Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

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:

Apologies were received from Councillors Anwen Davies, Annwen Hughes, John Brynmor Hughes, Elin Hywel, Dafydd Meurig and Angela Russell.

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.

Minutes:

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 5 December, 2024 as a true record.

DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 3.

Minutes:

The Monitoring Officer, on behalf of the chief officers who were present, as a report relating to their salaries would be discussed.

He was of the opinion that the officers had a significant interest and, along with the two Corporate Directors, the Head of Finance Department, the Head of Democracy Services, the Head of Education Department, the Head of Housing and Property Department and the Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department, the Monitoring Officer withdrew from the meeting during the discussion on the item, as they were not required to be in attendance to advise.

THE CHAIR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS

To receive any Chair’s announcements.

Additional documents:

Webcast for 4.

Minutes:

Condolences were expressed to the family of Lord Elis-Thomas who had passed away recently, and Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn paid tribute to him.

Condolences were also expressed to the family of Gillian Wynne Thomas, former political assistant with the Council, who had passed away last week.

It was noted that Geraint Jarman and Marged Esli had passed away recently, and the Council also sympathised with their families.

It was further noted that the Council wished to sympathise with everyone in 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 ill recently and they were wished a full and speedy recovery.

The following were congratulated:-

· Aneurin Môn Parry, from the Council's Planning Service, on being made Chair of the Royal Town Planning Institute Cymru (RTPI) for 2025. It was noted that Aneurin had been working in Planning since 1987, and that he was now Enforcement (Planning Service) Team Leader within the Environment Department.

· Huw Elfed Roberts, Electoral Services Officer, on being appointed Chair of the Wales Branch of the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA), which was the professional body for electoral officers in the UK.

· Ysgol y Gorlan Tremadog on winning Carol yr Ŵyl S4C (Christmas Carol competition) this year with a carol composed by Rhys and Anest Glyn.

· Elain Iorwerth on winning the Crown at the Young Farmers National Eisteddfod back in November.

· Mared Griffiths, Trawsfynydd on winning her first football cap for Wales recently.

⁠The Chair referred to the resignation of Councillor Linda Anne Jones from the Council. With it being International Women's Day on 8 March, she noted that Linda was an excellent example of a woman who had led in a field that had traditionally been led by men. She was thanked in earnest for almost 40 years of service, and she was wished the best for the future.

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.

Minutes:

None to note.

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.

Minutes:

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

(A) Question by a Member of the Public

A 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 what pupils of Welsh schools in less Welsh communities receive in other parts of our nation. Children and young people, parents and communities in Gwynedd deserve schools with the most comprehensive Welsh-medium provision being offered. ⁠This is what would be educationally, culturally and socially appropriate. In light of the fact that the Welsh Government has published an education bill and that the 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?

Response from the Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Dewi Jones

Thank you for your question and for your interest in this important field, a field that is important to all of us in this Chamber, I'm sure. Also, thank you very much for your willingness to come to discuss with me a few weeks ago, when we had this exact debate. Yes, Cyngor Gwynedd wants to take this golden and critical opportunity to introduce an ambitious, clear and completely new education language policy for our schools. As I am sure you are aware, and as several members in the Chamber today are aware, there is significant work already taking place, led by Meirion Prys Jones to create a policy , which will be presented in draft form to the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee on 10 April. Following this there will be opportunities to consult with the public, and I am sure there will be a part for you to play in that too.

Supplementary Question from Mr Ieuan Wyn

Thank you for your positive and encouraging reply here today, publicly that the new policy will be ambitious, clear and completely new. As such, can you confirm that the new policy will not be merely suggestions and aspirations, but a clear and firm policy that will set clear targets for the schools to increase the Welsh-medium provision within a specified timescale and milestones, and a policy to be actively implemented in a missionary spirit, with the Education Department's guidance and support in terms of monitoring, reviewing and offering practical support to the schools?

Response from the Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Dewi Jones

I can assure you that the policy will be ambitious, and the policy will ensure that we as a county play our part in ensuring that we have one million Welsh-speakers by 2050.

(B) Questions by Elected Members

(1) Question by Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts

Given that there is a strong feeling locally that council tax policy in the field of empty houses and second homes, in some circumstances, imposes a disproportionate ... view the full minutes text for item 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.

Minutes:

The Chair of the Chief Officers Appointment Committee, Councillor Ioan Thomas, presented a report recommending that the Council approved the recommendation of the Chief Officers Appointment Committee to adopt the Pay Policy for 2025/26.

