limited, but that the Leader would voice the concerns expressed at every possible opportunity, be that at meetings with the Health Board Chief Executive or Welsh Government. It was noted further, with the Council budget also being significantly squeezed, that there was a danger that we would also have to face cuts in some services in years to come. RESOLVED to approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance during 2021/22, and adopt it.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to accept the report.
The Statutory Director of Social Services presented her annual report regarding the performance of the Social Services in Gwynedd during the previous year. The Director thanked Manon Elwyn Hughes (Senior Executive Officer) for her assistance in compiling the annual report. As part of her presentation, the Director highlighted some of the lessons learnt, outlining the priorities for the coming year. She also explained how the Service assessed people's needs and placed them in the centre when shaping services and care provision. She noted that the performance of Gwynedd Social Services was good on the whole again this year and that Care Inspectorate Wales agreed with this. She added that the last two years had posed incredible challenges for the Service, and it was obvious from the performance that managers and staff had made a heroic effort to cope with what was required of them during this time. At the end of her time in the post, the Director noted that it had been an honour to be Director and before that, Head of Department, and thanked everyone she had worked with over the years. She thanked the members, the scrutiny members and the cabinet members in the care field over the last ten years. She also noted that she had received excellent support from three Chief Executives during her time in the post, namely Harry Thomas, Dilwyn Williams and the current Chief Executive, Dafydd Gibbard. She also took advantage of the opportunity to thank the Heads of Department, Marian Parry Hughes (Head of Children and Families Department) and Aled Davies (Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department) and the late Gwenan Parry for their work in the care field, and also Catrin Thomas (Assistant Head of Supporting Families) and Carys Fôn Williams (Head of Housing and Property) for their work on the Gwynedd Supporting People programme. She also thanked all the in-house, external and third sector staff, unpaid carers and foster parents who had been part of her journey over the last ten years, and she wished the new Director well. Members were given an opportunity to make observations and ask questions. The following matters were raised by individual members: · It was noted there was a need to include more information under performance measure 20 on page 196 of the agenda (Percentage of children who returned home from care during the year) to state clearly to people outside the care system, new members etc. that there were strategies in place to ensure that these children were safe. In response, it was confirmed that the wording would be reviewed, and the members were asked to contact the Director if they were of the opinion that there was anything else in the report that was vague. · Referring to the Autism Plan (page 169 of the agenda), it was noted that it had been given to understand previously that the Plan had begun with children and then moved on to people, but that children and people were mentioned in the same paragraph here. In response, there was pride that the Plan was in place and that it derived from learning from autistic individuals’ experiences, and it was noted that it was very much hoped that this would continue. It was agreed that there was work to do in terms of the transition period, and although some counties had merged their autism service for children and adults, it was not believed that this was mandatory. Nevertheless, there was a need to ensure that the individuals in question transferred seamlessly from one phase of their life to the next in terms of Council services, and this was something that the team that would be established and the new director would keep an eye on. · In response to a question, it was noted that it was believed that the Council had advertised for a coordinator and two social workers to develop and implement the Autism Plan, but that an officer from the service would contact the member to confirm the situation. · Referring to the proposal to ensure training and raise awareness of autism for the workforce, it was enquired whether this would be for the entire workforce in Gwynedd, Social Services staff or for the Children's Team only. In response, it was explained that some staff required more specialist training than others, but it was expected that everyone, members and staff, would have an awareness of this important field. · The Chairman was asked to send a note to the Council's front line staff on behalf of the members and they were thanked for their work in very difficult circumstances over the last two years. RESOLVED to accept the report.
The Council was invited to appoint a chair for the Democracy Services Committee for 2022/23. The former chair of the committee, Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones thanked the Head of Democracy Services, the Language and Democracy Manager and the staff of the Democracy Service for all their support over the past two years. RESOLVED to elect Councillor Dewi Owen as Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2022/23.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to accept the report.
The Head of Democracy Services presented his annual report on behalf of the Democracy Services Committee in respect of support for members. The Head of Department thanked the Chair of the Democracy Services Committee during the time of the report, Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones, members of the committee and the officers within the service who provided the day-to-day support. Members were given an opportunity to make observations and ask questions. The following matters were raised by individual members:- · It was asked whether it would be possible to arrange training for the members on how to use the Members' Intranet. In response, it was confirmed that this would be possible, and it was noted that IT Officers were available to provide day-to-day support to members also. · In response to an observation that Gwynedd Council had been slow in announcing the results of the recent elections, it was noted that the officers were aware there had been somewhat of a delay with some results, and were also aware of what actions to take to ensure that all results were announced on time in future. · Dissatisfaction was expressed that meeting dates had changed since the Council adopted the 2022/23 committee calendar at its meeting in March. In response, an apology was made for any inconvenience this had caused the members, but it was explained that the date of this meeting of the Council had been moved forward a week for reasons related to the Council's business planning, and that this had been shared at the Business Group directly after the elections. · The Democracy Service was thanked for maintaining the Council's committee system during Covid while everyone was working from home. RESOLVED to accept the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to accept the report.
