Venue: Siambr Hywel Dda, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1SH
Contact: Annes Siôn 01286 679490
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APOLOGIES Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet Members and Officers were welcomed to the meeting. An apology was received from Cllr Cemlyn Williams and Cllr
Dilwyn Morgan. |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST Additional documents: Minutes: Item 7 - The cost of primary
school dinners 2019/20 A declaration of interest was received from Councillors -
Dyfrig Siencyn, Craig ab Iago, Nia Jeffreys, Gareth Thomas, Ioan Thomas and
Catrin Wager as they had children or grand children taking school dinners at
primary schools. Also, Officers - Garem Jackson and Bethan Griffith as their
children took school dinners at primary schools. It was not a prejudicial
interest, so they were able to partake in the discussion |
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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 25 MAY PDF 84 KB Additional documents: Minutes: Attention was drawn to an error in the attendance list and
it was agreed to amend it. The Chairman signed the minutes of the Cabinet meeting held
on 25 June 2019, as a true record. |
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PUBLIC SPACES PROTECTION ORDER FOR BANGOR PDF 117 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Nia Jeffreys Additional documents:
Decision: Resolved 1. To approve the undertaking of the
process of considering the introduction of a new Public Spaces Protection Order
(PSPO) for a designated area within the city of Bangor, as per the attached
draft Proposed Order in appendix 1, and revoking the GWYNEDD COUNCIL ALCOHOL
CONSUMPTION IN DESIGNATED PUBLIC PLACES FOR THE AREAS OF BANGOR AND CAERNARFON
ORDER 2004 (Current Order) to the extent that it applies to Bangor 2. To authorise the Head of Corporate
Support to undertake a consultation process for a period of 28 days, with the
matter to return to Cabinet in due course for decision whether a PSPO should be
introduced in Bangor, as well as any associated delegations, and revoke of the
Current Order. Minutes: Presented by Cllr Nia Jeffreys DECISION Resolved 1.
To approve the undertaking of the process of
considering the introduction of a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for
a designated area within the city of Bangor, as per the attached draft Proposed
Order in appendix 1, and revoking the GWYNEDD COUNCIL ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN
DESIGNATED PUBLIC PLACES FOR THE AREAS OF BANGOR AND CAERNARFON ORDER 2004
(Current Order) to the extent that it applies to Bangor 2.
To authorise the Head of Corporate Support to
undertake a consultation process for a period of 28 days, with the matter to
return to Cabinet in due course for decision whether a PSPO should be
introduced in Bangor, as well as any associated delegations, and revoke of the
Current Order. DISCUSSION The report was submitted and it was expressed that Bangor
was a multicultural city with a Welsh feel.
It was added that many developments were taking place within the city
and that many empty houses had now been brought back into use. It was explained that an order already existed for Bangor
which provided the Police with enforcement powers. It was added that the Police
had suggested that the existing Order could no longer provide them with
sufficient powers and evidence was presented to support this. It was emphasised
that it was the Council that had the right to create an order and, following
discussions with the Police and having sought legal advice, the Council was
eager to proceed with creating a new Order.
