Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any apologies for absence

Apologies were received from Councillors John Brynmor Hughes, Elin Hywel, Kim Jones, June Jones, Meryl Roberts and Elfed Williams.

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 1^st December, 2022 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 1 December, 2022, as a true record.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

The Monitoring Officer declared a personal interest in item 7 - Annual Review - Council's Pay Policy 2023/24, on behalf of the chief officers who were present as the report involved their salaries.

He was of the opinion that the officers had a significant interest and, along with the two Corporate Directors, the Statutory Head of Finance, the Head of Housing and Property Department, the Head of Democratic Services and the Head of Economy and Community Department, the Monitoring Officer withdrew from the meeting during the discussion on the item, as they did not need to be in attendance to advise. The Chief Executive remained in the meeting to advise.

To receive any Chair’s announcements.

Condolences were extended to the family of former Councillor Caerwyn Roberts, who had died recently and the Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn paid tribute to him. 

Condolences were also extended to the following:-

·         The family of former Councillor Dafydd Thomas, Penmorfa, who had been a member of this Council and the previous Gwynedd County Council for many years.

·         Steffan Jones, Head of Highways, Engineering and Gwynedd Consultancy on losing his father.

·         The family of Sir Meuric Rees, Escuan, Tywyn, the former Lord Lieutenant of Gwynedd who had passed away yesterday.

It was also noted that the Council wished to sympathise with everyone in the county’s communities who had recently lost loved ones.

The Council stood in silence as a mark of respect and remembrance.

A surfer from Gwynedd was congratulated who had created history by becoming Wales' first surfing world champion. Llywelyn 'Sponge' Williams had won the gold medal for Wales at the 2022 ISA Para Surfing World Championships in California.

Congratulations were also extended to Dr Kathryn Whittey from Llanelltyd, as one of 180 women chosen from 25 countries by Homeward Bound, to travel to Antarctica with female leaders in science, who had committed to lead, influence and contribute towards the sustainability of our planet.                                                                                                                     

To note any items which are urgent business in the opinion of the Chair so they may be considered.

None to note.

To consider any questions the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.19 of the Constitution.

(The Cabinet Members' written responses to the questions had been published in advance.)

(1) Question from Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts

"What arrangements were made by the Education Department to establish the exact number of Gwynedd children being educated through the medium of English?"

Response - Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown

"It is nice to receive questions like this as it is an opportunity for me to state and remind you once again how unique and innovative our situation is in this county.  Of course, Gwynedd's context is different to the vast majority of Welsh counties in the sense that our schools exist within a context that is compatible with our aim of ensuring bilingualism for all. Both languages are a teaching medium to various degrees and, as a result, of course, all Gwynedd children receive education through the medium of Welsh and English, which is unique and a credit to Gwynedd's vision for many years now."

Supplementary Question from Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts

"Considering that there are no pupils studying at least three Key Stage 4 subjects through the medium of Welsh, apart from Welsh, in Ysgol Friars, and that the situation is similar in Ysgol Tywyn, and that there is an insignificant number of pupils in other schools, Dyffryn Nantlle, for example, who do not study at least three Key Stage 4 subjects through the medium of Welsh, would it be fair to say that there are some hundreds of children in Gwynedd secondary schools who can completely avoid Welsh-medium education, and that it is likely that their education language will be English?"

Response - Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown

"In terms of avoiding the Welsh language, given that Welsh is something that goes beyond lessons and takes place in pastoral periods, assemblies, sports etc. I believe that it is very difficult for someone to avoid the Welsh language in any school in Gwynedd.

As we all know, we have two secondary schools in the Transitional Category 3 in the county, and hard work is taking place there in order to improve the provision in those schools.  A Welsh Language Development Officer has been employed in Ysgol Friars.  I would draw attention to the percentage that may be the most specific indicator we have in terms of the number of children who can speak Welsh in Gwynedd, and 88% of children aged between 5 and 15 can speak Welsh compared to 64% of the general population, which shows the success of Welsh language education in the county but, of course, there is a need to work with the schools noted and work across the sector in general.  This is why a new Language Forum has been established in order to keep the WESP (Welsh in Education Strategic Plan) on track, and why there is a Task and Finish Group investigating the current provision across the whole secondary sector.  Also, this is why I very much look forward to seeing the findings of that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To submit the report of the Chair of the Chief Officers Appointments Committee.

To approve the recommendation of the Chief Officers Appointment Committee to adopt the Pay Policy for 2023/24. 

The Chair of the Chief Officer Appointment Committee, Councillor Dafydd Meurig presented a report recommending that the Council approves the recommendation of the Chief Officer Appointment Committee to adopt the Pay Policy Statement for 2023/24.

Members were given an opportunity to make observations and ask questions. 

A member noted that he could not support the recommendation as some chief officers were less helpful than others.  He also noted his frustration that Galw Gwynedd often could not put calls through to departments as nobody answered.

It was asked how it was concluded that there was a risk to the Council's ability to recruit and retain some people in senior officer posts.  In response, it was explained:-

·         That the Chief Officers Appointment Committee had considered two reports over a three-year period examining the risk level, looking at how many posts had been available in other authorities and in other public organisations.

·         There had been no external candidate on the seven most recent shortlists for a head of department post in Cyngor Gwynedd.  This was not to say that those appointed to the posts did not undertake excellent work, but the Council could not attract external candidates at all.

·         The Council competed, not only against other councils, but against other public organisations and national organisations, and if there was no success to attract anyone in, there was a real risk of failure to operate on this level.

·         Although this report specifically related to the posts of chief officers, it was encouraging to be able to report that an additional £1.7m was being offered in the budget this year to deal with the salaries of carers' posts, and hopefully address the substantial risk of failure to recruit in this field.

RESOLVED to approve the recommendation of the Chief Officers Appointment Committee to adopt the Pay Policy for 2023/24. 

To submit the report of the Council Leader.

To adopt the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28.

The Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, presented the report, inviting the Council to adopt the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28.  He also detailed the political context that was the basis of the whole plan.  He noted:-

·         To deliver the schemes, sufficient resources were required, and that the substantial financial pressures on the Council as a result of inflation and the cost of living crisis were affecting our ability to provide services.

·         He wished to make it perfectly clear that this was mainly the responsibility of the Westminster Government, but there was also a message here for Labour Ministers in Cardiff, who shared the same basic principles as us, apart from the fact that we wished to see our nation in control of our country.

·         The Ministers in London were insulting the Welsh Government, our devolved settlement and our ministers, and treated us with contempt.  The 'Levelling-Up Fund' and the 'Shared Prosperity Fund' were clear examples of this.  We were previously promised that Wales would receive 'not one penny less of European money', but we would receive £1.2bn less over the next three years.  There was nothing in the 'Shared Prosperity Fund' that was more than we deserved - it was our money!

·         Local authorities and the Welsh Government had been preparing for years to make a regional investment for the period after the European funds ended, but the Westminster Government had totally disregarded those plans.  They had no long-term plan to distribute the funding, and it was unclear how they came to a decision on a number of these funds.

·         Cyngor Gwynedd was fortunate to receive funding for the slate areas but it had been unable to receive funding for the Llanbedr bypass, and the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters accused the Council of going behind the devolved system in the application to the fund to get a bypass for Llanbedr.  He would not apologise for this as it was our money!

·         He wished to call on his friends in the Labour Party in Wales, who shared the same basic principles as us in terms of social fairness, to stand up for Wales once and for all, and refuse to go cap in hand to London.

·         He had made a statement in the past few days about bank holidays, and that it was insulting that Wales was the only part of the devolved state without the authority to determine its own bank holidays.

The Leader thanked the Business Support Service Manager and his team for their work in preparing the Council Plan.

Members were given an opportunity to make observations and ask questions.  The following matters were raised by individual members:

·         It was noted that the ambition and vision was seen clearly throughout the whole plan.

·         It was noted that there were praiseworthy aspirations here, but aspirations only, and it was emphasised that the plan should include a strategy, timetable and criteria to measure success.  In response, it was explained that there were projects here and that there  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance.

To accept the report and to approve the Capital Strategy for 2023/24.

The Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Ioan Thomas, submitted a report, providing a high-level overview on the manner capital expenditure, capital funding and the treasury's management activity contributed to the provision of local public services.  The report also gave an overview of the way associated risks could be managed, and the implications for future financial sustainability.

A member noted that the recent presentation by Arlingclose, the Council's Treasury Management Consultants, for members of the Governance and Audit Committee and Cabinet Members, had been very beneficial in terms of an understanding of this complex and technical field, and he suggested that it would be good for all Council members to be offered an opportunity to attend this annual presentation. 

RESOLVED to accept the report and to approve the Capital Strategy for 2023/24.

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance.

1. To approve the recommendations of the Cabinet, namely:-

(a) Set a budget of £317,880,310 for 2023/24, to be funded by £227,842,930 of Government Grant and £90,037,380 Council Tax income (which is an increase of 4.95% on the tax of individual dwellings).

(b) To set a capital programme of £67,780,150 in 2023/24, to be funded from the sources noted in Appendix 4 of the report.

2.  To note that the Cabinet Member for Finance, in a decision notice dated 6 January 2023, approved the calculation of the following amounts for 2023/24 in accordance with regulations made under Section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (“The Act”):-

(a)    56,182.77 being the amount calculated as Gwynedd's Tax Base in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (Wales) Regulations 1995 as amended, as its Council Tax base for the year.

(b)   Part of the Council’s Area - Community Tax Base -

namely the amounts calculated as the Council Tax Base amounts for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.

3. That the following amounts now be calculated by the Council for the year 2023/24 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Act:-