The Chair of the Scrutiny Forum, Councillor Beth Lawton, submitted the scrutiny annual report for 2021/22. She thanked the scrutiny chairs and vice-chairs and all scrutiny members for their work during the year. She also thanked the officers within the Service for supporting the members and drawing up the report. RESOLVED to accept the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED 1. To amend Section 13, Part 2 of the Constitution by removing the following function from the Governance and Audit Committee's terms of reference: "to review and scrutinise matters relating to the Council's internal operation, i.e. corporate strategies, partnerships, engagements, business transformation, efficiency arrangements and the workforce and functions carried out by the Finance Department, Corporate Support Department and Leadership Team." 2. To amend Part 7 of the Constitution in accordance with Appendix 1 to allocate the responsibilities noted to the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee. 3. To accept, for information, the amendments to Section 13 - Part 2 of the Constitution, Cabinet Membership and Responsibilities.
Submitted - the report of the Monitoring Officer seeking the Council's approval to amend scrutiny arrangements for corporate matters, and also presenting information about amendments to the Cabinet. RESOLVED 1. To amend Section 13, Part 2 of the Constitution by removing the following function from the Governance and Audit Committee's terms of reference: "to review and scrutinise matters relating to the Council's internal operation, i.e. corporate strategies, partnerships, engagements, business transformation, efficiency arrangements and the workforce and functions carried out by the Finance Department, Corporate Support Department and Leadership Team." 2. To amend Part 7 of the Constitution in accordance with Appendix 1 to allocate the responsibilities noted to the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee. 3. To accept, for information, the amendments to Section 13 - Part 2 of the Constitution, Cabinet Membership and Responsibilities.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to amend the membership of the Governance and Audit Committee Lay Member Interview Panel to include the Council Chair, Chair of the Democratic Services and Cabinet Member for Finance.
Submitted - the report of the Head of Finance Department noting that it was appropriate to review the membership of the Governance and Audit Committee Lay Member Interview Panel, as the Chair of the committee was now a lay member, and recommended amending the membership to include the Council Chair, Chair of the Democratic Services Committee and the Cabinet Member for Finance. In response to a question, it was confirmed that the Chair and Vice-chair of the Governance and Audit Committee would not be members of the Scrutiny Forum, as the scrutiny role was moving from the committee in light of changes in legislation. RESOLVED to amend the membership of the Governance and Audit Committee Lay Member Interview Panel to include the Council Chair, Chair of the Democratic Services and Cabinet Member for Finance.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED 1. To appoint Councillors Beth Lawton, Anne Lloyd-Jones and Dewi Owen to serve on the Standards Committee as Elected Members until the next general local government elections following their appointment. 2. To appoint Councillor Richard Parry Hughes, Llannor Community Council, to serve on the Standards Committee as a Community Committee Member until the next general local government elections following his appointment.
Submitted - the report on the Monitoring Officer on the process of appointing Elected Members and Community Committee Members to the Standards Committee, and inviting the Council to accept the recommendation of the Business Group to appoint Councillors Beth Lawton, Anne Lloyd-Jones and Dewi Owen as Elected Members of the Committee and Councillor Richard Parry Hughes, Llannor Community Council as Community Committee Member, until the next general local government elections following their appointment. RESOLVED 1. To appoint Councillors Beth Lawton, Anne Lloyd-Jones and Dewi Owen to serve on the Standards Committee as Elected Members until the next general local government elections following their appointment. 2. To appoint Councillor Richard Parry Hughes, Llannor Community Council, to serve on the Standards Committee as a Community Committee Member until the next general local government elections following his appointment.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED 1. To adopt the allocation of seats as noted in Appendix A to the report, delegating powers to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups. 2. To nominate Councillors Edgar Wyn Owen (Plaid Cymru Group) and John Pughe (Independent Group) to represent the Council on the Police and Crime Panel for the duration of this Council's term in accordance with the allocation given to Gwynedd.
