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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 appoint Councillor Beca Roberts as Chair for 2024/25. Councillor Beca Roberts read and signed the declaration accepting the post of Chair of Cyngor Gwynedd for 2024/25, in the presence of the Chief Executive.
RESOLVED • To adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the 2024/25 municipal year, as noted below, and to adopt the allocation of seats and senior salaries as noted. A Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee 12 6 0 18 Communities Scrutiny Committee 12 5 1 18 Care Scrutiny Committee 12 5 1 18 Governance and Audit 8 4 0 12 B Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Democracy Services 10 4 1 15 Planning 10 4 1 15 Central/General Licensing 10 5 0 15 Language 10 5 0 15 Chief Officers’ Appointment 10 5 0 15 Employment Appeals 5 2 0 7 Number of seats 99 45 4 148 C Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Pensions 4 2 1 7 Local Joint Consultative Committee 7 4 0 11 SACRE 5 2 0 7 Total seats 115 53 5 173 Senior Salaries the following senior salaries will be paid: • Leader • Deputy Leader • 8 other Cabinet members • The Leader of the largest Opposition party • Committee Chairs - Scrutiny Committee (x3) - Planning Committee - Licensing Committee (Central and General counts as one Committee) - Pensions Committee • Civic head (Chair of the Council) ▪ Deputy civic head (Vice-chair of the Council) • To delegate the authority 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. • To allocate the chairpersonships of scrutiny committees on the basis of political balance as follows:- Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group Communities Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group Care Scrutiny Committee – Independent Group
RESOLVED to adopt the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy, and delegate the right to the Head of Environment Department to make editorial changes for accuracy as needed.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- The Cambrian Coast Railway is of immense importance to the economy of Gwynedd, with thousands of visitors using it, but more importantly, the people of Gwynedd themselves use this Railway on a daily basis to go to school, work, to shop or for leisure purposes. Transport for Wales have recently stated that they want to cut the number of trains running along the line. The way to improve train use is by increasing the number of trains and certainly not cutting them. This Council makes it clear to Transport for Wales and to the Welsh Government, who are the owners of Transport for Wales, that any cut in the number of trains on the Cambrian Railway is not acceptable, and instead they should look at how to increase the number of trains throughout the year.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- Cyngor Gwynedd believes that no house should be anything but a home until everyone with a local housing need has a warm home which is fit for purpose. This is the objective of this Council. We call on the Welsh Government to enable this Council to act in order to put the people of Gwynedd first by creating a Property Act which will offer a statutory and local framework to support communities, housing providers and local authorities to respond to the current crisis.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- The decision by the National Health Service Wales Joint Commissioning Committee and the health boards to close and centralise the Wales Air Ambulance centres of Caernarfon (Dinas Dinlle) and Welshpool is a devastating blow to the whole of Gwynedd and another example of how Wales's central services ignore the aspirations and demands of rural Wales. This Council opposes the decision and asks for full intervention and an investigation into the decision by the Welsh Government.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Beca Roberts as Chair for 2024/25. Councillor Beca Roberts read and signed the declaration accepting the post of Chair of Cyngor Gwynedd for 2024/25, in the presence of the Chief Executive.
Two names were proposed and seconded for the chairpersonship, namely Councillor Beca Roberts and Councillor Beth Lawton. RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Beca Roberts as Chair for 2024/25. Councillor Beca Roberts read and signed the declaration accepting the post of Chair of Cyngor Gwynedd for 2024/25, in the presence of the Chief Executive.
Two names were proposed and seconded for the vice-chairpersonship, namely Councillor Ioan Thomas and Councillor Elfed P. Roberts. RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Ioan Thomas as Vice-chair for 2024/25. Councillor Ioan Thomas read and signed the declaration accepting the post of Vice-chair of Cyngor Gwynedd for 2024/25, in the presence of the Chief Executive.
Apologies were received from Councillors Louise Hughes, Kim Jones, John Pughe and Rob Triggs.
The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 7 March 2024 as a true record.
No declarations of personal interest were received.
Condolences were expressed to the family of the former councillor and Chair of this Council during 1998-99, John E. James, who had passed away recently, and Councillor Elwyn Edwards paid tribute to him. 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. It was noted that several Council members had been ill recently, and they were all wished a full and speedy recovery. Councillor Kim Jones was congratulated on the birth of her son, Caio Gwyn. The children and youth of Gwynedd who would be competing in the Eisteddfod yr Urdd at the end of the month were wished well.
None to note.
(The Cabinet Members' written responses to the questions had been published in advance.) (1) Question by Councillor Eryl Jones-Williams Will Cyngor Gwynedd be making strong representations to get Transport for Wales to change their minds about withdrawing four trains, two each way between Machynlleth and Pwllheli when their new Cambrian Coast Railway Line Tables are introduced in December 2024? This will have a serious effect on locals travelling to and from work locally, and on long distance rail travel for locals and visitors. Did the decision makers take into account that the Cambrian Coast Railway line had been closed for three months in the past three years for work to be undertaken on Barmouth Viaduct with no trains running and the replacement bus service being unreliable? Response – Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig Thank you for the question. Obviously, I understand the concern locally regarding this, and as you can see from the response provided, the Council Leader received correspondence from James Price, Chief Executive of Transport for Wales on 10 April 2024 regarding these changes and I responded on 25 April asking for confirmation of the status and highlighting the concerns locally. To date, there has been no reply to that, but I greatly hope that there will be a change, and that these train journeys will be restructured. Supplementary Question by Councillor Eryl Jones-Williams Will the Cabinet Member contact the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, Ken Skates, MS, to point out that the 32 days that are available to respond to the public consultation on the new timetable is not enough? Response – Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig I am very happy to do this and to make the point, certainly. (2) Question by Councillor Llio Elenid Owen What is the latest on the Canolfan Lleu project, the health and well-being hub in Penygroes? When will there be any development and information for the public? Response – Cabinet Member for Adults, Councillor Dilwyn Morgan I wish to thank the Councillor for the question. It is extremely important to have a local member who raises matters that are relevant to our communities – in this case, Dyffryn Nantlle and the residents of Gwynedd more widely. As the written response notes, Grŵp Cynefin are the ones leading on this pioneering scheme, therefore I felt it was appropriate for us to contact Grŵp Cynefin. The written response includes the information that was received back from the Group, directly from the Chief Executive, Melville Evans – and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on the job and note that we are looking forward to working with him. Therefore, his comments are attached in the written response and there are many facts there, and I think it would be fair for me to read out the written response in full. "Canolfan Lleu is a project that brings partners together to develop a health and well-being hub in Penygroes. The project is led by Grŵp Cynefin, with close collaboration taking place through the Project Board with the Council, the Health Board and Theatr Bara Caws. The aim is that the new development will offer a comprehensive mix of health services, housing services, community and cultural spaces that will help people in Dyffryn Nantlle and beyond. There was a delay at the end of the year following the decision not to proceed with the purchase of the current nursery, however, in January 2024 the Project Board commissioned a feasibility review of the impact of this on the design. Two workshops were held to explore options for making the most of the associated land, and a new Scheme was approved by the Project Board on 1 May, 2024. Work to estimate costs is ongoing, together with an initial assessment of its affordability against the grants that have been recognised to date for the project. The intention is to complete the assessment by June 2024. The next steps following this will be to develop the design further and then prepare the Outline Business Case to be submitted by the end of the year. Grŵp Cynefin will be looking to hold a series of community engagement events, such as those successfully held last summer, to provide residents and the wider community with an update on the project. Subject to approval, Grŵp Cynefin hopes that construction will begin in 2026." Supplementary Question by Councillor Llio Elenid Owen For how longer will Cyngor Gwynedd be able to keep the money that has been reserved for this project, with so many of the Council's other services on their