Corporate Leadership Team Complete Agenda Swyddfa’r Cyngor CAERNARFON Gwynedd LL55 1SH
Meeting
THE COUNCIL
Date and Time
1.00 pm, THURSDAY, 7TH MARCH, 2019
* NOTE *
This meeting will be webcast
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/l/en_GB/portal/home
Location
Siambr Dafydd Orwig, Council Offices, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1SH
Contact Point
Eirian Roberts
01286 679018
(DISTRIBUTED 27/02/19)
Dilwyn Williams Chief Executive www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru WEDNESDAY, 27 FEBRUARY 2019
Dear Councillor,
MEETING OF GWYNEDD COUNCIL – THURSDAY, 7 MARCH 2019
YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to attend a meeting of GWYNEDD COUNCIL which will be held at 1.00 pm on THURSDAY, 7TH MARCH, 2019 in SIAMBR DAFYDD ORWIG, COUNCIL OFFICES, CAERNARFON, GWYNEDD, LL55 1SH to consider the matters mentioned in the following agenda.
Yours faithfully,
Chief Executive
The following rooms will be available for the political groups during the morning:-
Plaid Cymru - Siambr Dafydd Orwig Independent – Siambr Hywel Dda Llais Gwynedd – Ystafell Gwyrfai United Independent Group for Gwynedd - Ystafell Daron AGENDA
1. APOLOGIES
To receive any apologies for absence
2. MINUTES 7 - 15
The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Council held on 6th December, 2018 be signed as a true record. (attached)
3. DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST
To receive any declaration of personal interest.
4. THE CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
To receive any Chairman’s announcements.
5. CORRESPONDENCE, COMMUNICATIONS OR OTHER BUSINESS
To receive any correspondence, communications or other business brought forward at the request of the Chairman.
6. URGENT ITEMS
To note any items which are urgent business in the opinion of the Chairman so they may be considered.
7. QUESTIONS
To consider any questions the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.19 of the Constitution.
8. ANNUAL REVIEW - COUNCIL'S PAY POLICY 2019/20 16 - 27
To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Corporate Support (attached).
9. COUNCIL PLAN 2018-23 - 2019-20 REVIEW 28 - 155
To submit the report of the Leader (attached).
10. 2019/20 BUDGET 156 - 202
To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance (attached).
11. ASSET PLAN 2019-29 203 - 220 To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance (attached).
12. CAPITAL STRATEGY 2019-20 221 - 229
To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Finance (attached).
13. GWYNEDD COUNCIL'S GAMBLING POLICY STATEMENT FOR 230 - 291 2019-2022
To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Environment (attached).
14. IMPLEMENTATION OF LAND DRAINAGE BYELAWS 292 - 301
To submit the report of the Cabinet Member for Highways and Municipal (attached).
15. COMMITTEES CALENDAR 2019/20 302 - 304
To submit the report of the Head of Democratic Services (attached).
16. NOTICES OF MOTION
(A) NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR SION JONES
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of the Constitution, Councillor Sion Jones will propose as follows:-
That this Council supports the ‘Lucy’s Law’ campaign to ban the sale of dogs by commercial third party dealers.
(B) NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR ALWYN GRUFFYDD
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of the Constitution, Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd will propose as follows:-
Whilst acknowledging that any decision on the matter is a matter for the Cabinet, that this Council strongly objects to any plan or intention to change the constitution, organisation or staffing of Gwynedd Language Centres, in light of their unmistakable success in teaching Welsh to incomers within a short period of time so that they can integrate easily into the Welsh ethos of our schools.
(C) NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR CATRIN WAGER
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.20 of the Constitution, Councillor Catrin Wager will propose as follows:-
The Motion: The evidence is now conclusive that climate change is happening. Climate change is linked to extreme weather events, rising sea levels, drought and flooding. The consequences of global temperature rising above 1.5°c are so severe that preventing this from happening must be a key priority. The findings of the IPCC 1.5C study in October state that humanity has 12 years to take decisive action on climate change. All governments (local, regional and national) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Change. The Council has obligations, under the “Wellbeing of Future Generations Act” to consider the impact of any decision it takes on generations to come. The Council also has an obligation to protect the public.
Council further notes that: The impact of climate change and extreme weather events are already being felt within the county. 23,244 Gwynedd residents live within a flood risk area. Over the next century, sea levels are expected to rise by 1.1m. Flooding already costs the Welsh economy c. £200 million per year. Gwynedd’s landscape presents many opportunities for energy generation, biodiversity regeneration and runoff flood mitigation.
This Council therefore resolves to: Do our utmost to ensure that the county remains a vibrant, viable and sustainable home for our children and their children for generations to come. We will do this by:
Declaring a Climate emergency Commit to taking decisive action to reduce carbon emissions and strive for a zero-carbon future. Look for innovative means to achieve zero carbon targets Report back within 6 months on positive steps the Council have taken to reduce carbon emissions.
17. RESPONSES TO PREVIOUS NOTICES OF MOTION
RESPONSE TO COUNCILLOR JUDITH HUMPHREYS' PREVIOUS 305 - 306 NOTICE OF MOTION
To submit, for information, a letter from the Department for Exiting the European Union in response to Councillor Judith Humphreys’ notice of motion to the 6th December, 2018 meeting regarding the UK’s withdrawal from the EU (attached).
Agenda Item 2 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018
THE COUNCIL 6/12/18
Present: Councillor Annwen Hughes (Chair); Councillor Edgar Wyn Owen (Vice-chair).
Councillors: Craig ab Iago, Menna Baines, Freya Hannah Bentham, Annwen Daniels, R.Glyn Daniels, Anwen Davies, Elwyn Edwards, Alan Jones Evans, Aled Evans, Dylan Fernley, Peter Antony Garlick, Simon Glyn, Gareth Wyn Griffith, Selwyn Griffiths, Alwyn Gruffydd, John Brynmor Hughes, R.Medwyn Hughes, Sian Wyn Hughes, Judith Humphreys, Nia Jeffreys, Peredur Jenkins, Aeron M.Jones, Aled Wyn Jones, Berwyn Parry Jones, Charles W.Jones, Elin Walker Jones, Elwyn Jones, Eric Merfyn Jones, Huw Wyn Jones, Keith Jones, Kevin Morris Jones, Linda A.W.Jones, Sion Wyn Jones, Eryl Jones-Williams, Cai Larsen, Beth Lawton, Dilwyn Lloyd, Dafydd Meurig, Linda Morgan, Dafydd Owen, Dewi Owen, W.Roy Owen, Jason Parry, Rheinallt Puw, Peter Read, Dewi Wyn Roberts, Elfed P.Roberts, Gareth A.Roberts, John Pughe Roberts, W.Gareth Roberts, Mair Rowlands, Paul Rowlinson, Angela Russell, Mike Stevens, Gareth Thomas, Ioan Thomas, Hefin Underwood, Catrin Wager, Cemlyn Williams, Eirwyn Williams, Elfed Williams, Gareth Williams, Gethin Glyn Williams, Gruffydd Williams and Owain Williams.
Also in attendance: Dilwyn Williams (Chief Executive), Morwena Edwards and Iwan Trefor Jones (Corporate Directors), Dafydd Edwards (Head of Finance Department), Iwan Evans (Head of Legal Services / Monitoring Officer), Geraint Owen (Head of Corporate Support Department), Dafydd Wyn Williams (Head of Environment Department), Rhun ap Gareth (Senior Solicitor / Deputy Monitoring Officer), Vera Jones (Democracy Manager) and Eirian Roberts (Member Support Officer).
1. APOLOGIES
Councillors Dylan Bullard, Stephen Churchman, Louise Hughes, Anne Lloyd Jones, Dilwyn Morgan and Dyfrig Siencyn.
2. MINUTES
The Chairman signed the minutes of the Council meeting held on 4 October and the extraordinary meeting held on 25 October 2018 as a true record.
3. DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST
Members had received a briefing note from the Monitoring Officer in advance regarding item 8 – Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2019/20, and Item 9 – Council Tax: Discretionary Powers to Allow Discounts and / or Raise a Premium.
Members were reminded to return their declaration of interest forms.
(1) The following members declared a personal interest in item 8 on the agenda - Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2019/20 for the reasons noted:-
Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd as he owned an empty property. Councillor Dewi Roberts as he had a close connection with a second home owner in Gwynedd. Councillor Catrin Wager as she received a council tax reduction.
Page 7 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018 The members were not of the opinion that they were prejudicial interests, and they did not withdraw from the meeting during the discussion on the item.
(2) The following members declared a personal interest in item 9 on the agenda - Council Tax Discretionary Powers To Allow Discounts and / or Raise a Premium.
Councillor Alwyn Gruffydd as he owned an empty property. Councillor Peredur Jenkins – because he rented out two properties for which he was responsible. Councillor Linda Ann Jones – as her mother's house was empty. Councillor Aled Wyn Jones – because a close relative had a second home in Caernarfon. Councillor Dewi Wyn Roberts – as he had a close connection with a second home owner in Gwynedd. Councillor Angela Russell – because she worked for people who owned second houses. Councillor Gethin Glyn Williams – as many of his family members owned second homes.
The members were of the opinion that they were prejudicial interests, and they withdrew from the meeting during the discussion on the item.
Councillor Gareth Thomas also declared a personal interest in this item because his daughter had an empty house. He later retracted that interest during the meeting as he remembered that the house had since been sold. Thus, he did not withdraw from the meeting during the discussion on the item.
(3) Rhun ap Gareth (Senior Solicitor / Deputy Monitoring Officer) declared a personal interest in item 9 on the agenda - Council Tax: Discretionary Powers To Allow Discounts and / or Raise a Premium, because his sister owned a second home in the county.
The staff member was of the opinion that it was a prejudical interest, and he withdrew from the meeting during the discussion on the item.
4. THE CHAIRMAN'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Condolences were expressed to the following:-
Councillor Dafydd Meurig on the loss of his mother-in-law. Family of the former Councillor, Henry Jones of Cricieth.
It was also noted that the Council wished to express condolences to everyone in the county's communities who had recently lost loved-ones.
The Council stood as a mark of respect.
It was noted that many people had recently been unwell. Well wishes were sent with hopes of a swift recovery.
It was noted that the most flavoursome lamb in Wales status had been awarded to the Welsh mountain lamb at the Builth Wells Winter Fair. This was a great boost to the agriculture industry in the uplands of Gwynedd and it proved that our products were as good as the best in the country. Everyone associated with this success was congratulated. Page 8 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018
Gareth Langan of Dolgellau Cricket Club was congratulated on being awarded 'Volunteer of the Year' at the Wales Sports Awards in Cardiff recently. It was noted that Gareth was head coach, captain of the First Team and Club Chairman and that he was introducing cricket to the young people and women of the Dolgellau and Meirionnydd area.
Congratulations were also extended to everyone from the area who had been successful in various fields recently.
5. CORRESPONDENCE, COMMUNICATIONS, OR ANY OTHER BUSINESS
None to note.
6. URGENT ITEMS
None to note.
7. QUESTIONS
(The Cabinet Member's written response to the original question had been distributed to the members in advance).
A question from Councillor Aeron Jones
"I would like the Cabinet Member for Planning to explain to the full Council if he intends to seek the opinion of a barrister specialising in planning matters regarding the development permitted by this Council's officers at Plas Pistyll and that this is done this month so that a Scrutiny Committee may then discuss and consider everything that is happening there".
Response from the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig
"Fundamentally, I believe that this is a question about the delegation powers of the Planning Committee, which is a matter for the full Council. I believe the Scrutiny Committee made its recommendation some time ago about changing the delegation arrangement and that the constitution of the Planning Committee was, consequently, approved by the Council. In terms of Plas Pistyll, there may be more to the question than what is on the paper by Councillor Aeron Jones. Because of the many comments I received about the decision involving Plas Pistyll, I commissioned someone to examine in detail how that decision was reached. A review of that procedure is now in draft form. I believe that it is now in the public domain as the Scrutiny Committee will be discussing the matter next week. This item is on that agenda and, to a greater extent, it is that report that will be used to help the scrutinisers reach a decision. In terms of using a barrister, this is a matter for the legal unit to decide. I do think, however, at a time of great financial challenge, that we must think twice before sending the scarce funds of Gwynedd taxpayers possibly out of the County. Therefore, this is something that should not be done flippantly, but I do believe that it is the legal department's place to determine when this is appropriate."
Supplementary question by Councillor Aeron Jones
"I once more ask the Cabinet Member to agree to call on the services of a fully independent barrister to see whether the Department is guilty of maladministration and has gone beyond its statutory powers.
Page 9 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018 Response from the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig
"I think I have already answered the question. I think it would be wise for us to await the contents of this report. This will be made public, if it has not already been made so, as it forms part of the Community Scrutiny Committee papers for next week. As to the matter of who may call on the service of a barrister and when that would be relevant and appropriate, I believe that this is a matter for the legal department. I do not know whether there is an officer from that side who would like to come in at this point. I do not, however, believe that this decision is mine to make.
