Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To appoint a Chair for 2026/27.

To appoint Councillor Elin Walker Jones as Chair for 2026/27.

Two names were proposed and seconded for the chairpersonship, namely Councillor Elin Walker Jones and Councillor Beth Lawton.

RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Elin Walker Jones as Chair for 2026/27. ⁠

Councillor Elin Walker Jones read and signed the declaration accepting the post of Chair of Cyngor Gwynedd for 2026/27, in the presence of the Chief Executive.

To appoint a Vice-chair for 2026/27.

To appoint Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths as Vice-Chair for 2026/27.

Two names were proposed and seconded for the post of Vice-chair, namely Councillor Elfed P Roberts and Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths.

RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths as Vice-Chair for 2026/27

To receive any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Anwen Davies, Alan Jones Evans, Gareth Coj Parry, Glyn Daniels and Gwion Emyr.

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 5^th March, 2026 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 5 March 2026 as a true record.

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

A declaration of interest was received from the following Councillors: Anne Lloyd Jones, Beth Lawton, Annwen Hughes, Dafydd Davies, Wendy Cleaver, Elwyn Edwards, Elwyn Jones, Linda Morgan, Elfed Williams and John Pughe Roberts for item 11 – Tourism Levy. It was a prejudicial interest, and they withdrew from the meeting for this item.

To receive any Chair’s announcements.

Councillors Louise Hughes and Arwyn Herald Roberts were welcomed following a period of ill-health.

All elected Members of the Senedd were congratulated, and specifically Beca Brown, who had stepped down from her role as the Councillor for Llanrug, as well as former members of this Council – Sian Gwenllian and Mair Rowlands. It was noted that a by-election would take place in Llanrug in the next few weeks. 

Attention was drawn to the fact that the Council had signed and launched Twf – a Welsh Language at Work Charter jointly with TUC Cymru, GMB and Unite. It was explained that the Council was the first Council in Wales to do so. Congratulations were expressed on this pioneering plan that evidenced the successful joint working between the Council and the trade unions in Gwynedd.  

Congratulations were also noted to: 

·         Caernarfon Football Club who had recently won the Welsh Cup.   

·         Ysgol Glan y Môr and Ysgol y Moelwyn pupils for coming first and second in a Tasty Careers competition following some mentoring by Tom from Swig Smoothies.  

The best of luck was wished to all children and young people from across the county who would be competing in the Urdd National Eisteddfod at the end of the month. 

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 4.18 of the Constitution.

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

(1)       Question by Councillor Jina Gwyrfai

Something which is a matter of concern to many of us is the marked increase in the number of learners in our schools who are being excluded due to unacceptable, dangerous or threatening behaviour. Nevertheless, it is a statutory duty for all children to receive education up to the age of 16. Exclusion is therefore meant to be temporary, and the Education Department – in conjunction with other Agencies – has a range of strategies to deal with these learners, with the aim of enabling the learners to return to school and continue to receive an education that will equip them into the future.

Could you outline all the strategies available in Gwynedd to deal with these young people; and provide data to show a) the scale of the problem, and b) how effective the current provision is?

Response from the Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Dewi Jones

He responded by noting that he shared the concerns and that there was unacceptable and concerning behaviour across the county.  It was expressed that support needed to be given to the children who are unable to cope at school for various reasons, but it was emphasised that these are a small number. He highlighted that there was some positivity, with the numbers being excluded decreasing and that the department's new way of looking at inclusion had contributed to this. He drew attention to the two centres which are in Llanwnda and in Dyffryn Nantlle to support the young people. It was explained that 220 young people were open to services, and that more cases had been closed this year than had been opened. It was noted that the problem was far from being resolved but that it was going in the right direction.

⁠⁠Supplementary Question from Councillor Jina Gwyrfai

She thanked the member for the answer, but she had one minor thing to raise, the children who are on a part-time timetable – she asked what happened during the rest of the time and who was responsible for their care while a parent had to work.

Response from the Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Dewi Jones

It was noted that a number of services were available and that each case was treated individually. It was reiterated that workers were working with children and families to find the appropriate solution to the individual case. It was reiterated that cases sometimes took time to ensure the children were back in school full time.