It was reiterated that the next step would be to hold a public consultation
on the matter before returning to Cabinet for a full decision. The Senior Operational Officer Gwynedd and Anglesey
Community Safety Partnership added that, following discussions with the Police
that took place over six months, the Council considered that four of the six
restrictions the Police had outlined were suitable for inclusion in the
proposed Order. It was expressed that the main reason for creating the new
Order was the effect on the lives of people living in the areas. It was expressed that the Police were experienced in using
different enforcement models across the region, and favoured a different model
from the fixed penalty notice model. It was reiterated that this procedure
would be closely monitored and would ensure an improved atmosphere for
individuals and residents. It was noted that the conditions added were
reasonable. Observations arising from the
discussion ¾ A request was made for confirmation that the Order not be used to deal with moving homeless people. It was stated that this was one of the six conditions the Police had introduced, and that the Council had rejected it. It was stated that work was required to assist homeless people and it was noted that training was currently being undertaken with Police Officers to provide support. ¾ Attention was drawn to the crime map in the Bangor area, in which it noted a high cluster of offences in Maesgeirchen - it was ... view the full minutes text for item 6. Awdur: Catherine Roberts |
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PRIMARY SCHOOL MEAL PRICE SEPTEMBER 2019 PDF 58 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Cemlyn Rees Williams Additional documents: Decision: It was determined not to
raise primary school meal income in line with inflation which means that the
primary school meal price will not increase in September 2019. Minutes: The report was submitted
by Garem Jackson DECISION It was resolved not to raise the income target for
primary school meals in line
with inflation. This means that
the cost of primary school meals will not increase in September
2019. DISCUSSION The report
was submitted and it was noted
that, because of a rise in inflation,
the cost of primary school meals needed to be increased by 4.1% in order to reach the income target. It was added that, by not increasing the price, there would be a budget deficit of £82,220. It was noted
that Gwynedd, compared with other counties,
was amongst those with the greatest price increases. It was outlined, following a rise in the cost of school meals in
September 2017, that the percentage of school children receiving school meals had fallen from 50% to 46%. It was stated, consequently, that the Department was reluctant to increase the price again. Observations
arising from the discussion ¾
Attention was drawn to
statistics published by 'Save the Children' which noted that
child poverty was on the rise, and specifically among low income working
families. Consequently, it
was emphasised that lower prices should
be retained. ¾
It was asked, if the price did not increase, how could
the financial shortcoming
be addressed. It was noted that the Council had reserve funds for
unexpected situations;
thus, it would not be a problem and it would be possible to build it into next
year's budget. It was added that this
was a savings scheme and
the Department would, therefore, be expected to find an alternative
scheme to find the saving. ¾
Concern was noted about the fall in numbers
following the price increase but it was noted that keeping
the prices the same was positive. Awdur: Bethan Griffith |
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ARFOR INNOVATION FUND PDF 82 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Gareth Thomas Additional documents: Decision: As Gwynedd
Council acts as the lead body for the Arfor Programme, by targeting Welsh
Government's Arfor Innovation Fund resources on behalf of Gwynedd, Anglesey,
Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire Councils, it was determined:
I.
That
the Cabinet supports a package of Gwynedd Arfor Programme projects, and
delegates the decision to approve bids for the expenditure in Gwynedd to the
Head of Economy and Community Department in consultation with the Head of
Finance Department
II.
That
the Cabinet authorises the Head of Economy and Community in consultation with
the Head of Legal Services to agree and complete a contract between appropriate
authorities. Minutes: Presented by Cllr Gareth Thomas DECISION As Gwynedd Council acts as the lead body for
the Arfor Programme, targeting Welsh Government's Arfor Innovation Fund resources on behalf of Gwynedd, Anglesey,
Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire Councils,
it was resolved:
I.
That the Cabinet would support a package of Gwynedd Arfor Programme projects, and would delegate the decision to approve bids for the expenditure
in Gwynedd to the Head of Economy and Community Department in consultation
with the Head of Finance Department
II.
That the Cabinet would authorise the Head of Economy and Community Department in consultation with the Head of Legal Services to agree and complete a contract between appropriate authorities. DISCUSSION The report was submitted,
noting that it was an exciting programme
that would, hopefully, prove the western counties' ability to collectively conduct work in
the economy field. The Head of Economy
and Community Department added that Gwynedd Council had agreed to act as lead authority within the scheme and that a budget of £2 million would be available for the plan over a two year
period. It was added that projects had been prioritised for the proposed activity in Gwynedd to develop the economy, which, in turn, would support the language. It was stated that it was over the short-term and that the long-term
difference was, therefore, unclear. It was emphasised that, since the plans were innovative,
the four counties would compare the effect of the plans and additional funding could be sought for further development. It was mentioned that the fund was for innovation and it would, therefore, give Gwynedd and the partnership
the opportunity to try out different and new schemes. It was noted that the opportunity for Gwynedd to take the role of lead body
was a credit to the Council's commitment,
financial management and language use. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
It was noted that this was an exciting scheme, but a
question was asked whether social enterprises would be able to apply for
enterprise funding. It was noted that it would be possible to apply but that
the budget was small and every application would have to be assessed as there
was only enough for three enterprises. ¾
It was emphasised that it was high time for schemes to
be created across the western part of Wales, and although the budget was small,
they were exciting schemes. ¾
It was noted that the budget
was very small and that it was important to use it carefully, ensuring the
impact of the intervention was clearly measured. Awdur: Sioned Williams |
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HOUSING STRATEGY 2020-21 PDF 83 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Craig ab Iago Additional documents:
Decision: To approve
the Housing Strategy in order to present to the Full Council for adoption. Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Craig ab Iago DECISION To approve the Housing Strategy in order
to recommend it to the Full
Council for adoption. DISCUSSION The report was submitted,
noting the need for the Cabinet to approve the Housing Strategy in order to recommend
it to the Full Council for adoption. It was noted that the strategy outlined the change afoot in
the field, with developments in the Housing and Property Department. It was emphasised that the next phase
for the Housing field would be exciting. Observations arising
from the discussion It was noted that
this was one of the priority fields for the Cabinet and that this was one step along that road Awdur: Arwel Wyn Owen |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PDF 177 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Gareth Thomas Additional documents: Decision: To accept
and note the information in the report. Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Gareth Thomas DECISION To accept and note the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was presented
and attention drawn to a couple
of projects. The North Wales Growth
Vision was mentioned, and
it was noted that Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn was now Chairman of the Ambition Board. It was noted that
work was being done on developing
the High Value Jobs Creation
scheme. It was stated that competitions had been held at the Snowdonia Aerospace Centre as part of an international
competition for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Local primary and secondary school pupils were
given the opportunity to watch competitors and build and fly model airships and planes. The Arloesi
Gwynedd Wledig Programme was mentioned,
and it was stated that exciting work was under way as part
of the Leader trials. The wonderful and innovative scheme at the Glynllifon College
Farm was emphasised. It was stated that
the Council had agreed to a
timetable with DCMS for submitting the Gwynedd Slate nomination to UNESCO in November and that it would be presented to the Cabinet
in October. It was noted, when
looking at the Department's
savings, that five schemes in
2019/20 had been delivered,
or were on track to be delivered on time, and the savings schemes were outlined. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
It was noted that many companies
had difficulty appointing
Welsh-speaking staff, despite
their high salaries. The need to raise young people’s
awareness and of the work opportunities available in Gwynedd, and draw their attention to this, was emphasised. Awdur: Sioned Williams |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE PDF 131 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Ioan Thomas Additional documents: Decision: To
note and accept the information in the report. Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Ioan Thomas DECISION To note and accept
the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was submitted,
drawing attention to some plans in
the Finance Department. It was stated
that the work of rolling out the use of the electronic document and records management system was reaching a close. Of all the Council's services, only five teams had not migrated to the new system. It was stated that
the Internal Audit Service
had increased its income at the beginning of
2019/20 by focusing its resources on completing
an audit of the Town and Community Council accounts. It was outlined that human error
in the Salaries Service in March had led to classroom assistants missing £30 from their salaries. It was noted that the salaries had since been set to the correct level. In terms
of Information Technology,
it was stated that incidents of loss of service had led to the Service upgrading
its data centres in order to strengthen
the service's resilience.
It was noted that both data centres would be able to recover services almost immediately. Staff were thanked
for closing the accounts despite the additional pressure from closing the accounts of the North Wales Economic
Ambition Board as well. It
was also emphasised that the Department had achieved its savings
for 2019/20. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
Attention was drawn to
the performance of the Taxation
Service, stating that a high number of enquiries had been received because of charging a tax premium on empty
houses and second homes. Nevertheless, it was noted that a self-service
system would soon be available for ratepayers,
and that this would enable some
straightforward enquiries
and amendments to be made online, which would
reduce the number of calls. ¾
Appreciation was expressed that the Benefits Service had reduced the number of days taken to process new benefits applications,
but what was the Council's position compared to other counties. It was noted that it currently stood at the centre, but the Service endeavoured to continually improve. Awdur: Dafydd Edwards |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT PDF 139 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Gareth Griffith Additional documents: Decision: To
note and accept the information in the report Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Gareth Griffith DECISION To note and accept
the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was submitted,
noting that it had been a busy period
for the department. Attention was drawn to the main points.