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

Referring to the observations of the statutory officers at the end of the report, a member questioned whether it would have been appropriate to seek legal and financial opinion from outside this authority in this instance, given the Monitoring Officer and Statutory Finance Officer's interest in the matter? In response, the Chief Executive noted that it was not the Monitoring Officer nor the Statutory Finance Officer who had submitted the observations in this case, but their deputies, but this should have been made clear in the report.

A member asked if the Council should be adopting the Pay Policy if there was a point of concern around propriety? In response, the Chief Executive noted that there was no concern around propriety, and that the record of this item would state clearly that the observations had been submitted by the deputies of the two statutory officers.

RESOLVED 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.

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being, Councillor Dilwyn Morgan, presented a report asking the Council to approve the addition of a Domiciliary Care project to the areas to be prioritised at a strategic level as part of the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28.

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

It was enquired whether the Council had a fair and firm system of referring complaints to the attention of the Care Service. In response, the Statutory Director of Social Services noted that:-

· The Council had a system for listening to complaints and learning lessons, and for receiving encouraging and positive comments as well.

· An officer from the Children's Department and officer from the Adults Department dealt with complaints and representations specifically, and reported regularly to the Cabinet and the Care Scrutiny Committee.

· This area was also included as part of his annual report to the Council, and he would be happy to discuss further with the member if they wished.

RESOLVED to approve the addition of the following 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. Minutes: Before the Council began discussing this item, the Chair noted, in line with the Constitution, that the Head of Finance Department must receive notice of any amendment to the budget in writing in advance, and that this amendment must lead to a balanced budget, if it was to be discussed. All members of the Council had been reminded of this the previous week, and as the Head of Finance Department had not received any notice of an amendment by the specified deadline, it would not be possible for the Council to consider any amendment to the budget. The Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Huw Wyn Jones presented:- · A report recommending a budget for the Council to approve for 2025/26; · The draft decision on the Council Tax based on the Cabinet's recommendation to the Council (based on an increase of 8.66%), along with tables showing the Council Tax level and the increase per community. The Cabinet Member thanked the staff of the Finance Department for all their work in preparing the budget. The Leader thanked the Cabinet Member for his presentation and for making the case for the budget clear. She thanked the officers for guiding the Council through the process, and for their expertise and their skills. She also thanked the members of the Governance and Audit Committee for their work scrutinising the budget, and thanked her fellow members for attending the budget workshops. She further noted:- · ⁠That the budget reflected the Council's values as it prioritised the most vulnerable people in society by protecting care for children and adults social services, earmarking funding to try to reduce waiting lists for care, and protected schools from cuts next year. · The pressures on the services increased every year with the county's population ageing, more people requiring care, more vulnerable children requiring care and more people becoming homeless. · Despite the increase in the demand for services, the Council had to set a balanced budget. · As a result of pressing on the Senedd Cymru Finance Committee through the Welsh Local Government Association, a guaranteed minimum was secured for the settlement, otherwise the situation for Gwynedd would have been even more perilous. However, this was not a long-term solution, and for the benefit of the people of Gwynedd, we had to ensure fair funding to local government. Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and make observations. A member enquired how confident the Head of Finance Department was that the budget was robust and that the Council would not have to make use of balances again this year. In response, the Head of Finance Department referred to the contents of Appendix 10 to the report, namely the statement he was required to complete as a Statutory Finance Officer on the robustness of the estimates in accordance with Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003. Regarding the part of the question relating to the use of balances, the Head of Finance Department stated that he believed that the additional resources included as ... view the full minutes 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. Minutes: The Finance Cabinet Member, Councillor Huw Wyn Jones, presented a report providing a high-level overview of how capital expenditure, capital financing and treasury management activity contribute to the provision of local public services. The report also provided an overview of how associated risks were managed, and the implications for future financial sustainability. In presenting the report, the Cabinet Member drew attention to paragraph 6.4 of Appendix C to the report '⁠Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Considerations' which had been amended following Councillor Cai Larsen's notice of motion to the Council meeting of 3 October, 2024. He noted that the Strategy confirmed that the Council was committed to being a responsible investor, giving consideration to all the environmental, social and governance factors when investing. RESOLVED 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. Minutes: The Monitoring Officer presented a report:- · noting that statutory guidance and existing practice pointed towards the six councils in North Wales establishing a joint overview scrutiny model so that there was a single dedicated body which was immersed in the work of the Corporate Joint Committee (CJC); · ⁠listing a series of recommendations that provided for scrutiny arrangements for the Joint Committee. Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and make observations. A member expressed dissatisfaction that appointing the members of the Joint Committee based on the political balance of the individual councils excluded some smaller groups across North Wales from reaching the threshold. It was also suggested that having a Joint Committee of 18 members (namely three members from each council, rather than two as proposed) would give smaller groups a better chance of having a seat on the Joint Committee. In response, it was noted:- · That this concern would be conveyed. · The door had not closed, and it would be possible to revise or further develop the model after some experience of running these arrangements. In response to questions from members, it was explained that should the recommendations in this report be adopted, Cyngor Gwynedd's seat allocation on the Joint Committee would be adopted by the full Council in May as part of its annual review of the Council's political balance. Looking at the numbers and the political split, and without prejudicing any decision, it appeared at present that there would be 1 seat for the Plaid Cymru Group and 1 seat for the Independent Group. The Leader noted that although she agreed with many of the points, the procedure of the CJC, which meant regionalising from Anglesey to Wrexham, was not a democratic method of making decisions. However, as this procedure had been forced on us, it was important to ensure a way of scrutinising the work of the CJC and holding it to account. RESOLVED 1. To 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. To 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. To agree that 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. To 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 View the background to item 12. View the decision for item 12. 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. Minutes: The Cabinet Member for Corporate and Legal Services, Councillor Llio Elenid Owen, presented a report:- · noting that the Council, on 7 March 2024, had approved the holding of community reviews under sections 25 and 31 of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013. · reporting back on the outcome of the initial consultation and investigation period on those community reviews; and · asking the Council to approve Draft Proposals for further public consultation. RESOLVED to approve 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. Minutes: Submitted – a report by the Monitoring Officer reporting formally that in accordance with Part 5 of the Constitution, the Council Leader had acted to rearrange the Cabinet Members' Portfolios. A member commented that the majority of the Cabinet members were from the Arfon area, and that only one represented Meirionnydd. It was also noted that the Cabinet Members from Dwyfor lived near to Arfon. As such, the member queried how it could be ensured that there was no unconscious prejudice when making decisions based on geography, and to what extent could the Cabinet avoid lack of compassion with the outer-most parts of the County, which had the most dispersed population? ⁠In response, the Chief Executive noted:- · That he would not pass comment on the content of the observation as this was a report for information regarding changing the Constitution, and it was a matter for the Leader to appoint her Cabinet. · As the one leading the Council's staff, he noted the observation and could assure the member that no unconscious geographical bias existed from the perspective of the staff. A member thanked the four Cabinet Members who had stood down earlier this term on a matter of principle for their service. It was noted that those members had called for a public inquiry and independent review of the matter, and they welcomed the fact that this was now taking place. RESOLVED to accept the report.
14.	CONSTITUTION CHANGES - NEW CONTRACT PROCEDURE RULES (SECTION 17) PDF 143 KB View the background to item 14. View the decision for item 14. 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. Minutes: The Monitoring Officer set the context and the Solicitor presented a report:- · noting that the Procurement Act 2023 that had come into force on 24 February, 2025 meant that the Council must review and amend its internal procurement rules contained within the Contract Procedure Rules to reflect the change in legislation in order to ensure compliance with the act. · asking the Council to amend the Constitution by adopting the new Contract Rules (Section 17) shown in Appendix 1 to the report. Members were given an opportunity to ask questions and make observations. The regulations were welcomed, and everyone working in the field of Procurement were wished well. It was noted that there were not many references in the Regulations to language skills in subcontracting, and suggested that a golden opportunity was being missed here. It was accepted that there were contracting rules relating to discrimination, but the law stated that priority can be given in different circumstances in achieving a legitimate aim such as promoting the Welsh language. Accordingly, an amendment was proposed to delay the adoption of the Regulations until the Language Committee had had the opportunity to scrutinise this. In response, it was noted:- · That this was a matter of compliance with legislation that was now in force, and that the Council must have regulations that aligned with this legislation. · The amendment related to procurement policy rather than the legal system, i.e. what the Council buys rather than how the Council buys it. · This may be an issue to be raised in the Language Committee in terms of how procurement reflects language requirements, etc. · This did not close the door on conducting further reviews in the future. The Chief Executive noted that the Language Committee was free to look into any subject, but that would not change the decision. Officers were asked if they could be confident that the policy would help keep the benefit local, and at what level of tender was it required to go out on Sell to Wales? In response, it was noted:- · That the essence of the new regulations was transparency, and that information about tenders below the previously existing high thresholds must now be advertised. · The approach to tendering was then a matter of choice, but this was a legal framework, which asked for much more at a much lower level in terms of awareness of tenders and also procurement processes. RESOLVED 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. Minutes: The Head of Democracy Services presented a calendar of dates of Council meetings for 2025/26. Further to the content of the report, it was noted that the Police Authority and the Fire and Rescue Authority had also been consulted on the draft version of the committees calendar. A response had been received from the Police Authority, and the officers were working on the one date which clashed. The Fire and Rescue Authority had not responded, and the officers would go after this. RESOLVED 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. Minutes: The following notice of motion was submitted by Councillor Elwyn Edwards, in accordance with Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:- Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Labour Government in Westminster to transfer the Justice Jurisdiction to the Senedd in Cardiff, and calls on all Welsh Councils for their support. The member set out the context to his motion, noting:- · In 2017, the Labour Party established a commission to look at the possibility of transferring responsibility for the Justice Service in Wales to the Welsh Government. The commission was led by Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the former chief officer for justice in England and Wales, and his firm recommendation to the government was that 'there was a real need to devolve the Justice Service in Wales to Wales and establish a separate Welsh jurisdiction. · Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own Justice system, but Wales is attached to England, and 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 had made any shift towards achieving this. ⁠The proposer further noted that he should have included 'and also call on the Welsh Government for its support' as part of his motion. Another member proposed an amendment to that end. The proposer and seconder agreed to the amendment and there was no objection to this from the floor. RESOLVED to adopt the amended motion, namely:- 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 View the background to item 16b View the decision for item 16b 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. Minutes: The following notice of motion was submitted by Councillor Elfed Wyn ap Elwyn in accordance with Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:- 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. The member set out the context to his motion, noting:- · That it had become clear in recent years that Wales did not get the full picture when it came to discussing affairs that were key to us as a nation, and that not having control of the media had caused confusion to the people of Wales when discussing protests, crises and general affairs that affected us as people from day to day. · The lockdowns during Covid were a classic example of this, when the media had shared news that was not relevant to Wales, thus causing confusion with regards to people's right to cross the border. · The same story was also true when Welsh affairs were discussed on the national news and in the national papers; matters that included devolution, the farmers' protest, national healthcare, and a whole host of important issues, because the Welsh perspective and time afforded to these issues was very limited. · It was also disappointing that Welsh broadcasting had not had the same opportunity to grow as media in similar countries, such as Catalonia and the Basque Country, that had various channels in their own language, as well as bilingual channels, and channels in Spanish that had a Catalan/Basque perspective. · Without a full, clear debate with a Welsh perspective on these key issues, it became difficult to understand what next steps were to be taken, which meant that we tended to go round in circles on hot topics without knowing which way to resolve them. · It was important that the Westminster Government and the Welsh Government entered discussions at once on how broadcasting and media could be devolved, by looking at how to fund it and make it sustainable. Other members expressed support to the proposal and noted:- · That TV/radio channels were established in the Basque Country and Catalonia around the same time as when S4C and Radio Cymru were established here in Wales. In terms of context, the Basque Country initially had 1 TV channel and 1 radio channel, but now had 6 TV channels and 5 radio channels. At the beginning Catalonia had 1 TV channel and 1 radio channel, but they now had 6 TV channels and 3 radio channels. · That the UK Government's Media Bill 2024 replaced the need to offer provision through the medium of Welsh, and although the Senedd Cymru's Culture Committee had expressed clear concern about this, the clause was not protected. As a result, more than 20 years of Welsh language broadcasting on the commercial channels, including Champion, Heart and Capital, came to an end on 24 February this year, resulting in job losses and ... view the full minutes text for item 16b
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. Minutes: Submitted – for information:- (1) A letter from the UK Government in response to Councillor Meryl Roberts's Notice of Motion to the 3 October, 2024 Council meeting regarding Winter Fuel Payments. (1) An e-mail from Sian Gwenllian, MS, in response to Councillor Elin Walker Jones's Notice of Motion to the 5 December, 2024 Council meeting regarding the establishment of a Dental School in Bangor. (2) A letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Rhys Tudur's Notice of Motion to the 5 December, 2024 Council meeting regarding Land Transaction Tax. (3) A letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor John Pughe Roberts's Notice of Motion to the 5 December, 2024 Council meeting regarding the Agricultural Property Relief. (4) A letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths's Notice of Motion to the 5 December, 2024 Council meeting regarding social housing swaps. (5) A letter from the UK Government in response to Councillor June Jones's Notice of Motion to the 5 December, 2024 Council meeting regarding graduate driving licences. It was also noted that messages of support had been received from Trefdraeth Town Council and Bethesda Community Council to Councillor Elwyn Edwards's Notice of Motion to the Council meeting of 3 October, 2024 calling for St David's Day to be designated as an official national holiday in Wales.
	Appendices PDF 76 KB Additional documents: Appendix 2 , item PDF 77 KB Appendix 3 , item PDF 81 KB Webcast