Venue: Zoom
Contact: Natalie Lloyd Jones Email: NatalieLloydJones@Gwynedd.Llyw.Cymru
No. | Item |
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APOLOGIES To receive
any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies were received from Councillors Simon Glyn,
Elfed Roberts, Linda Morgan and Kevin M Jones. |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declaration of personal interest Additional documents: Minutes: No
declarations of personal interest or relevant dispensations were received. |
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URGENT ITEMS To note any
items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for
consideration. Additional documents: Minutes: There were
no urgent items to note. |
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The Chair
shall propose that the minutes of the meeting of this Committee, held on the 13th
July, 2021 be signed as a true record. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair signed the
minutes of the previous committee meeting held on 13 July 2021 as a true
record. |
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Cabinet
Member: Cllr. Dyfrig Siencyn An update
on what the Council is currently doing to meet the challenges of climate change
and other steps that are practical for the Council to act on in future. Additional documents: Decision: To accept the
report and to note the observations received. Minutes: To accept the
report and to note the observations received. As an introduction,
the Council Leader set out the background to the report, and emphasised the
importance of providing an opportunity for the Committee to discuss the issue
of Climate Change. He explained that the
Climate Change Board had now been established to offer a corporate overview of
the work happening within the Council to find solutions. He discussed the Council's commitment to
reduce its carbon emissions as a method of reaching net zero carbon by 2030,
which was the target set by Welsh Government for Local Authorities. The Climate
Change Manager, appointed to lead the corporate aspects of this work and
coordinate cross-departmental work, was welcomed to the meeting. Submitted - the
report of the Climate Change Manager, referring to the work that had happened
to date, including: -
Production of an action plan
for the proposed work -
The steps to be taken in order
to reduce the Council’s environmental impact and its carbon footprint -
An explanation of how the
Council’s intended work, and what it has already done, to respond to the
effects of Climate Change -
Note that the report summarises the main examples of the work During the
discussion, the following observations were made by members: - -
The Programme Manager was welcomed to her new role. -
A member asked how the Climate Change Board had been
established, and enquired about its membership. It was noted that some members
had expertise in this field, and it was proposed that the Board should take
advantage of this expertise. -
A request was made for information about the contact
point within the Council if members became aware of an issue that related to
climate change. -
A member referred to the report, in particular point
2.6, and asked whether the Council was taking advantage of re-using the waste
produced, for example in road maintenance works. -
In relation to reaching net zero carbon, a request was
made to clarify the methods to reach this target. -
A further explanation was requested about the impact
of work schemes such as the Llanbedr by-pass, work on the sea-wall etc., on the
Council's ability to reach net zero Carbon. It was noted that as part of the
aim of reaching the target, there should be no restrictions imposed on the
construction of important infrastructure. -
A question was asked about the work to deal with Ash
Dieback, and how the Council intended to solve the problem, as trees were
needed to deal with carbon emissions. -
In response to the
observations it was noted:- -
The Climate Change Board included a representation of
heads of department and members, and had been established as a board to give
status to this field. It was added that consideration could be given to
expanding its membership to other areas of expertise. - It was suggested to the member that the Programme Manager should be the contact point if any matters arose, ... view the full minutes text for item 5. |
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CLIMATE CHANGE - LOCAL FLOOD STRATEGY PDF 239 KB Cabinet
Member: Cllr. Catrin Wager Update
on: Act on Inland Flood Risks and Coastal Flood Risks Additional documents: Decision: To accept the
report and to note the observations received. Minutes: To accept the
report and to note the observations received. The Cabinet Member for the Environment provided an
introduction noting that flooding was one of the most prominent characteristics
that showed us how Climate Change affected local communities. It was
acknowledged that the impacts were already seen, in relation to extreme weather
and flooding that destroyed our communities. Emphasis was placed on the importance of flood
prevention as the best way to safeguard residents in the face of Climate Change
challenges. The report was submitted noting that the strategy was
