Agenda and decisions

The Council - Thursday, 6th March, 2025 1.30 pm

Venue: Hybrid - Siambr Dafydd Orwig, Swyddfeydd y Cyngor, Caernarfon LL55 1SH. View directions

Contact: Eirian Roberts 01286 679018

Media

Items

No.

Item

APOLOGIES

To receive any apologies for absence.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 1.

MINUTES PDF 214 KB

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 5^th December, 2024 be signed as a true record.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 2.

DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 3.

THE CHAIR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

To receive any Chair’s announcements.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 4.

URGENT ITEMS

To note any items which are urgent business in the opinion of the Chair so they may be considered.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 5.

QUESTIONS PDF 127 KB

(a) To consider any questions from members of the public, the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.17 of the Constitution.

Question by Mr Ieuan Wyn (address provided in accordance with the requirements of the Constitution).

It is completely unacceptable that Gwynedd pupils from Welsh-speaking households and non-Welsh-speaking households receive less Welsh-medium provision than Welsh school pupils in less-Welsh communities in other parts of our nation. Children and young people, parents and communities in Gwynedd deserve schools where the most comprehensive Welsh-medium provision is being offered. ⁠This is what would be educationally, culturally and socially appropriate. As a result of the fact that the Welsh Government has published an education bill and that a language shift is intensifying considerably in the county, will Cyngor Gwynedd take this golden and crucial opportunity to replace a dated education language policy and introduce an ambitious, clear and completely new education language policy for their schools?

(b) To consider any questions from elected members, the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.18 of the Constitution.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 6.

ANNUAL REPORT - PAY POLICY FOR THE WORKFORCE PDF 136 KB

To submit the report of the Chair of the Chief Officer Appointments Committee.

Additional documents:

Decision:

To adopt the Council Workforce's Pay Policy for 2025/26.

ADAPTATION TO PROJECTS UNDER 'A CARING GWYNEDD' - CYNGOR GWYNEDD PLAN PDF 126 KB

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 8.

Decision:

To approve the addition of the below project to the areas to be prioritised at a strategic level as part of the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28.

Ensuring that full and timely support is available to support people to live at home

To ensure that people can live their best lives, we must make prompt and easily accessible support available for individuals and their families.

We will implement plans to:

• Ensure that we acknowledge the value of family and unpaid carers by making sure that we can easily identify them and offer them full support with caring.

• Reduce our waiting lists for new domiciliary care packages, ensuring no one in Gwynedd waits longer than 28 days following a care assessment.

2025-26 BUDGET PDF 990 KB

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance.

Additional documents:

Decision:

1. To approve the recommendations of the Cabinet:-

(a) To establish a budget of £356,815,330 for 2025/26 to be funded by a £248,389,720 Government Grant and £104,425,610 of Council Tax income (which is an increase of 8.66%).

(b) To establish a capital programme of £53,736,190 for 2025/26 to be funded from the sources noted in Appendix 4 of the report presented to the Council.

2. It be noted that the Cabinet Member for Finance, in a decision notice dated 30 December 2024, approved the calculation of the following amounts for 2025/26 in accordance with Regulations made under Section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 ("The Act"):-

(a) 56,842.05 being the amount calculated in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (Wales) Regulations 1995 as amended, as its Council Tax Base for the year.

