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Contact: Sophie Hughes 01286 679729
No. | Item |
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APOLOGIES Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet Members and Officers
were welcomed to the meeting. Apologies were received from
the Chief Executive, Dilwyn Williams and the Monitoring Officer, Iwan Evans. |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor Gareth Thomas
declared a personal interest in Item 7 "The Libraries Service's “More than
Books” Strategy" as a relative of his was employed by the Libraries
Service. He withdrew from the meeting
during the discussion on this item. |
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URGENT ITEMS Additional documents: Minutes: There were no urgent items. |
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MATTERS ARISING FROM OVERVIEW AND SCRUTINY Additional documents: Minutes: There were no matters arising from overview and scrutiny. |
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 12 JULY 2016 PDF 197 KB Additional documents: Minutes: The Chairman signed the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 12 July 2016. |
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GROWTH VISION FOR THE ECONOMY OF NORTH WALES PDF 99 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Mandy Williams-Davies Additional documents:
Decision: To approve the "Growth Vision for the Economy of North Wales" as a basis for holding discussions with the UK and Welsh Governments about the "Growth Deal" for the region. Minutes: The item was submitted by Cllr
Mandy Williams-Davies. The item was seconded by Cllr
Gareth Thomas. DECISION To approve the "Growth Vision for the Economy of North
Wales" as a basis for holding discussions with the UK and Welsh
Governments about the "Growth
Deal" application for the region. DISCUSSION The document "Growth Vision for the Economy of North
Wales" was welcomed by a great number of the Cabinet Members with the
aspiration to collaborate and build a relationship amongst several authorities
strongly noted. The need to ensure benefits for
North-West Wales specifically was stressed, by making great efforts to attract
investment to the area. The Cabinet
Member responsible confirmed that Gwynedd was a priority and that it was hoped
that the availability of expertise in the County would strengthen with time as
we ensure better co-ordinated discussions and collaboration. Iwan Trefor Jones
added that the aim was to ensure that growth was dispersed across North Wales
in order to ensure that the benefits were spread out. A concern was noted that there
was not obvious reference to collaborating with Welsh Government and the need
to strengthen the relationship between the Government and North Wales was
stressed. Iwan Trefor Jones confirmed
that continued discussions were being held with the Ministers, Mark Drakeford
AM and Ken Skates AM, and that there was a desire to strengthen the
relationships between the Westminster Government and the Wales Office in
London. It was explained that the next
step would be to hold further discussions with the UK Government and Welsh
Government in the hope that the Chancellor would give his support to the
principle in his statement on 23 November 2016. Awdur: Iwan Trefor Jones |
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THE LIBRARIES SERVICE'S "MORE THAN BOOKS" STRATEGY PDF 350 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Ioan Thomas Additional documents:
Decision: To adopt the "More than Books" Strategy for Gwynedd Council’s Libraries Service Minutes: Cllr Gareth Thomas declared an
interest and he withdrew from the meeting. The item was submitted by Cllr
Ioan Thomas. The item was seconded by Cllr
Dyfrig Siencyn. DECISION To adopt the "More than
Books" Strategy for Gwynedd Council’s Libraries Service. DISCUSSION It was noted that there was a
duty on the Council following the UK Government's cuts and the Council's
decision to cut 25% of the book buying budget to operate within the available
budget. It was emphasised, in
particular considering the difficult financial situation, that the Strategy
meant being able to provide a service for the residents of Gwynedd that will be
sustainable in the future. It was acknowledged,
however, that although the strategy was a County one which meant that the
provision would change for everyone across the County, that the impact would be
felt more in some communities. It was acknowledged that a
general reluctance towards the changes to the provision had been obvious;
however, upon discussing the matter further, the majority of areas were willing
to hold further discussions and negotiate the details. Specific support was expressed to the
references to strengthening the Mobile Library service and its value was noted,
in particular in the most rural areas of the County. It was noted that Porthmadog
Library, which was now located in Glaslyn Leisure Centre, was a positive
example of how another Council-owned asset could be used to maintain the provision,
and although this part of adaptation was not possible in each area, it was
confirmed that the Cabinet Member and the Officers were looking into any
opportunities arising. The strategy was welcomed as a way forward and it was noted that discussions were yet to be held in some communities. Gwynedd's partners and residents were thanked for their willingness to collaborate, and to the Officers for their work. Awdur: Catrin Thomas |
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MOVING TOWARDS AN EDUCATION AREA OFFICES MODEL PDF 551 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Gareth Thomas Additional documents: Decision: To approve implementing an Education Area Offices model. To approve the request for costs in the region of £275,000
annually for up to three years, by authorising the Head of Finance Department
in consultation with the Head of Corporate Support Department and the Cabinet
Member for Resources to confirm the total as a result of staff job evaluation. To approve the creation of a Service Level Agreement by the Corporate Support Department and the Education Department in relation to Human Resources to define the nature of the service. Minutes: The report was submitted by
Councillor Gareth Thomas. The report was seconded by Cllr
Dyfrig Siencyn. DECISION To approve implementing an
Education Area Offices model. To approve the request for
costs of approximately £275,000 from the Authority for the Head of Finance in
consultation with the Head of Corporate Support and the Cabinet Member for
Resources, to confirm the total as a result of the outcomes of the appraisal of
staff's posts. To approve the creation of a
Service Level Agreement by the Corporate Support Department and the Education
Department in relation to Human Resources to define the nature of the service. DISCUSSION The Head of Education, Arwyn
Thomas, explained that more support was required on a more local level in order
to assist Head Teachers to lead their schools and release them to do so, and support
teachers to focus on educating, which in turn would lead to improving the
standard of education for the children of the County. The proposal was welcomed and
it was emphasised that there had been excessive pressure on the schools, Head
Teachers and Governors for some years without sufficient central support and
that there was a need to invest in order to strengthen the education of the
pupils. It was noted that schools could
often be competitive and it was emphasised that there was a need to promote
collaboration and sharing good practice. The Chief Finance Officer,
Dafydd Edwards, explained that should the Cabinet approve the request for
costs, the budgets would need to be reviewed in order to obtain the one-off
amount, and it would have to be reclaimed from the balances should departments
overspend. However, it was hoped that
the Education Department, in turn, would make savings in order to fund the
costs in the future. It was noted that the great
successes of our schools in the Summer 2016 results set the context for
strengthening our structures and encouraging further improvement. All pupils and staff in the County were
congratulated on their hard work throughout the year. Awdur: Arwyn Thomas |
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Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Gareth Thomas Additional documents:
Decision: To adopt a single Common Additional Learning Needs and
Inclusion Strategy for Gwynedd and Anglesey which will address the needs of
pupils and young people in an effective and efficient manner to be implemented
by September 2017. 2. To join in a formal partnership with the Isle of Anglesey
County Council to implement the Strategy and adopt a new governance structure
referred to in this report, which will replace the Gwynedd and Anglesey Special
Educational Needs Joint-Committee (SENJC). 3. To delegate permission to the Head of Education
Department in consultation with the Head of Legal Department and Head of
Finance Department to agree and complete a Formal Agreement with the Isle of
Anglesey County Council for the partnership. 4. To delegate permission to the Head of Education Department in consultation with the Head of Legal Department and Head of Finance Department to complete an Agreement / memorandum of understanding for the interim period which will state the commitment of both authorities to implement the new procedure, and will allow the work that is needed in order to reach that point to be carried out. Minutes: The report was submitted by
Councillor Gareth Thomas. The report was seconded by Cllr
Mair Rowlands. DECISION 1. To adopt a single Common
Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion Strategy for Gwynedd and Anglesey which
will address the needs of pupils and young people in an effective and efficient
manner to be implemented by September 2017. 2. To join in a formal
partnership with the Isle of Anglesey County Council to implement the Strategy
and adopt a new governance structure referred to in this report, which will