a living document, and that it could be extended as developments arose. Members
were guided through the report, which offered an explanation on the work of
identifying the source of water in incidents of flooding. It was added that engagement work was also taking
place, and discussions with other departments to ensure that the messages
reached the communities. During the
discussion, the following observations were made by members:- -
Gratitude was expressed for the report, which provided
a detailed illustration of the problems within the catchment areas. Reference
was made to a problem in Cwm Pennant in relation to a property that had
suffered as a result of flooding. It was suggested that locations under threat
should be examined, as it was possible that they would suffer in future. -
A member asked whether there was a risk register to
deal with problems, so that they could be mapped to anticipate where was at
greatest risk of damage. -
Concern was expressed that floods occurred to an
extent due to a lack of maintenance of rivers and streams, and it was suggested
that modern construction methods should be considered in order to protect
properties from future flooding. -
The Committee's attention was drawn to the recent
staff turnover within the Council's departments, and that a wealth of local knowledge
had been lost as staff left their posts. -
It was explained that there were gaps in the data on
maps used by Natural Resources Wales as not all the water courses could be seen
on them. -
The importance of including Councillors as part of any
discussions, as there were flooding problems in numerous wards,
was noted. -
Clarification was sought on who was responsible for
ensuring that the sea-wall in Talsarnau was safe, so
that the local community was not at risk from any damage. In response to the
members’ observations, the Head of Environment Department noted the following:- -
It was explained that people needed to be encouraged
to declare whether their properties suffered from flooding so that a list could
be created, and it was added that a number of people refused due to concern
about the value of their properties. -
It was agreed that consideration should be given to
methods of adapting the construction of houses so that they could be
future-proofed to protect them from flooding. - Sympathy was expressed with the member's concerns that local knowledge was being lost with the loss ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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CLIMATE CHANGE - GWYNEDD FLOOD PREVENTION ASSETS PDF 229 KB Cabinet Member: Cllr. Catrin Wager Update on: Arrangements to monitor the condition of Gwynedd assets in order to
mitigate risks. Additional documents: Decision: To accept the
report and to note the observations received. Minutes: To accept the
report and to note the observations received. The report was
submitted by the Head of Gwynedd Consultancy, and provided an overview of the
situation in relation to the Council's assets. It was added that the Council
had Land drainage and Coastal assets and their condition was inspected once,
and in some cases, twice a year. Members’ attention
was drawn to the categories used to identify the condition of the assets, in
order to ascertain which required maintenance work as they were showing signs
of strain. The department's work
programme was outlined, which included an examination of all the assets to
ensure that they were in a safe condition, and members received an update on
the situation. During the
discussion, the following observations were made by members:- -
The members expressed their thanks for the
comprehensive report, and expressed confidence that the Council was prepared
for inclement weather and flooding due to the work that had been completed. -
Questions were asked about the inspection
arrangements, how decisions about monitoring were made, and what was the
timetable for delivering the work. A further question was asked about how rigid
the arrangements were, and whether they could be amended if an asset was
damaged. -
The department was thanked for its work in Penisarwaun and Rhiwlas since
2017, and its work there was praised. -
The Head of YGC and the Cabinet Member were thanked
for their work. -
A question was asked about the Council's definition of
an asset, as Canolfan Tregarth
was facing damage due to flooding, and it was noted that the Council was eager
for the community to be responsible for the pipes. In response to the
above observations, the following was noted:- -
It was explained that if there was concern that an
asset not listed in the scheme required attention, one or more visits could be
arranged and there was also a mechanism to undertake emergency works if
necessary. -
In relation to Climate Change, increasing sea levels
meant that further assets requiring possible maintenance work would be
identified. -
In relation to defining 'assets' in this way, it was
noted that consideration was given to any asset that protected communities from
flooding. -
Assurance was given that the Head of Department would
raise the matter with the Head of Highways and Municipal Department before
reporting back to the councillor in relation to his question. |