skip to main content

Agenda item

To submit the report of the Council Leader  (attached).

Decision:

To approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance in 2019/20, and to adopt it.

 

Minutes:

Submitted – a report by the Leader requesting that the Council approve and adopt Gwynedd Council's Performance Report 2019/20 as a clear, balanced and accurate picture of the Council's performance in 2019/20.

 

Due to the pandemic, the Leader noted that all efforts of Council departments had been directed towards the response to the crisis from mid-March, and that it was strange to look back at a normal period. He noted that the crisis had highlighted the importance of local government in providing a service for residents, and he thanked the staff of all services for their hard work in supporting the county's communities, and to the councillors for undertaking heroic work on behalf of their electors. 

 

The Leader further noted that members had not been given the usual opportunity to scrutinise in committees this year, and the thanked them for their patience during the period. As he was aware of the gap in the usual dialogue between all members and the Executive, he also explained that he intended to arrange briefing meetings with Cabinet members and heads of department in order to update members regarding the work that had been undertaken in different fields, and to give members an opportunity to discuss and ask questions.

 

He thanked Bethan Richardson (Business Support Officer) and Dewi Jones (the Council's Business Support Service Manager) for preparing the report in such a coherent manner.

 

The Leader expressed his best wishes to Councillor Cemlyn Williams (Cabinet Member for Education) who could not be present at the meeting, as he had recently had surgery at the hospital. He then extended an invitation to all other Cabinet members to say a few words in their turn. During their presentations, Cabinet members highlighted some points from the report that were relevant to their fields of work, elaborating on the priorities of services during the next period and the challenges they faced. They also reported on how departments had made a substantial contribution towards the response to the crisis, and thanked the heads of department and staff for all their hard work.

 

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

 

·         All Council staff were thanked for their commendable work during the crisis, and also the councillors, local volunteers, the third sector, Mantell Gwynedd and the county's small businesses.

·         Disappointment was expressed regarding the wish of Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board to remove nearly 40 nursing beds from Pen Llŷn, and the Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Well-being was asked to raise the matter with the Health Board.

·         The Cabinet Member for the Environment was thanked for recently visiting Pen Llŷn, and it was noted that it was good to see how wildlife had thrived and how pollution had reduced during the lockdown period.

·         It was noted that there was concern regarding what lay ahead of us in light of the pandemic, and all the jobs that would be lost here in Gwynedd over the winter.

·         The report was welcomed and it was noted that the statistics showed that the work being completed by Gwynedd led to good outcomes.

·         It was noted that a massive increase had been seen in demand for housing since the start of the year, and it was asked how changes in supply and demand could be monitored, measured and responded to, not only on a county level but also on a more local level. In response, the Cabinet Member for Housing explained that it was intended to build in flexibility into the Housing Action Plan and that it was not intended to be prescriptive. He also explained that measuring things was an important element of Ffordd Gwynedd and that the member was welcome to contact him if he had any further questions.

·         It was asked what the councillors could do to assist staff during this difficult period.  In response, the Chief Executive noted that members should be praised for changing their working arrangements to enable staff to undertake their work during the period, and that he did not believe that members could do any more, with the exception of continuing to support the staff. A lot of work in terms of responding to the crisis fell on the crisis system. Members were encouraged to read the report that had been submitted to the Cabinet on 13 October on Council arrangements to prepare for the possibility of a second wave of the pandemic.

·         It was noted that the period had been difficult for councillors and that the majority had risen to the challenge. 

·         A member thanked those staff who had gone the extra mile to help him over the past few months, and especially Steffan Jones (Head of Highways and Municipal Department), Adrian Williams (Meirionnydd Area Engineer), Sion Wilkes (Highways Inspector) and Tracey Loveday-Fone (Civil Enforcement Officer).

·         The local member expressed her dissatisfaction regarding the decision of Gwynedd Consultancy to withdraw from the Fairbourne Project Board and form a group themselves, without consulting with her.

·         Reference was made to Gwynedd Consultancy’s asset monitoring project using sensors, and it was noted that this exciting development could create the opportunity for staff to work on a cross-departmental basis by connecting the sensors together and using artificial intelligence, and to work in accordance with Ffordd Gwynedd principles. It was asked whether it would be possible for members to receive an output from the sensors as this would enable them to know whether any problems developed in their wards.  In receiving this local knowledge, members could assist officers and inform the people who would be affected. In response, the Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal noted that the provision was not yet available across the county but that it was possible to gain access in some places. He added that he would welcome a further conversation about the potential of the sensors and this could be discussed at the briefing session with members.

·         Thanks was expressed for the report and it was noted that it included a lot of what the members had requested. The Leader was thanked for his willingness to always respond to questions from members, and the Chief Executive was also thanked for his willing assistance.

 

RESOLVED to approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance in 2019/20, and to adopt it.

 

 

Supporting documents: