35,601 items
Decided: Council authorised the Director of Education to publish a statutory notice to discontinue Ysgol Clydau. The vote was 26 for, 25 against and 1 abstention.
Decided: Council authorised the Director of Education to publish a statutory notice to discontinue Manorbier Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School. The vote was 29 for, 20 against and 3 abstentions.
Decided: Council approved the Pay Policy Statement 2026-27 for publication. The vote was 44 for, with none against or abstaining.
Decided: Council approved the response and action plan to the Panel's report and recommendations. The vote was 35 for, 5 against and 3 abstentions.
Decided: Council reaffirmed its 12 December 2025 decision. The vote was 32 for, 21 against and 2 abstentions.
RESOLVED That the Notice of Motion be referred to Cabinet. [Councillors Tessa Hodgson, Thomas Tudor and Pat Davies left the meeting at this juncture.]
RESOLVED (a) That the Notice of Motion be adopted. (b) That this Council requests that the Labour Welsh Government intervenes in Hywel Dda University Health Board’s recent decision to cease emergency general surgery at Withybush hospital and immediately reverses their decision. We believe removing this service critically undermines the sustainability of Withybush hospital’s A&E department. Also, the decision by the Health Board does not take into account the impact and potential serious risks it will have on Pembrokeshire residents. (c) That the Hywel Dda University Health Board be requested to attend a future meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council to outline their future strategy for health provision in Pembrokeshire.
RESOLVED That the petition be noted and no further action taken.
RESOLVED That the petition be referred to the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee for adding to its Forward Work Programme for the June meeting. [At this juncture, the meeting adjourned for a short break at 11:35 am and reconvened at 11:48 am]
RESOLVED That the petition be noted and considered alongside the substantive item on the agenda in relation to this matter.
Decided: Council endorsed the Corporate Parenting Strategy and its Action Plan for 2025 to 2028. The minute records that the Cabinet Member for Social Care, Safeguarding and Accessible Health Services presented the strategy.
Decided: Council voted to accept the recommendations in the report, which set the 2026/27 revenue and capital budgets and council tax. The vote was 22 for, 22 against and 1 abstention, and the Chair used the deciding vote.
Decided: Council carried the motion, which was moved by Councillor Frances Taylor and seconded by Councillor Simon Howarth. The motion congratulates the Magor Action Group on Rail on confirmation that the Magor & Undy Walkway station will be built first, with construction planned for 2029. It also asks the council to press Transport for Wales and Network Rail to name the station Magor & Undy Walkway and to start construction now, and it commits the council to urgent work on traffic management plans for the station.
Decided: Council carried the motion, moved by Councillor Tony Kear and seconded by Councillor Lisa Dymock. The motion commits the council to an urgent, transparent review of other ways to repair roads, including a full cost analysis. It asks the administration (the ruling group) to bring a clear action plan within six months, and calls for published performance data on highway maintenance spending and results.
Decided: Council approved the Pay Policy for 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. The policy sets out how the council pays its staff, including its senior officers.
Decided: Council approved the Capital Strategy and the Treasury Management Strategy for 2026/27, including the Minimum Revenue Provision policy. It also agreed that the Governance and Audit Committee should keep reviewing treasury activity through quarterly updates and a year-end report. The vote was 25 for and 20 against.
RESOLVED To adopt the draft Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27.
RESOLVED To accept the report and approve the Capital Strategy for 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.
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.
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.
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.
Decided: The Council endorsed the in-principle appointments of four local authority governors: Debbie Field (Soffryd Primary School), Rhion Hollister (Beaufort Hill Primary School), Peter Harriman (Tredegar Comprehensive School) and Samuel Grainger (Abertillery 3-16 Learning Community). The decision was unanimous.
Decided: The Council accepted the report and confirmed that the statutory duty imposed by the Act had been met. The decision was unanimous.
Decided: The Council agreed the revised Terms of Reference for the Governance & Audit Committee. The decision was unanimous.
Decided: The Council approved the 2026/27 revenue budget, a 3.75% Council Tax rise and the Council Tax resolutions, which set the amounts payable in each band. It also approved the Medium Term Financial Strategy and a statutory budget requirement of £210,451,190.
Decided: It also gave the Strategic Director of Adults & Communities delegated authority, meaning power to decide without a further meeting, to set fees for externally commissioned social care and Cwrt Mytton, and approved the core fees proposed by Aneurin Leisure Trust.
Decided: The Council approved a 25-year lease of the property, shown edged red on the plan, to Bedwellty Park Bowls Club. The decision was unanimous.
Decided: The plan is due for adoption in June 2030.
Decided: The Council approved the Future Travel Blaenau Gwent document as its first response to the Blaenau Gwent Citizen's Forum. The decision was unanimous.