replace the Gwynedd and Anglesey Special Educational Needs Joint-Committee
(SENJC). 3. To delegate permission to
the Head of Education Department in consultation with the Head of Legal
Department and Head of Finance Department to agree and complete a Formal
Agreement with the Isle of Anglesey County Council for the partnership. 4. To delegate permission to
the Head of Education Department in consultation with the Head of Legal
Department and Head of Finance Department to complete an Agreement / memorandum
of understanding for the interim period before signing the official Agreement,
which will state the commitment of both authorities to implement the new
procedure, and will allow the work that is needed in order to reach that point
to be carried out. DISCUSSION It was explained that very
positive discussions had been held with the Isle of Anglesey Council to adopt a
joint strategy that would in turn allow the two authorities to reach the
appropriate pupils much sooner. It was
explained that a similar report would be submitted to the Anglesey Executive in
the near future for its approval. The collaboration highlighted
between both authorities was welcomed, along with the opportunity available
here to create expertise and career opportunities as well as share the
challenges. A question was asked about the
scrutiny and performance measuring system as we collaborated with Anglesey and
Arwyn Thomas confirmed that the Heads of Education Departments in Gwynedd and
Anglesey, along with the appropriate Cabinet Member/Portfolio Holder would
scrutinise daily; however, there would be an opportunity for Gwynedd
scrutinisers to call the matter in should they see the need to do so. It was confirmed that this joint Service
would be accountable to both authorities. Cllr Gareth Thomas thanked the Officers from both authorities for their work and willingness to collaborate. Awdur: Eleri Owen |
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REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE STRATEGIC SAFEGUARDING CHILDREN AND ADULTS PANEL PDF 129 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Mair Rowlands Additional documents:
Decision: To accept the report submitted on the work of the Strategic Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Panel. Minutes: The report was submitted by
Cllr Mair Rowlands. The report was seconded by
Councillor Gareth Thomas. DECISION To accept the report submitted
on the work of the Strategic Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Panel. DISCUSSION The progress seen in awareness
and referrals made by front-line staff under the D1 project was highlighted and this suggested that efforts to raise
awareness had proved successful. It was emphasised that the
field of safeguarding children was much more mature than the field of
safeguarding adults as this work was newer.
However, it was noted that work was under-way to build on our
arrangements in the adults field and it was hoped that further information
could be presented for the attention of Cabinet Members soon. It was noted that Gwynedd was
one of the first Counties to put internal safeguarding arrangements in practice
and, whilst acknowledging that work was yet to be done to ensure that our
arrangements were clear and robust, and more effective within the adults
department, Morwena Edwards emphasised that the Council had done successful
work to date. Cllr John Wynn Jones emphasised
how effective the safeguarding training he had received as a school Governor in
his ward had been. Other Members agreed
that safeguarding was much more at the forefront of their minds by now. A question was asked on how the
Council intended to deal with the use of technology and Morwena Edwards noted
that efforts were being made to raise the awareness of users of technology and
ensure that parents and teachers were aware of the risks and that they had the
skills to manage the issue. It was
noted that there was no obvious answer to the risks of using technology but
that a lot of collaboration was taking place with the Police in order to share
best practices. A question was asked as to whether or not the Council satisfied the regional work taking place effectively and influencing local level action. It was acknowledged that it was more difficult to ensure the work on a regional level and that the arrangements reaching us under the direction of Welsh Government and the Home Office could overlap; however, it was noted that the Council was satisfied that the regional arrangements strengthened the agenda. Awdur: Morwena Edwards |
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GWYNEDD PERFORMANCE REPORT 2015/16 PDF 108 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Dyfed Edwards Additional documents:
Decision: To approve the Gwynedd Council Performance Report 2015/16 and to recommend its adoption by the Full Council. Minutes: The item was
submitted by Cllr Dyfed Edwards. The item was seconded by Cllr
Gareth Thomas. DECISION To approve the Gwynedd Council Performance
