Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To elect Chair for 2026-2027.

To elect Councillor Elfed Powell Roberts as Chair of the Committee for the year 2026/27.

Resolved to elect Councillor Elfed Powell Roberts as Chair of the Committee for the year 2026/27.

To elect Vice-chair for 2026-2027.

To elect Councillor Beca Roberts as Vice-chair of the Committee for the year 2026/27.

Resolved to elect Councillor Beca Roberts as Vice-Chair of the Committee for the year 2026/27.

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Linda Morgan and Annwen Hughes.

To receive any declaration of personal interest

No declarations of personal interest were received.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

None to note.

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this Committee, held on 19 March 2026 be signed as a true record. 

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 19 March 2026, as a true record.

To consider the report.

1.     To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.⁠

2.     To recommend to the Cabinet Member for the Environment that detailed consideration needed to be given to 'material use change' and the need to receive external legal advice when considering the next steps.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Head of Department for Environment, Head of Legal Services and Assistant Head of Environment Department.

The Assistant Head explained that there were concerns about the high number of second homes and short-term holiday lets that existed in Gwynedd, and that Cyngor Gwynedd's Cabinet had submitted a report detailing research in this area, to the Welsh Government in 2020. It was elaborated that that report called for measures to address those concerns, such as changes to the planning system to manage second homes and short-term holiday lets.

It was reported that the Welsh Government, in response, had introduced changes to the planning system in 2022 which created three new planning use classes. It was noted that these defined 'main home', 'second home' and 'short-term holiday let'. It was added that this gave rights to switch from one class of use to another without the need for planning permission. However, it was explained that local authorities could go through a process to introduce an Article 4 Direction for areas where there was evidence that the area was negatively affected by a high number of second homes and short-term holiday lets. They confirmed that an Article 4 Direction was a planning tool that had been used for several years to manage different types of development such as building alterations in conservation areas or to control the use of houses in multiple occupation in England.

It was emphasised that an Article 4 direction had not been used to try to manage second homes and short-term holiday lets.

It was confirmed that Cyngor Gwynedd was the first local authority to conduct the process of introducing an Article 4 Direction to try and gain better control of second homes and short-term holiday lets. It was emphasised that the Council was aware of the risks associated with introducing the direction and had ensured that this was recorded on the Department's risk register. It was reported that there were measures in place to manage the risks as far as reasonably possible, throughout the process.

The Head of Legal Services reminded the members that a decision was made in June 2023, to conduct the process of establishing an Article 4 direction over a two-year period. He explained that this decision had been made to ensure that it was advertised for over 12 months, to avoid compensation challenges. He reported that the direction came into force in 2024.

He specified that the legal challenge presented related primarily to the public consultation that was carried out, not to the process of introducing the direction.

It was explained that the successful legal challenge indicated that a report had misdirected the Cabinet as they came to a decision on the matter, because of the issue of material change in the report. It was added that the non-inclusion of this material change within the documentation made it incomplete and appeared misleading. It was pointed out that material change was a fundamental element of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To report to the Scrutiny Committee on the performance of the Environment Department.

To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.⁠

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for the Environment, the Head of Environment Department and Assistant Heads of Department.

The Members were reminded that the Department led on several projects in the Council Plan 2023-28, namely;

·        A Homely Gwynedd

o   Managing second homes and short-term holiday lets

·        A Green Gwynedd

o   New Local Development Plan

o   Waste and Recycling

o   Active Travel

o   Public Transport

They referred to several of the Department's projects as well as performance measures. Comments and questions from the Members were welcomed.

During the discussion, the following observations were made by the Members:-

The Planning Service

It was acknowledged that planning service officers had been under pressure recently, and they thanked them for their work and were pleased that the service was taking advantage of the opportunities in the Council's Cynllun Yfory. In response to the comments, the Department confirmed that they had taken advantage of the Council's Cynllun Yfory to appoint members of staff and train them to become qualified. It was noted that a Planning Policy Trainee post would possibly be offered soon. It was confirmed that the service planned its workforce effectively and while recognising staff turnover, new officers were being appointed to carry out the work.

It was concerned that the Council was at risk of losing expertise among planning officers. In response to the comments, it was acknowledged that some expertise was lost when officers left their roles, but the Members were assured that use of the Cynllun Yfory and effective workforce planning ensured that there was no significant risk of losing expertise.

Planning Enforcement

In response to an enquiry on Planning Enforcement rates, the Assistant Head explained that officers responded to complaints on enforcement issues when appropriate. He explained that situations arose where individuals were unhappy with the officers' views and statutory arrangements were in place to ensure that they can appeal if they wish. It was highlighted that it was challenging to reduce the number of enforcement calls received due to staffing issues, but they were confident that this issue could be addressed as the numbers of qualified staff increased.

New Local Development Plan

In response to an enquiry, the Assistant Head of Department confirmed that the timetable for introducing a New Local Development Plan was on time, but the current  priority was to support staff.

Active Travel

In response to a request for data about active travel plans and use in rural areas of the County, the Head of Department confirmed that the information could be shared outside this meeting.

Waste and Recycling

Consideration was given to whether there were plans in place to collect soft plastics to increase the percentage of waste recycled in Gwynedd. In response to the enquiry, the Assistant Head of Department confirmed that arrangements were in place for collecting soft plastics as part of the routes from April 2027 onwards. It was elaborated that the Council was currently working with the Vale of Glamorgan Council to explore good practice, as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

An opportunity for Members to discuss and scrutinise the Department’s improvement priorities and measures.

To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.⁠

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Highways, Engineering and YGC, along with the Head and Assistant Head of the Highways, Engineering and YGC Department.

The Members were reminded that the Department was highly visible within the County as it delivered frontline services. They were proud that Gwynedd Consultancy (YGC) operated very effectively and brought income to the Council whilst also assisting other departments in developing plans.

It was reported that the Department led on several projects in the Council Plan 2023-28, namely;

·        Gwynedd Yfory

o   Extending opportunities for play and socialising for the county's children and young people

·        A Green Gwynedd

o   Acting on flood risks

o   Clean and Tidy Communities

They drew attention to the Department's financial savings targets, noting that several of the targets had been met but there was more work to be done. They were confident that those targets would be met within the current financial year.

During the discussion, the following observations were made by the Members:-

Highway Maintenance – Condition of Roads

Sadness was expressed regarding a recent fatal incident in the Barmouth area. In response to the comments, it was acknowledged that lessons needed to be learned from that incident, where emergency services were unable to reach the area in time, with traffic and highway maintenance issues adding to the challenge. It was confirmed that a review of the incident and arrangements had already taken place and that another meeting would be held shortly, where local elected Members would be able to contribute to the discussion.

In response to an enquiry, it was acknowledged that the numbers of class A, B and C roads reporting red (generally poor and likely to require proposed maintenance works soon) were on the rise. However, the Head of Department stressed that it was not a concerning situation at present and confirmed that road condition rates in Gwynedd were among the highest in Wales. It was highlighted that keeping the percentage of roads reporting red below 8% was considered acceptable, and he reported that 4.2% of class A roads, 5.2% of class B roads and 13.2% of class C roads were currently reporting in poor condition. It was recognised that some work was needed to reduce these rates for class C roads, and he explained that they were usually rural roads, highlighting that a high percentage of roads in Gwynedd fell into this category.

It was explained that dedicated scanners were used to inspect the roads every year, or every two years if the roads were of a good standard. It was reported that the Department had received an investment of £2.8 million from the LGBI (Local Government Borrowing Initiative) to develop this arrangement and it was a great tool for the Department in effectively identifying work programmes, as the roads requiring the most work could be prioritised.

The officers were thanked for their work, and there were several comments of satisfactory road condition in Gwynedd.

The Fleet Service

Members referred to the Welsh Government's  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.