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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 Menna Baines, Freya Bentham, Linda Ann Jones, Sion Jones, Dilwyn Morgan, Linda Morgan, Jason Parry, Rheinallt Puw, Peter Read, Mike Stevens, Ioan Thomas and Cemlyn Williams.

 

2.

MINUTES pdf icon PDF 139 KB

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the annual meeting of the Council held on 2nd May, 2019 be signed as a true record. (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair signed the minutes of the annual meeting of the Council held on 2 May, 2019 as a true record.

 

3.

DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST

To receive any declaration of personal interest.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The following members declared a personal interest in item 8 on the agenda - Housing Strategy, for the reasons noted:

 

·         Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd as he owned an empty property that was being renovated for letting purposes.

·         Councillors Berwyn Parry Jones and Cai Larsen as they were members of the Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd Board.

 

The members were not of the opinion that they were prejudicial interests, and they did not withdraw from the meeting during the discussion on the item.

 

4.

THE CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

To receive any Chairman’s announcements.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Condolences were expressed to the family of Eurig Wyn, a former Councillor and a former Member of the European Parliament, who had died recently and the Leader paid tribute to him.

 

It was also noted that the Council wished to express condolences to everyone within the county’s communities who had recently lost loved ones.

 

The Council stood as a mark of respect.

 

The following were congratulated:

 

·         Iestyn Tyne, a member of the Council's Translation Team, on winning the Chair at the Urdd Eisteddfod in Cardiff this year and everyone from Gwynedd who had been successful at the Eisteddfod.

·         Manon Steffan Ross on winning the "Wales Book of the Year" award.

 

Best wishes were extended to Iwan Trefor Jones (Corporate Director) following his recent appointment to a post with Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd and the Chief Executive thanked him for his years of service to this Council and the former Dwyfor District Council.

 

It was noted that confirmation had been received from Guinness World Records that Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech, which had a gradient of 37.45% at its steepest point, had been recognised as the steepest street in the world. It was explained that the street, which connected the lower part of the town with the castle, had taken the title from Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, which had a gradient of 35% at its steepest point.

 

5.

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.

6.

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.

7.

QUESTIONS

To consider any questions the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.19 of the Constitution.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(The Cabinet Members' written responses to the questions had been distributed to the members in advance).

 

(1)       Question from Councillor Owain Williams

 

“The continuous habit by various public bodies, the press and the media of referring to 'North Wales' and 'South Wales' and 'Mid Wales' etc. is creating rifts amongst our nation, at a time where national unity is required. I ask the Leader whether or not he would be willing to contact the Senedd in Cardiff to ask them to intervene in every possible manner in order to influence a change in this habit, which is causing rifts in this nation?"

 

 

 

 

Response by the Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn

 

"I am not sure if I understand the question, or what influence Welsh Government has on the names of our regions, but it is true to say that there is a North Wales Region.  It is also true to say that there is a Mid-Wales Region and it is true to say that there is a Cardiff City Region and a Swansea City Region. I fully agree that there is a need for us to be confident as a nation, and united as a nation, but being concerned about this type of observation shows our lack of confidence.  Let us continue to name our regions as we see fit. I do not know if the questioner has any suggestions in terms of what we should be naming these places?"

 

Supplementary Question from Councillor Owain Williams

 

"I am sure the Leader would agree with me that the union is being fragmented?"

 

(2)       Question from Councillor Kevin Morris Jones

 

"A large number of events take place at the village of Llanberis, nearly every week. Although this can be a very good thing for the area's economy, the number of events can sometimes be excessive and have a negative impact on the area, the residents and visitors.

 

I would like to know if the Council is aware of how many people are competing in the events on the day in the Llanberis area and how many races (running, cycling and swimming) are being held and whether or not Gwynedd Council is permitting all of these events?"

 

Response from the Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, Councillor Gareth Thomas

 

"As the permission of Gwynedd Council is not required in order to hold all types of events, it is not possible for the authority to be aware of the number of races and events being held in Llanberis, or how many are taking part.  Only events being held on Council land, or events that require an entertainment or alcohol licence, require the Council's permission. Therefore, it is problematic. A number of events use Council land and I would be very willing to have a conversation with the Councillor to discuss this type of thing. I am aware of the pressure this places on the community of Llanberis and I have asked officers from the Economy and Community Department to collaborate with relevant officers across  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

8.

HOUSING STRATEGY pdf icon PDF 83 KB

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Housing  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Cabinet Member for Housing requesting that the Council approve the Housing Strategy 2019-2024, confirming the direction and priorities in the field of housing.

 

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by individual members:

 

·         The report did not note what proportion of the additional tax collected through the premium on second homes and long term empty properties was being reinvested in order to make a difference in the housing field.