(2)       Question by Councillor Rhys Tudur

Housing Associations have recently obtained or are seeking permission for the erection of an unprecedented number of houses in individual applications in the villages of Dwyfor, Botwnnog (18), Trefor (20), Nefyn (20), Chwilog (25), Yy Ffôr (27), Abererch (24), in the face of local opposition of developments that are beyond a scale that is suitable for the size of the villages and which double the number  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To submit the report of the Council Leader.

To adopt the Cyngor Gwynedd Plan 2023-28 – 2026/27 Review.

The Leader of the Council presented the report stating that the plan was a map that will guide the way to where the Council wishes it to be. It was emphasised that the priorities included an equal, prosperous, caring, and efficient Gwynedd. Particular attention was drawn to the new priority of An Equal Gwynedd. It was highlighted that exercising the principle of treating everyone fairly was at the heart of everything and that projects such as Women in Leadership would address the barriers that limit people's opportunities.

It was explained that the Plan had been adopted five years ago, and with the world changing so rapidly it was natural to review and update the Plan. It was noted that workshops had been held at the beginning of the year with Cabinet Members to agree on alterations before sharing with all the members to receive their comments. It was added that many of the comments and suggestions had been incorporated into the plan.

The priority area of Tomorrow's Gwynedd was highlighted, emphasising its importance to ensuring the best start for the children and young people of Gwynedd. Along with that it was added that it was very important that Gwynedd was a child friendly and trauma informed county and the Deputy Leader was thanked for his leadership in this area.

A new project was highlighted in the priority of A Welsh Gwynedd, namely 'Returning to Gwynedd' (Nôl i Wynedd) which aimed to strengthen the population of Gwynedd to contribute to vibrant communities and growth in the use of the Welsh language.

It was noted that the Response Plan: Our Bravery Brought Justice had been included at the beginning of the Plan to underline the fact that this work was an ongoing commitment. All the members, the Council's workforce, partners and communities were thanked for working hard for the county and the residents.

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

A member was pleased with the introduction of the new priority, and that it was a step forward to do things differently, to listen to the voices of residents and that decisions were made with everyone in mind and not always the majority. Attention was drawn to the work being done to create a child friendly county with trauma awareness and that this was having a positive impact on the children of Gwynedd. It was stressed that work had been done but that there was more to be done. It was expressed that Llechen Lân's vision highlighted the Council's desire to think and invest in the future, with one ambition being to ensure the best service for the people of Gwynedd. 

The priority of a Caring Gwynedd was highlighted which has the focus of improving care services and promoting independence for vulnerable people within their communities. It was reiterated that the investment and developments to create modern services were paramount, which happened through continued collaboration with partners to provide the best care. All care staff and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Economy and Community.

To adopt 'Gwynedd 2035: An Economy that Works for All' as an economic development strategy for Gwynedd.

The report was submitted by the Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, noting that the strategy had been developed as the Cabinet had identified a gap of not having one single document that identified the wishes of the county's residents for the economy and to set a direction for developing the economy. It was reiterated that funding for economic development was increasingly uncertain and that the Welsh Government's emphasis had been on regional collaboration, and that investment had been seen across north Wales but no corresponding plans for Gwynedd. It was noted that there was ongoing uncertainty about the global economy and there was a tempestuous atmosphere especially in Wales.

It was highlighted that there were positive and strong aspects to Gwynedd's economy such as potential within existing enterprises, low unemployment and high levels of workforce qualifications. It was expressed that the purpose of the strategy was to identify where there was room for improvement, highlighting areas such as fewer working-age people working, low wages, too much part-time and seasonal work and a lack of diversity of industries.

It was detailed that the process of developing the strategy had been quantitative and involved significant desktop research with input from a range of stakeholders from the private, public and third sectors. It was highlighted that input had been received from Councillors through the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee.

The desire to have an economy that gives everyone the opportunity to realise their full potential was noted, with an economy that strengthens the natural and cultural wealth of the county. It was emphasised that it was an exciting opportunity to make Gwynedd a destination of excellence in industries while continuing to nurture and complement traditional sectors such as agriculture and tourism. The vision of having an innovative, productive and low carbon economy that strengthens the Welsh language, creates new opportunities and contributes to well-being was expressed. The members were guided through the three identified themes of Enterprise, People and Well-being.

It was explained that to implement the strategy, they were eager to set up an Economic Forum that would be based on the successful advisory group that navigated the work of the Shared Prosperity Fund. It was expanded that this will ensure a voice for different parts of Gwynedd to ensure awareness of the county's diversity. It was noted that the Forum would produce the annual Delivery Plan, and a monitoring and evaluation framework would be a means of measuring success against activities.

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

The strategy was supported – they welcomed a good strategy to attract investment to the county, it was noted that it was an excellent start and they were looking forward to seeing the targets to see what comes of it.

The strategy was welcomed, and they looked forward to seeing the Delivery Plan. Disappointment was expressed to hear of North Wales Ambition pulling out of the Glynllifon scheme, but the need for development in the south of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Economy and Community.

RESOLVED:

1.     To publish the Gwynedd Visitor Levy Proposal Report;

2.     To agree to hold a consultation on the Proposal to introduce a Levy in accordance with the list of consultees in paragraphs 5.4 and 5.5 of this report;

3.     To notify the Welsh Revenue Authority, in accordance with the statute, and to share the Visitor Levy Proposal Report with the body.

The report was presented by the Cabinet Member for Economy and Community, setting out the reason for considering the Visitor Levy i.e.to ensure that the tourism sector contributes fairly towards the cost of the pressure this placed on local services, the environment, the Welsh language and the county's communities. It was added that the levy was a means of reinvesting in the visitor economy for the benefit of residents and businesses.

The current situation was highlighted, namely that millions of visits to Gwynedd each year created increasing pressure on local services at a time when budgets were under pressure. According to the Welsh Government, the levy was identified as a potential solution as it requested a small contribution from overnight visitors to be reinvested locally, with local control and transparency. It was stressed that the proposal was not an anti-tourism development but rather sought to manage and strengthen the economy in a sustainable way in the long term. It was reiterated that there were several ways of measuring the visitor economy, and that these were reflected in the impact assessments, gave a different dimension to the economy of Gwynedd and therefore the affected impact assessments.

Attention was drawn to the comments received from the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee which included the need for a thorough consultation to be carried out and a firm commitment on spending the money.

It was expressed that a detailed process would be adopted if the levy was desired, and it was noted that the national rate was 75p excluding VAT for the lowest scale (which included campsites and hostels) and £1.30 excluding VAT on the highest scale. It was noted that all persons staying overnight would be expected to pay the levy but that exceptions existed. It was explained that the Council had considered the potential of introducing a levy for several years, with Benefiting from Tourism research from 2018 highlighting the levy as the source that would bring the most income to Gwynedd to invest in the visitor economy.

It was explained that the question today was to determine whether a public consultation process should be implemented, and the results would be considered when a final decision was made by the Full Council. It was highlighted that the Council was working closely with Conwy and Anglesey on carrying out impact assessment research, and that discussions had taken place with Cardiff Council who had decided to adopt a levy following a consultation process.

It was noted that the impact assessments had been developed under the guidance of the Welsh Government, and it was noted that the assessment indicated that the levy could lead to losing 50 jobs at worst or creating 21 jobs at best. In terms of revenue, it was expressed that this ranged from £2.4m when using one dataset to over £12m if another was used. It was therefore anticipated that the amount would be higher than that stated in the Levy Proposal.

It was explained that the consultation procedure was set  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.

To submit the report of the Head of Democracy.

It was agreed:

·        to adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the municipal year as set out in Appendix A, together with the adoption of the seat allocation and senior salaries set out in the appendix.

·        to delegate the authority to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups.

·        to adopt the chairs of scrutiny committees on the basis of political balance as follows:

o   Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee - Plaid Cymru Group

o   Communities Scrutiny Committee - Independent Group

o   Care Scrutiny Committee - Independent Group

The Head of Democracy's report was presented stating that it was a requirement to present a report at the Council's annual meeting. It was highlighted that no significant change had been made in terms of the political balance, therefore only minor changes were to be determined in terms of committee arrangements.

