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Agenda item

Cabinet Member: Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn

 

To consider the report of the Cabinet Member

 

Minutes:

The Council Leader presented a report, requesting that Committee Members scrutinise the content of the Gwynedd and Anglesey (Draft) Well-being Plan and submit any observations. It was explained that the Public Services Board had succeeded the Local Services Board, and that there was a desire and resolve to operate in a different manner to the previous Board to ensure its distinctness. The first step of the process was to publish a well-being plan that outlined how it was intended to improve the well-being of both County's residents. It was noted that there was a three-month statutory consultation period on the plan that broadly outlined the principles (that would end at the end of March), and that the Board would subsequently consider the responses before producing the final Well-being Plan.

 

The Leader, as a member of the Public Services Board, added that he looked forward to the creation of new partnerships that would be developing projects. It was accepted that there sometimes appeared to be a 'word creation' industry, but there was a will to see the outcomes by responding to the challenge of working by different methods. With the advent of these well-being areas, it would be possible to focus on specific areas - to identify the needs of different areas - and target work to the areas that required attention.

 

It was emphasised that Gwynedd Council was one of the partners, and that the content of the final plan would be the decision of the Public Services Board.

 

It was emphasised that there was an effort to create a readable document that would establish a conversation with communities by attempting to define well-being. Members were requested to encourage people to submit observations on the consultation document.

 

During the ensuing discussion, the following points were highlighted by individual Members:

·         The document should be welcomed, as it identified understandable issues and ambitions.

·         Difficult to address and implement. Although the matters raised should be praised, there was no resource to deliver.

·         A failure that no solutions had been included e.g., elements of encouraging collaboration. A good start, but need to set targets and engage effectively.

·         Need to provide reasons for people to remain in Gwynedd

·         The document provided a firm foundation, but was of no value unless steps were taken.

·         The need for a culture change in order to act effectively

·         Welcomed the good background research which set a foundation for moving forward

·         Accepted that there was a need to set priorities, such as the Welsh Language, Health and Poverty, but empowering communities needed to have a central focus, and consider projects that would make savings.

·         Steps taken following the Welsh Government's acts, but no resource to deliver.

·         High quality jobs were crucial, but no suggestions on how to achieve this.  Anglesey's median salary was higher than the figure for the whole of Wales - why was Anglesey, a neighbouring Council, so much higher than Gwynedd? Detailed information was requested from the Corporate Support Senior Manager.

·         The economy was crucially important.

·         Funding was a factor that restricted the ability to deliver - need to think about different methods

·         High value jobs and housing supply must be prioritised to encourage people to remain in their localities

·         Suggest the creation of a Jobs Champion

 

In response to an observation about the economy, it was explained that the Council had identified that collaboration across North Wales was working, but in relation to community regeneration, it was accepted that insufficient attention had been given to the matter. Reference was made to the Minister's strategy, which emphasised the need for a basic economy and the fact that individual jobs were important in maintaining communities. Although the focus was on large-scale plans e.g., Growth, it was also necessary to look towards the rural areas to maintain the economy, to develop plans and target economic assistance.

 

It was agreed that finance was the limiting factor in relation to the ambitions and what needed to be delivered, and that consideration should be given to methods that did not need significant funding but that could have a similar impact. The Services Board's task would be to develop different methods of working.

 

In response to a question regarding Leisure projects and the new Leisure Board that had been established by Gwynedd, it was noted that if any project relating to leisure was being considered, it was intended to invite Leisure representation to participate in the discussions to develop relevant projects. It was intended to identify partners for individual projects.

 

In response to a question about when the action plan would be submitted, it was reported that the final version would be submitted to the Full Council on 3 May 2018. Subsequently it would be necessary to create a timetable for implementation. It was noted that a separate document would not be published and that it was intended to publish a timetable for each individual plan.

 

It was noted that the plan was a huge step in the right direction.  It was accepted that the Scrutiny Committee had a statutory duty to scrutinise the content of the document as part of the process of developing the plan. The Committee's wish for the Services Board to establish a firm timetable for the plan, to be updated during the process by means of progress reports, was noted.

 

Resolved to accept the report.

 

Supporting documents: