A Financial Plan Based on Your Priorities Last Piece of the Green
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NEWYDDION Gwynedd Council News Spring 2016 Issue 48 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru 01766 771000 @cyngorgwynedd cyngorgwyneddcouncil In this edition… A financial plan based on your priorities Gwynedd Council has approved a financial strategy to address the significant balanced budget, the Council must deliver financial pressure it faces over the next two years that is firmly based on the £4.9 million of service cuts over the next priorities expressed by local people during the recent “Gwynedd Challenge” public two years. consultation. These cuts - the absolute bare minimum Like most councils in Wales, Gwynedd is services by cutting spending on the required - reflect the priorities noted by local facing a major funding shortfall. This is as so-called “back office” to the minimum. people in their responses to the Gwynedd a result of a combination of huge year on Because of this, Council spending on Challenge consultation questionnaire and year cuts in the funding it receives from these central functions is being cut by an the evidence submitted by individuals, central government to deliver local services additional £1.07 million on top of the organisations and specific groups. and increases in the demand and cost of £3.3 million already achieved over the last l At the heart of our community - delivering those services. two years. “At the start of the Gwynedd Challenge Page 03 process we pledged that we would base our In the face of this challenge, Gwynedd Unfortunately, the magnitude of the decisions on the priorities of local people,” people say they want the Council to reductions in the funding Gwynedd Council said Gwynedd Council’s Finance Cabinet continue to find more efficient ways of receives from the government to pay for Member, Councillor Peredur Jenkins. working to reduce the need for service local services means that these steps in cuts. In response, £26 million of efficiency themselves will not be enough to bridge the “Every possible effort was made to savings have been approved or delivered, remaining shortfall which stands at encourage local people to have their say, and no stone is being left unturned to £5.5 million for the next two financial years. and we are grateful to the 2,142 of you who deliver even more. filled in the survey questionnaire, the 600 As a result, in order to protect as many who attended 32 public meetings in every Local people also say they want the as possible of the services that Gwynedd corner of the county, and the hundreds Council to protect people say they value the most, Council who sent in letters, emails, petitions and front line Tax will increase by 3.97% rather comments. than the 3.5% originally l What’s in Storiel? see page 10 planned for 2016/17 and “Throughout this extremely difficult process, 2017/18. we have been determined to listen to and act upon what local people and Gwynedd After all these organisations have told us. Where possible Turn to pages 6 - 8 to find out more measures are we have modified our proposals and we about: implemented, to sincerely believe that this financial strategy Challenge meet its legal duty shows that we have kept to our word.” n the huge financial challenge facing to set a Gwynedd Council n the Council’s strategy to tackle the financial shortfall We asked, You said, We listened, We did… n how to pay your Council Tax bill Turn to pages 4 - 5 to find out more about how n help for those who are struggling to your views have shaped this important work 4 pay that’s being buried in landfill Last piece of the green jigsaw in place sites continues to fall. From Bangor to Bala and Tywyn to Trefor, households across the county are Since November, homes in Arfon - the county’s “Thanks to the commitment of local people playing a key role in the campaign to make Gwynedd one of the greenest most heavily populated area - have seen a to make the most of the weekly food and counties in Wales. change in their leftover waste collection. This recycling waste collections, we are moving follows on from the successful introduction towards our aim of making Gwynedd one of the of three-weekly leftover waste collections in greenest counties in Wales,” said Councillor the Dwyfor and Meirionnydd areas over the John Wynn Jones, Gwynedd Cabinet Member previous year. for the Environment. As part of the changes, a large number of “It’s fantastic that so many people have already homes across Gwynedd have received and made the little changes that have such a are making good use of the ‘Cartgylchu’ - three huge positive impact on our environment. The blue recycling boxes on wheels into which challenge now is to persuade every home in materials can be conveniently ‘posted’ and Gwynedd to join the green revolution wheeled to the side of the road ready for the weekly recycling collection. The ‘Cartgylchu’ “Wales is already the third best country in the roll-out to other suitable homes is continuing. whole of Europe for recycling; let’s make sure that we in Gwynedd help to take our country to Since the changes have been introduced, the top of the European league table.” l recycling rates in Gwynedd have gone up to Pupils at Ysgol Bro Lleu, Penygroes are keen recyclers, helping teachers to make For more information about how the sure that waste from the school is sorted into the correct bin. Here they are with 58% - which is the statutory target councils are expected to reach over the 2015/16 period. We efforts of Gwynedd’s people are helping the new Cartgylchu, which will help families across Arfon to sort their waste for us make Gwynedd one of the greenest recycling at home too must reach 64% by 2020 and 70% by 2025. At the same time, the percentage of our waste counties in Wales, turn to page 9. Spring 2016 NEWYDDION Message from the Leader Hop into Gwynedd events this spring The experience of attempting to set this year’s budget has been SeptemberMARCH JUNEJUNE like staring into the 10 - Musical Pilgrim Tour, Llanberis 11 - Dysynni Trail Fest 25-26 - Barmouth Kite Festival abyss. Being dragged to the edge of a cliff and 1pm at St Padarn’s Church Tywyn Held on the beach opposite the Lifeboat forced to look down into A musical programme with Elinor Bennett The Trail Fest race series will start Station. the black hole facing you. (harp), Huw Llywelyn (tenor) and poetry and finish in the walled garden of www.barrikiteflyers.com Financially that is where by Twm Morys and the pupils of Ysgol Ynysymaengwyn Woodland Park, before we now are as a Council, teetering on the Dolbadarn. running along the tranquil banks of the l Barmouth Kite Festival edge and doing all we can to avoid the [email protected] / 01286 685 230 river Dysynni, and the surrounding Dysynni worst for Gwynedd and its people. valley. www.wats-on-events.com The severe central government cuts to public 27 - Pwllheli Triathlon sector funding mean that all councils in Starts at 10am, competitors to gather at the Wales are now facing major budget shortfalls. Dwyfor Leisure Centre by 8.45am 12 - Snowdonia Etape www.plasheli.org / 01758 613 343 In Gwynedd, we have been consistent in our Starting from Castle Square, Caernarfon. Four challenging cycle races - Etape Bach approach to the situation facing us: protecting APRIL frontline services to the best of our ability; APRIL (43 miles), Etape Canol (70 miles) Etape delivering additional savings in those areas Mawr (120 miles) and Etape Xtrem (226 that do not impact directly on the public and 16 - Moelwyn Race miles). striking a balance between implementing Blaenau Ffestiniog [email protected] cuts and raising income through council tax www.etapeeryri.com to protect services. This is how we have [email protected] / 01766 832 214 01248 723553 succeeded in creating a situation where we are able to continue to provide services in our MAYMAY communities. 24-26 - RS Thomas Literary Festival Through careful financial planning and 13 & 14 - Caernarfon Food Festival St Hywyn’s Church, Aberdaron implementing a long-term strategy, we A warm welcome and lots of fantastic A weekend celebrating influences of have been able to avoid falling over the produce, food, animals, cookery different art forms on each other with edge despite the severity of the cuts. But it demonstrations and entertainment awaits you. poetry, art and music. has been touch and go, with a number of www.gwylfwydcaernarfon.cymru/en/ [email protected] decisions that remain uncomfortable and we home www.st-hywyn.org.uk have also attempted to buy time so that new 01758 703 039 options can be considered to sustain some services in the future. 28-29 - Llŷn Land and Seafood Festival Plas Heli, Pwllheli For more information about other events and activities in Gwynedd, and to tell We have carried out an extremely detailed An array of meats, drinks, cheeses, wines, us about an event go to www.gwynedd.llyw/cymru/events and comprehensive public consultation fish, olives, breads, confectionery, shellfish, You can also find out more about what’s happening in the county by following through the Gwynedd Challenge exercise fruit and vegetables will be on offer. @CyngorGwynedd on Twitter and ‘like’ the Council on Facebook - and the messages you as Gwynedd people www.plasheli.org / 01758 613343 www.facebook.com/CyngorGwyneddCouncil have conveyed have been extremely useful – the process of talking directly with people and communities as well as the results of the consultation.