A further explanation from the Monitoring Officer
"It is my role as Monitoring Officer to interpret the Constitution. That is constitutional, and the responsibility and accountability is the Monitoring Officer's - I cannot delegate it. As regards the scrutiny procedure, how it scrutinises is up to the Scrutiny Committee. However, if you wish to commission a legal opinion, you must be clear about what you want to commission, etc. Our role as professional solicitors is to provide the Council with professional and objective legal advice. This means every part of the Council, including scrutiny, the Full Council and the Cabinet. That is the role that underpins this."
8. COUNCIL TAX REDUCTION SCHEME 2019/20
The Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Peredur Jenkins, submitted a report asking the Council to confirm the continuation of the current Local Scheme to provide assistance towards paying the Council Tax for the year commencing 1 April 2018.
RESOLVED (a) To continue the Council's Local Scheme for the year commencing 1 April 2019 as it was in 2018/19. Therefore the following conditions (i - iii below) regarding the continuation of the discretionary elements will apply:
(i) To implement a 100% disregard for war disablement pensions, and war widow pensions for both pensioners and working age claimants. (ii) Not to increase the extended reduction periods for pensioners and working age claimants from the standard four weeks in the Prescribed Scheme. (iii) Not to increase the backdate period for pensioners and working age claimants from the standard three months contained within the Prescribed Scheme.
(b) Where appropriate, to delegate powers to the Head of Finance Department, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, to make minor amendments to the scheme for 2019/20, on condition that it will not change the substance of the scheme.
9. COUNCIL TAX: DISCRETIONARY POWERS TO ALLOW DISCOUNTS AND / OR RAISE A PREMIUM.
Councillor Gruffydd Williams withdrew from the meeting because of an interest.
Councillor Gareth Thomas, despite declaring an interest in this item at the beginning of the meeting, stated that he would revoke that interest. Thus, he Page 10 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018 would not withdraw from the meeting during the discussion.
Because of the personal interest of the Cabinet Minister for Finance, Councillor Peredur Jenkins, in this matter, the Deputy Leader, Councillor Dafydd Meurig, presented the report asking the Council for formal confirmation for 2019/20, of the previous decisions not to give discounts to second homes and not to give discounts on empty properties, and to raise a premium of 50% on such relevant properties.
The following points were raised by individual members:-
In response to an enquiry, it was confirmed that the intention for 2019/20 was also to allocate all the remaining funds from the Tax Premium to a specific fund to use for Council priorities, including providing houses for young people. An enquiry was made as to the amount of additional funding the 50% premium had generated for the Council. In response, it was noted that the most recent estimation predicted a sum of approximately £2.7m compared with the £2m initially anticipated. However, it would not be possible to predict how many houses would transfer from the council tax arrangement to business rates between now and the end of March, or the amount of tax burden that would be back-dated. It was noted, although the principle of charging a premium was to be applauded, that the arrangement was lacking, as some owners were transferring their property to business rates, qualifying for full relief from non-domestic tax, and were receiving Council services free of charge. It was suggested that no one was policing this, and a need to review the situation was emphasised. It was also noted that, if everyone paid 100% rates, the Council would be in a far better financial position. In response to an enquiry about the insufficient policing work carried out by the District Valuer's Officer, it was explained that this body, like all other public bodies, was finding it difficult to cope with its responsibilities because of a lack of resources. It was noted, although attempts had been made to influence Welsh Government for many years to change arrangements so that it was no longer possible to change a property into a business without planning permission, it had fallen on deaf ears. However, some other councils had become cognisant of the situation and, by getting more councils to support Gwynedd's standpoint on this, it was hoped that there would be results before long. It was added that the Valuer's Officer did not do enough to police property that transferred to the business rates list. However, the ability to influence the Valuer's Officer was even less than the ability to influence Welsh Government as this was part of HMRC, an agent of the Westminster Government. The Council continued to draw the Valuer's Officer's attention to houses on the business list that were not genuinely available to let, and was currently following up on those cases. Concern was expressed that property owners who had transferred their properties to the business rates list were living in those houses and were getting refuse collections free of charge. It was emphasised that a clear report was needed showing whether the plan was costing the Council money, and whether the Council benefited from it; as the more people transferred, the less money the Council would receive. The Chief Executive explained that transfers to business rates would not lead to a continuous loss of funds, since the Council would receive additional grants if houses moved to non-domiciliary tax rates, but that the ability to charge a premium would be lost. He added that the Rural Forum had asked Gwynedd to report on this matter and it was hoped that the nine rural authorities on the forum would be supportive of taking this forward. In response to the comment about refuse collections, it was confirmed that Page 11 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018 the Refuse Service treated houses that had transferred to non-domiciliary tax as businesses in relation to refuse collection. A member added that she had also raised concerns about refuse collections and that she had seen evidence that the Council Tax Service informed the Municipal Service every time a property transferred.
RESOLVED that the Council makes no changes to the scheme for 2019/20. That is, for 2019/20:
That Gwynedd Council allows NO discount on class A second homes in accordance with Section 12 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. That Gwynedd Council allows NO discount and RAISES A PREMIUM OF 50% on class B second homes in accordance with Section 12B of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. That Gwynedd Council allows NO discount on homes that have been empty for 6 months or more and RAISES A PREMIUM OF 50% on homes that have been empty for 12 months or more in accordance with Section 12A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
10. LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND BOUNDARY COMMISSION - FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS REPORT
In the absence of the Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, the Deputy Leader, Councillor Dafydd Meurig, presented the report requesting that the Council approve Gwynedd Council's response to the Boundaries Commission and Wales Local Democracy final recommendations report (November 2018) as noted in Appendix A of the report.
The Leader, Deputy Leader, Chief Executive, and officers were thanked for all their work in this field and members expressed strong support for the Council's response to the report based on the fact that:
The intention to merge the wards of Bethel and Y Felinheli concentrated on the number of electors only, and did not consider the very different nature of those communities. Bangor members were unanimous in their opposition to the reduction in the number of councillors that would represent the city, from ten to six, and that this substantial reduction would create many problems, especially considering the student population in Bangor and the importance of the city for many organisations, especially in the fields of education and health. Merging the wards of Garth, Menai, Hendre and a part of Deiniol would create an enormous word with many problems with litter, parking, houses in multiple occupation, and so on, which would create a substantial burden for the two local members. Combining the areas of Maesgeirchen, Hirael and part of the commercial district of the High Street would be unwise as the nature and needs of the three areas were very different.
It was also suggested that we should ask the Commission to revisit the Council's original proposals based on meeting the average needs per member, and also on a strong awareness of the local area and the best solution for local people.
RESOLVED - to approve Gwynedd Council's response to the final recommendations report of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (November 2018) as noted in Appendix A to the report. Page 12 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018 11. URGENT CABINET DECISION
The Cabinet Member for Corporate Support, Councillor Nia Jeffreys, presented a report, for information only, on the Cabinet's urgent decision, in accordance with part 7.25.2 of the Constitution, to approve a drafft of the Local Impact Statement for the Wylfa Newydd Development Consent Order inquiry, as the statement had to be submitted to the inquiry by 4 December 2018.
12. NOTICES OF MOTION
(1) Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Paul Rowlinson, in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution and it was seconded:-
"The Council expresses concern about the Welsh Government’s proposals, “Brexit and our land: Securing the future of Welsh farming”.
The Council welcomes the Welsh Government’s commitment, outlined in its consultation document, to support farm businesses to be more competitive. The Council also supports the intention to provide financial support in recognition of the incalculable additional value that farming provides to rural areas and to Wales as a whole.
However, the Council opposes the Welsh Government’s current proposals, that could undermine the viability of our rural communities and damage the landscape, society and linguistic profile of Wales.
The Council therefore supports the Leader’s response to the consultation on behalf of the Council setting forth the following requirements:
to provide a stable environment for farm businesses as they adapt to the inevitable changes in market conditions post Brexit by maintaining the current structure of direct funding to farms for as long as appropriate, with the exception of measures to simplify the administration of the current system. to only proceed with any changes after this period on the basis of detailed research and modelling at a sufficiently small spatial level to ensure that they result in positive outcomes for farmers, the rural economy and communities and the Welsh language, with due consideration of differing land uses; to include support to maintain food production as a core component of any future system of payments and ensure that any funding provided in recognition of the wider value farming provides is additional and broadly defined to reflect the economic, social and cultural value of farming as well as its role in protecting and enhancing the natural environment. to guarantee that support is only provided to those who actively work on and manage the land, with a focus on small and medium family farms. to provide ring-fenced money for investment in rural development, especially to support projects responding to the economic challenges facing rural Wales. This funding should be directed to those areas where the economic impact of peripherality is greatest."
Members noted the following observations –
Although the 'Brexit and our Land' document initially seemed to be well thought out; reading on, however, it actually contained very few details. There was concern about the effect Brexit would have on smaller farmers and hill farmers, especially from understanding that farmers would have to compete for funding with other bodies within the field of environmental Page 13 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018 protection. Farmers, especially those who ran smaller farms and hill farms, were already under pressure and there was no desire to see that increasing. Also, although the document acknowledged the contribution farmers made to our society, it did not address this correctly. Welsh Government and Gwynedd Council were killing off small farms by refusing to allow young people to build houses on family farms. Nevertheless, permission was being granted to those who wished to convert barns and cow-sheds into visitor accommodation and so on. The proposal did not tell the whole story as Central Government had had schemes in place to help farmers since the end of the Second World War. Some farmers also received £250,000 a year in grant money. This did not help small and medium sized farmers, and 90% of the grant that came to Wales went to fund fewer than 10% of them. There was a desire to see the sum that large farms received being capped, and whilst accepting that Welsh Government intended to revisit the plan, this also needed to be reviewed. It was more difficult for hill farmers as they had no choice but to farm sheep, in contrast to lowland farmers who could milk and who were able to diversify, e.g. grow crops.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion.
(2) Submitted - the following notice of motion by Councillor Judith Humphreys, in accordance with Section 4.20 of the Constitution, and it was seconded:-
"The Council notes that:
That a substantial majority of the population of Gwynedd voted to remain in the EU. In Gwynedd and in Wales, jobs, wages and future prospects are at risk as a result of the UK’s exit from the European Union The potential of the UK not reaching a deal with the European Union on the terms of its exit risks immediate and irreparable economic and social damage, with regards to issues including, but not limited to, the rights of European citizens in the UK and UK citizens in the European Union, the supply of food and access to medicines. Westminster is failing to protect Welsh jobs, wages and future prospects by negotiating continued membership of the European Single Market or Customs Union following any exit from the European Union. Since the original vote to leave the European Union there has been greater clarity on how our exit from the bloc would affect the people of Wales. Proper democratic process requires the people of Wales to have the opportunity to cast an informed vote regarding our future relationship with the European Union following the negotiations on the matter.
The Council Proposes that:
A UK-wide referendum should be held on the UK’s future relationship with the European Union following any deal on the UK’s exit, or in the event of negotiations not leading to an agreement on the terms of the UK’s exit from the European Union. The referendum should include the option to stay in the European Union."
Members noted the following observations –
The people's vote was held in 2016 and the decision was made to leave the European Union. There was no point referring to unfounded facts and Page 14 THE COUNCIL Thursday, 6 December 2018 figures. Brexit would happen next year and it would eventually be successful. Everyone had to support this now. The decision had been made and there was no turning back. There was no argument about the desire behind the proposal, but we had to beware of what we wished for, as holding a second referendum would make the situation far messier. That the people of Wales voted in the 1970s to be part of the European Union, they never got to choose whether they wanted to be part of the British Union. Over recent years, society's right wing had rejected the idea of being European, but if everyone backed this, it might have worked. Despite voting to leave the European Union in 2016, that result was based on a fantasy that was sold to people. It was said that we would be able to enjoy all the benefits of being part of Europe without any of the responsibilities that this entailed. We were now facing the implications of this. There would be substantial restrictions on our rights to trade. The 700 trading agreements we had throughout Europe would disappear, or would have to be renegotiated, and there was significant threat to most large employers in Gwynedd that traded with Europe. We would control the movement of the population from one country to another, but it is we who would suffer most as a result of this. It was asked whether the Council would have a right to vote on this proposal as there were people in Gwynedd who had voted in favour of leaving the European Union. In response, the Monitoring Officer explained that it was appropriate for the Council to have an opinion on this proposal.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion.
13. RESPONSE TO A PREVIOUS NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR CATRIN WAGER
A letter from the Home Office in response to Councillor Catrin Wager’s notice of motion to the 4th October, 2018 meeting regarding immigrant detention was submitted for information.
The Chair wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
The meeting commenced at 1.00 pm and concluded at 2.50 pm
CHAIRMAN
Page 15 Agenda Item 8 Meeting: COUNCIL
Date: 7 March 2019
Title: Annual Review – Council’s Pay Policy
Purpose: Adopt the Council’s Pay Policy for 2019 / 20
Author: Dilwyn Williams – Chief Executive
Cabinet Member: Councillor Nia Jeffreys
BACKGROUND
1. Since 2012 there is a statutory responsibility on all Councils to adopt a pay policy on an annual basis. This statutory requirement notes that it is a function for the full Council to approve that pay policy.
2. When adopting the pay policy for 2012/13, the full Council resolved to ask the Chief Officers’ Appointments Committee to conduct an annual review of the pay policy’s future sustainability and to submit recommendations to a meeting of the full Council in March each year.
