Issue - meetings

To submit the Committee’s draft work programme for 2025/26 for adoption.

To adopt the Communities Scrutiny Committee’s Work Programme for 2025/26.

The report was presented by the Scrutiny Advisor.

She reminded the committee that all Council members, co-opted members, Cabinet Members, Heads of Department and the public had been invited to suggest potential items for scrutiny during the year 2025/26.

The members were updated that the potential items for scrutiny that had been received following this invitation had been discussed during an informal meeting of this Committee on 10 July 2025. She highlighted that some of these items had been suggested at the Chair and Vice-Chair's liaison meetings with the relevant Heads of Department and Cabinet Members, items that required follow-up following recent scrutiny as well as some annual items. She noted that two items had been suggested by Council members.

She explained that every effort had been made to prioritise a maximum of three items for each meeting when drawing up the draft forward programme for 2025/26, to ensure that there was sufficient time to scrutinise all matters and to add value. However, she acknowledged that this had not been possible on all occasions as four items had been scheduled for one meeting. The Members were asked to ensure their availability to be present for all items. It was confirmed that the item 'New Local Development Plan - Preferred Strategy' had been identified as a reserve item.

It was reported that this Committee had a role to scrutinise the work of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board. It was noted that two items had been scheduled to be scrutinised, namely:

·       Annual Report 2024/25 – Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board (18 September 2025)

·       Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board Progress Report (19 March 2026)

It was noted that it was not possible to present the 2024/25 Annual Report to this meeting as scheduled as it would not presented to the Board until December 2025. It was explained that if one of the items that had been scheduled for the January 2026 meeting were to slip, the Progress Report could be scrutinised at that time rather than in the March 2026 meeting which would free up more time to scrutinise the other items during the March 2026 meeting.

She drew attention to the Committee's draft work programme which had been included as part of the documentation for the meeting. She emphasised that it was a live programme that would be reviewed continually to ensure that the right issues were being addressed.

RESOLVED

To adopt the Communities Scrutiny Committee’s work programme for 2025/26.