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: