Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Menna Baines, Beth Lawton, Richard Glyn Roberts and Ioan Thomas.

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the Annual Meeting of the Council held on 1^st May, 2025 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous Council meeting held on 3 June 2025 as a true record.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

To receive any Chair’s announcements.

Condolences were extended to the family of Councillor Rob Triggs, who had passed away recently, and Cllr Eryl Jones-Williams paid tribute to him.

Condolences were expressed to the family of the late O P Huws Llanllyfni who had been a Member of this Council for many years.  A tribute was paid to him by Cllr Craig ab Iago.

Condolences were extended to the family of Sharon Warnes, a Lay Member on the Governance and Audit Committee who had recently passed away, and the Vice-chair paid tribute to her.

It was noted that Annette Bryn Parri had recently passed away, and condolences were expressed to her family.

It was further noted that the Council wished to express condolences to everyone within the county’s communities who had lost loved ones recently. The Council stood in silence as a mark of respect and remembrance. 

It was noted that several members of the Council had been unwell recently and they were wished a full and speedy recovery. 

Reference was made to the retirement of two highly experienced members of the Council's Management Team after spending their careers in Cyngor Gwynedd. Aled Davies, Head of the Adults Department and Geraint Owen, the Council's Corporate Director were thanked for all the work they had achieved over the last forty years.

The following were congratulated:

·       Nyth (Fran Wen, Bangor) who had been Highly Commended at the RIBA MacEwen Awards ceremony, which recognised buildings that improve the lives of people and the community. The transformation of the former St Mary's church in Bangor into a new creative cultural hub was praised.    

·       Councillor Gwilym Jones on becoming a grandfather again, to a little girl called Nansi.

·       Caernarfon Rugby Club (Men) on winning the Welsh Rugby Union Division 1 Cup – the first North Wales club to win it.

Best wishes were extended to the Wales Women's Football Team in Euro 2025. 

Councillor Geraint Wyn Parry was welcomed to his first meeting of this Council as the Member for Teigl, and former Councillor Linda Ann Jones was once again thanked for all her work over the years.

Following the recent announcement that the Senedd Election would be held on 7 May 2026, it was noted that the Council's 2026 Annual Meeting would be moved from that date to 14 May.

It was noted that this was the last meeting of the Full Council where Eirian Roberts (Democracy Services Officer) would be taking the minutes as she would be retiring at the end of July.  She was thanked for her service taking the minutes in Council meetings over a number of years, and having worked in her position for over forty years.

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

None to note.

To consider any questions the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.18 of the Constitution.

(The Cabinet Members' written responses to the questions had been published in advance.)

(1)        Question from Councillor Elin Hywel

I sincerely congratulate officers for creating such a valuable, useful and laudable resource as the Mam, Dad a Magu podcast.

I'm glad to hear that user opinions are sought regularly.

It is noted that concern has been raised regarding the appropriateness of the title 'Mam, Dad a Magu' on several occasions. I accept the reasoning that engagement with fathers needs to increase. We know that fathers, like mothers, are successful in supporting families that do not follow the traditional, heteronormative pattern offered in the title, are worthy of our support and are to be celebrated. 

Nevertheless, the concern that the podcast's title conveys a heteronormative message remains, and that it could be read as prohibitive. The result of this would be a failure to be inclusive of the diversity of families that exist in our society.

It is noted that the failure of the title is not a reflection of the success of the content and the hard work of our officers. 

Gwynedd schools have been talking about "the family" for a long time. We do this to ensure that they are inclusive. Will Cyngor Gwynedd follow this example, which has been shown

to be effective, and change the title to mention "Raising a family"?

Response from the Cabinet Member for Children and Supporting Families, Councillor Menna Trenholme

Thank you for the question, Elin, and thank you for taking an interest in the work of the Children's Department and in the specific work of the Early Years service. I’m also very pleased with the praise for the good work that is ongoing, and it’s great to be able to state that the podcast has received a lot of positive attention and good feedback. Gwynedd’s Early Years service is leading nationally in developing this kind of exciting podcast, and it’s wonderful that we have the opportunity to celebrate that.

In the context of the question, it’s worth confirming that here in Cyngor Gwynedd we welcome and provide services to all kinds of families, not just traditional, heteronormative ones, and we believe that diversity and a welcoming society are essential parts of the county and the Council’s work. There is absolutely no intention to promote heteronormative ideas in the title - only an intention to ensure that fathers are included, as well as mothers.

