Decisions

That the Council appoint Non Gibson and Sonal Khade as Independent Members of the Standards Committee for a period of 6 years.

 

To accept and note the report.

 

To appoint Councillor Elin Walker Jones as Vice-chair for 2025/26.

 

To appoint Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones as Chair of the Democracy Services Committee for 2025/26.

 

To accept the report on the amendments to the Scheme of Delegation in Appendix 1 to the report submitted to the Council.

 

DECISION:  

 

TO SHORT-LIST FOUR CANDIDATES FOR INTERVIEWS FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE NORTH WALES CORPORATE JOINT COMMITTEE

 

 

To appoint Councillor Ioan Thomas as Chair for 2025/26.

 

 

1.    This Council notes the disproportionate and cumulative effects of austerity policies on the most vulnerable inhabitants of our society by successive UK governments – whether Conservative or Labour governments.

2.    Following the UK Government's recent announcement of further cuts to benefits totalling £5 billion, this Council recognises that these cuts are the continuation and progression of austerity policies. With a proportion of 18.1% of Gwynedd's population considered as being disabled, the people of Gwynedd will be hit particularly hard by the cuts. Furthermore, people considered as disabled in Gwynedd are less likely to be in employment, with only 50.5% in a paid job, and are therefore more likely to rely on benefits as their only source of income.

3.    The Council notes our growing responsibility to mitigate the brutal effects of austerity policies through the Council's services. We are seeing an increase in demand for services such as social housing, emergency accommodation and social care, and the subsequent increasing cost of maintaining these services. We recognise the pressure this places on the Council's budgets.

4.    For the sake of the residents of Gwynedd, Cyngor Gwynedd calls upon the Welsh Government to stand up for Wales and demand that their fellow Labour members in the UK Government make a U-turn on their plans to cut benefits.

5.    In order to ensure respect and dignity for all, Cyngor Gwynedd calls upon the Welsh Government and the UK Government to adequately fund benefits and social services.

6.    In order to end austerity in Wales, this Council demands that the Welsh Government calls upon the UK Government to devolve welfare and benefits, together with all the necessary levers to enable the Welsh Government to protect, care for and sustain our society.

 

 

 

Welsh public services are facing a loss of up to £65m due to the increase to national insurance announced by the Labour government in Westminster.

 

Once again, Welsh Councils will experience an actual loss as the government uses the Barnett formula to determine how much funding is allocated to devolved countries. The Barnett formula is based on population size rather than on need.

 

It is unfair that Welsh public services will not receive full funding for the increase. This is another example of how Wales is at a total disadvantage as a result of a Labour government in the Senedd in Wales and in Westminster.

 

As we are still awaiting details from the two governments it is not possible to calculate the exact figure at present, but Cyngor Gwynedd is likely to be at a loss of around £1m, which is an amount we have had to pass on to our taxpayers.

 

Cyngor Gwynedd is therefore calling on the Welsh Government to demand a fairer method of funding our country from their masters in London.

 

 

1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual abuse during their childhood, and this figure could be even higher.

 

Not only were these experiences horrific to them at the time, but they must live with the effects of these dreadful crimes throughout their lives. 

 

Victims of sexual abuse consistently say that there is not enough support available to them, and that there is insufficient awareness of the trauma they carry every day, forever.

 

1 May is an annual day to remember the victims; to raise awareness of this appalling crime, and to remind us that sexual abuse can happen to any child, in any community.  Sexual abuse does not recognize cultural, social, linguistic, religious, gender or racial differences. It can happen anywhere, to anyone.

 

Not My Shame is the campaign group that organises this annual event, holding a minute's silence on this date each year to remember the pain of sexual abuse victims around the world.

 

We call upon Cyngor Gwynedd to recognise this date every year from now on, and to adopt it as a day of remembrance for victims.  We call on the Council to fly the campaign flag above its headquarters on 1 May  every year to clearly state that sexual abuse is not the victim's shame, it is the offender's shame.  We call upon Cyngor Gwynedd to draw public attention on 1 May every year to the support available to victims, and to explain to the public how and where they can report sexual abuse or child protection concerns.

 

The Council calls upon the Westminster Government to devolve powers over water reservoirs and the water network in Wales, which will allow Wales to benefit from one of its most important resources.

 

 

·         To adopt the list of committees and sub-committees to be established for the municipal year, as noted in Appendix A (below), together with the adoption of the seat allocation and the senior salaries set out in the Appendix.

·         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.

·         To 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

 

·        To adopt the seat allocation for the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee Overview and Scrutiny Joint Committee for the term of this Council unless there is a significant change in the political balance – there is 1 seat for the Plaid Cymru Group and 1 seat for the Independent Group

 

APPENDIX A - ALLOCATION OF SEATS ON COMMITTEES

 

A	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Labour Liberal	Total
Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee	12	6	0	18
Communities Scrutiny Committee	12	5	1	18
Care Scrutiny Committee	12	5	1	18
Governance and Audit	8	4	0	12

 

B	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Labour Liberal	Total
Democratic Services	10	4	1	15
Planning	10	4	1	15
Central / General Licensing	10	5	0	15
Language	10	5	0	15
Chief Officers Appointment	10	5	0	15
Employment Appeals	5	2	0	7
Number of seats	99	45	4	148

 

 

C	Plaid Cymru	Independent	Labour Liberal	Total
Pensions	4	2	1	7
Local Joint Consultative Committee	7	4	0	11
SACRE	5	2	0	7

 

Total seats

115

53

5

173

 

 

 

 

Senior Salaries

In accordance with the previous decision of the Council, the senior salaries are paid as follows:

· Leader

· Deputy Leader

· 8 other Cabinet members

· The Leader of the largest Opposition

· Committee Chairs

- Scrutiny Committee (x3)     

- Planning Committee

- Licensing Committee (Central and General counts as one Committee)

- Pensions Committee

 

·         Civic head (Chair of the Council)

§    Deputy civic head (Vice-chair of the Council)

 

DECISION: To approve

 

Opening Hours

 

Sunday 10:00 - 18:00

Monday 10:00 -18:00

Tuesday 10:00 -18:00

Wednesday 10:00 -18:00

Thursday 10:00 - 18:00

Friday 10:00 -18:00

Saturday 10:00 -18:00

 

Licensable Activites

 

Supply of Alcohol: Both on and off the Premises

 

Sunday 10:00 - 17:00

Monday 10:00 - 17:00

Tuesday 10:00 - 17:00

Wednesday 10:00 - 17:00

Thursday 10:00 - 17:00

Friday 10:00 - 17:00

Saturday 10:00 - 17:00

 

The additional measures, as set out in part M of the application, to be included as conditions on the license.

• Staff Training
• Challenge 25
• The site will implement a no-glass policy, and all alcohol sold will be in polycarbonates
• No loud music to be played on site
• Staff will ask customers to leave quietly and respect local residents
• CCTV operational on site

 

Additional measures agreed with North Wales Police

 

• Alcohol deliveries will be made from existing food supplier - additional deliveries are not anticipated to cause traffic increase
• Refuse is part of a commercial contract collection on Tuesday & Friday’s and will not take place outside the hours of 17:00 – 08:00 as is the current arrangement

 

To accept the report and to note the observations received.

 

To accept the report and to note the observations received.

 

To accept the report and to note the observations received.

 

To accept the report and note the observations received.

 

DECISION: To approve subject to the following conditions:

1. Five years.

2. In accordance with plans and documents.

3. Agree on sound prevention plan and measures for the workshop in the western end of the site. This could include measures such as insulation, agreeing on the location of any extraction systems, hours of use and acoustic fence.

4. Ensure use of bilingual signs that give priority to the Welsh language.

5. Landscaping.

6. Landscape maintenance.

7. Need to agree on any extraction systems on the workshop prior to their installation on the building.

 

DECISION: APPLICATION WITHDRAWN

 

TO UNDERTAKE A SITE VISIT

 

TO DEFER SO THAT OFFICERS CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THE APPLICANT

 

APPLICATION WITHDRAWN

 

TO UNDERTAKE A SITE VISIT

DECISION: To approve in accordance with the following conditions:

 

1 - Time

2 - In accordance with the plans

3 - Contaminated land conditions

4 - Biodiversity conditions, including ensuring enhancements

5 - Food truck only to be located on the site when it is in use

6 - Restriction of food truck hours to 8-7 every day

7 - Agreement on the details of waste management for the food truck

8 - Welsh Signs

 

DECISION: TO REFUSE

 

1.     This development would create an urban encroachment onto a greenfield site in open countryside and is not immediately adjacent to the development boundary. ⁠It is not considered that the proposal would complement or enhance the character and appearance of the site nor integrate with its surroundings and would not therefore create a reasonable extension to the settlement. The proposal is therefore contrary to the requirements of Policies PCYFF 1, PCYFF 3, PS 5 and TAI 16 of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan together with part 2.6 of Technical Advice Note 12: Design which states that design which is inappropriate in its context, or which fails to grasp opportunities to enhance the character, quality and function of an area, should not be accepted, as these have detrimental effects on existing communities.

 

2.     Insufficient information and evidence have been included as part of the planning application to enable the Local Planning Authority to fully assess all necessary material planning considerations. In addition, there is inconsistent and misleading information in the documents submitted regarding the type and size of units to be developed from what was shown on the detailed plans. ⁠To enable a complete assessment of the proposal under the relevant policies of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan 2011-2026, further information would be required on the following issues:

 

i. Evidence in the form of a formal market housing assessment proving the need for an affordable dwelling (Policy TAI 16)

 

ii. Evidence of suitability of the housing mix and a valuation of the units (Policies TAI 8 and TAI 15).

 

3.         Based on the submitted information, the Local Planning Authority has not been persuaded that the development would not cause significant harm to the character and balance of the Welsh language in the community and, therefore, the application is contrary to the requirements of policy PS1 of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan together with the relevant requirements of the SPG Maintaining and Creating Distinctive and Sustainable Communities.

 

4.         Insufficient information has been included as part of the planning application to enable the Local Planning Authority to fully assess the effect of the proposal on local biodiversity. Consequently, the proposal is deemed unacceptable and does not comply with the relevant requirements of policies PS 19 and AMG 5 of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan and Chapter 6 of Planning Policy Wales.

 

5.         No details of sufficient access arrangements have been included as part of the application and therefore, it is not considered that the proposal meets the relevant requirements in terms of compliance with the relevant criteria of policies TRA 4 and PCYFF 3 of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan which note the need for new developments to ensure acceptable access provision.