(b) Parts of the Council’s area - Community Tax Base -

Aberdaron	621.88	Llanddeiniolen	1,904.89
Aberdyfi	1,194.77	Llandderfel	528.88
Abergwyngregyn	121.90	Llanegryn	174.80
Abermaw (Barmouth)	1,317.52	Llanelltyd	310.17
Arthog	695.76	Llanengan	2,751.39
Bala	818.83	Llanfair	362.68
Bangor	4,244.36	Llanfihangel-y-pennant	251.76
Beddgelert	350.40	Llanfrothen	237.36
Betws Garmon	146.24	Llangelynnin	484.85
Bethesda	1,765.16	Llangywer	159.19
Bontnewydd	463.21	Llanllechid	371.67
Botwnnog	484.06	Llanllyfni	1,471.45
Brithdir & Llanfachreth	474.36	Llannor	951.51
Bryncrug	355.42	Llanrug	1,154.25
Buan	244.98	Llanuwchllyn	334.68
Caernarfon	3,721.81	Llanwnda	857.37
Clynnog Fawr	489.83	Llanycil	213.75
Corris	319.67	Llanystumdwy	937.44
Criccieth	1,016.89	Maentwrog	319.62
Dolbenmaen	652.91	Mawddwy	378.38
Dolgellau	1,315.09	Nefyn	1,696.20
Dyffryn Ardudwy	873.94	Pennal	238.53
Y Felinheli	1,202.04	Penrhyndeudraeth	838.59
Ffestiniog	1,842.24	Pentir	1,310.58
Y Ganllwyd	88.00	Pistyll	298.51
Harlech	870.85	Porthmadog	2,304.34
Trefor & Llanaelhaearn	475.75	Pwllheli	1,866.35
Llanbedr	359.87	Talsarnau	365.44
Llanbedrog	882.45	Trawsfynydd	528.93
Llanberis	814.21	Tudweiliog	520.39
Llandwrog	1,083.91	Tywyn	1,776.31
Llandygai	1,038.17	Waunfawr	595.31

being the amounts calculated as the amounts of its Council Tax Base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

3. That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2025/26 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Act:-

