Agenda item

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

 

(1)       Question from Councillor Sion Wyn Jones

 

"Is it possible for the Cabinet Member to make a statement regarding the lack of grass cutting in Gwynedd?"

 

Response from Councillor John Wynn Jones, Cabinet Member for the Environment

 

"The Member is aware of the very difficult financial situation facing the Authority and out of this Council's decision in its meeting on 3 March, 2016 to implement 49 cuts to services which included reducing the frequency of grass cutting in some locations.

 

As a consequence, we must, unfortunately, accept that this will lead to the deterioration in the appearance of some locations at certain times of the year and when there are variances to the growing season as evident this year.

 

The relevant Department is carefully monitoring the effect of implementing the changes and is also ensuring that locations where there are concerns regarding safety are given priority. The Department is also adapting its cutting programmes in order to mitigate the effect of this change. These adaptations to the cutting programmes will continue for what remains of the growing season and the year.  I would like to thank Grounds Maintenance staff for ensuring that the work is being carried out despite the changes."

 

A supplementary question from Councillor Sion Wyn Jones

 

"Is the Cabinet Member willing to consider placing the responsibility of grass cutting to community and town councils or having a new strategy in the department?"

 

Response from Councillor John Wynn Jones, Cabinet Member for the Environment

 

"Of course, Gwynedd Council is willing to work with community councils in every possible field, and this is one of those possible fields, but we must be careful not to hand it over without certainty from the community councils on some matters, e.g. with regards to public liability insurance and also that they will accept responsibility should an accident take place and personally I think this is something that they should seriously consider. I would be willing to discuss any solution that is better than what we currently do. I congratulate the department as it has been a very difficult growing season with such changeable weather and all of us have experienced that in our gardens in general and I believe that the department and employees who have been at the front line have undertaken amazing work in recent months."

 

(2)       Question from Councillor Aled Evans

 

"Will the Cabinet Member responsible for planning report on the steps taken to make sure that linguistic impact statements provided with planning applications under the LDP are impartial, so that an applicant does not provide such a statement as part of his submission for permission for any development".

 

Answer from Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

(The Cabinet Member's written response was distributed to the members in advance).

 

"Currently, we are determining planning applications according to the current Local Development Plan and the question is involved with the Local Development Plan, which will hopefully be adopted by the Council in March next year. Therefore, what drives the linguistic impact assessments are the supplementary planning guidance which are attached to the Local Development Plan. They are currently being adapted and as I have explained in an article on Rhaeadr at the beginning of the month, work is ongoing to update the supplementary planning guidance that will be attached to the Local Development Plan and a consultation process will be associated with that."

 

A supplementary question by Councillor Aled Evans

 

"Over the past 5 years, 75 linguistic reports have been submitted, but only one recommendation to refuse a development due to a detrimental impact on the Welsh language. Will you examine these 75 cases and investigate what was the impact on the Welsh language in order to discover how accurate these recommendations actually were?"

 

Answer from Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

"We are talking here about planning applications that have been determined under the former plan. We are talking about moving forward and a methodology will be developed in terms of how assessments will be undertaken and of course, this will be included in the context of the new TAN 20.  We are not quite sure what that will tell us, where these assessments will be undertaken, and the councillor has responded to the Welsh Government's consultation regarding that and all of us were given the opportunity to be part of that. Thereafter, all of this is under discussion - the shape of the new supplementary planning guidance depends on what will take place during the consultation and everyone is free to participate in that process."

 

(3)       A question from Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd

 

"In view of the delay in any progress on monitoring the impact of the existing and proposed planning position on the Welsh language in Gwynedd in accordance with the Council's decision on 18 March, 2016, does the portfolio holder share the aspirations of placing a moratorium on developments of more than three dwellings until a solution to this matter is found that is satisfactorily to the Council and which is key to the survival of the Welsh language as a viable language in communities in Gwynedd?"

 

Answer from Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

(The Cabinet Member's written response was distributed to the members in advance).

 

"I disagree that there has been a delay in response to the proposal on 18 March.  There are two very important work streams ongoing, one to develop the supplementary planning guidance which will be attached to the new Local Development Plan, and this will drive how we undertake linguistic assessments. The second work stream is how we will monitor and review the plan in future therefore, I disagree that there has been a delay. The work is progressing and the article on Rhaeadr at the beginning of June explains exactly what are the steps that have been taken in that consultation process. In terms of a moratorium - that is not practical of course because how does someone stop applications from being submitted. We cannot stop applications from being submitted - we must deal with them and I do not think that there is anything significant about three dwellings.  If we stop anything with more than three dwellings, are we therefore saying that three four-bedroom houses in the countryside are acceptable and that four small affordable houses for local use are unacceptable?  That is the purpose of the planning system - to assess applications as they come in. We are currently assessing them against the Unitary Development Plan but once the new plan is adopted, we will be assessing against that plan."

 

A supplementary question from Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd

 

"In light of the fact that I believe that there has been a delay, does the Cabinet Member feel that he should give serious consideration to his current role so that he gives room to someone who is going to respect the democratic process which is part of this Council?"

 

Answer from Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

"I disagree that the process has been delayed. The process has progressed correctly.  At the moment, the current phase in which the Local Development Plan has reached is in the hands of the Inspector and that process is beyond the hands of the Council until it will return in March to be adopted by the Council and I am confident that I will be here at that time to submit it before the Council."

 

(4)       Question from Councillor John Pughe Roberts

 

"The Council has received this independent assessment commissioned by language organisations. Should this assessment be presented to Local Development Plan Inspectors for them to use at their own discretion in examining that Plan?"

 

Answer from Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

(The Cabinet Member's written response was distributed to the members in advance).

 

"Councils have already submitted all documentation to the Inspector. The Inspector is now driving the process. If the Inspector requests other documents from the Council, we will provide them. Indeed, he has asked some questions regarding what is in the plan and the service responds to that.  It is not possible for the Council to forward any further information. Of course, it is a matter for any objector whether or not they decide to forward any information to the Inspector regarding any objection they have already submitted."

 

A supplementary question from Councillor John Pughe Roberts

 

"Does the Cabinet Member agree that every information is essentially important as evidence to improve the situation of the Welsh language in Gwynedd?"

 

Answer from Councillor Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member for Planning

 

"Yes, most certainly. All of the evidence out there is available for the Inspector when the Inspector will examine the plan. The Inspector's work is to decide whether the Local Development Plan is robust and should the Inspector require more information from any one who has been associated with the process thus far, the Inspector will request that information."