Report 2015/16 and to recommend its adoption by the Full Council. DISCUSSION Pride was taken in the fact
that Gwynedd Council had appeared amongst the highest for effective performance
in comparison with other Councils and the visual and comprehensible report
created to underline that performance was welcomed. It was reiterated that Gwynedd Council was
amongst the best in Wales in the field of education, and it would take great
pride in that. It was noted that the real
proof would be the experience of the citizens and the feedback given about this
when reporting to the Residents' Panel was welcomed. It was acknowledged that there
was room to improve in many fields but that Gwynedd Council's performance was
good on the whole. It was emphasised that it would
be a very useful document for Members of the Council to use in their
communities. It was asked whether or
not it would be possible to receive some of the images used in the report for
the purposes of using them to communicate key messages and ensure an
understanding of the challenges facing the Council and its ability to deal with
them. It was agreed that all possible
methods of communicating the message needed to be considered, acknowledging
that everyone did not use Information Technology. It was confirmed that the Cabinet was satisfied that the report was a fair and balanced reflection of the Council's performance. All Council staff were thanked for their commitment to the work. Awdur: Hawis Jones |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT: CABINET MEMBER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT PDF 203 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. John Wynn Jones Additional documents:
Decision: To accept and note the information in the report. Minutes: The report was submitted by
Cllr John Wynn Jones. The report was seconded by Cllr
Dafydd Meurig. DECISION To accept and note the
information in the report. DISCUSSION Reference was made to the
performance measure WMT/004
Percentage of urban waste sent to landfill where it was noted that the Mechanical
Biological Treatment facility had been broken since April and a question was
asked about why it had not been repaired earlier. Cllr John Wynn Jones noted that he would ask
for an explanation as appropriate. Reference was made to the
performance measure PB59 Percentage of Customer Satisfaction Survey
satisfied with Department's response and a question was asked as to why no
data had been recorded. It was
suggested that it could be as a result of the high percentage noted for the
measure PB57 Percentage of Municipal calls addressed the first time;
however, Cllr John Wynn Jones confirmed that he would seek clarity on
this. Reference was made to the
figures in the report noting the number of missed waste/recycling collections, and
it was asked whether or not there was a pattern behind this. As the measure was new and under
development, Cllr John Wynn Jones noted that it was early days but that the
department was currently looking at this.
It was added that GPS technology in lorries means that they could track
that they have been on appropriate journeys, and this is a step forward. Reference was made to measure THS/011c
Percentage of roads (class C) which are in a poor condition and a question
was asked, considering the cuts facing the department, whether or not it would
be possible to maintain the figure noted for 2015-16 or whether or not the
roads are very likely to deteriorate gradually.
The risks were acknowledged and Cllr John Wynn Jones confirmed that the
department would monitor this figure to ensure that they did not lose control
of it. Awdur: Dilwyn Williams |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT: CABINET MEMBER FOR PLANNING AND REGULATORY PDF 16 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Dafydd Meurig Additional documents:
Decision: To accept and note the information in the report. Minutes: The report was submitted by
Cllr Dafydd Meurig. The report was seconded by Cllr
Mandy Williams-Davies. DECISION To accept and note the
information in the report. DISCUSSION Cllr Dafydd Meurig drew
attention to the substantial progress in the measure PLA/004b
- Percentage of all other planning applications determined within 56 days and
how quickly they are determined on average, noting that he was very pleased
with the result. Reference was made to measure Cludiant02
– Percentage of customers stating that they are satisfied with the level of
service and it was noted that the figure of 43% was not satisfactory. Cllr Dafydd Meurig explained that the
measure took into account the routes that the Council subsidised and
commercially-run routes. The
transportation unit did not have any control over the commercial routes and
therefore this could skew the figures.
He confirmed that he had requested for the department to consider these
separately in the future. Reference was made to the
measure Parcio4 - Percentage of appeals to the independent adjudicator which
are approved Concern was expressed that the figure of 100% suggested that
the fee had been unreasonable from the start.