knees, and can you also give assurance that the money will be spent on the Lleu Project which is already running so far behind? Response – Cabinet Member for Adults, Councillor Dilwyn Morgan An excellent supplementary question in the current climate. Major schemes such as Canolfan Lleu, Pen-y-berth etc., are supported and prioritised at a very high level within this Council e.g., the members on the Board are the Cabinet Member for Housing, me as the Cabinet Member for Adults, and the Statutory Director of Social Services. As you can see, we place these schemes at a high level and they are a very high priority for us. Working in partnership with housing associations, the Health Board etc., is also a priority for us, and there is more regarding this in the Council Plan which sets out our intention. In terms of promising, I do not have a crystal ball, therefore I cannot predict the future, but if it is some comfort, what I have said about the priorities of the Council's senior officers helps somewhat. Also, of course, this scheme is included in our latest Assets Plan where we have earmarked £3.5m for it, and this is a 10-year Assets Plan, as such this is the only commitment I can give for the time being. (3) Question by Councillor Rhys Tudur Considering that: - this Council has long-term objectives to tackle flooding and climate change problems; - several households, such as one within my ward, have suffered damage to their homes from flash floods and a lack of supply of sandbags; - some individuals are too vulnerable to protect their homes with sandbags; - the Council has a 24-hour helpline but no 24-hour sandbag provision; - some individuals cannot afford to buy sandbags; Will this Council review the sandbag provision for the public during emergencies? Response – Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal and Gwynedd Consultancy, Councillor Berwyn Parry Jones Thank you for the question. It is a very timely question bearing in mind that we are in the process of preparing a Flood Risk Management Strategy. The consultation on the new draft has just ended very recently and any comments will be taken into consideration before the Cabinet is asked to adopt the Strategy. The written response to the question has been shared with you beforehand, but I will take the opportunity to emphasise some points. There is a duty on the Department to have a policy for protecting properties from flooding that comes from the highways network. This means a 24-hours service with gangs on duty to respond and distribute sandbags as appropriate. If resources allow, they will also distribute them to residents suffering from flooding that hasn't stemmed from the highways. Whilst one sympathises with everyone who has suffered because of flooding, unfortunately the particular flooding incident that the Member is referring to happened on a busy night when the gangs were all out dealing with other floods, and there was not an additional supply of sandbags available either. Situations like these will come up more frequently as a result of climate change and it will be more important than ever for communities to work with the Council to try and protect themselves. This is one of the objectives of the new Strategy. Supplementary Question by Councillor Rhys Tudur Considering that our Flooding Plan relates to all kinds of properties, whether on private roads or not, and that there are a high number of properties on private roads, does the Council intend to improve its provision of sandbags to properties located on private roads? Response – Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal and Gwynedd Consultancy, Councillor Berwyn Parry Jones It would be nice to be able to do this, and there is an opportunity to review our arrangements when completing the Strategy. I would also give a health warning because, unfortunately, we will be dependent on the budget and the resources available to the service. (4) Question by Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts Bearing in mind that there is a perception among the residents of Llŷn and Eifionydd (and possibly more widely in Gwynedd) that the planning system gives free rein to allow large residential housing developments by housing associations and private developers (where the local need is not very evident in the eyes of local people) and that at the same time it throws every obstacle in the way of small developments (where the local need is crystal clear to all), and given that this perception is, by and large, a true reflection of the operation of the planning system in our area in recent years (where very few large incompatible developments have been rejected but where the burden of providing costly reports is placed on the person who wants to build a house for himself or herself, when he or she has any hope of doing so), is there a will and desire to revolutionise this dismal system? Response – Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig Thank you for the question. A fairly comprehensive written response has been provided, therefore I will not read it, but only note in respect of the requirements on applicants and developers, that the requirements for the type of information and evidence needed have increased substantially over recent years, in order to meet