Agenda, decisions and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Menna Trenholme and Dilwyn Morgan. 

The Cabinet Members and Officers were welcomed to the meeting.  

No declarations of personal interest were received. 

There were no urgent items. 

There were no matters arising from overview and scrutiny.  

The minutes of the meeting held on 28 November 2023 were accepted as a true record. 

a)    To approve the undertaking of the process of considering the introduction of a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for specific areas in Caernarfon, Cricieth and Pwllheli, in accordance with the draft Proposed Order in Appendix 1.

b)    To authorise the Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department to undertake a consultation process for a period of 28 days, with the matter to return to Cabinet in due course for a decision whether a PSPO should be introduced in Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Cricieth.

The report was presented by the Senior Operational Officer Community Safety Partnership 

DECISION 

1. To approve the undertaking of the process of considering the introduction of a new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for specific areas in Caernarfon, Cricieth and Pwllheli, in accordance with the draft Proposed Order in Appendix 1. 

2. To authorise the Head of Adults, Health and Well-being Department to undertake a consultation process for a period of 28 days, with the matter to return to Cabinet in due course for a decision whether a PSPO should be introduced in Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Cricieth. 

DISCUSSION 

It was explained that the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 provides the powers for Local Authorities to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to deal with particular nuisance or problems in a specific area. It was confirmed that the police had been in contact with the Council to try and introduce a PSPO in areas in Caernarfon, Pwllheli and Cricieth. Orders are intended to deal with specific problems in specific areas that are harmful to the quality of life. It was explained that the proposed PSPO areas have been noted because of the impact of behaviour on the community, businesses and visitors. 

It was detailed that the Local Authority must be satisfied that there is reasonable ground for believing that these behaviours in a public place have had, or are likely to have, a detrimental impact on the quality of life of people in the neighbourhood. It was also explained that the activities needed to be persistent in nature and unreasonable. It was explained that the police had provided impact assessments from officers and businesses in these areas, noting evidence that antisocial behaviour by young individuals and adults included substance misuse, threatening behaviour and violence. It was detailed that this led to some individuals in the community avoiding going into businesses, and avoiding using bus shelters etc. 

It was confirmed that the Council had consulted with Local Members and the relevant town councils. It was ensured that full support was given to the orders, as well as support from Arfon and Dwyfor Meirionnydd Members of Parliament. It was explained that the Council would hold a public consultation regarding the PSPO if they were approved, before presenting a further report to the Cabinet when timely to do so. It was recognised that other options should be considered before introducing the PSPO and the Council has received comprehensive information by the police of their various commitments and the Council was satisfied that they had already used every method to address these behaviours. 

It was reported that the restrictions under PSPO consideration had been developed specifically to deal with these types of behaviours that caused the most problems, and the following restrictions were considered suitable: 

• A person shall not follow a course of conduct which causes, or which can reasonably be perceived to cause harassment, alarm, nuisance or distress. 
• A person shall not consume alcohol, or anything which an Authorised Person reasonably believes to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

The Climate and Nature Emergency Plan considered and approved: Cyngor Gwynedd Annual Report 2022/23.

The report was submitted by Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn.     

DECISION 

The Climate and Nature Emergency Plan: Cyngor Gwynedd Annual Report 2022/23, was considered and approved. 

DISCUSSION 

Members were reminded that the Climate and Nature Emergency Plan had been adopted by the Council on 8 March 2023 following a Cabinet meeting.  

Attention was drawn to the fact that the plan included two steps. It was detailed that the first phase was to implement the Council's projects to reduce the use of energy and reduce the Council's carbon emissions and the second phase would be to look at the wider impact on the county, considering how the Council could help communities and how the county could respond to the impact of climate change. 

It was emphasised that the Council had been working on measures to reduce carbon emissions for over 10 years and had succeeded to reduce the total carbon emissions by 43%. It was detailed that the Council had succeeded to do this by implementing in each area, including streetlights that has reduced 76% of the related carbon emissions, and changes to the fleet, reducing related carbon emissions by 23%. 

It was explained that the Council's changes contributed towards the climate change emergency and contributed to the Council's aim to be net-zero carbon and ecologically positive by 2030. It was also noted that these changes led to the Council's financial savings. It was elaborated that the Council saw financial benefits when tackling the climate and nature emergency, saving around £15 million since 2010. It was emphasised that this meant that more cuts would need to be made as a result of the Council's current financial situation unless the work on the climate change and nature emergency had not been delivered, because there would be a need to meet £4.3million in additional costs. It was recognised that new considerations needed to be considered by now, such as challenges in the scrutiny field and the fact that more of the council's workforce worked from home. 

Reference was made to a variety of projects within the plan's seven main workstreams namely: Buildings and energy, moving and transportation, waste, governance, scrutiny, land use and ecology. Attention was given to a solar panel project that was already underway with £2.8 million invested in solar panels to put on the Council's offices to save money in the future. It was also explained that the Council's fleet would be upgraded in the future to be electric vehicles in order to reduce the carbon emissions that the current vehicles released. 