3. Subsequently, and in accordance with the arrangements adopted since then, the Committee was asked to consider the content of the draft policy for 2019/20 and to submit a recommendation to the meeting of the full Council.
CHIEF OFFICERS
4. There were no changes in responsibilities amongst Heads of Department and Corporate Directors during 2018/19 and therefore no new evaluation has been conducted for 2019/20. However, current Chief Officer salaries are based on either the lower quartile of the median for jobs of corresponding size within the National Public Sector Market, as shown in January 2012.
5. This means that the comparison with jobs of corresponding size in the National Public Sector Market has not been conducted as part of the corporate pay policy review for over six years. It is highly likely therefore that the salaries of Chief Officers in Gwynedd have fallen below the lower quartile and median corresponding jobs in the meantime. It was suggested two years ago that it would be timely to conduct such an exercise for consideration by the Committee when reviewing in 2018/19. However in view of the financial climate, it was decided not to conduct the review. The financial challenges remain of course, and as a result a review has not been conducted during the past 12 months either. This subsequently means that there is a danger that the salaries of the Council’s Chief Officers will lose ground with those salaries paid by neighbouring authorities.
6. Last year the Joint National Council for Chief Officers and the Joint National Council for Chief Executives agreed on a 2% pay award for both financial years leading up to the end of 2019/20.
7. Chief Officers and the Chief Executive have a contractual right to those pay rises agreed upon nationally and to this end, the draft policy states, “Chief Officers employed under JNC terms and conditions are contractually entitled to any national JNC determined pay rises and this Council will therefore pay these as and when determined in accordance with current Page 16 contractual requirements”. This means that Council approves those pay rises as a result of annually adopting the pay policy.
POSTS BELOW CHIEF OFFICER LEVEL
8. During 2018 national representatives on behalf of the Local Government Employers and the recognised workforce representatives agreed on a pay award for the wider local government workforce. The agreement was effective over a period of two years between 2018 and 2020. This led to a general increase of 2% for staff during 2018/19, with staff members employed on the lower grades receiving a higher percentage increase.
9. The general increase in pay for 2019/20 will be a further 2%, with a higher percentage increase for staff employed on the lower grades. This change means that the minimum rate within this Council will be £9.18 from April 2019 onwards. This compares with the British Government’s minimum of £8.21 (what is known as the National Living Wage) and £9.00 as the rate specified by the voluntary body the Living Wage Foundation (as published in November 2018).
RECOMMENDATION
10. That the Council approves the Chief Officers’ Appointment Committee’s recommendation to adopt the 2019/20 Pay Policy Statement.
Page 17 Pay Policy – 2019 / 20
1. INTRODUCTION
The Council is required by Section 38(1) of the Localism Act 2011 to prepare pay policy statements. These statements must articulate the Authority’s own policies towards a range of issues relating to the pay of its workforce, particularly its senior staff (or ‘chief officers’) and its lowest paid employees. Pay policy statements must be prepared for each financial year. They must be approved by full Council. The Council recognises the importance of managing pay in a fair, consistent and transparent manner, and the decisions taken in this regard are crucial so as to ensure equal pay and equality within the organisation.
2. PAY POLICY FOR CHIEF OFFICERS
The Council defines its chief officers as being its Chief Executive, Corporate Directors and Heads of Department. The Council employs Chief Officers under JNC terms and conditions which are incorporated in their contracts. The JNC for Chief Officers negotiates on national (UK) annual cost of living pay increases for this group. Chief Officers employed under JNC terms and conditions are contractually entitled to any national JNC determined pay rises and this Council will therefore pay these as and when determined in accordance with current contractual requirements.
3. SALARIES
The policy concerning the salaries of Heads of Department and Corporate Directors was originally adopted by the full Council in October 2009 and subsequently in June 2012 as part of the overall Policy’s annual review. A further partial review was conducted in March 2015 in order to reflect further structural changes within the Council.
It is based on an independent report by the Hay Group and is based on their job evaluation scheme.
Corporate Directors’ salary is set just under the lower quartile of the National Public Sector Market, as shown in January 2012, for jobs of corresponding size (lower quartile means that 75% of the sector are paid more).
The Head of Education’s salary is based on the median of the National Public Sector Market for jobs of corresponding size, as shown in January 2012 (median means that 50% of the sector are paid more).
Reviewed February 2019 Page 18 Tudalen 1 o 9 The Head of Finance’s salary is based on the lower quartile of the National Public Sector Market for jobs of corresponding size, as shown in January 2012 (lower quartile means that 75% of the sector are paid more). All other Heads of Departments’ salaries are based on the median of the National Public Sector Market for jobs of corresponding size as shown in January 2012 (median means that 50% of the sector are paid more). The Chief Executive’s salary has been set in accordance with the scale of £106,702 - £114,903. The Council does not pay any bonus payments or performance related pay to its Chief Officers. The Council’s local terms and conditions of service are relevant to Chief Officers, as for all other staff, unless otherwise noted within individual policies. The salaries of the Council’s Chief Officers are available on the Council’s website (See Appendix 1). The Welsh Government has formed an Independent Remuneration Panel. This Panel has the authority to issue advice and recommendations to local authorities who are considering adjusting the salaries of Chief Officers. Councils must present information to this body prior to taking final decisions on chief officer pay.
4. POSTS UNDER CHIEF OFFICER LEVEL
The Council’s pay policy for its remaining staff is based on the Council’s equal pay policy and its collective agreement with the recognised trade unions as introduced on the 1st April 2008. The Council’s pay structures are subject to equal pay audits.
The Council has adopted the GLPC Job Evaluation Scheme criteria as the basis for setting salary grades for all posts employed under the Local Government Workers’ Conditions of Service. The Council is committed to pay salaries in accordance with equal Pay legislation and the “single status” agreement between local government employers and the recognised trade unions in 1997.
The current national agreement on local government staff pay is a two year agreement, effective from April 2018. The agreement means that the Council’s pay structure is to be amended slightly, specifically at the lower grades. As a result, the Council will from April 2019 define its lowest pay as point 2 on the new grading structure, which is £9.18 per hour. The proposed pay structure for 2019 / 20 can be seen in attachment 2.
The Council does not pay any bonus payments nor pay which is based on workers’ performance.
The relationship between the remunerations of its Chief Officers and its other employees is designed to secure the ability of the Council to be able to recruit and retain the best suitable candidates to its various posts, whilst maintaining the differentials as defined by the job’s evaluation scheme.
The Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector recommends a maximum ratio of no more than 1:20 between the highest and the lowest paid. From April 2019 onwards the ratio within the Council will be 1:6.2. The ratio between the lowest paid and the median for Chief Officers will be 1:4.4.
5. SALARY ON COMMENCEMENT IN POST
The number of increments within each grade reflects the possible period of development in post that could be relevant to individuals on that grade. Members of staff will be appointed to the salary point within the grade which reflects the time required for development in order that they are able to undertake the full responsibilities and duties of the post.
Normally, each employee is appointed to the lowest pay point within the appropriate pay grade. If an employee is already being paid above the lowest pay point or if there is sufficient evidence to Reviewed February 2019 Page 19 Tudalen 2 o 9 demonstrate that the employee is already fully competent to fulfil a number of aspects relating to the post, a manager can, in consultation with the Head of Corporate Support, appoint on a higher pay point within the appropriate pay grade.
If there is a capacity within the job grade, all members of staff will receive an annual pay increment on the 1st April On condition that they have been appointed to their current post for more than six months prior to that date.
6. RELOCATION EXPENSES
In circumstances when it is essential for staff to relocate so as to undertake their role, the Council can in certain circumstances contribute to cost of relocating. The scheme is relevant to staff appointed as a result of an advertisement or following an internal re-organisation where they have to move house.
The employee's present home must be more than 20 miles from his/her administrative centre in order to consider an application to reimburse costs.
In such circumstances, the cost of the removal of furniture and belongings will be reimbursed subject to accepting the lowest of three estimates as well as the full cost of storing furniture for up to three months. A contribution of up to £3,270 to cover legal expenses, estate agent fees, change of carpets and curtains and other incidental costs of removal will be paid subject to the receipt of supporting invoices.
7. MARKET SUPPLEMENT
The grading of posts is based on the Council's job evaluation scheme as this ensures that the pay system is based on equality as defined in the Equal Pay Act 1970 and ensures consistency in pay decisions. For these reasons any deviation from this system may create a risk to the Council that must be tightly regulated and must be for significant and clear reasons. There must be clear and detailed evidence in order to justify any deviation from this arrangement.
However, there may be occasions when market forces lead to recruitment and/or retention problems related to a particular post. The Council may in exceptional circumstances, and in order to attract and/or retain an individual to a particular post, offer an additional temporary supplement to the salary grade identified through the Authority's grading scheme.
In this respect a market supplement will only be used when there is adequate documented evidence of failure to attract and/or retain an employee to a post. A market supplement is not a permanent addition to the salary. Should circumstances related to the market rate of the post change, or where a member of staff is transferred by the Council to a different post that does not attract a market supplement, their entitlement to the payment will cease and the supplement will be withdrawn in line with agreed notice.
The Council, at its meeting on the 9 October, 2014, approved a market supplement provision of up to £3,000 for Chief Officers where it can be justified by a business case. There is no ceiling set in respect of market supplement levels for other posts.
8. HONORARIA (UNDERTAKING ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES)
Reviewed February 2019 Page 20 Tudalen 3 o 9 An additional payment can be approved when an employee agrees to temporarily undertake some specific additional duties and responsibilities which are beyond the normal duties and responsibilities of their substantive post. The proportion of higher level of duties and responsibilities must be significant, evaluated at a higher salary level and over an extended period prior to being able to offer temporary additional remuneration.
9. ON-DUTY, STANDBY AND CALL OUT PAYMENTS The Council is committed to providing services according to the needs of the people of Gwynedd. This means that at times it is necessary for staff to be called upon to carry out work at times outside their normal working pattern and at unsociable times. The Council meets the need for these services by:
having suitably trained staff on duty to take calls and to decide upon the relevant course of action having a suitably trained workforce on standby and able to be called out at short notice to respond to emergency work rewarding the above staff at suitable rates that recognise the inconvenience and disruption that this work causes.
On duty is defined as a period of time when an officer is on duty outside of their normal hours of work for a specific period of time and is available to respond to calls from residents, emergency services, etc. Standby is defined as a specific period of time that an officer is available for call out outside of their normal hours of work. In some cases on duty or being on standby will form a part of officers’ basic salary and their contract of employment will specifically state this. They will not be entitled to any extra payment whilst on duty or on standby. Payment for other officers will be by way of an additional, separately identified payment that will reflect the level of inconvenience and disruption to the officers’ normal home life that is incurred. Officers will receive a minimum of two hours at the appropriate rate of pay for each time they are called out (including travelling time). On-duty/standby payments will be updated annually in line with the annual salary increase agreed by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services.
10. PROFESSIONAL FEES One fee per annum will be reimbursed to officers in respect of membership to recognised bodies which are relevant to their professional function and where that membership is a requirement by the Council.
11. CAR USERS All staff are denoted as casual car users and reimbursements are paid for business travel on HMRC rates.
12. SUBSISTENCE PAYMENTS
Reviewed February 2019 Page 21 Tudalen 4 o 9 Subsistence repayments will be made when travelling out of County for breakfast, dinner, tea and supper up to the maximum of the Council’s subsistence allowances on production of receipts. For those whose normal work covers more than one County, e.g. Gwynedd and Môn, "Out of County" is defined as outside that normal area of work.
13. WORKING ADDITIONAL HOURS Employees, in receipt of basic pay at or below point 28 who are required to work additional hours beyond the 37 hour working week are entitled to receive enhancements at the rate of basic pay at time and a half (alternative arrangements in place for those workers with work patterns where those hours worked are on a fortnightly/monthly or annual basis). Employees paid above point 28 who work beyond the 37 hour week will be paid at their basic rate of pay for those additional hours or will be entitled to time off in lieu, or if the Head of Department has specifically given prior approval to planned work then it is possible to pay at the rate of time and a half.
14. WORKING UNSOCIABLE HOURS Salary is paid at the basic rate on weekends for work within the 37 hours. Enhanced pay of basic pay and a third to those employees who work between the hours of 10pm and 6am. Salary is paid in accordance with the national agreement for work conducted on bank holidays and additional statutory days.
15. FIRST AID ALLOWANCE An annual allowance is paid to employees who act as designated First Aiders.
16. LOCAL ELECTION DUTIES The Council’s fees for payments to its Returning Officer and Deputy Returning Officer for local election duties are included in Appendix 1.
17. SEVERANCE AND RETIREMENT The Council’s severance and retirement schemes are applied equally and fairly to all staff regardless of grade, age or gender and are implemented in accordance with the regulations of the relevant pension schemes. There are no exceptions for Chief Officers. The relevant policies are available on the Council’s website. Full Council will need to approve any severance package that totals a sum that is over and above £100,000. A severance package is defined as a redundancy payment, notice pay and costs to the employer associated with the release of pension.
18. FINANCIAL DETRIMENT SCHEME Financial detriment is defined as a loss due to a change in salary grade and contractual terms and conditions. The Council provides financial assistance to staff who face financial loss (as a consequence of re-structuring or re-designation of responsibilities) for a period of two years, based on one year on 100% protection and one year on 50% protection from the date that the change in the employment package becomes operational. That financial assistance will cease after two
Reviewed February 2019 Page 22 Tudalen 5 o 9 years unless the individual member of staff has in the meantime been appointed to another post where he/she is not facing financial detriment.
19. RE-EMPLOYMENT
The Council will consider each candidate on their own merits and will appoint with a view of achieving the best efficiency for the service and best value for its ratepayers. Such appointment, if made, would be subject to any abatements stipulated in the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations. In accordance with tax law, managers must ensure that any proposed arrangement to pay an individual through a ‘contract for services’ will be assess through the HMRC’s online tool for confirming employment status. This assessment is to be taken objectively.
20. APPOINTMENT OF NEW CHIEF OFFICER (SALARY OF £100,000 AND ABOVE) The Full Council will approve any amendment to the salary package of any such post prior to its recruitment. Recruitment to any such post will be advertised externally
Attachment 1
Reviewed February 2019 Page 23 Tudalen 6 o 9 Chief Officer Pay from April 2019
Chief Executive £106,702 - £114,903
Corporate Director x 2 £86,673 - £96,304
Head of Education £81,098 - £90,110
Head of Finance £73,571 - £81,744
Heads of Corporate Support, Economy and Community, £68,458 - £76,063 Highways & Municipal, Environment, Children & Supporting Families, Adults, Health and Wellbeing
Head of Consultancy £57,827 - £64,254
Monitoring Officer £58,012 - £60,878
APPENDIX 2
ELECTION PAYMENT SCHEME AS APPROVED BY GWYNEDD COUNCIL
Reviewed February 2019 Page 24 Tudalen 7 o 9 Fees for the general conduct of the election and performance of all duties which a Returning Officer is required to perform under any order or other enactment relating to the election of Councillors
Returning Officer and Deputy Returning officer Fees Contested Uncontested
Returning Officer 120.00
For the general conduct of the election and performance of all duties which a Returning Officer is required to perform under any order or other enactment relating to the election of Councillors. ) ) For each Electoral Division, Community/Town Council, ) Community/Town Council Ward ) 75.00 ) Deputy Returning Officer 80.00 ) ) Specific duties to include attending to receive nomination papers, examining them and adjudicating on their validity; ) dealing with candidates; notifying candidates of decisions on ) nominations, publishing statements of persons nominated and attending to receive withdrawals and conducting the counts. )
For each Electoral Division, Community/Town Council, Community/Town Council Ward
By-Elections
In any by-election where a Deputy Returning Officer is employed to manage the count: For each Electoral Division, Community/Town Council, Community/Town Council Ward
32.00
Reviewed February 2019 Page 25 Tudalen 8 o 9 Reviewed February 2019 Page 26 Tudalen 9 o 9 Page 27 Agenda Item 9
MEETING Council DATE 7th of March 2019 TITLE Council Plan 2018-23 (2019/20 Review) PURPOSE Approve the Council Plan for 2018-23 AUTHOR Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn
1. Introduction 1.1. The original Council Plan was adopted for 2018-23 by the Full Council at its meeting on the 8th March 2018.
1.2. The purpose of reviewing the Plan was to look at where we have reached following a year of implementing the Plan, as well as making sure that we are continuing to do the right things.
1.3. To review the plan properly, we needed to consider what had changed since last year, and examine the social, economic, environmental and policy issues which influence the Council, and which are likely to influence the well-being of the people of Gwynedd in the future.
1.4. As the current version, the Council Plan 2018-23 (2019/20 Review) includes a Concise Plan and also Individual Department Plans. A copy of the Plan can be found in Appendix 1.
1.5. The Concise Plan includes the Council's vision along with well-being objectives and improvement priorities for the period in question. Under each improvement priority, a summary is included of the work intended to be carried out.
1.6. A description of each Departments' daily work has been included in the Department Plans. In addition, a more detailed description of what it intended to be carried out in response to the improvement priorities is given.
1.7. At its meeting on the 19th of February the Cabinet approved the Council Plan for 2018-23 for submission to the Council on the 7th March 2019.
2. Changes since the Council Plan 2018-23 2.1. The following projects have either been completed or transferred to become part of the da- to-day work of the relevant Departments during 2018/19: Transforming the schools system - Education Department Corporate Parenting - Children and Supporting Families Department Realising Savings - Finance Department
2.2. The following projects have been added: Improvement Priority 1 - Creating a viable and prosperous economy Promoting Town Centres - Economy and Community Department Apprenticeships Plan - Corporate Support Department
Improvement Priority 2 - Every pupil having the opportunity to reach his or her potential
Page 28 Post-16 provision - Education Department Treferthyr Catchment-area - Education Department
2.3. In addition, the following projects have changed: Improvement Priority 3 - Reducing inequality within the county Tackling Poverty - the emphasis will change to focus on the preventative field and the support offered with the title changing to Supporting People's Well-being - Children and Supporting Families Department Reducing the Pay Gap between Women and Men - title changed to Women in Leadership - Corporate Support Department
Improvement Priority 4 - Ensuring access to suitable housing Suitable and Affordable Housing and Identifying and Promoting Housing Schemes and Initiatives - work is continuing as part of the Housing Strategy for the People of Gwynedd project - Adults, Health and Well-being Department
3. Resources
3.1. Additional resources are required in order to achieve the projects noted under a number of the improvement priorities within the plan. Without the resources, it may not be possible for us to achieve what is noted in every case.
3.2. Currently, it is proposed that all projects are approved as part of the plan, subject to the Cabinet's agreement to fund specific projects after they consider each business case individually. Decisions to fund have already been made, partly or in full for some projects, and this is expected to continue as projects mature.
4. The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act (2015) 4.1 The Act places a duty on public bodies in Wales to improve economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being. As part of this duty, public bodies need to publish the well-being objectives that outline how they will improve well-being.
4.2 We have consulted with the Elected Members and the public regarding the matters that affect their well-being as part of the process of developing the current plan whilst also analysing the findings of the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Well-being Assessment.
4.3 As the evidence used to form the well-being objectives for 2018/19 continues to be relevant it is suggested that those objectives continue for 2019/20. The well- being objectives are listed in the Well-being Statement at the end of the Plan.
5 Equality Act 2010
5.1 There is a statutory requirement to prepare and consider the findings of an equality impact assessment when preparing the plan in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 as is implemented in Wales. The assessment is appended in Appendix 2.
Page 29 5.2 The assessment on the Plan as a whole did not discover any impacts that would justify deviating from the recommendation and it is anticipated that there are elements which would have a positive impact. A full Equality impact assessment will be carried out on each individual plan that would derive from the improvement priorities.
6 Recommendation 6.1 The Council is invited to adopt the Council Plan for 2018-23 (2019/20 Review).
Appendices Appendix 1 - Council Plan 2018-23 Appendix 2 - Equality Assessment
Page 30 Page 31 Contents
Page
The Council Leader’s Foreword 3
Summary Plan 4
Appendix 1 – Departmental Plans 21
Education 23 Adults, Health and Wellbeing 31 Highways and Municipal 41 Children and Supporting Families 48 Environment 56 Economy and Community 66 Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd Consultancy 78 Corporate Support 83 Finance (and Information Technology) 95 Legal Services 101 Financial Information 103
Appendix 2 – Gwynedd Council Well-being Statement 109
If you would like to receive this document in a different language or format please phone 01766 771000 or e-mail [email protected]
If you would like further information about this Plan please contact the Council Business Support Team on 01766 771000 Or visit the website - www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Or e-mail – [email protected]
Graphics “designed by Freepik”
Page2 32 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan FORWARD TO THE GWYNEDD COUNCIL PLAN 2018-2023 – 2019/20 REVISION
It is my pleasure to introduce the Gwynedd Council Plan for 2018 – 2023, which has been revised and amended to reflect the achievements of the past year. Some new projects that are in the pipeline have also been included.
Its format is clear and easy to read, and it will form the basis of our work and our desire to improve the lives of this county’s citizens.
In Gwynedd, our ambition is to be innovative and effective in succeeding to deliver essential services to the people of Gwynedd. A central part of this is our determination to transform our working methods, and to collaborate with partners on a number of levels. We will do this despite the financial squeeze imposed by the UK Government and an extremely disappointing financial settlement from the Welsh Government, which shows a lack of understanding and a lack of respect towards the work of local government. Once again, we have been forced to seek substantial savings, and we have made all possible efforts, and have succeeded in protecting those services that are important to the people of Gwynedd.
This Plan has been prepared following consultations with our councillors and the public, but I welcome any comments or suggestions to improve its content.
The first part, the Summary Plan, is a statement of the Council’s main priorities. It identifies the areas where change is needed and notes our specific action steps. Again, I emphasise that this is a Plan that sets out a direction for taking action, rather than a list of aspirations. Nevertheless, a word of warning is needed: financial pressures could restrict our ability to deliver some of our plans.
The second part details the services provided by all the Council’s departments in their Departmental Plans. When reading these, it is worth reflecting on the wide range of areas in which the Council provides services, and the importance of these services to our society.
Our commitment to lead, and to be at the forefront of promoting the use of the Welsh language everywhere and on all occasions continues to be one of our main priorities. This is in keeping with our commitment to the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations Act. We will collaborate with our partners through the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board to implement our well- being plans.
Our ambition for the people of Gwynedd is clear and robust. However, there is great uncertainty facing us over the next year due to the current disarray in Westminster and the potential severe impacts that could affect our citizens here.
Nevertheless, we will continue to implement our Plan and to protect the interests of our people and communities here in Gwynedd.
Page3 33 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan REVIEWING THE PLAN
The Gwynedd Council Plan 2018-2023 was adopted by the Council in March 2018. The purpose of the Plan is to share the Council's ambition of seeing every community in Gwynedd thriving, by stating what work we will prioritise in order to realise that ambition.
We have described the projects we wish to focus on in order to make a difference to the communities of Gwynedd in the first part of the Plan. These are our Improvement Priorities. The second part of the Plan, namely the Departmental Plans, provides more details about the Improvement Priorities as well as describing how the rest of our day to day work contributes to realising the ambition.
We have reviewed the content of the Plan over the past months in order to ensure that we are continuing to do the things that are important to the people of Gwynedd and to examine the social, economic, environmental and policy issues which influence the Council, and which are likely to influence the people of Gwynedd in the future.
As a Council, we regularly review our work in order to ensure that we are on the right tracks. This Plan's Improvement Priorities, together with the day to day work of the Council have been addressed in the Cabinet Members' Performance Challenge Reports which are discussed at regular meetings of the Cabinet. If more, or less, needs to be done or if any project needs to be changed, we will do so.
This version of the Plan, the 2019/20 Revision, will supersede the original version and the following is a list of the main amendments made to the Plan following the review:
The following projects have either been completed or transferred to become part of the day to day work during 2018/19:
• Transforming the schools system • Corporate Parenting
The following projects have been added:
• Post-16 provision • Treferthyr Catchment-area • Promoting Town Centres • Apprenticeships Plan
In addition, the following projects have changed:
• Suitable and Affordable Housing and Identifying and Promoting Housing Schemes and Initiatives - work is continuing as part of the project Housing Strategy for the People of Gwynedd • Tackling Poverty - the emphasis will change to focus on the preventative field and the support offered with the title changing to Supporting People's Well-being • Reducing the Pay Gap between Women and Men - title changed to Women in Leadership
Page4 34 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan As noted above, the fragile financial situation in Wales and Britain poses a significant challenge to us as a Council as we plan our services for the future. Cuts to our budgets mean that continuing to provide a number of services is extremely difficult. Therefore, we must be creative and consider every possible way of providing the services that the people of Gwynedd deserve. However, we have clearly stated that any changes would be based on one form of measurement - the need to see every community in Gwynedd thriving and to improve the well-being of our residents for the future.
Since the original Plan was adopted, the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board adopted its Well-being Plan in spring 2018. The well-being goals and the priorities highlighted within the Well- being Plan are consistent with the ones in the Gwynedd Council Plan 2018-2023, with one exception, namely the effect of climate change.
The Council Plan focuses on the day to day services and the matters that the Council has prioritised while the Well-being Plan will focus on the fields where it is felt that public organisations could make more of a difference to the well-being of the people of the area by working together.
Page5 35 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Our vision is for every community in Gwynedd to prosper, and for us as people to...
Enjoy happy, healthy and safe lives
Receive education of the highest quality which will enable us to do what we want to do
Earn a sufficient salary to be able to support ourselves and our families
Live in quality homes within our communities
Live in a natural Welsh society
Live with dignity and independently for as long as possible
Take advantage of the beauty of the County’s natural environment
We will achieve this by pioneering innovative ways of working, whilst focusing on…
Creating a viable and prosperous economy
Every pupil having the opportunity to reach his or her potential
Reducing inequality within the county
Ensuring access to suitable housing
Assisting people to live their lives through the medium of Welsh
Assisting people who need help to live their lives as they wish
Putting the people of Gwynedd at the centre of everything we do
…which will be supported by the day to day work of the Council’s Departments.
Page 36 Ensuring that there are appropriate jobs available in the county that pay salaries which enables residents to support themselves and their families is a foundation to allowing the people of Gwynedd to thrive.
The things we want to do better:
Improvement Priority 1 Create a viable and prosperous economy.
How will we achieve this?
Economy and 1. Growth Vision for North Wales Community Department At the end of 2017 a partnership of the six North Wales Councils, business partners, colleges and universities formally launched the North Wales Growth Bid. The aim of the bid is to attract business investment in North Wales, helping local companies to take advantage of supply chain opportunities, and encourage work-related skills in the region. Over 5,000 jobs could be created, together with new businesses and housing (including affordable housing). As a Council, we are an active member of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board which leads on the Growth Vision for North Wales. In future, we will continue with our work with the Board in order to ensure that Gwynedd benefits fairly from investment in the North Wales region, and that we work together with our partners in order to maximise that investment.
Corporate Support 2. Keeping the Benefit Local Department The Council is responsible for buying a number of goods and services and is eager to try to ensure that local businesses can compete and win these contracts in order to ensure that as much of the Council's expenditure as possible remains local. In 2017/2018, we succeeded to increase the percentage of local expenditure to 62% compared with 58% the previous year. In future, we will continue with that work to raise awareness and understanding among businesses of the Council's procurement procedures and find other ways of supporting them further to deliver the services we need.
7 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 37 3. Create High Value Jobs Economy and (£26,500 + salary) Community Department Low salaries are an obvious feature of Gwynedd, with the weekly pay of Gwynedd residents (£478) amongst the lowest in Wales, and the low pay at its worst in our rural communities (£418), namely the second lowest in the UK. In order to address this, one of the Council's main priorities is working with partners within the public and private sectors to create more high value jobs. In future, we will continue to seek to create conditions to attract investment in strategic sites such as the Trawsfynydd Power Station, Llanbedr Airfield and Parc Bryn Cegin/ Parc Menai. We are targeting sectors that pay well by creating an environment which supports new businesses and grows existing businesses and ensures that the local workforce is able to take advantage of the opportunities.
Economy and 4. Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig Community Department The nature of our rural economy means that 78% of Gwynedd businesses do not employ more than one person and there are too many jobs within sectors which don't pay well. This leads to threats in terms of the sustainability of our rural communities. Ensuring digital connectivity for our rural communities, and that the workforce and rural businesses have the skills to take advantage of them are matters which require attention if we are to have prosperous communities. We have already attracted £4million from the Wales Rural Development Programme to develop innovative working approaches and to trial a number of new and exciting ideas. We can now move on to develop our projects which will encourage innovation in the traditional sectors (such as agriculture and tourism) and improve digital infrastructure in our rural communities. We will continue to collaborate with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and the private sector to establish a rural innovation hub in Glynllifon to lead on the work. We will also continue to work with the counties of Anglesey, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire to learn how to develop the rural economy and also sustain the Welsh language. We also influence and lobby regionally and nationally on behalf of the needs of rural Gwynedd.
Economy and 5. Increase the Benefits from Major Events Community Department Public events offer a commercial opportunity for local businesses to provide or deliver services. By staging major events, it is possible to raise the profile of Gwynedd and market the area to tourists as an exciting and vibrant place to live, to visit and an ideal location for businesses to invest.
8 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 38 In future, we will continue to work to ensure that local businesses benefit from high-profile events, which brought in an investment of £5.3m to Gwynedd in 2017/18. This will lead to an increase in the number of opportunities to promote the County, an increase in the number of visitors to the County and increase in the number of opportunities for local companies to work at or offer services to the events.
Economy and 6. Promoting Town Centres Community Department Lively town centres are able to make substantial contributions to the economic and social success of local areas. The "high streets" of a number of Gwynedd towns need support to ensure that they thrive by maintaining and creating work and providing a range of goods and services that residents and visitors need. We will, therefore, continue to work as a Council to look at how we could support and facilitate town centre regeneration to maintain a range of services for local residents and visitors within a lively environment with a Welsh atmosphere.
Economy and 7. Implementing the Gwynedd Slate Heritage Community Department A number of Gwynedd's most needy communities are rich in heritage and are home to existing or proposed World Heritage Sites, such as the former traditional slate areas. During 2018/19 the slate areas were selected by the Westminster Government as the UK's next nomination to UNESCO for a World Heritage Site designation. Also, more than £60,000 in lottery funding was secured to support communities to benefit from the designation. In future, we will continue to work to secure the World Heritage Site status for the slate industry in Gwynedd. This work will include programme of regeneration activities in these areas which will lead to an increase in residents' ownership of their heritage, an improvement in the form and appearance of communities and in the quality of tourists' experience.
9 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 39 Economy and 8. Benefiting from Tourism Community Department Tourism is one of the main economic sectors in Gwynedd, nevertheless visitors put a significant added pressure on the infrastructure of the county's destinations, a cost which is mainly shouldered by Gwynedd residents. In future, we will collaborate with the industry to consider the possibility of getting visitors to contribute financially to maintaining and enhancing Gwynedd destinations and raising the standards of the tourism sector. In doing so, we will improve the provision of the county's destinations and increase the standard of industry provision for visitors.
Economy and 9. Businesses Receiving Support to Prosper Community Department The county's businesses work with many Council Departments and they receive a service from them, including rates, planning, trading standards, building control and procurement. By adopting an operational approach which places the needs of businesses at the centre, and makes it easier for businesses to contact and collaborate with the Council, businesses can be supported and encouraged to establish and grow in the county. Following research we have identified examples of good practice including the "Better Business for All" programme by Denbighshire County Council. In future, we will continue with the work of reviewing how Council services are provided to businesses to consider whether there is room for improvement and will implement any lessons which become apparent to ensure that businesses are assisted to prosper. We will also support the development of the North Wales Business Network collaborating with partners in the public and private sector across the region.
Corporate Support 10. Apprenticeships Plan Department Welsh Government has outlined its national vision to address the need to develop vital skills in Wales and the broader economy to identify the priority fields and how apprenticeships will be an integral part of fulfilling this. The Council has already identified appropriate fields for establishing apprenticeships and has allocated funding to realise these schemes for the next two years. We will establish an Apprenticeships Scheme that will employ at least 20 new apprentices during 2019/20.
10 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 40 If we are to take advantage of any opportunities that may arise, it is crucial that Gwynedd has a sustainable quality education system in place, which gives our residents the skills to take advantage of those opportunities.
Improvement Priority 2
Every pupil is given the opportunity to achieve their potential.
How will we achieve this?
1. Bangor catchment area, Berwyn (Y Bala) Education catchment area, Treferthyr (Cricieth) Department catchment area, Post-16 provision In order for Gwynedd's children and young people to be educated in the best possible learning environment we are planning and realising innovative projects to adapt or build new schools. We will continue, or start work to improve the learning provision and its standards in the Bangor catchment area, Berwyn catchment area, Treferthyr catchment area. We will also consider the merits of the current Post-16 Provision across the county in order to see how it can face the opportunities and challenges of the future.
Education 2. Strengthening Leadership Department We need to Strengthen Leadership in our schools in order to create the best circumstances for our learners to have the best possible learning experience. We will develop clear directions and plans for each tier of leadership needed in our education system in Gwynedd now and in future and encourage and promote leaders' professional learning on every level within our schools. We will also identify and target future leaders, ensuring that they follow an appropriate programme of professional teaching.
3. Transforming the Provision of Additional Education Learning Needs and Inclusion Department We have identified that we need to Transform the Provision of Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion, in order to ensure that children and young people who need support have access to the most suitable support to enable them to fulfil their potential. We will continue to develop the support in the classroom and how it is organised, pre-school provision, post-18 provision and Special Schools.
11 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 41 It must also be recognised, that currently, not everyone in our society has the opportunities to fulfil their potential. Certainly, as in every county in Wales, inequality exists within the county at different levels, with inequality created by poverty high in terms of the damage which is caused.
It is obvious that poverty can also have a significant devastating effect on well-being, and in particular on children's possible futures. Whilst we have services which endeavour to mitigate the effects of poverty, it is our responsibility to consider if there is more we should be doing.
We also have a responsibility to maintain a good standard of services to look after those children who find themselves in situations where there is a need for the Council to take responsibility for them. But ultimately none of them wants to be in such a situation.
Improvement Priority 3
Reduce inequality within the county
How will we achieve this?
Economy and 1. Gwynedd Residents to play a full part in Community the World of Work Department We will assist more Gwynedd Residents to play a full part in the World of Work which could lead to benefits to health, life opportunities for children and a pride in communities, as well as increasing their earnings. Being outside the world of work and unemployment is higher in Arfon than the county average, but we will continue to focus on a series of activities in order to get more Gwynedd residents into employment.
Children and 2. Supporting People's Well-being Supporting Families Department The purpose of this project is to ensure that support is available for people to address their own well-being needs in an easy, co-ordinated way that is available locally.
We will help with various issues such as: difficulties with parenting and raising a family, having and maintaining a home, maintaining healthy relationships, dealing with substance misuse, alcohol, violence, crime and the effects they have, living healthy and active lives, insufficient income and lack of work, inability to stay in education, lack of qualifications and basic skills, care, ageing, loneliness and lack of social contacts.
12 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 42 Children and 3. Supporting Families Strategy Supporting Families Department Offering support to some families before matters escalate will be essential to help children and families prosper and to reduce the need for more intensive services. We have already mapped the provision and support available to families, and in future we will continue to develop the Supporting Families Strategy together with our key partners, such as the Health Board, third sector services and the communities of Gwynedd.
Corporate Support 4. Women in Leadership Department We will review the working conditions and environment in order to ensure that we take the lead in encouraging Women in Leadership and identifying and seeking to remove any barriers which could be preventing women from reaching leadership and management posts within the Council.
13 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 43 The Housing field has a vital role in helping the Council to deliver its ambition. We know that a suitable, good quality home leads to better health, more resilient communities and a population which can contribute fully to society. It is important that we develop our various, innovative and green housing offers, providing housing in which people can live throughout their lives as well as offer early support to those who need it. As a Local Authority, we will intervene to encourage a range of support and accommodation options in response to the needs of the population today, and for future generations.
Alongside this, we must ensure that the steps taken respect the culture of the county's communities.
Improvement Priority 4
Access to a suitable home.
How will we achieve this?
Adults, Health and 1. Housing Strategy for the People of Well-being Gwynedd 2019-24 Department We will implement the Housing Strategy for the People of Gwynedd 2019-24 by taking action to ensure that the people of Gwynedd are able to find a suitable home, that nobody is homeless, and that health and well-being needs are addressed. We will also ensure that these homes are environmentally-friendly and that we offer seamless preventative services at a local level.
14 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 44 One of the unique features Gwynedd has as a county is its Welshness. Gwynedd Council itself is dedicated to working through the medium of Welsh, but that in itself is not sufficient if we are to keep the unique nature of the county alive.
Improvement Priority 5
Living lives through the medium of Welsh.
How will we achieve this?
Corporate 1. The Welsh Language in Public Services Support Department We will collaborate with other public services, through the Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board, to ensure that we innovate in the provision of The Welsh Language in Public Services in the county. We will also encourage the people of Gwynedd to use the Welsh language when coming into contact with those organisations.
Corporate 2. Gwynedd Businesses to use the Welsh Support Language Department We will encourage Gwynedd Businesses to use the Welsh Language, and to discover the benefit of communicating bilingually when providing services. We will need to consider how the Council will be able to promote this and how we and other organisations can influence the use made by businesses and their customers of the Welsh language most effectively.
15 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 45 Corporate 3. Promote the use of the Welsh language Support within the Council's services Department Gwynedd Council has been prominent in terms of ensuring that services for residents are available through the medium of Welsh as we operate through the medium of Welsh internally. It is continual work to Promote the use of the Welsh language within the Council's Services, and the emphasis over the next phase will be on working with front-line services to develop the skills of new and existing staff to ensure that we continue to offer a fully bilingual provision for all aspects of our services.
Education 4. Secondary Sector Language Strategy Department We will develop the pioneering work of the Language Charter for primary schools by extending the support to the Secondary Sector Language Strategy. The aim of the strategy is to promote and increase the use of the Welsh language among young people within the curriculum and socially. Every secondary school will have an individual and unique action plan which will reflect the linguistic context of the school and the surrounding community.
16 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 46 Another feature of Gwynedd is the fact that we have a high percentage of older people residing here compared with other counties in Wales. Whilst the Council has been very good in providing support to people of every age who need care, the increase in the total of older people, the financial constraints and problems discovering a workforce to continue to provide these services mean that we have to think of different solutions.
The truth is that a high number of older people want to continue to live their lives as they wish which often means something different to different people. We must change our services to be more tailored to the true needs of those who need help from us.
Our vision is that our community services are transformed to facilitate early support and assistance for people to be provided in their own homes and within their own communities. With this approach, we will see better results for individuals, and the demand for hospital admissions and care provision will reduce over time. The Welsh Government plan, 'A Healthier Wales' sets out a long-term vision for the entire health and social care system in the future, focusing on health and well-being and preventing ill- health. In order to fulfil this vision, we must continue to transform care services.
Improvement Priority 6
Helping people who need support to live their lives as they wish.
How will we achieve this?
Adults, Health and 1. Re-design our Care Services Well-being Department We will Re-design our Care Services jointly with the Health Board to ensure that adults living in Gwynedd have easy and direct access to the services that are important to them.
Five Areal Teams have been established across the county bringing together workers and providers of care and health services in order to work together to respond to the needs of the local population. So far this collaboration has been very encouraging and therefore we will continue with work to transform community services to enable more early and preventative responses at a local level in the future. In future, we will continue to experiment with new ways of providing home care packages and look at collaboration and joint-planning in the field of learning disabilities. We will want to see that our arrangements for leaving hospital are effective and fit with what is important to the individual. We will also continue with work to invest in our residential homes and ensure suitable care for individuals in crisis in the mental health field.
17 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 47 Adults, Health and 2. Community Resilience Well-being Department We will work with communities to help people live independently in their communities for as long as possible. Work is underway to increase the care options for people within their communities linking those needing help with services, building on individuals ' strengths, identifying gaps that exist and thereby promoting community activity. In future, we will continue with this work and seek to improve our understanding of the needs of our population at a local level and how best to respond.
Adults, Health and 3. The Workforce and Recruitment within Well-being the Care Field Department Recruiting to the Care field is challenging for various reasons. We have an effective and committed workforce, but we must ensure that we have enough workers with the necessary skills in order to cope with the increasing need which is likely to arise in future. Work is currently under way to try to understand what the problem is in Gwynedd in terms of recruiting in the field. After publishing the findings, we will consider whether anything different or additional needs to be done. The initial findings of the investigation show that we are on the right track in terms of our efforts to re-design the Domiciliary Care business model.
We will also work to raise the profile and status of care workers by promoting career paths in the field and reviewing our apprenticeship scheme within the Council,
18 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 48 As previously noted, the Council already provides a wide range of activities which seek to ensure that we achieve our vision. However, there is always room for improvement. We recognise that there are examples where we do not always look at things through our residents' eyes, and we need to ensure that this happens everywhere within the Council.
Of course, this does not mean doing everything for everyone, as our resources do not permit us to do that. However, it means that we prioritise those things which are of most importance to our communities, and ensure that the limited resources available contribute to doing what is most important to the people of Gwynedd (whilst accepting that prioritisation could mean not achieving everyone's aspirations).
This consideration will also have to take place at a time when the funding available for services is significantly reduced. In that respect, there will be a need to ensure that the funding available is used to deliver the most important things.
Improvement Priority 7
Placing the people of Gwynedd at the heart of everything we do.
How will we achieve this?
Corporate 1. Empowering Units to Implement "Ffordd Support Gwynedd" Department As a Council, it is our responsibility to ensure that it is the needs of the people of Gwynedd that steer how offer the services that we provide. In doing so, we should avoid any unnecessary working arrangements. We will review our existing work arrangements, to challenge whether or not they place the people of Gwynedd centrally, and to consider whether or not there is room for improvement. Work is already underway to train heads, senior managers and managers in the principles of Ffordd Gwynedd, and a number of service reviews have been undertaken, or are underway within the Council.
In future, we will continue to offer training to new managers and support services to hold reviews in order to ensure that they place the people of Gwynedd at the centre of their activities.
19 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 49 Corporate 2. Developing Leadership Support Department We will Develop Leadership by being progressive in empowering and honing the skills of leaders across the Council in order to reach the aim of placing the people of Gwynedd at the centre of everything. All Cabinet Members have developed their leadership skills as individuals and jointly during the last year, whilst the majority of Council managers have completed the development programme that concentrates on leaders' behaviours. We will continue to offer development opportunities for Members and managers with a focus on leading people rather than merely managing people. The Managers Network has also been established and this will give managers across the Council the opportunity to share good practice and receive training.
The Council's Financial Strategy and the budget adopted by the Council at its meeting on 7 March 2019 are the foundation to attempting to deliver the aforementioned Improvement Priorities, while also trying to cope with the continued increase in the demand for our services.
The financial pressures on the Council are continuing, with a further reduction in the grant that we receive from Welsh Government in 2019/20. At the same time, the additional demands for services and inflation increase our costs by £13m. If we are to continue to be able to address the matters which are important to the people of Gwynedd, we will need to add to the £51m savings that we have already been forced to make over the last eight years, with the delivery of a further £5.5m in savings. Even so, the Council Tax will also have to be increased further.
The Financial Strategy will, unavoidably, be dependent on the priorities noted above.
The full Strategy is available on the Council website by following this link:
www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/financialstrategy
20 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 50 Departmental Plans
The first section of the Plan, the Summary Plan, has focused on the Council’s vision along with the Improvement Priorities for the 5 years from 2018 to 2023.
This next section includes the Plans for the Council Departments, and gives further details about the Improvement Priorities which have been highlighted with a frame. The Plans also describe the ‘day to day’ work of the departments, much of which is a statutory responsibility such as safeguarding children and adults or providing education.
In addition to the Improvement Priorities and the ‘day to day’ work, Local Priorities have also been recognised by Elected Members as the issues that are of the highest importance to their constituents. These were discussed as part of the process of preparing the Council Plan, and we will need to give further consideration to how we respond to them. The Local Priorities have been highlighted within a frame with a background colour.
The Council follows general principles and practices and works on themes that cross several departments, such as equality, the Welsh language, working against poverty and so on. It is each and every department’s responsibility to act upon them, but the details can be found in the Plan of the Department which leads on the work.
Below is a list of all the Departments along with information about their main responsibilities. Financial information about departmental budgets can be found together at the end.
If you wish to contact the Department or the Head of Department you can phone 01766 771000 or follow the links below to our website. Head of Department Page Garem Jackson 1. Education Department Contact Details 23
. Support the daily running of Gwynedd Schools . Support, maintain and improve educational standards within modern facilities . Provide support and a service for Additional Learning Needs . Lead the implementation of the Siarter Iaith within Gwynedd and across Wales Aled Davies 2. Adults, Health and Wellbeing Department 31 Contact Details . Enabling the adults of Gwynedd to “Live my life as I wish” . Provide care services through partnerships and collaboration . Provide home care, day care and residential care . Support homeless families and identify priorities for social housing and affordable homes
3. Highways and Municipal Department Steffan Jones 41 Contact Details . Collect the recycling, food and residual waste of Gwynedd residents . Highways and street maintenance . Grass cutting and play and leisure grounds maintenance
Page21 51 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan 4. Children and Supporting Families Marian Parry Hughes 48 Department Contact Details . Safeguarding children and Young people from harm . Working to provide stability to families, children and young people Dafydd Wyn Williams 5. Environment Department 56 Contact Details
. Licensing and Planning Services . Food hygiene and trading standards inspections . Council property inspections . Parking management service and pest control . Protect and promote access to the countryside 6. Economy and Community Sioned E Williams 66 Department Contact Details
. Develop Gwynedd’s economy by supporting businesses, tourism, marketing and regenerating communities . Libraries, Museums and Archives . Youth Services . Leisure Centres
7. Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd Consultancy Huw Williams 78 Contact Details . Commercial consultative service which provides planning and management of infrastructure projects . Building management service . Local flood lead Authority Geraint Owen 83 8. Corporate Support Department Contact Details . Galw Gwynedd contact centre and Siopau Gwynedd . Human Resources, Registration, Communication and Training support . Administrative and Support services Dafydd L Edwards 9. Finance (and Information Technology) 95 Department Contact Details
. Financial support to all the Council’s services . Council Tax and Gwynedd Pension Fund . Support and develop the Council’s information technology provision Iwan Evans 101 10. Legal Services Contact Details . Legal support for all the Council’s services . Administration of Gwynedd elections . Support the work of the Coroner for north west Wales
11. Financial Information 103
Page22 52 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 53 23 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Education Department
The purpose of the Education Department is to ensure that Gwynedd's children and young people receive the best education in our schools to enable them to reach the highest standards and to nurture the qualifications and the skills that enable them to live and prosper. SCHOOLS IMPROVEMENT SERVICE
The responsibility of the Education Department and GwE in partnership with our schools is to educate our children and our schools' results are consistently good. GwE is a schools improvement service that works on behalf of the six authorities in north Wales, to lead, organise and coordinate improvements in schools' performance.
The partnership between the Education Department and GwE provides our schools with support and challenges them to improve the quality of classroom learning and teaching and supports leaders to improve the quality of the leadership in our schools - this all to further improve results for our children and young people.
In Gwynedd, there are 83 primary schools, 13 secondary schools, 2 special schools and 1 lifelong school.
Summer Performance - Secondary
Percentage of Key Stage 3 (14 years old) who The schools provide inclusive education reach the expected level in Welsh or English, for children and young people up to 16 Mathematics and Science years old, and 43.8% of the pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) in 2018 gained 5 A*-C GCSE grades, including Welsh (language) or English (language), and Summer Summer Summer 2018 Mathematics or Mathematics (numeracy) 2016 2017 92.8% (TL2+). In Gwynedd, post-16 education is 92.0% 92.8% provided in partnership with the colleges and the secondary schools in Arfon, by Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor (Grŵp Llandrillo Menai) in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd and Ysgol y Berwyn, in the Bala area.
24 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 54 Summer 2018 Performance - Percentage of Key Stage 2 (11 years old) who reach Primary the expected level in Welsh or English, Mathematics and Science.
Summer Summer Summer 2018 2016 2017 91.2% 89.8% 92.1%
Transforming the schools system
Following consultation on the sustainability of the education system in Gwynedd, along with general concerns that the current schools system is not sustainable, the Council Cabinet adopted the following principles of a fit for purpose education system that will form the basis for realising the Education Department's vision and develop the system to ensure education of the highest quality for the children and young people of Gwynedd, namely:
A system of viable secondary schools No more than two age ranges within the same class in the primary sector Approximately 80% of non-contact time for the Headteacher to concentrate on leadership issues in the primary sector.
In light of adopting the principles, this field will transfer to the Department's day-to-day work, as it is anticipated that there is no swift process that would enable the implementation of the principles across the system during the period of this Council, but rather, a cautious action, within context, and in a way that will enable the system to respond to the enormous changes on the horizon, such as changes to the schools inspection procedure (Estyn), along with very significant changes to the curriculum and the organisation of our schools in light of the recommendations of Professor Donaldson.
Strengthening Leadership Improvement Priority 2
The importance of leadership, in order to ensure the best outcomes for learners, is acknowledged as a priority, and in Gwynedd we ensure that our plans to develop leadership support and enable the intention to transform the education system in Gwynedd in future based on these principles, and to also consider the local, regional, national and international context.
25 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 55 We will develop clear directions and plans for each tier of leadership needed in our education system in Gwynedd now and in future and encourage and promote leaders' professional learning on every level within our schools. We will also continue to develop and assist the system to ensure the best conditions for educational leadership to thrive. We will also identify and target future leaders, ensuring that they follow an appropriate programme of professional teaching.
EDUCATION MODERNISATION TEAM
Some of our school buildings are old and unsuitable to meet the learning and teaching needs of our children in future. The purpose of this service is to plan and realise innovative projects to adapt or build new schools for Gwynedd's children and young people to be educated in the best possible learning environment to enable them to prosper.
During 2012-2021, the Council will have invested £69 million to improve the condition and learning environment of schools in the interests of the County's children.
The Education Modernisation Team is developing viable education provision models that seek to:
ensure a first class learning environment for children and staff in Gwynedd schools
improve the conditions and circumstances for headteachers to enable them to lead and manage schools effectively and efficiently
ensure the most effective and best use of the Education Department's budget.
Post-16 provision Improvement Priority 2
Post-16 education provision varies across the county. Post-16 education is provided in partnership ŵith the secondary schools and the colleges in Arfon, by Coleg Meirion-Dŵyfor (Grŵ p Llandrillo Menai) in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd and Ysgol y Berwyn, in the Bala area.
We will consider the merits of the various provisions currently operational, along with future opportunities and challenges. This will include research and a report on the current provision across the county that will form a basis for considering whether or not there is a case to change the provision in future.
26 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 56 Bangor Catchment Area Improvement Priority 2
A number of primary schools in the Bangor catchment area (and in particular the Penrhosgarnedd area) are full to bursting. We have managed to attract funding from Welsh Government to invest in education provision in the catchment area, with the Council also providing half the money and contributions made in conjunction with planning permission to develop new housing in the area.
We have reviewed the primary education provision in Bangor, and the Cabinet has approved a plan worth £12.7m. As part of the scheme, a new school will be built for Ysgol y Garnedd for 420 learners and will be completed by September 2020. We will also commence the work of adapting the existing site and building of Ysgol y Faenol for 315 learners that will also include a communal space and will be completed by January 2021.
Y Berwyn (Y Bala) Catchment Area Improvement Priority 2
The Council has already decided to reorganise education in the Berwyn catchment area in order to rationalise the schools system and improve the education provision and standards. The construction work has now ended, and we have opened a Library, Theatre, Sports Hall and an all-weather football pitch which is a resource for all schools in the catchment area as well as the wider community.