There was considerable discussion with focus groups of service users about the discussion topics, the whole idea of the podcast, and the name in general. Through that, a variety of topics came to the fore, such as breastfeeding, sleep, and preparing children for school. One important topic, according to these focus groups, was the connection of fathers with parenting and fathers’ mental health issues, and so on. The original name that was agreed upon was “Mam a dad a magu” (Mum and dad and nurturing). 

The issue of the name has already been raised, bringing  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To submit the report of the Chair of the Standards Committee.

To accept the report.

The Chair of the Standards Committee submitted the report, expressing gratitude for the opportunity to present it. He expressed that the year had been a very successful one for the committee. All members were thanked for upholding standards, and in particular the three political leaders for working so closely with the Monitoring Officer. Gratitude was also expressed to the former leader for his work during his time in the post.

It was highlighted that not a single case had been submitted before the committee and it was hoped that this would continue into next year. It was highlighted that a number of members were not attending essential training, and the need for Members to work with the group leaders to complete the training was noted.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and offer observations.

The Chair was thanked for his work over the past year.

RESOLVED

To accept the report.

To submit the report of the Head of Democracy.

1.     To accept the report.

2.     Establish an 8th field of core training for Elected Members, being “Violence
against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence”, in accordance with the recommendation of the Democratic Services Committee.

Gratitude was expressed for the opportunity to present the report. It was highlighted that the report had been split into two parts. It was noted that the first part provided an update on what had happened in the field over the year, along with staffing changes. It was emphasised that the Democracy Services committee had paid considerable attention to the area of training this year, and that the report highlights what had been discussed along with a further addition to the core training.

It was noted that the level of satisfaction with the work of the Democracy Team had increased since last year, and the team's work of supporting over 150 meetings was recognised. It was explained that extensive work had been done to develop the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee to establish the democracy element.

Priorities for this year were highlighted, namely, to begin the work of preparing for the May 2027 Election, in terms of reviewing what had been done during the 2022 election, and to introduce improvements for next term. Attention was drawn to the need to examine and create a plan to modernise the chamber systems and create a plan to be presented as a business plan this year.

In discussing Member Training, it was expressed that discussions had taken place in the Democracy Services Committee to introduce an eighth core area which was the Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence module. It was explained that this module was mandatory for staff and therefore needed to be extended to members.

Staff in the field were thanked for their hard work.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and offer observations.

The Chair of the Democracy Services Committee thanked the Head of Department and the team for their work, and members of the committee were thanked for their work. 

The Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence training was welcomed, requesting that it be held as soon as possible.

The Questions item on the Council's agenda was discussed, with some expressing concern about its length with so many questions to be discussed. It was resolved that this matter was an issue to be discussed further in the Democracy Services Committee in terms of the constitutional perspective and to examine how other Councils were dealing with the matter. 

It was enquired in relation to the updating of the chambers and technical developments that the provision and update needed to be extended beyond Caernarfon and to Council locations across the county.

RESOLVED

1.     To accept the report

2.     To establish an 8th field of core training for Elected Members, namely “Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence”, in accordance with the recommendation of the Democracy Services Committee.

To submit the report of the Chair of the Pensions Committee.

1.    Note the Wales Pension Partnership Fit for the Future Business Case (Appendix 3, Appendix 4 and section 4 of the report) 

2.    Approve the formation of a corporate entity wholly owned by the WPP Administering Authorities (AAs) to be the WPP Investment Management Company (IMCo.) and all other actions necessary to submit an application to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the authorisation of the company including but not limited to the selection and recruitment of Senior Management Function (SMF) roles as required by the FCA and the preparation and submission of the application to the FCA.  (Section 5 of the report)

3.    Approve the revised WPP Business Plan & budget 2025/28 which includes design/enabling costs for Project yr Wyddfa (Appendix 5 and Section 6 of the report)

4.    Delegate the S151 Officer in consultation with the Chair of the Pensions Committee to progress Project yr Wyddfa alongside WPP Administering Authorities (AAs) in line with the Government timetable within the approved budget. 

5.    Delegate the final approval of the final formal documentation required for IMCo. to be operational, described as “Go Live Work” as outlined in Section 7, to The Pension Fund Committee to give effect to The WPP Fit for the Future Business Case.  

The report was submitted by Cllr Elin Hywel, Chair of the Pensions Committee. It was explained that this item was one that had been discussed over the past few months. The officers were thanked for their endless work on this plan. In the Committee's opinion, it was emphasised that this was the best option that met the needs identified by the UK Government.

It was explained that Cyngor Gwynedd was the administrative authority for the Gwynedd Pension Fund, which meant that it administered pensions for over 50,000 members, almost 50 employers and £3.2 billion of assets. It was stated that the Pension Fund had been working since 2017 with the eight Local Government Pension Scheme funds in Wales, through an inter-authority agreement that had been approved by the Full Council back in March 2017, which was the pool established, namely the Wales Pension Partnership.

It was noted that the Pool had around £25 billion of assets under its management, with benefits through cost savings, improved investment opportunities, improved performance and increased collaboration and governance across Wales. It was explained that this had worked well for Gwynedd, with 85% of the Gwynedd Pension fund being pooled and that the collaboration had been very beneficial to the fund.

Since October 2023, it was noted that the Government had been reviewing the investment arrangements of Local Government Pension Schemes in England and Wales. It was expressed that an initial consultation had taken place, and that the Pensions Bill had recently been published. Attention was drawn to the expected operating model that would meet the noted standards.

The final need, namely, to set up an investment management company, was explained, which was under consideration today. It was noted that the Wales Pension Partnership intended to establish a separate investment management company (''IM Co'') which had been regulated by the FCA in accordance with Government criteria, this project had been dubbed the 'Snowdon Project' by the Welsh Pension Partnership.

It was explained that the decision to build an investment management company ("IM Co") for the Wales Pension Partnership offered a unique opportunity to establish a centre of expertise in LPGA investments in Wales. The Wales Pension Partnership had prepared a strong business case for the Government in February 2025, and a letter of support for the Business Case was received in April 2025.

There would be a need to introduce new elements in the governance structure, including a Shareholder Board with representation from all administrative authorities. In the medium and long term, it was noted that WPP hoped to provide financial benefits that would exceed the costs of the operating model. There was no investment transfer costs but it was estimated that the cost of the new model would be approximately £5-£5.5m - the costs of the Fund and not the Council. The decision was noted.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and offer observations.

Of the two proposals identified by the UK Government, it was stated that this was the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To submit the report of the Chair of the Interview Panel.

To appoint Dr Peter Barnes, Mr Dewi Lewis a Mr Paul Millar-Mills as Lay Members of the Governance and Audit Committee for the next five years, subject to receiving acceptable references.

The report was submitted by Cllr Anne Lloyd Jones in the absence of the Chair of the interview panel. It was stated that there was a need to appoint three Lay Members to the Governance and Audit Committee and there were three members on the interview panel - the Chair of the Council, the Cabinet Member for Finance and the Chair of the Democracy Services Committee.

Four individuals had been interviewed, and after careful and thorough consideration it was noted that three had met the criteria. As a result, it was requested to appoint Dr Peter Barnes, Mr Dewi Lewis and Mr Paul Millar-Mills as members of the Governance and Audit Committee for the next 5 years.

Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and offer observations.

Dissatisfaction in terms of gender balance among lay members was expressed. Of 18 elected and lay members, it was noted that there were only 4 women which was not a fair reflection of society. It was asked whether more effort could be made to attract women. Since the change to have six lay members back in 2022, the Head of Finance noted that the committee had never had full lay membership. It was emphasised that the committee could not control who applied to be a lay member, but it was stressed that over the years the department had tried all sorts of ways to attract members, but it was emphasised that it had been a fair process and that all applications had been given fair attention.

It was asked what kind of checks and references were required when applying, whether the members were having thorough background searches and what they had achieved. It was explained that the appointments were subject to the receipt of acceptable references which would be received over the coming weeks.

RESOLVED To appoint Dr Peter Barnes, Mr Dewi Lewis and Mr Paul Millar-Mills as Lay Members of the Governance and Audit Committee for the next five years, subject to receiving acceptable references.

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Rhys Tudur will propose as follows:-

Given the language shift seen in Gwynedd from census to census, this Council welcomes the Welsh Government's response to the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities and calls upon the Government to urgently introduce measures giving local authorities the powers and funding to counteract the language shift.

Given the language shift seen in Gwynedd from census to census, this Council welcomes the Welsh Government's response to the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh speaking Communities and calls upon the Government to urgently introduce measures giving local authorities the powers and funding to counteract the language shift.

(A)  Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Rhys Tudur in accordance with Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:-

Given the language shift seen in Gwynedd from census to census, this Council welcomes the Welsh Government's response to the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities and calls upon the Government to urgently introduce measures giving local authorities the powers and funding to counter the language shift.