Concern was expressed regarding the method of calculating carbon emissions nationally. It was explained that buying local goods was calculated in the same way as buying goods from across the country, because the system focused on expenditure, despite the fact that there were major differences in the true carbon emissions. It was noted that this could impact the local economy in areas as there was no encouragement to buy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

The report was submitted by Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn.     

DECISION 

The Climate and Nature Emergency Plan: Cyngor Gwynedd Annual Report 2022/23, was considered and approved. 

DISCUSSION 

Members were reminded that the Climate and Nature Emergency Plan had been adopted by the Council on 8 March 2023 following a Cabinet meeting.  

Attention was drawn to the fact that the plan included two steps. It was detailed that the first phase was to implement the Council's projects to reduce the use of energy and reduce the Council's carbon emissions and the second phase would be to look at the wider impact on the county, considering how the Council could help communities and how the county could respond to the impact of climate change. 

It was emphasised that the Council had been working on measures to reduce carbon emissions for over 10 years and had succeeded to reduce the total carbon emissions by 43%. It was detailed that the Council had succeeded to do this by implementing in each area, including streetlights that has reduced 76% of the related carbon emissions, and changes to the fleet, reducing related carbon emissions by 23%. 

It was explained that the Council's changes contributed towards the climate change emergency and contributed to the Council's aim to be net-zero carbon and ecologically positive by 2030. It was also noted that these changes led to the Council's financial savings. It was elaborated that the Council saw financial benefits when tackling the climate and nature emergency, saving around £15 million since 2010. It was emphasised that this meant that more cuts would need to be made as a result of the Council's current financial situation unless the work on the climate change and nature emergency had not been delivered, because there would be a need to meet £4.3million in additional costs. It was recognised that new considerations needed to be considered by now, such as challenges in the scrutiny field and the fact that more of the council's workforce worked from home. 

Reference was made to a variety of projects within the plan's seven main workstreams namely: Buildings and energy, moving and transportation, waste, governance, scrutiny, land use and ecology. Attention was given to a solar panel project that was already underway with £2.8 million invested in solar panels to put on the Council's offices to save money in the future. It was also explained that the Council's fleet would be upgraded in the future to be electric vehicles in order to reduce the carbon emissions that the current vehicles released. 

Concern was expressed regarding the method of calculating carbon emissions nationally. It was explained that buying local goods was calculated in the same way as buying goods from across the country, because the system focused on expenditure, despite the fact that there were major differences in the true carbon emissions. It was noted that this could impact the local economy in areas as there was no encouragement to buy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

The report was submitted by Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn.     

DECISION 

The Climate and Nature Emergency Plan: Cyngor Gwynedd Annual Report 2022/23, was considered and approved. 

DISCUSSION 

Members were reminded that the Climate and Nature Emergency Plan had been adopted by the Council on 8 March 2023 following a Cabinet meeting.  

Attention was drawn to the fact that the plan included two steps. It was detailed that the first phase was to implement the Council's projects to reduce the use of energy and reduce the Council's carbon emissions and the second phase would be to look at the wider impact on the county, considering how the Council could help communities and how the county could respond to the impact of climate change. 

It was emphasised that the Council had been working on measures to reduce carbon emissions for over 10 years and had succeeded to reduce the total carbon emissions by 43%. It was detailed that the Council had succeeded to do this by implementing in each area, including streetlights that has reduced 76% of the related carbon emissions, and changes to the fleet, reducing related carbon emissions by 23%. 

It was explained that the Council's changes contributed towards the climate change emergency and contributed to the Council's aim to be net-zero carbon and ecologically positive by 2030. It was also noted that these changes led to the Council's financial savings. It was elaborated that the Council saw financial benefits when tackling the climate and nature emergency, saving around £15 million since 2010. It was emphasised that this meant that more cuts would need to be made as a result of the Council's current financial situation unless the work on the climate change and nature emergency had not been delivered, because there would be a need to meet £4.3million in additional costs. It was recognised that new considerations needed to be considered by now, such as challenges in the scrutiny field and the fact that more of the council's workforce worked from home. 

Reference was made to a variety of projects within the plan's seven main workstreams namely: Buildings and energy, moving and transportation, waste, governance, scrutiny, land use and ecology. Attention was given to a solar panel project that was already underway with £2.8 million invested in solar panels to put on the Council's offices to save money in the future. It was also explained that the Council's fleet would be upgraded in the future to be electric vehicles in order to reduce the carbon emissions that the current vehicles released. 

Concern was expressed regarding the method of calculating carbon emissions nationally. It was explained that buying local goods was calculated in the same way as buying goods from across the country, because the system focused on expenditure, despite the fact that there were major differences in the true carbon emissions. It was noted that this could impact the local economy in areas as there was no encouragement to buy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.