One of these was the Scam Awareness Session It was noted that it shared information with individuals on how not to be defrauded and some of it was broadcast on 'Y Byd ar Bedwar'. It was noted that
a 'Caring for our Environment' session had been held with Councillors,
and it had been successful.
In future, the Cabinet Member noted that
he would accompany the Public Protection Service on their food hygiene
inspections and would attend licensing meetings. He added that the report was comprehensive and summarised a busy and interesting period. Observations arising
from the discussion ¾
The graphs shown were discussed
and it was noted that some of the graphs did not contain any data. It was noted, in relation
to the said graph, that a number of visits were determined
by the FSA and that the numbers
for the year were yet to be confirmed. The need to look at the graphs and ensure that they
conveyed what the Department wished them to achieve was mentioned. Awdur: Dafydd Wyn Williams |
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Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Catrin Wager Additional documents: Decision: To
note and accept the information in the report. Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Catrin Wager DECISION To note and accept
the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was submitted
and it was noted that the environmental plans for the Highways Department were proceeding well, and the scheme
to replace street lights with LED continued. This would use less
energy and would prevent light pollution.
It was expressed that the reduction in the percentage of urban waste sent to landfill had fallen from 38% to 19%. It was highlighted that changes would be made to to the refuse collection system. It would be rolled out in Dwyfor on
1 July and in Arfon before the year's end. Looking at recycling,
the percentage remained stable at 63% with a target of 64% set for March 2020.
It was emphasised that the Council recycled responsibly and within the UK. In terms
of savings for the Highways Department, it was noted the Closure of Public Toilets Scheme in the County
was slipping and the Service was seeking
an alternative scheme to deliver the remaining savings. Nevertheless, it was noted that a scheme to modernise the County's Closed Circuit Television Service to a digital
system was underspending, consequently
this could be used to address the shortfall. In terms
of savings scheme for the Highways Department, it was noted that they had been
delivered or were on track. Concern
was raised, however, about the intention to increase the street enforcement income. Further attention would be required along with a discussion
on how to measure street cleanliness. It was stated that
savings for Gwynedd Consultancy were on target. Although
income targets showed a shortfall, it was explained that this was normal for the Department during quarter 1. It was noted that the Member was satisfied with the Building
Control service, and that feedback also showed
customer satisfaction Awdur: Steffan Jones |
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PERFORMANCE REPORT OF THE CABINET MEMBER FOR ADULT'S, HEALTH AND WELL-BEING PDF 137 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr. Dafydd Meurig Additional documents: Decision: To
note and accept the information in the report. Minutes: Presented by Cllr
Dafydd Meurig DECISION To note and accept
the information in the report. DISCUSSION The report was submitted,
and it was noted that some schemes would
be highlighted. He noted that the Project to Re-design
Care Services continued and that
this would be discussed further at next week's Cabinet. He added that he
had visited that Learning Disabilities Service and
that he had had insight into
the heroic work being undertaken in the field. It was noted that
measures relating to 'What Matters' to the individual must be considered, as it varied form client to client and was impossible
to measure. It was stated that one problem had arisen with measuring
the impact of DementiaGo, adding that we perhaps needed to set aside the performance figures and focus on instilling confidence
in staff, as they worked so hard
and did their best for individuals. Financially, it was stated that it was a challenging period and that projections showed a risk of substantial overspending by the end of the financial year if savings
were not made. He expressed that the Department was endeavouring to deal with this. Awdur: Aled Davies |
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FORWARD WORK PROGRAMME PDF 61 KB Cyflwynwyd gan: Cyng / Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn Additional documents: Decision: To
approve the Forward Work Programme included with the meeting papers. Minutes: Presented by Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn DECISION To approve the
Forward Work Programme included with the meeting papers. DISCUSSION In accordance
with Section 14.13 of the Council’s Constitution, the Cabinet will share its
Forward Work Programme for the subsequent period of six months with the public.
The Forward Work Programme will be published on the Council's website. |