(a)	£581,749,890	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2)(a) to (e) of the Act (gross expenditure).
(b)	£221,986,500	Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32 (3)(a) to (c) of the Act (income).
(c)	£359,763,390	Being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year (net budget).
(d)	£247,894,058	Being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable during the year into its fund in respect of the National Non-Domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant, less the estimated cost to the Council of discretionary non-domestic rate relief granted.
(e)	£1,968.07	Being the amount at 3(c) above less the amount at 3(d) above, all divided by the ... view the full decision text for item 9.
10.	CAPITAL STRATEGY 2025-26 (INCLUDING INVESTMENT AND BORROWING STRATEGIES) PDF 199 KB To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance. Additional documents: Item 10 - Appendix A , item 10. PDF 63 KB Item 10 - Appendix B , item 10. PDF 94 KB Item 10 - Appendix C , item 10. PDF 463 KB Webcast for 10. Decision: To accept the report and to approve the Capital Strategy for 2025/26.
11.	ESTABLISHING THE NORTH WALES CORPORATE JOINT COMMITTEE JOINT OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE PDF 256 KB To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer. Additional documents: Item 11 - Appendix 1 , item 11. PDF 233 KB Webcast for 11. Decision: 1. Establish the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee with the Terms of Reference in Appendix 1 to the report presented to the Council. 2. Agree that the powers of local Scrutiny Committees provided for under The Corporate Joint Committees (General) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2022 shall be retained. 3. Agree the political balance of Cyngor Gwynedd’s nominees to the joint overview and scrutiny committee (JOSC) will reflect the membership of Cyngor Gwynedd rather than the membership of all North Wales councils in aggregate. 4. Agree that the secretariat for the JOSC will be provided by the CJC in accordance with the Terms of Reference.
12.	COMMUNITY REVIEWS UNDER THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (DEMOCRACY) (WALES) ACT 2013 PDF 211 KB To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Legal Services. Additional documents: Item 12 - Appendix 1 , item 12. PDF 103 KB Item 12 - Appendix 2 - Arfon , item 12. PDF 36 KB Item 12 - Appendix 2 - Dwyfor and Meirionnydd , item 12. PDF 59 KB Item 12 - Appendix 3 , item 12. PDF 263 KB Webcast for 12. Decision: That the Council approves the Draft Proposals under sections 25 and 31 of the Local Government (Democracy)(Wales) Act 2013 for the purposes of consultation.
13.	AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION - CABINET PORTFOLIOS PDF 97 KB To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer. Additional documents: Webcast for 13. Decision: To accept the report.
14.	CONSTITUTION CHANGES - NEW CONTRACT PROCEDURE RULES (SECTION 17) PDF 143 KB To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer. Additional documents: Item 14 - Appendix 1 , item 14. PDF 278 KB Webcast for 14. Decision: To adopt the new Contract Procedure Rules (Section 17) shown in Appendix 1 of the report submitted to the Council.
15.	COMMITTEES CALENDAR 2025-26 PDF 64 KB To submit the report of the Head of Democracy Services. Additional documents: Item 15 - Appendix 1 , item 15. PDF 93 KB Webcast for 15. Decision: To adopt the Committees Calendar for 2025/26 in Appendix 1 of the report submitted to the Council.
16.	NOTICES OF MOTION Additional documents: Webcast for 16.
16a	Notice of Motion by Councillor Elwyn Edwards In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Elwyn Edwards will propose as follows:- Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Labour Government in Westminster to transfer the Justice Jurisdiction to the Senedd in Cardiff. In 2017, the Labour Party established a commission to look at the possibility of transferring the responsibility for this in Wales to the Welsh Government. The commission was led by Lord Thomas of Cwmigedd, the former chief officer for Justice in England and Wales. His robust recommendation to the government was that there was an actual need to devolve the Justice Service in Wales to Wales, establishing a separate Welsh jurisdiction. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Justice system, but Wales is attached to England. Wales is the only country in the world that has the legislation, but not the authority to implement this. Although there is increasing demand to create a separate Welsh Jurisdiction and to devolve powers to the Welsh Government, neither the Tory nor Labour Governments have made any shift towards achieving this. Therefore, we ask the Labour Government in Westminster to act on the recommendation made by Lord Thomas. We ask all Welsh councils for their support. Additional documents: Webcast for 16a Decision: Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Labour Government in Westminster to transfer the Justice Jurisdiction to the Senedd in Cardiff, and calls on the Welsh Government and all Welsh Councils for their support.
16b	Notice of Motion by Councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn will propose as follows:- The Council calls on the Westminster Government to devolve powers for broadcasting and media to the Senedd, and for the Welsh Government to proceed with the work of preparing and discussing with Westminster how best to realise this. Additional documents: Webcast for 16b Decision: The Council calls on the Westminster Government to devolve powers for broadcasting and media to the Senedd, and for the Welsh Government to proceed with the work of preparing and discussing with Westminster how best to realise this.
17.	RESPONSES / UPDATES TO PREVIOUS NOTICES OF MOTION PDF 106 KB (1) Letter from the UK Government in response to Councillor Meryl Roberts’ Notice of Motion to the 3^rd October, 2024 Council meeting regarding Winter Fuel Payments. (2) E-mail from Sian Gwenllian, MS, in response to Councillor Elin Walker Jones’ Notice of Motion to the 5th December, 2024 Council regarding the establishment of a School of Dentistry in Bangor. (3) Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Rhys Tudur’s Notice of Motion to the 5th December, 2024 Council meeting regarding Land Transaction Tax. (4) Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor John Pughe Roberts’ Notice of Motion to the 5^th December, 2024 Council meeting regarding APR (Agricultural Property Relief). (5) Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths’ Notice of Motion to the 5^th December, 2024 Council meeting regarding exchanging social housing. (6) Letter from the UK Government in response to Councillor June Jones’ Notice of Motion to the 5^th December, 2024 Council meeting regarding graduated driving licences. To note also that messages of support for Councillor Elwyn Edwards’ Notice of Motion to the 3^rd October, 2024 Council meeting calling for St. David’s Day to be designated as an official national holiday in Wales have been received from Newport (Pembs) Town Council and Bethesda Community Council. Additional documents: Email from Sian Gwenllian, MS - Establishment of a School of Dentistry in Bangor , item 17. PDF 162 KB Letter from the Welsh Government - Land Transaction Tax , item 17. PDF 160 KB Letter from the Welsh Government - Agricultural Property Relief , item 17. PDF 61 KB Letter from the Welsh Government - Exchanging Social Housing , item 17. PDF 158 KB Letter from the UK Government - Graduated Driving Licences , item 17. PDF 107 KB Webcast for 17.