·         The reluctance of the Planning Department to allow young people to construct homes in their own villages hindered the Council's vision of supporting all Gwynedd residents to prosper and to live full lives in their communities.

·         It would be a good thing for the Council to start constructing social housing once again.

·         The fact that the Cabinet Member had taken note of all matters raised by the Care Scrutiny Committee and had incorporated them into the Strategy was welcomed.

·         A reference in the Strategy to a construction plan was recognition of the disgraceful decision that had been made to transfer 3,500 Council houses to a private company for free.

·         The Cabinet Member was asked to reconsider the following aspects that were missing from the Strategy, and to encompass them in the document:

Ø  Although there was recognition that there would be an increase of 60% in the number of people over 80 years old living in Gwynedd in 20 years, there was no mention of people coming to live here from all parts of the United Kingdom and beyond.

Ø  There was no mention that the Welsh language was a requirement for a house in some areas.

Ø  There was no mention of offering mortgages for local people to buy houses, although this was within the Council's rights, and it would be wise to invest in the county's communities rather than investing in arms companies.

·         As the grants available for people to upgrade heating systems in older houses were the subject of a means test, people in employment were not eligible, and pressure should be placed on Welsh Government to ensure that these people, who were just above the threshold, were not ignored.

·         All members were witnessing people in their wards struggling to obtain houses and living in unsuitable housing, and that the Strategy was a breath of fresh air through the Council which showed the positive things that could be done to improve the situation of Gwynedd residents.

 

In response to some of the above observations, the following was noted:

 

·         In accordance with the Financial Strategy adopted by the Council in March, 100% of tax yield on second homes / long term empty properties (namely, approximately £2.7m net after collection cost) went towards housing projects.

·         There was a need to change the old mind-set and the old ways of doing things and find solutions to planning matters in order to facilitate housing for young people.

·         The housing stock was transferred to a private company in accordance with instruction from Welsh Government at the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

9.

GWYNEDD COUNCIL ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REPORT 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 61 KB

To submit the report of the Council Leader  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Leader requesting that the Council approve and adopt Gwynedd Council's Performance Report 2018/19 as a clear, balanced and accurate picture of the Council's performance in 2018/19.

 

The Leader thanked the officers that had been involved with the work.

 

In response to questions from individual members, the following was noted:

 

·         Without additional funding, it would not be possible to allow 80% of non-contact time for school headteachers to focus on leadership issues in the primary sector (Transforming the Schools System project - page 77 of the report), and that this principle, along with other principles of the project, had been raised from the profession itself. Although it would not be practicably possible to realise these principles, they would be a measure to examine the situations as they arose in schools across the county. 

·         The Reducing the Pay Gap between Women and Men / Women in Leadership Project (page 82 of the report) was the culmination of a desire to try to attract more women to high level jobs. The Council was currently still living with past appointments, but it was greatly hoped that the situation would change within 5-10 years.  As part of the project, female managers were being interviewed in order to discover what the barriers were for them to obtain high level jobs within the Council.

 

A member noted the Council needed to talk more with front line staff when matters were raised at scrutiny committees, or when complaints were received. Also, the Council should establish a careers path for its staff, especially carers, due to the difficulties in recruiting carers across the county.

 

RESOLVED to approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance in 2018/19, and to adopt it.

 

10.

AMENDMENT TO THE COUNCIL'S 2019-20 PAY POLICY pdf icon PDF 69 KB

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support (attached).

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support requesting that the Council approve the recommendation of the Chief Officer Appointment Committee to establish the salary of the new Head of Housing and Property’s post at grade HS2 - £68,458 - £76,063, and as a result amend the 2019/20 Pay Policy to reflect this addition.

 

RESOLVED to approve the recommendation of the Chief Officer Appointment Committee to establish the salary of the new Head of Housing and Property’s post at grade HS2 - £68,458 - £76,063, and as a result amend the 2019/20 Pay Policy to reflect this addition.

 

11.

ESTABLISHING A SALARY FOR THE POST OF PROGRAMME DIRECTOR - NORTH WALES ECONOMIC AMBITION BOARD pdf icon PDF 71 KB

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support requesting that the Council, as the Accountable Body for the North Wales Economic Ambition Board’s employment and financial matters, approve the Board’s decision to set the salary level for the post of Programme Director at £96,304 - £106,304.

 

The Leader, who was also the Chair of the Ambition Board, provided an explanation on what the role of the Programme Director would entail.

 

During the discussion, concerns were expressed by individual members on the following grounds:

 

·         A risk that the North East area would benefit more than the North West area from the Growth Deal.

·         The linguistic requirements of the post of Programme Director.

·         The immorality of offering a salary of over £100,000 to the post-holder when families in Gwynedd were dependent on food banks.

·         Reservations whether or not the Growth Deal would manage to attract a £1bn investment to north Wales, as alleged.

 

In response to these concerns, the following was noted:

 

·         Appointing someone to the post of Programme Director was not this Council's decision. Instead, it was the cross-party decision of the Economic Ambition Board, namely the Leaders of the six Councils, in consultation with representatives from the private sector and colleges.

·         The Constitution of the Ambition Board noted that consensus was required across the six Councils to every decision.  As no agreement had been reached on the linguistic matter, it was agreed to compromise that the Welsh language would be 'desirable' for the post, and also an additional skill should two candidates be on a par following an interview.

·         Gwynedd Council was the Host Authority for the Ambition Board as it had been established as a Council that did things right. In order to act appropriately in this case, the Council was required to give formal approval to the salary level of the post of Programme Director as it was above £100,000.

·         All of the Leaders would be aware of the question regarding high level salaries, but as the Programme Director would be responsible for attracting an additional £1bn investment from the private sector (towards the £280m that would come from both Governments), it was absolutely essential to get the right person to lead this important work of disseminating growth across north Wales.

·         Any questions regarding what the Ambition Board did were matters for future discussion.

 

A registered vote was called for on the proposal.

 

According to Procedural Rules, the following vote on the motion was recorded:

 

 

 

In favour (45)

 

Councillors Craig ab Iago, Dylan Bullard, Stephen Churchman, Annwen Daniels, Elwyn Edwards, Alan Jones Evans, Aled Evans, Peter Antony Garlick, Simon Glyn, Gareth Wyn Griffith, Selwyn Griffiths, Annwen Hughes, John Brynmor Hughes, R.Medwyn Hughes, Nia Jeffreys, Peredur Jenkins, Aled Wyn Jones, Anne Lloyd Jones, Berwyn Parry Jones, Charles W.Jones, Elin Walker Jones, Gareth Jones, Huw Wyn Jones, Eryl Jones-Williams, Cai Larsen, Beth Lawton, Dilwyn Lloyd, Dafydd Meurig, Dafydd Owen, Dewi Owen, Edgar Owen, W.Roy Owen, Nigel Pickavance, Dewi Wyn Roberts, Elfed P.Roberts, John Pughe Roberts,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

12.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE 2018/19 pdf icon PDF 44 KB

To submit the report of the Chair of the Standards Committee  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Dr Einir Young, Chair of the Standards Committee, was welcomed to the meeting to submit the committee's annual report for 2018/19.

 

In presenting the report, Dr Einir Young thanked the Monitoring Officer and his team for their guidance and their consistent and ongoing work with the County Council and the Community Councils.

 

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and make observations.

 

The need for the Public Services Ombudsman was questioned bearing in mind that the threshold for investigating Code of Conduct complaints was now much higher.  Submitting a complaint was not a minor issue and a clear message should be sent to the Ombudsman that there was a need to lower the threshold.

 

In response, it was explained that the number of complaints was very low given the number of town, community and county councillors across Gwynedd, and that this was due to a common pattern of respecting the Code of Conduct. However, it was noted that the code was adopted by all Councils and accepted by all members as a declaration of their commitment to a high standard of conduct in the eyes of the public.  Therefore, each individual involved in the system had a role in maintaining and promoting these standards and to challenge inappropriate conduct, regardless of whether the Ombudsman was involved in the matter or not.  This was the message that would be maintained in training. 

 

Dr Einir Young was thanked for her presentation.

 

13.

APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT MEMBER TO THE STANDARDS COMMITTEE pdf icon PDF 47 KB

To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Monitoring Officer requesting that the Council approve the recommendation of the Consultative Panel to appoint Mr Hywel Eifion Jones as an independent member of Gwynedd Council’s Standards Committee, to serve for a six-year period.

 

RESOLVED to appoint Mr Hywel Eifion Jones as an independent member of Gwynedd Council’s Standards Committee, to serve for a six-year period.

 

14.

CABINET PORTFOLIOS pdf icon PDF 52 KB

To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Monitoring Officer on amendments to the Constitution in light of the Leader's action to reorganise the Cabinet Member Portfolios, in accordance with Part 5 of the Constitution.

 

RESOLVED to accept the report.

 

15.

NON ATTENDANCE OF A MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL pdf icon PDF 78 KB

To submit the report of the Head of Democratic Services  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Head of Democratic Services requesting that the Council approve the absence of Councillor Linda Morgan from meetings of the Council because of illness, in accordance with Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, enabling her to continue to be a member of Gwynedd Council.

 

RESOLVED to approve the absence of Councillor Linda Morgan from meetings of the Council because of personal circumstances, in accordance with Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972, enabling her to continue to be a member of Gwynedd Council.

 

16.

REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL'S POLITICAL BALANCE pdf icon PDF 114 KB

To submit the report of the Head of Democratic Services  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted - a report by the Head of Democratic Services on a review of the Council's political balance, requesting that the Council adopt the allocation of seats in Appendix A of the report and delegated the authority to him to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups.

 

RESOLVED

(A)      Adopt the seats allocation in accordance with what is noted in the appendix to these minutes.

(B)      Delegate the authority to the Head of Democratic Services to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups.

 

 

17.

NOTICES OF MOTION

Additional documents:

18.

Notice of Motion by Councillor Nia Jeffreys

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of the Constitution, Councillor Nia Jeffreys will propose as follows:-

 

We call upon the Council to call for independence for Wales, and send a clear message that Wales is not too small or poor to stand on its own feet, and that we yearn to make decisions that affect our future here in Wales, and not in London.”

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(A)     Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Nia Jeffreys, in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:

 

"We call upon the Council to call for independence for Wales, and send a clear message that Wales is not too small or poor to stand on its own feet, and that we yearn to make decisions that affect our future in Wales, and not in London."

 

Individual members expressed their enthusiastic support for the motion on the following grounds:

 

·         Their desire to contribute towards building a better Wales, a new Wales, and a free Wales.

·         Their vision for a prosperous, fairer and more democratic Wales; a country where social justice would be at the top of the agenda in all aspects of public life and a country where decisions about Wales were made by the people of Wales.

·         Wales was not too small or too poor to be independent, and that some of the world's most prosperous, most equal and happiest of countries were small countries.

·         It was common sense to state that all decisions about Wales should be done in Wales, and it would be easier to deal with Welsh issues if the government was a government for Wales and that all attention was on the needs of Wales only.

·         We had a duty to campaign for independence for the sake of our young people and future generations.

·         As Wales was on a very slippery slope to leave the European Community, there was a real urgent need to obtain more powers for Wales, powers over the natural resources of Wales such as energy generation and water resources, more economic powers, devolving broadcasting, the police and the justice system.

·         As the United Kingdom was fundamentally changing with Scotland preparing for a second referendum on independence, and the reconstruction of Ireland a real possibility, it was essentially important that Wales was not left behind.

·         The solution to the economic challenges facing Wales was not in London, nor on a British level, and it was clear that the values of Wales were not being reflected in Westminster and that the policies of said government were not being established for the benefit of the people of Wales.

·         Other people could not be relied upon to overturn the disastrous situation of our nation, and that everyone had to work together in order to create a better nation.

·         50 countries had left the British Empire over the past 50 years and each one had had the same arguments against independence that were voiced in the case of Wales.

·         There was a desire to see a fair and balanced society that would work to support the vulnerable - a society without racism where each individual would get the opportunity to live life to its full potential, whatever their origin, language, religion or wealth.

·         With only 40 out of approximately 650 seats, Wales had no opportunity to steer the discussion in Westminster or, for example, to object to the bedroom tax, the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 18.

19.

Notice of Motion by Councillor Elwyn Edwards

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of the Constitution, Councillor Elwyn Edwards will propose as follows:-

 

"That the Council asks the Housing Service to provide information regarding Waiting Lists for rented social housing for the purposes of assessing relevant need on the basis of each area, rather than the numbers presented for the whole of Gwynedd for each area.”

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

(B)     Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Elwyn Edwards, in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution and it was seconded:

 

"That the Council asks the Housing Service to provide information on Waiting Lists for rented housing in order to assess relevant need based on each area, rather than the numbers presented for the whole of Gwynedd for each area."

 

RESOLVED to adopt the motion.

 

20.

RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS NOTICES OF MOTION

Additional documents:

21.

Response to Councillor Sion Jones' Notice of Motion pdf icon PDF 825 KB

To submit, for information, a letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Sion Jones’ notice of motion to the 7th March, 2019 meeting regarding the third party sales of puppies  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted, for information:

(A)          A letter from Welsh Government, in response to Councillor Sion Jones's notice of motion to the meeting on 7 March, 2019, regarding third party sales of puppies

 

22.

Responses to Councillor Catrin Wager's Notice of Motion pdf icon PDF 214 KB

To submit, for information, letters from the Welsh and UK Governments in response to Councillor Catrin Wager’s notice of motion to the 7th March, 2019 meeting regarding the motion on climate change  (attached).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Submitted, for information:

(A)      Letters from Welsh Government and the UK Government in response to Councillor Catrin Wager’s notice of motion to the meeting on 7 March, 2019, regarding the motion on climate change.