additional requirements deriving from Welsh Government legislation and policies. Of course, these requirements affect every applicant, large and small. Decisions on planning applications are made on the individual merits of that application, in accordance with the Joint Local Development Plan. Of course, the Council is currently in the process of preparing a new Local Development Plan which will be an opportunity to consider these policies, and there will be an opportunity for every member of this Council to contribute to that process. Supplementary Question by Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts Is such a system, that favours large developments by large developers, but impedes or is dismissive of local, organic need at a level of a single family or a few families, fair? Response – Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig It seems that the question you are asking is whether there is a will and a desire to overhaul the system based on perception. Well, if there are facts and firm evidence showing that we need to change the system, and that that change is within the authority or Council's scope, then there is room to do so. Of course, so much of the planning system is led by Welsh Government legislation, and if that is the case, and a change is required in that area, then we need to work and lobby for a change there.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED • To adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the 2024/25 municipal year, as noted below, and to adopt the allocation of seats and senior salaries as noted. A Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee 12 6 0 18 Communities Scrutiny Committee 12 5 1 18 Care Scrutiny Committee 12 5 1 18 Governance and Audit 8 4 0 12 B Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Democracy Services 10 4 1 15 Planning 10 4 1 15 Central/General Licensing 10 5 0 15 Language 10 5 0 15 Chief Officers’ Appointment 10 5 0 15 Employment Appeals 5 2 0 7 Number of seats 99 45 4 148 C Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Pensions 4 2 1 7 Local Joint Consultative Committee 7 4 0 11 SACRE 5 2 0 7 Total seats 115 53 5 173 Senior Salaries the following senior salaries will be paid: • Leader • Deputy Leader • 8 other Cabinet members • The Leader of the largest Opposition party • Committee Chairs - Scrutiny Committee (x3) - Planning Committee - Licensing Committee (Central and General counts as one Committee) - Pensions Committee • Civic head (Chair of the Council) ▪ Deputy civic head (Vice-chair of the Council) • To delegate the authority 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. • To allocate the chairpersonships of scrutiny committees on the basis of political balance as follows:- Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group Communities Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group Care Scrutiny Committee – Independent Group
The Head of Democracy Services presented a report on the annual review of the Council’s political balance. The Leader of the Independent Group expressed her concern that losing one of the scrutiny chairpersonships weakened the Scrutiny Forum as all the members of the forum, bar one, would be members of the same party. She also questioned why the lay chair of the Governance and Audit Committee could not be a member of the Scrutiny Forum. RESOLVED • To adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the 2024/25 municipal year, as noted below, and to adopt the allocation of seats and senior salaries as noted. A Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee 12 6 0 18 Communities Scrutiny Committee 12 5 1 18 Care Scrutiny Committee 12 5 1 18 Governance and Audit 8 4 0 12 B Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Democracy Services 10 4 1 15 Planning 10 4 1 15 Central/General Licensing 10 5 0 15 Language 10 5 0 15 Chief Officers’ Appointment 10 5 0 15 Employment Appeals 5 2 0 7 Number of seats 99 45 4 148 C Plaid Cymru Independent Labour Liberal Total Pensions 4 2 1 7 Local Joint Consultative Committee 7 4 0 11 SACRE 5 2 0 7 Total seats 115 53 5 173 Senior Salaries the following senior salaries will be paid: • Leader • Deputy Leader • 8 other Cabinet members • The Leader of the largest Opposition party • Committee Chairs - Scrutiny Committee (x3) - Planning Committee - Licensing Committee (Central and General counts as one Committee) - Pensions Committee • Civic head (Chair of the Council) ▪ Deputy civic head (Vice-chair of the Council) • To delegate the authority 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. • To allocate the chairpersonships of scrutiny committees on the basis of political balance as follows:- Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group Communities Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group Care Scrutiny Committee – Independent Group
The Council was invited to appoint a chair for the Democracy Services Committee for 2024/25. RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones as Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2024/25.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to adopt the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy, and delegate the right to the Head of Environment Department to make editorial changes for accuracy as needed.