RESOLVED to agree to:

·         adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the municipal year as set out in Appendix A, together with the adoption of the seat allocation and senior salaries set out in the appendix.

·         delegate authority to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees based on political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups.

·         adopt the chairpersonships of scrutiny committees based on political balance as follows:

o   Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group

o   Communities Scrutiny Committee – Independent Group

o   Care Scrutiny Committee – Independent Group

To appoint a Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2026/27.

[In accordance with the requirements of Section 14 of the Local Government Bill (Wales) 2011, the Chair of the Democracy Services Committee shall be appointed by the Full Council and it cannot appoint a member of a political group which is represented on the executive.]

To appoint Councillor Dewi Owen as Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2026/27.

The Council was invited to appoint a chair for the Democracy Services Committee for 2026/27.

RESOLVED to appoint Councillor Dewi Owen as Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2026/27

To submit the report of the Monitoring Officer.

That the Council appoint Carys Edwards and Neil Hawkins as Independent Members of the Standards Committee for a period of 6 years.

The Monitoring Officer's report was submitted, recommending that the Council appoint Carys Edwards and Neil Hawkins as Independent Members of the Standards Committee for a period of 6 years.

RESOLVED to appoint Carys Edwards and Neil Hawkins as Independent Members of the Standards Committee for a period of 6 years.

A)   NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR EINIR WILLIAMS

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Einir Williams will propose as follows:-

Protecting Welsh Place Names on Ordnance Survey Maps

I want to express deep and passionate concern about the current Ordnance Survey (OS) policy which is leading to the deletion, undermining and ignoring of Welsh place names that have been part of our landscape for centuries.

Ordnance Survey maps currently:

·         Replace historic Welsh names with English ones that have no basis or tradition, e.g. The Mushroom Garden for Coed Cerrig y Frân, Heather Terrace Path for Llwybr Gwregys.

·         Place English names alongside Welsh names, creating the impression that the Welsh names are optional or secondary, e.g. Cwm Cneifion / Nameless Cwm, Bala Lake / Llyn Tegid. 'Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa (despite the fact that the Eryri National Park Authority does not use the name Snowdon now.)'

This Council criticises these practices, as they contribute directly to the loss of Welsh names, and therefore undermine our language, history and national identity. When the Ordnance Survey adopts an English name, it appears on websites, signs, publications, and media and as a result, the Welsh name is pushed aside.

This happens even among young Welsh-speakers, who are often led to believe that the English name is the "standard". This is how language is weakened, not in one shot, but in a thousand small steps.

Welsh place names are part of our cultural DNA. They tell the story of the land, the people, the legends, the work, the life. No one has the right to delete or replace them.

Therefore, I want to propose to this Council today that we:

1.    Write to the Ordnance Survey to call on them to put an end to the current harmful policy, and to adopt a clear and simple principle and to use only Welsh language landscape place names on maps in Wales.

2.    Call on the Welsh Government to intervene formally and to ensure that the Ordnance Survey respects and protects historic Welsh names.

This is not just a matter of maps.  It's a matter of identity, respect and cultural justice.

B)   NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NIA JEFFREYS

In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Nia Jeffreys will propose as follows:-

The Council marks the murder of Member of Parliament, Jo Cox on 16/06/2016, ten years ago this year. (MP David Amess was also murdered on 15/10/2021).

In a world that is increasingly violent and aggressive, it is sad that elected members, of all parties and at all levels of government, are increasingly open to insults and abuse. Recent research shows that 72% of Councillors have experienced some form of threat – whether verbal or worse – in the last 12 months.

This Council believes that threatening or violent behaviour has no place in politics. Cyngor Gwynedd Councillors are committed to modelling the highest standards of respect and courtesy  ...  view the full agenda text for item 15.

Letter from the Welsh Government in response to Councillor Gruffydd Williams’ Notice of Motion to the 3rd March, 2026 Council meeting regarding Digital ID’s.