Decisions

The Full Business Case for the Former North Wales Hospital project was approved.

The Portfolio Director was authorised, in consultation with the Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer to agree and enter into a funding agreement with Jones Brothers Ruthin Development Holdings Ltd to deliver the Project.

It was noted that the funding agreement would be carried out following completing the steps in paragraph 7.7 satisfactorily in consultation with the Chair, Vice-chair, Section 151 Officer and the Monitoring Officer.

Gratitude was expressed to everyone who had contributed to the success of this project.

To note the Quarter 4 Performance Report and updated Portfolio Risk Register.

To approve the submission of the Quarter 4 Performance Report to the Welsh Government and UK Government as well as the local authority scrutiny committees.

Noted and accepted:

1.     The Ambition Board's revenue out-turn report for 2023/24 (Appendix 1)
which includes using £561,454 from the North Wales Growth Deal grant to show a neutral position for the year.

2.     The Ambition Board’s reserves situation (Appendix 2).

3.     Capital End of Year Review on 31 March 2024 (Appendix 3).

To elect Councillor Annwen Hughes as Chair of the Committee for the year 2024/25.

The Communities Scrutiny Committee’s Work Programme for 2024/25 was adopted.

(i)             To accept the report, noting the observations made during the discussion.⁠

(ii)            That the Committee consider prioritising the matter for scrutiny during 2025/26.

(i)    To accept the report and recommend that the Cabinet confirm the Article 4 Direction.

(ii)  To request that the Cabinet Member for the Environment conveys the observations submitted during the discussion to the Cabinet. ⁠ ⁠

To elect Councillor Llio Elenid Owen as Vice-chair of the Committee for the year 2024/25.

It was approved for Gwynedd Language Initiative Ltd to apply for a grant to Promote and Facilitate the Welsh language for 2025/26, rather than Cyngor Gwynedd and to transfer current staff to work for the Gwynedd Language Initiative on 1 April 2025.

Delegated powers were granted to the Head of Corporate Support in consultation with the Head of Legal Services and Head of Finance Department to agree on conditions and complete an agreement with Gwynedd Language Initiative Ltd. in accordance with the report and providing the indemnities noted in paragraph 3.4.6 of the report on the costs of staff.

A grant of £61,000 was granted to the Gwynedd Language Initiative to realise some elements of Cyngor Gwynedd's language strategy and contribute towards staff costs for 2025-2026.

It was agreed to provide warranty for the Access Agreement to the Gwynedd Pension Fund for Gwynedd's Language Initiative.

The Cabinet’s Forward Work Programme for meetings held between 14 May 2024 and 5 November 2024 was adopted.

To accept and note the information in the report.

The Council's Medium Term Financial Plan was approved for the period of 2025/26 - 2027/28.

Commission the Chief Executive to establish and lead on ranges of work packs and measures, as outlined in part 4.6 of the report, to prepare for addressing the significant gap in our budget over the next three years.

To accept the report on the end of year review (31 March 2024 position) of the capital programme.

To approve the revised financing as shown in part 3.2.3 of the report, namely:⁠

-      An increase of £2,189,000 in the use of grants and contributions

-      An increase of £132,000 in the use of capital receipts

-      An increase of £645,00 in the use of revenue contributions

-      An increase of £87,000 in the use of renewal and other reserves.

The report was accepted and the final financial position of the Council’s departments for 2023/24 was considered:

It was noted that there was significant overspend in the Adults, Health and Well-being Department, the Children and Families Department, the Highways, Engineering and YGC Department, the Environment Department and the Housing and Property Department this year (See column A in the table above). To approve the following financial virements (as outlined in Appendix 2):

The departments that are over-spending to receive one-off partial financial assistance to limit the overspend that will be carried forward by the Department to £100k (see column B in the table above).

It was confirmed to provide financial support of £308k above the contracted payment to Byw'n Iach (see column C in the table above).

On Corporate budgets:

-      Use the remaining balance in the Covid Fund of £4,402k to assist the departments that have overspent in 2023/24.

-      Use (£2,091k) of the corporate net underspend to assist the departments that have overspent in 2023/24.

-      The remainder of the net underspend of (£495k) on corporate budgets to be transferred to the Financial Strategy Support Fund.

The amounts to be carried forward were approved (the “Revised Over/(Under) Spend” in column D above and in Appendix 1.

The financial virements from the specific reserves were approved as outlined in Appendix 3 following a review of the reserves:

-      Harvesting (£1,703k) from reserves to be used in its entirety to assist the departments that have overspent in 2023/24.

-      To use £2,975k to fund one-off bids in 2024/25 following the removal of £1,113k from the Transformation Fund and transfer £1,862k from the Financial Strategy Support Fund.

The report was approved, and relevant comments and suggestions were offered about
the Council’s performance in dealing with complaints in an appropriate and timely manner.

A permanent financial virement authority of £454,580 of out-of-county residential locations' budget for funding in-house [EW(1] provision as part of developing the Small Group Homes scheme.

The decision by the Welsh National Health Service Joint Commissioning Committee and health boards to close and centralise the Welsh Air Ambulance centres of Caernarfon (Dinas Dinlle) and Welshpool is a devastating blow to the whole of Gwynedd and another example of how Wales' central services ignore the aspirations and demands of rural Wales. This Council opposes the decision and asks for full intervention and investigation into the decision by the Welsh Government.

To adopt the Draft Statement of Licensing Policy, and delegate the right to the Head of Environment Department to make editorial changes for accuracy as needed.

To appoint Councillor Ioan Thomas as Vice-chair for 2024/25.

To appoint Councillor Beca Roberts as Chair for 2024/25.

To appoint Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones as Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2024/25.

Cyngor Gwynedd believes that no house should be anything but a home until everyone who has a local need has a warm home which is fit for purpose. This is the objective of this Council.  We call on the Welsh Government to enable this Council to act for the sake of the people of Gwynedd first by implementing a Property Act which will propose a statutory and local framework to support communities, housing providers and local authorities to respond to the current emergency.

1.    To adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the 2024/25 municipal year, as noted below, and to adopt the allocation of seats and senior salaries as noted.

APPENDIX A - ALLOCATION OF SEATS ON COMMITTEES

Senior Salaries

The following senior salaries will be paid:-

• Leader

•Deputy Leader

• 8 other Members of the Cabinet

• Leader of the main opposition Group

• Committee Chairs

 - Scrutiny Committees (x3)

 - Planning Committee

 - Licensing Committee (Central and General to be included as one Committee)

 - Pensions Committee

• Civic Head (Chair of the Council)

• Deputy Civic Head (Vice-chair of the Council

2.    To delegate the authority to the Head of Democracy Services to make appointments to the committees on the basis of political balance, and in accordance with the wishes of the political groups.

3.    Allocate the chairpersonships of scrutiny committees on the basis of political balance as follows:-

Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee - Plaid Cymru Group

Communities Scrutiny Committee – Plaid Cymru Group

Care Scrutiny Committee - Independent Group

The Cambrian Coast Railway is of immense importance to the economy of Gwynedd, with thousands of visitors using it, but more importantly, the people of Gwynedd themselves use this Railway on a daily basis to go to school, work, to shop or for leisure purposes.

Transport for Wales have recently stated that they want to cut the number of trains running along the line.

The way to improve train use is by increasing the number of trains and definitely not cutting them.

This Council makes it clear to Transport for Wales and to the Welsh Government, who are the owners of Transport for Wales, that any cut in the number of trains on the Cambrian Railway is not acceptable, and instead they should look at how to increase the number of trains throughout the year.

DECISION

That the applicant was a fit and proper person to be issued with a hackney vehicle / private hire driver's licence from Gwynedd Council.

DECISION

That the applicant was a fit and proper person to be issued with a hackney vehicle / private hire driver's licence from Gwynedd Council.

DECISION

That the applicant was a fit and proper person to be issued with a hackney vehicle / private hire driver's licence from Gwynedd Council.