It was confirmed that Cllr Dafydd Meurig had raised this matter and was
currently awaiting a response. Reference was made to measure Eiddo2
- Percentage of maintenance help-desk customers satisfied with the service
received over the past 6 months and a question was asked as to whether the
department made any subsequent use of the data. It was confirmed that the department
regularly asked customers for the reasons why they were not satisfied with the
service and attempted to learn lessons from that. It was added that the Cabinet Members held
regular performance management meetings and that this was a way of ensuring
that a discussion took place and that messages reached the Heads. Reference was made to measure Eiddo6
- Percentage of new buildings (or alterations) supplied within the timetable
and the budget The Department was congratulated on the substantial progress
to 100% on this measure. Awdur: Dilwyn Williams |
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Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/CllR. Ioan Thomas Additional documents: Decision: To accept and note the information in the report. Minutes: The report was submitted by
Cllr Ioan Thomas. DECISION To accept and note the
information in the report. DISCUSSION Cllr Ioan Thomas referred to
the project T7 Working together against
poverty He noted that poverty was a Welsh Government priority and that the Council
needed to address the agenda. It was
noted that he was not completely comfortable that the Cabinet would be able to
ensure that it understood the implications for various departments/portfolio
fields. Consequently, Cllr Thomas
intended to discuss with the relevant Cabinet Member and Officer to consider
what exactly the department did to address the agenda. This would allow for the Cabinet to ensure
that plans are submitted and enable them to monitor their success. When referring to the project T9 - Housing Supply Strategy and the
provision for homeless individuals, Cllr Ioan Thomas noted that the relevant
Scrutiny Committee had noted that further consideration was needed in the field
and that further developments needed to be encouraged as there was a relatively
high demand for the provision. Concern was expressed regarding
measure Gofal Cwsmer CYSCW02 Percentage
of phone calls that are answered within 15 seconds across the Council as it was reducing. A question was asked whether or not the fact
that outgoing calls from Council offices all displayed the Galw Gwynedd phone
number rather than the phone number of the officer who had attempted to call
caused problems. It was added that
staff needed to be trained to transfer their phone lines and ensure a
response. It was noted that the work was
in progress at present but that it was premature to report on it. Cllr Ioan Thomas was thanked for his work. Awdur: Morwena Edwards |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT: CABINET MEMBER FOR THE ECONOMY & COMMUNITY PDF 135 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Mandy Williams-Davies Additional documents:
Decision: To accept and note the information in the report Minutes: The report
was submitted by Cllr Mandy Williams-Davies.
DECISION To accept and note the
information in the report. DISCUSSION The Cabinet Members welcomed
the opportunity recently had to meet Prof. Dermot Cahill from Bangor University
and noted the value of the presentation received. Reference was made to the pilot
scheme to provide public Wi-Fi in Aberdaron under the project T3 Digital
Gwynedd and noted that data was being recorded there regarding the type of
service users and that this allowed businesses to use it to target customers
when needed. When discussing Festival No.6,
it was emphasised that there was a need to differentiate between the hugely
successful festival and the difficulties encountered as a result of the parking
arrangements. It was noted that such
festivals were currently very popular, but that there was a need to borne in
mind that the interest could deteriorate in future, and thus there was a need
to focus on a broad range of events. When discussing the measures,
the number of jobs created with the department's support was welcomed and a question
was asked regarding whether the department had information on the nature of the
posts and the sectors they were in.
Cllr Mandy Williams-Davies noted that some of them were in the
technology field in Parc Menai. She
added that a reduction had been seen in the figures as a result of a lack of
resource within the department, but that it was important to focus on the
potential to create jobs now and consider the best possible ways of doing so. Cllr Mandy Williams-Davies added
that she was eager to look at the day to day experience of customers and
businesses that need advice from the department and she would discuss the
possibilities further. Awdur: Iwan Trefor Jones |
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GWYNEDD COUNCIL CABINET FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME PDF 298 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng/Cllr. Dyfed Edwards Additional documents: Decision: To approve the Forward Work Programme included with the
meeting papers, subject to the following adaptations:- - Cllr Dyfed
Edwards will not submit the 'Strategic Plan 2017/18' item on 4 October 2016. - Cllr Dafydd Meurig will not submit the item 'The Implications of the Council's Decision to close Frondeg, Pwllheli and Felinheli offices' on 4 October 2016, rather it will be postponed until the Cabinet meeting on 1 November 2016. Minutes: The forward work programme was
submitted by Councillor Dyfed Edwards. DECISION To approve the Forward Work
Programme included with the meeting papers, subject to the following
adaptations:- -
Cllr Dyfed
Edwards would not be submitting the item 'Strategic Plan 2017/18' on 4 October
2016. -
Cllr Dafydd
Meurig would not submit the item 'Implications of the Council's Decision to
close Frondeg, Pwllheli & Felinheli Offices' on 4 October 2016, but it
would be deferred until the Cabinet meeting on 1 November 2016. It was noted that a request had
been received to discuss Leisure issues in Harlech and Ardudwy but that
discussions on the way forward were ongoing at present. |