The member set out the context to his motion, noting:-

·       That it was a turning point for the language that the Government was keen to designate areas where the Welsh language was a day-to-day language. 

·       It was stated that the Welsh Communities Commission had made a number of recommendations, and that areas where over 40% of people speak Welsh were identified as linguistically significant areas. It was explained that the whole of Gwynedd would be identified under this standard.

·       It was stressed that areas that did not reach the percentage level would be able to be designated, and it would also give status to some locations.

·       It would lay a strong legal foundation for the language to flourish.

·       Noted examples were areas such as the Basque Country which had seen increasing numbers.

·       Gwynedd had the highest number of designated areas, with several locations with over 70% speaking the language on a day-to-day basis; there was only one other location across Wales outside Gwynedd.

·       The Government had stated their support in principle, but the Government had been called upon to act before the election.

Support was expressed for the motion noting the need to put things into practice and to ensure that everyone could and had the opportunity to live their life and to work through the medium of Welsh.

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:-

This Council welcomes the Welsh Government's response to the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities and calls upon the Government to urgently introduce measures giving local authorities the powers and funding to counter the language shift.

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Gwynfor Owen will propose as follows:-

Following the revelation that improvements to the Oxford to Cambridge railway line have been changed from an England-only scheme to an England and Wales scheme, and also in the wake of the paltry sum announced in the Westminster Government's spending review of £450m over 10 years, Cyngor Gwynedd is calling on the Welsh Government to demand that the entire Wales Rail Network is devolved to Wales as a matter of urgency.  This Council is of the view that Gwynedd and Wales are missing out significantly on investment due to being tied to England on these issues. We believe that Wales should have the same rights as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Following the revelation that improvements to the Oxford to Cambridge railway line have been changed from an England only scheme to an England and Wales scheme, and also in the wake of the paltry sum announced in the Westminster Government's spending review of £450m over 10 years, Cyngor Gwynedd is calling on the Welsh Government to demand that the entire Wales Rail Network is devolved to Wales as a matter of urgency. This Council is of the view that Gwynedd and Wales are missing out significantly on investment due to being tied to England on these issues.  We believe that Wales should have the same rights as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Gwynfor Owen under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:-

Following the revelation that improvements to the Oxford to Cambridge railway line have been changed from an England only scheme to an England and Wales scheme, and also in the wake of the paltry sum announced in the Westminster Government's spending review of £450m over 10 years, Cyngor Gwynedd is calling on the Welsh Government to demand that the entire Wales Rail Network is devolved to Wales as a matter of urgency. This Council is of the view that Gwynedd and Wales are missing out significantly on investment due to being tied to England on these issues. We believe that Wales should have the same rights as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The member set out the context to his motion, noting:-

·       He did not accept that Welsh railways were part of the English and Welsh rail system, and as a result paid for the costs of updating railway lines in England, which cost millions while Wales received £0.5m over a 10-year period.

·       It was stated that the Westminster Government indicated that this had been requested in Wales with the Minister stating that it would improve the connection between Wales and Liverpool and Manchester.

·       It was emphasised that railways in Wales had been underfunded for decades and would be underfunded for years to come.

·       It was highlighted that cuts had hit Gwynedd with cuts to Cambrian Railway trains being a prominent example.

·       It was expressed that the system was changing, for railways to be devolved, for Wales to receive the money it owed to secure the improvements that needed to be made to make the railway fitting for the country. 

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:-

Following the revelation that improvements to the Oxford to Cambridge railway line have been changed from an England only scheme to an England and Wales scheme, and also in the wake of the paltry sum announced in the Westminster Government's spending review of £450m over 10 years, Cyngor Gwynedd is calling on the Welsh Government to demand that the entire Wales Rail Network is devolved to Wales as a matter of urgency. This Council is of the view that Gwynedd and Wales are missing out significantly on investment due to being tied to England on these issues. We believe that Wales should have the same rights as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Jina Gwyrfai will propose as follows:-

Given that

a)    Agriculture is one of Wales' main industries, and that a high percentage of Gwynedd's economy is linked to agriculture,

a)    the stability of the family farm is a vital and invaluable contribution to the preservation of the Welsh language in our Welsh-speaking communities.

b)   The agricultural industry in Wales is currently able to make a valuable contribution to the food stock of the 'United Kingdom' in an age of increasing uncertainty, although the stock is low.

This Council notes with regret that the Inheritance Tax Act poses a threat to the traditional farming unit, to the economy of the country and to the Welsh countryside, especially to the Welsh-speaking areas.

