Agenda item

To submit the report of the Council Leader.

To adopt the Gwynedd Council Plan 2018-2023: 2022/23 Review for it to be implemented during 2022/23.

The Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, presented the report, inviting the Council to adopt the Gwynedd Council Plan 2018-23: 2022/23 Review for it to be implemented during 2022/23.

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

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

·         The Government's intention to provide free school meals to all primary aged pupils was welcomed, however, a question was asked as to whether this would incur additional costs that would need to be shouldered by the Council.  In response, it was noted that the scheme was not as simple as it appeared, but to date, there had been financial commitment from Welsh Government to meet the additional cost.  Discussions were taking place between each council and the Government in order to establish the exact amount of those costs.

  It was explained that the cost of providing, or paying for the dinner was one element, and that the cost of providing buildings, space within those buildings and support services, etc., was an additional element that was not, possibly, fully costed at this point in time.  More information would be shared with the members as the details developed, but the officers were quite confident about the current situation.  The Leader noted that he would place pressure on the Government to fully fund the scheme.  In response to a further question about the impact of the plan on school budgets, it was noted that everyone realised that the plan was having a substantial impact on some schools, particularly large schools, but it was confirmed that this was included in the discussions with the Government.

·         Concern was expressed about the direction under Improvement Priority 6 to give priority to the Dolgellau and wider Meirionnydd area when identifying opportunities for care provisions, and it was emphasised that the highest priority should be given to provide a nursing care home on the Penrhos site, since no nursing beds were left in Pen Llŷn anymore.  In response, it was emphasised that there was no competition between Meirionnydd and Pen Llŷn.  There was an excellent opportunity in Penrhos to create a very special resource that would combine all care and nursing services on one site, and it was confirmed that the Council would continue to place pressure and collaborate with the Health Service and the housing association to realise this ambition.

·         With reference to the bid (under item 9 on the agenda), to abolish the £300 fee for a post-16 travel pass, it was noted that parents in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd (particularly in the rural areas), who had been paying this fee over the past 10 years had suffered real inconsistency and unfairness, and it was suggested that the Council had considered the additional money as bait for parents in Arfon to send their children to the colleges.  In response, it was noted that should the Council approve the bid, abolishing the fee would assist families at a time when living costs were rising substantially, and improved young people's access to courses and better career paths.  It was also explained that the decision was made to charge a fee for a post-16 travel pass many years ago by a different Council to this one, under a different financial situation.  Fortunately, this year, a settlement had been received that enabled the Council to consider different options to what had been possible during the period of cuts, and one of those options was to abolish the fee for a post-16 travel pass.

RESOLVED to adopt the Gwynedd Council Plan 2018-2023: 2022/23 Review for it to be implemented during 2022/23.