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Agenda item

To consider the report of the Llŷn AONB Service Manager.

Minutes:

Submitted – the report of the Llŷn AONB Service Manager, explaining the implications and the process of changing the constitution of the Consultative Joint Committee in terms of the numbers of Local Members who could be members of the Joint Committee at any given time in accordance with the decision of the Joint Committee in its meeting on 24 June 2015.  

 

It was explained that the existing constitution stated that the number of members on the Joint Committee at any one time was five with members changing places following local elections. Attention was drawn to the fact that, at the time the decision was made, the boundaries of wards within the area would be changed and that fewer Local Members would represent the wards within the AONB (in part or fully). However, no changes were made to the wards and so the number of members representing wards within the AONB (partly or fully) was 11.

 

An observation was made that, if all Local Members were on the Joint Committee the membership of the Joint Committee would increase from 27 to 33 with a substantial majority being members of Gwynedd Council. It was highlighted that there was already a seat for representatives from every Community Council within the AONB.

 

During the ensuing discussion, the following main points were noted:

·        As the electoral boundaries would not change that it should be up to Local Members to decide amongst themselves who should be members of the Joint Committee.

·        That a representative from the Campaign to Protect Rural Wales had sent observations noting that he was of the opinion that the number of Local Members on the Joint Committee should remain at five, as 11 Members would change the balance too much in terms of representation from the Council. He also suggested that members could be changed once a year in order to achieve a gradual change. 

·        One option would be to hold a presentation form Local Members about the AONB before they fill in a form stating their reasons for wanting to be members of the Joint Committee and leave the decision to the Joint Committee as to which members should serve on the Joint Committee.

·        Disagree with having 11 Local Members on the Joint Committee as there needed to be a cross-section/balance of membership and the decision should not be left to local members as opinions could differ.

·        Consideration should be given to distributing the seats of local members in accordance with the political balance of the Council.

·        Community Councils needed to be pressured into sending representatives to meetings of the Joint Committee.

 

It was proposed and seconded that the number of Local Members should remain at five and that a recommendation be made to the Cabinet / Cabinet Member - Planning and Regulatory that the constitution of the Joint Committee should be amended to note that seats are distributed among Local Members in accordance with the Council's political balance arrangements and to remove the phrase "Gwynedd Council Members to be rotated following local elections". A vote was taken on the proposal and it carried.

 

RESOLVED that the number of Local Members remain at five and to recommend to the Cabinet / Cabinet Member - Planning and Regulatory that the constitution of the Joint Committee should be amended to note that seats are distributed among Local Members in accordance with the Council's political balance arrangements and to remove the phrase "Gwynedd Council Members to be rotated following local elections".

Supporting documents: