Agenda and minutes
Venue: Siambr Dafydd Orwig, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1SH
Contact: Eirian Roberts 01286 679018
Media
No. | Item |
---|---|
APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for absence Additional documents: Minutes: Councillors Craig ab Iago, Dylan Bullard, Anwen
Davies, Aled Evans, Dylan Fernley, Simon Glyn, Selwyn Griffiths, Sian Hughes,
Judith Humphreys, Aeron Maldwyn Jones, Eric Merfyn Jones, Linda Ann Jones, Eryl
Jones-Williams, Dilwyn Morgan, Rheinallt Puw, Peter Read, John Pughe Roberts,
W.Gareth Roberts, Paul Rowlinson, Mike Stevens, Hefin Underwood, Catrin Wager
and Gruffydd Williams. |
|
DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declaration of personal interest. Additional documents: Minutes: None to note. |
|
THE CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS To receive any Chairman’s
announcements. Additional documents: Minutes: Condolences were
expressed to Aled Davies (Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department) at
the recent loss of his mother. It was noted that the Council also wished to
express condolences to everyone within the county’s communities who had lost
loved ones recently. The Council stood as
a mark of respect. It was noted that Councillor
Anwen Davies' son had been seriously ill recently and he was wished a full and
speedy recovery. The Young Farmers
were congratulated on a successful Eisteddfod in Porthmadog
recently, and particularly the Rhiw branch for their success, and one of whom,
Sian Heulwen Roberts from the Environment Department, who won the chair. It was noted that an announcement had been made on Tuesday that the Slate
Areas would be the next nomination to be submitted to Unesco.
This was excellent news for Gwynedd as a whole as an opportunity to celebrate
our unique cultural heritage. It was noted that a short public
service would be held at Caernarfon Castle at 2.30pm on Remembrance Sunday, 11
November 2018, to commemorate a hundred years since the end of the Great War.
During the service, the ashes of the Poppy Crosses placed in the Great War
Memorial Garden opened at the Castle on 7 July 2016, would be scattered in the
exact location of the Memorial Garden. It was noted that a Coffee Morning would be held
by Liz Saville Roberts MP at Tŷ Siamas, Eldon Square, Dolgellau at 10.30am, Friday 2
November with the Red Cross and the Royal Voluntary Service in order to assist
the charities to recruit volunteers. It was explained that they were
collaborating on a project called Positive Steps and that Ann Griffith, Deputy
Police Commissioner would be present to give a brief address on
volunteering. Also, it was noted
that Liz Saville Roberts MP had arranged an event to commemorate the First
World War Conscientious Objectors, at Capel Bowydd,
Blaenau Ffestiniog, on Saturday 17 November from
9.30am. |
|
CORRESPONDENCE, COMMUNICATIONS OR OTHER BUSINESS To receive any
correspondence, communications or other business brought forward at the request
of the Chairman. Additional documents: Minutes: None to
note. |
|
URGENT ITEMS To note any items which are urgent business in the opinion of the Chairman
so they may be considered. Additional documents: Minutes: None to
note. |
|
GROWTH DEAL FOR THE ECONOMY OF NORTH WALES: PROPOSITION DOCUMENT PDF 153 KB To consider
the report of the Council Leader
(attached). Additional documents:
Minutes: The Leader submitted a
report inviting the Council to endorse the Proposition Document in order to
give a mandate to the leaders to commit to a Heads of Terms Agreement with both
Governments. The Leader set the political
context and the Corporate Director elaborated on the purpose of the document,
the main considerations and the next steps. Members were given an
opportunity to ask questions and make observations. During the discussion,
strong support to the document was expressed by several members on the
following grounds:- ·
That this deal offered an excellent and unique opportunity for Gwynedd
and that the document should be supported and trust placed in the Leader to
battle on our behalf. ·
That this deal would help young people to seek work in their local areas
and create the environment for the county's private sector to prosper in the
future. ·
That in forming this deal, the two counties furthest East had set their
sights back towards the counties in the West so that the six North Wales
authorities spoke with one voice. ·
That the status quo was not an option and this deal, which could
transform the North Wales economy, must be taken advantage of. ·
That the fact that this deal would place industrial buildings on
strategic sites such as Parc Bryn Cegin, Bangor, which had been vacant for 15
years, was welcomed, and the potential promise of 250 jobs, a stone's throw
from the city centre, was very encouraging news. On the contrary, concern was
expressed about the deal by others on the following grounds:- ·
That there were reservations that the deal did not do enough to support
rural Gwynedd. ·
That Gwynedd was small and feeble compared with the populous counties of
the North-East and Merseyside and that we could live to regret being drawn in
to such a deal. ·
That the inequality between the GVA of the north-east and the north-west
was striking, with Wrexham reaching nearly 80% of the average GVA of England
and Wales (excluding London and the South-East) whilst Anglesey was at 50% of
the average. It was assumed that the GVA of Gwynedd, as one of the poorest
areas in Europe, would also be low, though the public sector jobs in the Bangor
and Caernarfon areas would skew that figure somewhat. ·
That the document did not refer to the effect of the influx of exiles
back to the country as a result of Brexit. ·
That, in terms of nuclear energy and specifically the Sellafield nuclear
energy waste tip, there was a risk for us to be drawn into the principle that,
if it was good enough for Cumbria, it was good enough for Gwynedd and Anglesey
too. ·
That the document referred to European grants, but that there would not
be a European Union by the time this deal was delivered. · That there was much mention of businesses and the money that private businesses would pump in, but there were no businesses in Gwynedd that could contribute, as it was micro businesses that ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |