Agenda item

To submit the report of the Council Leader.

To approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance in 2020/21, and to adopt it.

Submitted - a report by the Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, asking the Council to  approve and adopt Gwynedd Council's Performance Report 2021/22 as a clear, balanced and accurate picture of the Council's performance in 2021/22.

During his presentation, the Leader referred to successes such as developing a Regeneration Plan, building the new Ysgol y Garnedd and adopting a Climate Change Plan.  He also referred to matters to improve, such as a failure to address the post-16 education question in Arfon, but he was confident that this would be a priority in the coming years of the Council's new Plan.             He also noted there had been a delay in the Cricieth area on the development of a new school due to the need to carry out an archaeological survey.

The Leader then referred to the summary of the services' day to day work at the end of the report, thanking the Planning Service officers for their excellent work in preparing research and solutions in the second home field.  He also noted, as the Joint Local Development Plan was coming to an end, there was a need to reconsider the collaboration arrangements, and he explained, in light of discussions between Gwynedd and Anglesey planning officers, they had concluded that it should be recommended to continue with the process to terminate the existing collaboration, as a result of the changes to the national, regional and local planning policy context since the collaboration arrangement was established in 2001.   He explained further that both councils would continue to collaborate closely on arrangements to monitor the old Joint Development Plan, along with any other opportunities that would arise.  The matter would be submitted to the Gwynedd Council Cabinet and Anglesey's Council Executive on 19 July and should both bodies agree, both counties would develop their own separate Local Development Plan.

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

·         Referring to highlights of the year on page 16 of the agenda, it was asked how the Council was performing against the target in terms of recycling, reusing or composting domestic waste and in particular against Welsh Government's landfill target.  In response, it was noted that Gwynedd's performance was over 64% at the moment, compared with the statutory target of 70% by March 2025.  A possible slippage was seen over the Covid period in residual waste and there was a need to remind residents of the food waste and recycling collection service.  Further, there would be a need to look at a work programme to move the agenda to ensure that we reached the statutory target.  In terms of landfill, it was explained that no waste went to landfill and that all residual waste was incinerated at Parc Adfer, Flintshire as part of a joint partnership between councils in north Wales.

·         Referring to a comment on page 19 of the agenda that the cost of living crises "has forced the Council to divert resources and adapt by committing itself to new work and projects", it was asked whether our budget was robust enough to face these challenges, or was there a need to revise the matter.  It was also asked, if diversification was required, where would the resources come from, and would this create a gap in our services.  In response, it was noted that for the first time we knew what our settlement for next year and the following year was going to be.   The general settlement for Wales was 3.5% for next year and 2.5% for the following year, but Gwynedd was always lower than the national average.  Should inflation increase to 11% by autumn this year, as anticipated, Gwynedd and every other council would be in a very difficult position.  No one could have foreseen such a situation.  It was very much hoped that the Government would understand this and help the Council in some way, but there was a need plan in advance in the event that this would not happen.

·         Dissatisfaction was expressed that visitors who came to holiday homes in the Aberdyfi area did not recycle and they overfilled their refuse sacks, and filled other people's bins with these sacks.  In response, it was noted that this was a problem in several areas across the county where there were holiday homes, and we were faced with a challenge to change the system and for the recycling officers to go out and target and ensure compliance with the service.  It was noted further that the Head of Highways and Municipal would contact the member to see what could be done in Aberdyfi specifically.

·         Dissatisfaction was expressed regarding the references to the development of Trawsfynydd Power Station in the report, on the grounds that we were being mis-led about the safety of such nuclear sites.  It was noted that locating the new development alongside what was already on the site meant that one endangered the other, and it would also affect our chances of having Independence for Wales, due to the cost associated with decommissioning.  Surprise was expressed also that Plaid Cymru was tabling this, given that Plaid was opposed to any new nuclear energy sites.  On the grounds of those arguments, an amendment was proposed that the Council should either delete the paragraphs that refer to nuclear developments (namely the fourth paragraph on page 24 of the agenda, and the third paragraph on page 26), or refuse the report as a whole.  Another member noted that the matter under consideration was an expression of unequivocal support to a project in the future that had not yet earned formal approval through the Council's democratic process.  In response, the Monitoring Officer explained that all that was before the Council was a factual report about the performance of projects that already existed, and that the principle of those projects was not under consideration.  He also explained that the Trawsfynydd project had already been through a democratic process as was referred to in the Council Plan that was adopted by the Council in March of this year, but that the Council was not in order to reopen the matter within 6 months.  The member also suggested that it would be possible to amend the wording of the paragraphs to refer to fact rather than aspiration.  In response, the Monitoring Officer explained that several aspects of the report referred to projects that were in the pipeline, and detailed their performance so far.  Removing/changing the wording did not change the project or the factual context, and by approving the report, the members were approving the Council's performance, rather than approve the project itself.

·         Referring to the Council's Well-being Objective of ensuring that Gwynedd residents enjoy happy, healthy and safe lives (page 20 of the report), it was noted that the county's residents no longer felt happy, healthy or safe.  People were suffering as they were unable to have access to GPs or ambulances, and there were no nursing beds at all in Pen Llŷn and the need for the Council to influence Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in some way was emphasised.  In response, it was noted that the Council's ability to solve this problem was limited, but that the Leader would voice the concerns expressed at every possible opportunity, be that at meetings with the Health Board Chief Executive or Welsh Government.  It was noted further, with the Council budget also being significantly squeezed, that there was a danger that we would also have to face cuts in some services in years to come.

RESOLVED to approve the report as an accurate, balanced and clear reflection of the Council's performance during 2021/22, and adopt it.