Issue - meetings

To consider the report.

To accept the report, noting the observations received during the discussion.

The report was presented by the Head of the Environment Department and the Senior Executive Officer. They referred briefly to the following main points:

Members were reminded that the department included a range of front-line services and came into contact with the public regularly through fields such as waste and recycling, transportation, planning and public protection. Reassurances were given that every effort had been made to ensure that these services were delivered in the customer's language of choice, ensuring that the services are available through the medium of Welsh.

It was reported that the Department was leading on the Council Plan project of preparing a new Local Development Plan, which is a priority within the 2023-28 Council Plan (A Green Gwynedd). Similarly, it was noted that the Planning Policy Team was monitoring the Joint Local Development Plan 2011-26 and regularly prepared Supplementary Planning Guidance. It was emphasised that Planning Policy PS1, which related to the Welsh language and culture, is central to these Planning and Guidance. Pride was expressed that this provision went further than the Welsh Government's statutory requirements on the Welsh language, sharing an example that the requirements and guidance on Welsh language assessments and statements within the field were in more detail than what is expected nationally.

Attention was drawn that Cyngor Gwynedd was the first local authority in Wales to introduce the Article 4 direction, noting that it was a tool to ensure that houses in Gwynedd were available to residents and that the Welsh language was being supported. It was acknowledged that the direction was currently facing challenges, but that it continued to be operational.

It was highlighted that the Building Control Service was responsible for naming streets and naming and numbering properties. Assurances were given that the service was taking a proactive approach to highlight the historical and cultural significance of Welsh names on properties, although it was acknowledged that they had no powers to refuse applications unless names were duplicated or if the choice of name was inappropriate. It was reported that 113 applications had been received to change or register property names and that 88% of the names registered were Welsh names. Furthermore, pride was expressed that 18 property owners had changed the name of their property from English back into Welsh following discussions with the Service. Likewise, reference was made to the Planning Service where a planning condition was imposed on 54 new businesses and 110 new houses to ensure that they were named in Welsh.

Following a request by committee members, an update was provided on the 'Tir a Môr' bilingual education pack led by the Pen Llŷn a’r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation team. Pride was expressed that hard copies of the pack had been distributed to every primary school in Gwynedd since the Department submitted their previous report to this Committee. It was elaborated that the Special Area of Conservation team were also working to produce a bilingual magazine, 'O Dan y Don', to raise awareness of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5