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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Siambr Dafydd Orwig, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1SH

Contact: Eirian Roberts  01286 679018

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

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.

 

2.

DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST

To receive any declaration of personal interest.

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

None to note.

 

3.

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 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. 

 

 

4.

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.

5.

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.

6.

GROWTH DEAL FOR THE ECONOMY OF NORTH WALES: PROPOSITION DOCUMENT pdf icon 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.