Submitted – the report of the Cabinet Member for the Environment stating that in accordance with Section 5 of the Licensing Act 2003, all licensing authorities are required to publish a Statement of Licensing Policy every five years, and inviting the Council to approve the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy included as an appendix to the report, and delegate the right to the Head of Environment Department to make editorial changes for accuracy as needed. The Department's staff were thanked for their hard work. RESOLVED to adopt the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy, and delegate the right to the Head of Environment Department to make editorial changes for accuracy as needed.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- The Cambrian Coast Railway is of immense importance to the economy of Gwynedd, with thousands of visitors using it, but more importantly, the people of Gwynedd themselves use this Railway on a daily basis to go to school, work, to shop or for leisure purposes. Transport for Wales have recently stated that they want to cut the number of trains running along the line. The way to improve train use is by increasing the number of trains and certainly not cutting them. This Council makes it clear to Transport for Wales and to the Welsh Government, who are the owners of Transport for Wales, that any cut in the number of trains on the Cambrian Railway is not acceptable, and instead they should look at how to increase the number of trains throughout the year.
(A) Submitted – the following notice of motion by Councillor Gwynfor Owen under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:- The Cambrian Coast Railway is of immense importance to the economy of Gwynedd, with thousands of visitors using it, but more importantly, the people of Gwynedd themselves use this Railway daily to go to school, work, to shop or for leisure purposes. Transport for Wales have recently stated that they want to cut the number of trains running along the line. The way to improve train use is by increasing the number of trains and certainly not cutting them. This Council makes it clear to Transport for Wales and to the Welsh Government, who are the owners of Transport for Wales, that any cut in the number of trains on the Cambrian Railway is not acceptable, and instead they should look at how to increase the number of trains throughout the year. The member set out the context to his motion, and noted:- · That the Council once again found itself discussing how rural Gwynedd was being treated by the organisations that made decisions on our behalf, slowly bleeding us of our existence and turning us into nothing more than a Leisure Park for Visitors. · As one who represented the village of Llanbedr on the Council, he was tired of hearing the message that his constituents had to stop using their car and use public transport instead. This was easy to say if you lived on the M4 corridor or maybe the A55, but impossible for those living on the western coast of Gwynedd. · Transport for Wales planned to remove four trains a day, with the last train of the day to leave Pwllheli at 17:42 between December and March and 19:30 in the summer, and the last train of the day to leave Machynlleth at 19:04 in the winter and 20:55 in the summer. · He had a meeting scheduled soon with the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport, Ken Skates, MS, to discuss the Llanbedr Bypass, and he would also be raising the point regarding trains, as he had been given to understand that the Cabinet Secretary had already approved the changes. · He wished to thank the MS, Mabon ap Gwynfor, and MP Liz Saville Roberts, and also the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig, for clearly stating their complete objection to these plans. · When the Cambrian Coast Railway Committee had last met on 22 March, Transport for Wales mentioned nothing about potentially cutting the number of trains, and the Chair of the Committee had agreed to his request for an urgent meeting of the Committee to discuss the situation. · Transport for Wales were subject to the Welsh Language Standards. Had an assessment of the Welsh language been made when implementing these changes? It appeared that the Welsh Government, through Transport for Wales, were once again turning their backs on our Welsh language strongholds · If Wales were an independent country, we could look at what was best for us in Wales, and Transport for Wales money would stay in Wales rather than being spent in England on projects that were titled England and Wales projects. · Transport for Wales were claiming that they had looked at the service user figures, but clearly, Covid and the major work on the infrastructure had greatly affected the numbers over the past 3-4 years. A high-standard, regular and reliable service would certainly lead to an increase in the number of passengers. Members expressed their keen support to the motion. The following points were noted:- · With cuts having already been made to the bus services, Integrated Transport no longer existed in this part of Wales. · Residents were restricted to their homes, with no social life, and were being deprived of the opportunity to earn a living in some instances. · It would be useful if the extraordinary meeting of the Cambrian Coast Railway Committee on 24 May could be web-cast so that the public could see what the members were endeavouring to do about the situation. · The Welsh Government did not understand what it meant to live in a rural area, and that cutting the number of trains would have a significant impact on the area's economy and tourism industry. RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- The Cambrian Coast Railway is of immense importance to the economy of Gwynedd, with thousands of visitors using it, but more importantly, the people of Gwynedd themselves use this Railway on a daily basis to go to school, work, to shop or for leisure purposes. Transport for Wales have recently stated that they want to cut the number of trains running along the line. The way to improve train use is by increasing the number of trains and certainly not cutting them. This Council makes it clear to Transport for Wales and to the Welsh Government, who are the owners of Transport for Wales, that any cut in the number of trains on the Cambrian Railway is not acceptable, and instead they should look at how to increase the number of trains throughout the year.