The Head of Democracy Services submitted a report:- · on a review of the Council’s political balance in light of forming a new political group, namely the Labour/Liberal Group, led by Councillor Stephen Churchman; · inviting the Council to nominate one member from Plaid Cymru Group and one member from the Independent Group to represent the Council on the Police and Crime Panel for the duration of this Council's term in accordance with the allocation given to Gwynedd. RESOLVED 1. To adopt the allocation of seats as noted in Appendix A to the report, delegating powers to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups. 2. To nominate Councillors Edgar Wyn Owen (Plaid Cymru Group) and John Pughe (Independent Group) to represent the Council on the Police and Crime Panel for the duration of this Council's term in accordance with the allocation given to Gwynedd.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- "Given the crisis caused by the lack of control over second homes, I propose that the Full Council calls on the Welsh Government to take urgent action on the following consultations which ended in February and March; planning legislation and policy for second homes and short-term holiday lets, Welsh language communities housing plan, second homes: local variation to land transaction tax rates.
(A) Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Rhys Tudur in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:- "Given the crisis caused by the lack of control over second homes, I propose that the Full Council calls on the Welsh Government to take urgent action on the following consultations which ended in February and March; planning legislation and policy for second homes and short-term holiday lets, Welsh language communities housing plan, second homes: local variation to land transaction tax rates. The member set out the context to his motion, noting that:- · The proposals were commendable, and the Government had to be praised for them, and although the consultations ended in February and March of this year, nothing had been proposed of published. · These matters could not be delayed passed another summer until next year, and it was crucial that all Gwynedd members, as representatives of the county with the highest number of holiday homes throughout Wales, pressurising Welsh Government to act, and remind them of the urgent situation in the county. · There were welcome signs of movement on the subject, but that we could not rely on signs only, and that the Government had to act on these consultations without delay, in the interest of our communities and our language. RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- "Given the crisis caused by the lack of control over second homes, I propose that the Full Council calls on the Welsh Government to take urgent action on the following consultations which ended in February and March; planning legislation and policy for second homes and short-term holiday lets, Welsh language communities housing plan, second homes: local variation to land transaction tax rates.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- "Since 1958, Wales has missed out on one of the biggest global stages, namely the (Men's) Football World Cup. This changed on Sunday evening, 5 June when our National side worked excellently as a team to ensure that we reached the finals of this Competition. The Council congratulates our National Team and wishes them every success in the Finals. The Council also congratulates the Football Association of Wales for nurturing the National Welsh awareness within the team to secure the victory. We congratulate the Association on its use of the Welsh language and also on how it has actively promoted the language. The Football Association of Wales is an example, not only to every other Sports Association in Wales, but to every Institution in our country. In the words of the Football Association of Wales, DIOLCH. In addition, the Council calls on the Welsh Government to take every advantage of our presence in the Finals to promote Our Country and our Language on this global stage.”
(A) Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Gwynfor Owen in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:- "Since 1958, Wales has missed out on one of the biggest global stages, namely the (Men's) Football World Cup. This changed on Sunday evening, 5 June when our National side worked excellently as a team to ensure that we reached the finals of this Competition. The Council congratulates our National Team and wishes them every success in the Finals. The Council also congratulates the Football Association of Wales for nurturing the National Welsh awareness within the team to secure the victory. We congratulate the Association on its use of the Welsh language and also on how it has actively promoted the language. The Football Association of Wales is an example, not only to every other Sports Association in Wales, but to every Institution in our country. In the words of the Football Association of Wales, DIOLCH. In addition, the Council calls on the Welsh Government to take every advantage of our presence in the Finals to promote Our Country and our Language on this global stage.” The member set out the context to his motion, noting that:- · That the purpose of the motion was to congratulate the team on their performance, and more-so, to congratulate the Football Association of Wales for the way they have nurture pride in the National Team. · That the Football Association had led the way on nurturing this by brining Welsh and non-Welsh speakers together to take pride in the fact that we are a country with our own unique language and culture. · This was a lesson, not only to every other Sports Association in our country, but to every other institution in our country. · Welsh Government needed to make the most of their ability and the fact that Wales will be on a global stage, selling our country as a confident, open, thriving, active country with an unique culture. Members expressed their support to the motion, and Wales' Women's Football Team were also wished well in their efforts to reach the finals of the Women's World Cup 2023 competition. RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- "Since 1958, Wales has missed out on one of the biggest global stages, namely the (Men's) Football World Cup. This changed on Sunday evening, 5 June when our National side worked excellently as a team to ensure that we reached the finals of this Competition. The Council congratulates our National Team and wishes them every success in the Finals. The Council also congratulates the Football Association of Wales for nurturing the National Welsh awareness within the team to secure the victory. We congratulate the Association on its use of the Welsh language and also on how it has actively promoted the language. The Football Association of Wales is an example, not only to every other Sports Association in Wales, but to every Institution in our country. In the words of the Football Association of Wales, DIOLCH. In addition, the Council calls on the Welsh Government to take every advantage of our presence in the Finals to promote Our Country and our Language on this global stage.”
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