(At least two farmers are known to have committed suicide since the announcement of the Act and families and related local workers and businesses face collapse if the Act comes into effect in 2026.)

I therefore call on Cyngor Gwynedd to bring pressure to bear on the Welsh Government to take the following actions-

i)                    pressurise the Westminster Government to recognise that the farming industry is crucial to the UK's security strategy, and to exclude family farms that produce food from the new tax when it comes into force.

i)                    make a plea to the Welsh Government to commission research to assess the impact of the Act on the Welsh economy and Welsh-speaking communities; also to implement adequate mitigation measures to protect the agricultural industry which is so crucial to the future of our country's rural communities.

Given that

a)    Agriculture is one of Wales' main industries, and that a high percentage of Gwynedd's economy is linked to agriculture

b)    the stability of the family farm is a vital and invaluable contribution to the preservation of the Welsh language in our Welsh-speaking communities

c)    the agricultural industry in Wales is currently able to make a valuable contribution to the food stock of the 'United Kingdom' in an age of increasing uncertainty, although the stock is low

This Council notes with regret that the Inheritance Tax Act poses a threat to the traditional farming unit, to the economy of the country and to the Welsh countryside, especially to the Welsh speaking areas.  (At least two farmers are known to have committed suicide since the announcement of the Act and families and related local workers and businesses face collapse if the Act comes into effect in 2026.)

I therefore call on Cyngor Gwynedd to bring pressure to bear on the Welsh Government to take the following actions:-

i)                     pressurise the Westminster Government to recognise that the farming industry is crucial to the UK's security strategy, and to
exclude family farms that produce food from the new tax when it comes into force.

 make a plea to the Welsh Government to commission research to assess the impact of the Act on the Welsh economy and Welsh-speaking communities; also to implement adequate mitigation measures to protect the agricultural industry which is so crucial to the future of our country's rural communities.

Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Gwynfor Owen under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:-

Following the revelation that improvements to the Oxford to Cambridge railway line have been changed from an England only scheme to an England and Wales scheme, and also in the wake of the paltry sum announced in the Westminster Government's spending review of £450m over 10 years, Cyngor Gwynedd is calling on the Welsh Government to demand that the entire Wales Rail Network is devolved to Wales as a matter of urgency. This Council is of the view that Gwynedd and Wales are missing out significantly on investment due to being tied to England on these issues. We believe that Wales should have the same rights as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The member set out the context to his motion, noting:-

·       He did not accept that Welsh railways were part of the English and Welsh rail system, and as a result paid for the costs of updating railway lines in England, which cost millions while Wales received £0.5m over a 10-year period.

·       It was stated that the Westminster Government indicated that this had been requested in Wales with the Minister stating that it would improve the connection between Wales and Liverpool and Manchester.

·       It was emphasised that railways in Wales had been underfunded for decades and would be underfunded for years to come.

·       It was highlighted that cuts had hit Gwynedd with cuts to Cambrian Railway trains being a prominent example.

·       It was expressed that the system was changing, for railways to be devolved, for Wales to receive the money it owed to secure the improvements that needed to be made to make the railway fitting for the country. 

RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:-

Following the revelation that improvements to the Oxford to Cambridge railway line have been changed from an England only scheme to an England and Wales scheme, and also in the wake of the paltry sum announced in the Westminster Government's spending review of £450m over 10 years, Cyngor Gwynedd is calling on the Welsh Government to demand that the entire Wales Rail Network is devolved to Wales as a matter of urgency. This Council is of the view that Gwynedd and Wales are missing out significantly on investment due to being tied to England on these issues. We believe that Wales should have the same rights as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

(1)  Letter from the UK Government in response to Councillor Elwyn Edwards’ Notice of Motion to the 6^th March, 2025 Council meeting regarding the Justice Jurisdiction.

(2)  Letter from the WLGA in response to Councillor Elwyn Edwards’ Notice of Motion to the 6th March, 2025 Council meeting regarding the Justice Jurisdiction.

(3)  Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Elwyn Edwards’ Notice of Motion to the 6th March, 2025 Council meeting regarding the Justice Jurisdiction.

(4)  Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn’s Notice of Motion to the 6th March, 2025 Council meeting regarding broadcasting and media rights.

(5)  Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Elin Hywel’s Notice of Motion to the 1st May, 2025 Council meeting regarding welfare reform.

(6)  Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Gwynfor Owen’s Notice of Motion to the 1st May, 2025 Council meeting regarding the increase to employer National Insurance contributions.