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- Cyngor Gwynedd believes that no house should be anything but a home until everyone with a local housing need has a warm home which is fit for purpose. This is the objective of this Council. We call on the Welsh Government to enable this Council to act in order to put the people of Gwynedd first by creating a Property Act which will offer a statutory and local framework to support communities, housing providers and local authorities to respond to the current crisis.
(A) Submitted – the following notice of motion by Councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn in accordance with Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:- Cyngor Gwynedd believes that no house should be anything but a home until everyone has a warm home which is fit for purpose. This is the objective of this Council. We call on the Welsh Government to enable this Council to act in order to put the people of Gwynedd first by creating a Property Act which will offer a statutory and local framework to support communities, housing providers and local authorities to respond to the current crisis. The member set out the context to his motion, and noted:- · Thinking about the major depopulation that had happened in the countryside over the past century caused him concern and a sense of grief – this depopulation was continuing. · Cyngor Gwynedd had been at the forefront with regard to the housing crisis, and had taken firm steps in an attempt to solve the huge problem faced by our communities. · A Property Act was the natural next step in order to solve the housing crisis, since such an act would contain policies that would put communities first, regulate the housing market and ensure that local people have a fair chance of living in their communities. · A Property Act would also place an emphasis on investing locally and create an opportunity for communities to have support to buy assets in the community, as was happening in Scotland. · The Senedd would be discussing housing related matters over the next few months, and it was essential that a Property Act was accepted as part of the Government's objectives. Members expressed their keen support to the motion. The following points were noted:- · This was along the same lines as the previous motion, namely, how we can ensure healthy and prosperous communities in rural Wales. · A Property Act was absolutely fundamental. Without people, there could be no communities; without housing, we cannot get people to live in those communities, and without communities we would not have a rural economy. An amendment was proposed and seconded to amend the first sentence of the motion as follows, to make the proposal more specific geographically:- Cyngor Gwynedd believes that no house should be anything but a home until everyone with a local housing need has a warm home which is fit for purpose. Support was expressed for the amendment on the grounds that we needed to look after our own people. A member expressed his objection to the amendment as it did not define 'local people' while the original motion included everyone. In response, the Monitoring Officer explained that he did not believe that the wording of the amendment was inappropriate since 'local need' was a recognised term, and that it was essentially a request for legislation. A vote was taken on the amendment and it carried. In his closing comments, the proposer noted that his concern about the housing situation had been one of his main reasons for becoming a councillor, and although the discussions were difficult, it was important that everyone worked together to find a solution for the people of Gwynedd, and also the people of Wales. As the amendment had been accepted, the Monitoring Officer explained that the original motion had been amended and that a further vote was needed with the wording of the amendment, rather than the wording of the original. The majority voted in favour of the motion. RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- Cyngor Gwynedd believes that no house should be anything but a home until everyone with a local housing need has a warm home which is fit for purpose. This is the objective of this Council. We call on the Welsh Government to enable this Council to act in order to put the people of Gwynedd first by creating a Property Act which will offer a statutory and local framework to support communities, housing providers and local authorities to respond to the current crisis.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- The decision by the National Health Service Wales Joint Commissioning Committee and the health boards to close and centralise the Wales Air Ambulance centres of Caernarfon (Dinas Dinlle) and Welshpool is a devastating blow to the whole of Gwynedd and another example of how Wales's central services ignore the aspirations and demands of rural Wales. This Council opposes the decision and asks for full intervention and an investigation into the decision by the Welsh Government.
(A) Submitted – the following notice of motion by Councillor Llio Elenid Owen under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:- The decision by the National Health Service Wales Joint Commissioning Committee and the health boards to close and centralise the Wales Air Ambulance centres of Caernarfon (Dinas Dinlle) and Welshpool is a devastating blow to the whole of Gwynedd and another example of how Wales's central services ignore the aspirations and demands of rural Wales. I ask the Council to oppose the decision, and to ask for full intervention and an investigation into the decision by the Welsh Government. The member set out the context to her motion, noting that: · A year and a half ago, the Council had voted unanimously in favour of her motion that called on the relevant bodies to retain the Air Ambulance centres at Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool, and build on the services in their current bases, but the recent decision to close those centres was disappointing and heartbreaking and was a huge blow to the whole of Gwynedd. · The NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee, which included four Lay Members and the seven Chief Executives of the Welsh Health Board, had come to a majority decision at the end of April to accept the recommendations in the Service Review of the Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS), to merge the Air Ambulance Centres of Caernarfon and Welshpool on a new base in central north Wales, with the exact location to be determined. · Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board and Powys Health Board – the two health regions that would be specifically affected by the decisions – were against the decision, but the public's needs and views on the matter in those two areas had not been listened to at all. As such, the Welsh Government would now need to intervene and conduct a full investigation into the decision. · The recommendations noted that this decision would enable more people to benefit from the clinical expertise provided by the teams of this critical care service and that it would also include the provision of an additional bespoke road-based service for rural communities. However, as the Members of Parliament for Gwynedd had noted, there were essential questions that had not yet been answered, especially around the additional bespoke road-based provision, and it was all still very vague. · It was not believed that there was any sense in moving the bases from Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool, on the outskirts of some of the most remote and rural areas of Wales, and relocating them in a populated area by the A55 in north-east Wales. · We must highlight our support and gratitude, as local people and as elected members, to the Wales Air Ambulance charity and the clinical teams of the Wales NHS Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS). The excellent work and service they delivered in order to provide emergency care in our communities was utterly invaluable, and the Wales Air Ambulance was one of the charities that was closest to people's hearts. · She also wished to thank everyone who had taken part in the engagement process over the past few months, and that the very strong local support for retaining these bases in their current locations had been clear during the engagement process. Several members expressed their keen support to the motion. The following was noted:- · It was too easy to claim that the changes would lead to an improved service, and that the evidence and the details indicating this should be demanded. · They implored all the members to sign and share the petition on the Senedd Cymru website calling for a full public inquiry into the closure of the bases in Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool. In her closing comments, the proposer noted that the three motions before this meeting of the Council all related to how our rural areas were being let down by the central organisations, and she emphasised the importance of continuing to work together and campaign against the decision to close the air ambulance bases in Dinas Dinlle and Welshpool. RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:- The decision by the National Health Service Wales Joint Commissioning Committee and the health boards to close and centralise the Wales Air Ambulance centres of Caernarfon (Dinas Dinlle) and Welshpool is a devastating blow to the whole of Gwynedd and another example of how Wales's central services ignore the aspirations and demands of rural Wales. This Council opposes the decision and asks for full intervention and an investigation into the decision by the Welsh Government.
Submitted, for information – a letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillors Gruffydd Williams and Dewi Jones's notices of motion to the Council meeting of 7 March, 2024, regarding support for farmers.
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.