We will complete the work of establishing Ysgol Godre'r Berwyn, a provision for 3-19 year olds on the Ysgol y Berwyn site, Bala that will also offer services for the local community, by September 2019. This involves completing the process of establishing the governing body, and assisting with arrangements for opening the new Learning Campus.
Treferthyr (Cricieth) Catchment Area Improvement Priority 2
The Council has decided to build a new school in the Treferthyr catchment-area, in Cricieth, in light of the poor condition of the existing building.
We will complete the work of planning and building the new building by September 2021. The school will include facilities for the early years along with space for the Cylch Meithrin.
27 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 57 ADDITIONAL LEARNING NEEDS SERVICE (ALN)
The service supports children and young people with Additional Learning Needs - which includes specific areas of learning needs, communication and interaction, vision impairment, hearing impairment and medical/physical. The service provides early intervention and support that is tailored for every individual pupil through a team of specialist teachers and assistants. The service offers support to schools through the Psychology Service. Every pupil has full access to Gwynedd schools therefore ensuring that every child reaches his or her full potential.
Transforming the Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion provision Improvement Priority 2
Work has already been completed on transforming the additional learning needs and inclusion service, to ensure that children and young people who need it have access to the most suitable support to enable them to fulfil their potential. The work of further developing the service is continuing.
We will continue to develop the support in the classroom and how it is organised, pre-school provision, post-16 provision and Special Schools. We will also build on the existing partnership work between our Special Schools and with the authority's mainstream schools in order to improve the learning experiences of children with severe and complex needs. The crux of this work will be to ensure that our systems coincide with the requirements of the new Wales Additional Learning Needs legislation.
WELFARE AND INCLUSION SERVICE
The welfare and inclusion service supports schools to promote attendance, positive behaviour and support for children and young people who experience behavioural, emotional and/or social development difficulties. This support is delivered by a team of specialist teachers, welfare officers, school counsellors and specialist assistants.
We ensure that pupils with emotional and behavioural needs are included in full in Gwynedd schools through training, support in the classroom and providing behaviour support service outside mainstream schools. The welfare service promotes attendance by working with pupils, schools and families. The attendance at Gwynedd Schools over the last three years has been consistently good.
28 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 58 Attendance is high and the rate of permanent exclusions is low, however the challenge of maintaining and promoting welfare Number of permanent and inclusion is intensifying with an increasing number of pupils exclusions in schools displaying challenging behaviour. The service will ensure that (2017/18 academic year) our schools are correctly trained and supported to meet the challenge. Primary – 5.2% Secondary – 5.3% As a basis for all of this, the service provides specialist guidance in the safeguarding field. Specialist training and advice is provided to schools across the authority.
THE WELSH LANGUAGE
The Welsh language permeates through all of the Education Department's work and services. The statutory document, Strategic Plan - Welsh in Education sets out clear expectation for the Department and our schools for Welsh as a subject and as a teaching medium.
Gwynedd has led the pioneering work of influencing children's social use of the Welsh language in primary schools through the Welsh Language Charter. The purpose of the Charter is to encourage children to speak Welsh outside the classroom, and to ensure participation from all members of the school community to achieve the aim. The Department also leads and supports Welsh Government to roll out the Language Charter as a national plan.
Secondary Sector Language Strategy Improvement Priority 5
As a result of the success of the Charter, there have been increasing calls to ensure a successor for it in secondary schools. Evidence from research commissioned by the Education Department proves the need for a plan and a strategy to promote the curricular and social use of the Welsh language in our secondary schools.
We will continue to employ a Secondary Sector Language Strategy Co-ordinator who will provide the appropriate challenge and support to our secondary schools. Every secondary school will have an individual and unique action plan which will reflect the linguistic context of the school and the surrounding community. The young people themselves will also develop a programme of informal and exciting activities for their peers, in order to raise the status and increase the informal opportunities for young people to use the Welsh language socially.
29 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 59 The Department also maintains Language Centres that provide intensive Welsh language courses for incomers to enable them to learn Welsh and contribute to Gwynedd's educational and social life. These Centres are essential to help our primary and secondary schools implement the Welsh Language Policy. THE SERVICE OF THE AREA OFFICES
Area Education Offices
For some time now, there has been considerable concern among head teachers regarding their working conditions, as they have to fulfil a number of different roles; as leaders, managers, teachers and administrators. Without exception, Estyn inspections show that effective leadership, together with adequate resources and time, results in a good education and high standards.
We will continue to develop the Area Education Offices in order to develop support and backing for our schools, as well as rationalise and share the management requirements. This will be done by developing the role of the Business and Services Officers to co-ordinate and facilitate partnership work between the schools themselves and between Council departments, in order to reduce the management and administrative workload of head teachers and teachers. RESOURCES SERVICE
The purpose of this service is to provide the necessary statutory support for Gwynedd schools to operate on a daily basis. The service includes access to schools, staff salaries and contracts, cleaning, catering and healthy eating schemes and school transport. It also provides financial, human resources, health and safety and information technology and communications support for schools. The service also provides support to Governors.
30 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 60 Page 61 31 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Adults, Health and Well-being Department
The Adults, Health and Well-being Department provides a variety of social care services for residents aged 18 years old or over who require advice, information, support or care due to specific needs. The Department's main principles are:
• Ensuring the well-being of those who require care and support. • Our services will focus on people, and give them a strong voice in the decisions made on the support they will receive. • Services will be provided by means of partnerships and by collaborating • Services will attempt to prevent the escalation of people's needs, and endeavour to ensure that the right support is available at the right time.
The four principles above interweave in order to achieve the Department's objective, namely to enable Gwynedd adults to: “Live my life as I wish” Housing As a Housing Service, we operate in order to prevent homelessness but also provide support for families or individuals who find themselves to be homeless. We support people to maintain and protect their tenancy, and ensure that houses in multiple occupation are safe and meet safety standards. The Service also identifies priorities to develop new social housing and schemes for affordable housing. In future, we will aim to increase numbers by making the best use of grants from the Welsh Government in partnership with housing associations. We also administrate the Common Housing Register in partnership with housing associations and prioritise applications for social housing. We will aim to increase the number of homes by targeting empty properties across Gwynedd in order to bring them back into suitable use. We will also inspect rented housing to ensure that they reach acceptable standards. Another example of work we do is assessing and providing adaptations for the homes of disabled people and children in order to help individuals to be able to continue living independently and to reduce dependency and demand on other services.
Housing Strategy for the People of Improvement Priority Gwynedd 2019-24 4 One of the largest challenges for Gwynedd is to ensure sufficient suitable and high quality homes to meet the needs of a changing population. During 2018/19 we concentrated on implementing two projects to improve access to suitable housing for the people of Gwynedd. Both projects, namely 'Suitable and Affordable Housing' and 'Identifying and Promoting Housing Schemes and Initiatives' assessed the current situation and in looking at the results of the assessments it became apparent that we need to re-plan our provision for the future.
Page32 62 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan The current demand for social and affordable housing in Gwynedd is greater than the available supply, and an increasing number of people are homeless or at risk of being homeless in Gwynedd. Our response so far does not meet the existing need of the local population, or their future needs. Using this information, we have created a Housing Strategy that aims to make the best of our housing supply in Gwynedd, improve their standard and improve access to housing by strengthening the support that is available for people to enable them to independently in their own community. This will include supporting individuals who suffer from Domestic Violence, mental health or substance misuse problems along with those who demonstrate threatening/antisocial behaviour and are at risk of losing their tenancy.
From 2019/20 onwards we will take action to deliver the priorities of the Housing Strategy (2019-24) to:
• Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are able to find a suitable home • Ensure that no one is homeless in Gwynedd • Address the health and well-being needs of the people of Gwynedd • Ensure that homes are environmentally friendly • Offer preventative and seamless services on a local level.
Local Priority There is concern that there is a high number of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) in Bangor, which negatively affect the appearance of the city. There is also concern that the situation leads to a higher than usual number of empty homes, with the side-effect of this reducing the housing market for local residents.
These matters are addressed within the Housing Strategy for the People of Gwynedd 2019- 2024
Well-being The Well-being Unit has been established to promote the principles of the Social Services and Well-being Act (2014), namely the need to work on a preventative basis and to collaborate with individuals and communities to find the best solutions to improve our residents' well-being.
We promote preventative services within communities and promote well-being elements in Care and Support Plans. In terms of the Department's duty to provide "information, advice and support" under The Act, we will develop resources such as Dewis Wales and establish local information hubs, by developing a "community co-ordinator" role, and collaborate closely with third sector organisations, social enterprises, community groups and with residents themselves.
We work with partners to support informal carers and raise their profile amongst the workforce to increase the understanding and support available to carers. We collaborate closely with other
Page33 63 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan services within the Council by establishing the Gwynedd Mental Health Learning Partnership and working with Libraries, Healthy Living Programmes, the Arts Unit and the Area Regeneration Team. We also work with external partners who provide emotional and social well-being services to Gwynedd residents. Through the Gwynedd Ageing Well Plan 2017-18 a Bridging the Generations project was developed which brought young and old people together and which has proven success in different areas of Gwynedd. The project is now being evaluated by the Bangor University Ageing and Dementia Research Centre. It will be important to collaborate with Gwynedd communities to promote dementia friendly communities that build on the success of the Dementia Go project. We will continue to promote community resilience that will build on the strengths of Gwynedd communities to prevent demand for Care and Support services.
Re-designing Care Services Improvement Priority 6
We have been collaborating with the Health Board to ensure that adults living in Gwynedd have easy and direct access to the services that are important to them. To this end, jointly with the Health Board, we have established five Local Area Teams that provide a seamless service. These teams build on the strengths of the individual and the community and ensure that our arrangements for leaving hospital are effective and are in keeping with what matters to the individual. We have been working with our care services providers and experimenting with new ways of commissioning home care packages. The results of this experiment have been very positive and we will proceed to recommission using this new method. The Learning Disabilities Transformation Board is evolving and advancing. There has been good collaboration and joint planning across the field during the last year, and we are confident that opportunities to work more with our local providers will become apparent in the coming year. The preventative intervention offer is driving the field with a focus on developing community services.
We will continue with the work of transforming community services to enable more early and preventative responses on a local level and jointly with our key partners, such as health, the third sector and carers. Our Area Teams will be co-located in a wider cluster of providers and primary and community services, as the image below demonstrates. This will include developing health and care hubs in the areas of Bangor and Dyffryn Nantlle. Our population and well-being assessments will enable us to ensure that the services within the clusters coincide with the needs of the local population, are provided by different providers and are coordinated seamlessly around the needs of the individual.
Page34 64 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan We are moving to an approach that places a greater emphasis on health and well-being and preventative work. With this approach, we will see better outcomes for individuals, enabling people to live independently within their communities for as long as possible and there will be less need for intensive care. We will invest in our buildings across our services, we have already invested in our Residential Homes in Tywyn, Nefyn, Llan Ffestiniog and Bangor. In the coming year, we will continue with the work programme in terms of improving our intensive care provision, this will mean developing Dementia Units in the homes of Cefn Rodyn, Hafod Mawddach and Plas Hedd. We will continue with our Domiciliary Care project which has been trialling new and innovative ways of providing health and care services that focus on what matters to people who receive health and care services. It also responds to problems such as the lack of care and health service in some areas of the County, which could lead to people having to remain in hospital for a longer period than they should. Our work programme is about changing culture and the early findings of the project are very promising and will influence how we will commission domiciliary care in future. The Mental Health Service works with the Health Board and other partners to implement the Mental Health Strategy. The initial priority is to ensure that suitable care is available when individuals are in an emergency. As part of this work, we are looking at developing a service that responds to the needs of individuals on a 7 days a week, 9am to 7pm basis. The intention is to ensure that individuals have timely access to suitable services. In addition, we will collaborate with the Health Board in order to strengthen mental health services locally and will look at innovative ways of improving learning disability services.
Page35 65 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Community Resilience Improvement Priority 6
A whole-system approach of providing health and well-being as described in 'Re-designing Care Services' above will go beyond providing domiciliary care or residential care services. Community activities and having regular contact with friends and family will assist people to maintain contacts, reduce loneliness and maintain their mental and physical health. Working within a 'Clusters' arrangement will enable all community assets to work together seamlessly all in the interests of the individual. We have been encouraging and supporting Gwynedd communities to be more resilient. This work has led to preventative solutions which have increased the care options for local people. The Community Connectors Scheme started in September 2017 and individuals from the third sector work within our Area Teams. They map services and groups within communities and link individuals requiring assistance with those services. They also identify gaps in the service and promote community enterprises. We will expand this scheme in order to ensure that it is an integral part of our services' day-to-day work. This is crucial to assess the needs of our population on a local level in a continuous way.
Our intention over the coming years is to continue to look at opportunities to build on the strengths within our communities and try to co-produce a full range of preventative support in order to make it easier for people to continue to live independently in their communities. This will include working closely with carers to try to reach the right solutions in the interests of those who need care. On a regional level we have developed and co-produced an 'offer' for carers, which includes the service standards that we are committing to deliver. In coming months, we ensure that we commit in full to the standards. A key part of community resilience is how different generations co-habit and socialise and an innovative project, 'Bridging the Generations' commenced in May 2018. Its purpose is to prevent loneliness between children, young people and older people by bringing them together for fun and interesting activities. We will continue to develop preventative services which are aimed at supporting residents, linking people with support within their communities focusing on the five Areas.
The Learning Partnership has been established within the Mental Health Service to look at preventative work and the well-being of individuals based on the 'Five ways to well-being'. The Partnership is developing a booklet that notes what support is available within different areas in the County. Our intention is to develop groups that will support this work.
Adults As an Adults service, we work in partnership with adults over 18 years of age, adults with a physical disability and older people to identify what matters to them; and support them to find solutions to achieve their personal aims. The service will assess in accordance with the principles of the Social Services and Well-being Act (2014) and in a manner that builds on individuals' strengths. The service provides an information, advice and support service.
Page36 66 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan In future, we will build on the effective working relationship between us as a Council and the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, statutory agencies and the third sector, in order to meet adults' personal aims.
Learning Disabilities
As a Learning Disabilities service, we provide active support based on the principles of Active Support and Positive Behaviour Support in a 'person centred' approach which focuses on positive well-being outputs for the individual. We assess in accordance with the principles of the Social Services and Well-being Act (2014) and in a manner that builds on individuals' strengths. The service promotes integrated services and continues to develop the positive relationship with partners and other agencies, including health, statutory agencies and the third sector, in order to address the wide range of needs of people with learning disabilities.
Our vision focuses on developing preventative services across the county which will include focusing on the needs of adults on the autistic spectrum. In addition, we want to concentrate on a provision that focuses on developing opportunities for people with learning disabilities to develop relationships. As a way forward to address this objective, we will continue the work of developing community hubs around the county.
We will aim to develop a Respite care framework during 2019. Also, we are aiming to develop a Respite care provision in the Pwllheli area.
The work of the Active Support and Positive Behaviour Support team over the last year has led to positive developments for the county's residents. The main focus of this team’s work over the coming years will be to concentrate specifically on preventative work.
Another core objective of the service is continuing to develop daily opportunities for people with intensive and complex needs. We are aiming to plan services for the future in order to ensure that local opportunities are available for these adults, so that they can live, receive support and attend daily opportunities in their area. As part of this work, we will work to develop the opportunities that are available as part of the Arfon Community Scheme. It is essentially important that we collaborate with all local providers and continue to develop the work of the Transforming Learning Disabilities Group.
Page37 67 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Mental Health
As a Mental Health Service, we collaborate with the Health Board by working on a multi-disciplinary basis. We act in accordance with the Mental Health Measure (Wales) 2010, to support individuals with mental health problems within the primary services and to support individuals with more intensive or complex needs. The service works with individuals in order to facilitate recovery and to support them to live independently. We also offer assessment and support for mental health carers.
The measure focuses on the needs of individuals rather than a 'diagnosis' and it is led by the following main principles: • Include patients and their carers in the planning, development and implementation of the care and treatment plan; • Equality, dignity and diversity - need to ensure that professionals give consideration to race, gender, religion, gender identity, age and any disability when planning and providing a service; • There is a need to ensure that patients and their carers are included in the planning, therefore, clear communication is required by being aware of the patient's language and culture; • The care and treatment plan needs to be holistic and person-centred; • The care and treatment plan needs to be proportionate to the need and risk. This recognises that not everyone has intensive needs and that simple assistance can improve the quality of life and it should be ensured that care and treatment are integrated. Professionals need to recognise that there is a range of services that can assist individuals whether that be on a statutory or voluntary basis.
Safeguarding Unit The Safeguarding Unit provides support for the Department's staff to adhere to the safeguarding procedure. We are collaborating closely with the Regional Safeguarding Board in order to create regional procedures.
There is regular communication with providers, health and the Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales in order to share concerns and good practice. The Unit is responsible for monitoring internal and external providers to ensure that the services and care provided and commissioned are of high standard. The Unit also undertakes investigations of service users' experiences in order to learn about bad experiences and good practice. We set consistency in terms of what is deemed to be a safeguarding case or not, lead on cases of escalating concerns, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards arrangements (a procedure that supports and protects adults who are unable to make decisions themselves or unable to grant permission for their care) and respond to complaints and concerns on a timely basis.
Page38 68 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Provider
In the Provider Service, we provide residential care, community care and day care for adults with intensive, complex needs.
The Service is responsible for the fields below:
• Residential Care Provision (11 Council-owned residential homes, with 2 being Homes with Dementia units and 1 specialising in pure Dementia care). • Home Care Provision • Enablement and Intermediate Care (temporary care) • Support Care (long term care) • Day Care Provision (4 across the county, 1 offering specialist care for people living with Dementia)
Local Priority There is potential to develop appropriate care provision in the Dolgellau area and we will examine the possibilities of collaborating with other partners in order to fund such a scheme. There is similar demand for purpose built units for Llŷn residents, and we can measure the exact provision required and how best to fund it by collaborating with others. This priority will be addressed within the 'Re-designing Care' improvement programme
The Workforce and Recruitment Improvement Priority 6 within the Care Field Our success in realising Improvement Priority 6 in its entirety, namely to 'Ensure that we have care services which help people to live their lives as they wish' is dependent on securing a workforce for the Care field. Recruiting to the Care field is challenging for various reasons and while we have an effective and committed workforce, we must ensure that we have enough workers with the necessary skills to meet the increasing need.
Before being able to establish an action plan to resolve the problem, we need to ensure that we really understand the problem, and we have commissioned an independent investigation into the current situation in Gwynedd, the pressure on our workforce and on the Council. During 2019/20 we will consider the findings of the investigation and any recommendations made by a scrutiny review, and determine what should be done differently or in addition to what is currently operational. The initial findings of the investigation have highlights many key factors that confirm we are on the right track in terms of our efforts to re-design the Domiciliary Care business model. We also acknowledge, in addition to having the right skills mix, there will be a need to change cultures and behaviours and to promote taking positive risks; and we will work with partners and academic institutions to develop and deliver this.
Page39 69 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan We will also work on raising the profile and status of care workers by reviewing existing career paths, so that a career in social care work is a positive career choice and we will promote the care field as a career by disseminating appropriate information to local organisations. We will also review our Apprenticeship scheme within the Council to seek to influence the number of apprentices within the care field.
Business Service The Business Service provides support to the front line teams of the Adults, Health and Well-being Department and the Children and Supporting Families Department, in order to enable them to achieve their purpose for the benefit of Gwynedd residents. In order to facilitate efficient work arrangements specifically, management and support in terms of information technology systems, along with administrative support, is provided for the Teams in question. A variety of training opportunities are also offered to employees across the care field in order to ensure that we have the most suitable workforce to care for the County's residents for the future. The Service also helps people to achieve what matters to them by ensuring that anyone receiving care will receive appropriate financial advice and support, and subsequently that they are fully aware of any financial implications that are associated with their care choices. When required, there is also a provision in place to manage the money of vulnerable residents who do not have anyone to help them. The Service provides business support for services that promote independence such as Direct Payments and assistive Technology. The Business Service is responsible for gathering, analysing and interpreting data in order to procure and commission services effectively, in a field where demand is increasing and resources are becoming scarce. Additionally, the Service is responsible for managing and driving change in order to enable the Adults, Health and Well-being Department to deliver projects that will transform our services for the people of Gwynedd in future.
Page40 70 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 71 41 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Highways and Municipal Department
This Department is responsible for assets and providing important services to ensure a clean and safe environment for Gwynedd residents.
Highway Maintenance
It is important that Gwynedd businesses and residents can move with ease and safely within the county and, in order to ensure this, the Council maintains 2,697km of county roads along with 199km of Trunk Roads (namely highways of national importance, on behalf of Welsh Government). At present, our highways in Gwynedd, namely Class A and B roads, are in a good condition with less than 4% defective and in need of attention.
With a reduction in the relevant budget, the deterioration in the condition of our Class C and unclassified roads continues. As a result of the financial pressures on the Council, it is inevitable that there will be further pressures on road maintenance, and it will be challenging to prevent deterioration in the quality of our roads, in particular lower priority roads namely Class C and unclassified roads. There is now a new national Code of Practice in force which Percentage of Defective Highways emphasises risk management. 18% By now, work is afoot across 16% e
g 14% Wales to develop consistent a
t 12%
n 10%
e 8% action plans when inspecting c
r 6% e 4% Class A the condition of roads. As part P 2% 0% Class B of this work, we are in the 201 201 201 201 201 3/14 4/15 5/16 6/17 7/18 Class C process of reviewing and Class A 4.40% 3.50% 3.10% 3.50% 3.30% updating our Highways Assets Class B 4.70% 3.70% 3.40% 3.90% 3.80% Maintenance Plan. Class C 14.70%14.20%15.80%15.20%14.50%
In future, we will seek to prevent a sudden decline Percentage of incidents of in the quality of our dangerous damage to roads and pavements which were repaired roads. or made safe within 24 hours of the time that they were …
100% 97.8% 98.0% 98.0% 97.2% 97.0%
95% 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
Page 72 42 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Gwynedd Council is responsible for leading a partnership of seven Councils in north and mid Wales to manage and maintain 1100km of Trunk Roads (Welsh Government nationally important highways).
Our Highways Works Service is responsible for the maintenance work along with dealing with accidents and incidents because of severe weather.
Street Lighting
We maintain 18,705 street lights and 6,067 illuminated signs in order to make our roads safer and for residents to be able to use our streets safely after dark. The lights use electrical power, which has a detrimental impact on the environment in terms of carbon emissions and light pollution.
Over the last three years we have been changing street lights and signs to LED (light emitting diode) technology with the majority of them dimming or switching off when appropriate. This is for the purpose of reducing energy costs, carbon emissions and preventing light pollution today and for the future.
In terms of the local environment, it is extremely important that our streets are clean and safe; streets must therefore be cleaned regularly. The appearance of streets and public spaces is important to the residents of Gwynedd, and there is a small team of officers responsible for dealing with environmental crimes such as fly-tipping, graffiti and dog fouling. On average, we take 1.76 days to clear items of fly tipping after receiving notice of them. The Cleanliness Index is used to assess the cleanliness and appearance of streets.
Street Cleaning
Keep Wales Tidy carries-out a survey to asses how many 'defects' such as rubbish, weeds, dog fouling, chewing gum and cigarette stumps can be found on our streets. According to the independent survey, the cleanliness and appearance quality of Gwynedd streets continues to be good, and it appears that a recent change in behaviour for the better is likely to prevent mess.
Page 73 43 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Percentage of graffiti Percentage of highways and posters which hide and associated land traffic signs and couse inspected which have hazards which are high or acceptable cleaned/cleared within standards of cleanliness 24 hours of the time that they are reported 100% 98.5%
Waste Collection and Recycling
It is vital to deal with waste in a correct way in order to protect our environment and avoid creating problems for our children and our children's children. Burying waste in the ground causes pollution to the land, water and the air. It is necessary to increase recycling, reusing and composting waste to avoid this.
The changes to refuse collection arrangements every three weeks and collecting food waste and recycling materials weekly, has led to an increase in recycling. Changes to garden waste collection arrangements and to collection vehicles which are less harmful to the environment have also been implemented.
We have completed over a million waste collection from Gwynedd houses within a period of three months. From these collections, some are missed, and although the figure is low (less than 1%) we recognise that this failure is important to the resident. The Department now collects information to understand why this happens and to ensure new arrangements for improving performance and responding to problems relevant to waste collection. Welsh Government has set ambitious targets for the purpose of reducing landfill and increasing recycling. The Council would incur significant fines if the targets are not reached.
Percentage of commercial recycling / composting levels We will seek to build on the 100% increase in recycling by residents 90% 80% and businesses in order to improve 70% our recycling performance again 60% 44.3% 50% 41.4% 40.5% 35.5% this year. 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18
Page 74 44 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan In response to complaints about mess and rubbish falling from/being left by waste and recycling collection vehicles, a number of steps have been put in place to try to improve the situation. This includes using Romaquip vehicles rather than Kerbside vehicles, which means that there is no tipping above the height of the vehicles and they are therefore safer for the workforce. Using these new vehicles also means a reduction in the number of materials falling from the vehicles as materials are not stored freely when moving from property to property which leads to better arrangements when serving the cartgylchu. We will continue to respond to our residents' concerns and ensure an improvement in the situation by focusing on the smaller vehicles.
We also continue to work on the Bangor Image project which is progressing well. This is a partnership with representatives from the City Council, BID Bangor, Bangor University and several other organisations. The group's main focus is to improve the City's image. We will learn from this work in Bangor and will then introduce it in other areas. We also work with a group in Dyffryn Nantlle to improve the area's appearance. We will learn from our experiences of working with Bangor project as we continue with this work.
Municipal Assets
We manage Bangor Crematorium and 16 of the County's biggest and busiest cemeteries.
The bereavement service is crucial to residents, and it is our aim to ensure a bereavement service which is appropriate and respectful.
CCTV
In order to safeguard the community, we maintain a network of CCTV in the populated areas of the County, namely Bangor, Caernarfon and Pwllheli. The service attracts income from others, but it is not sufficient to meet the costs of provision.
Last year, approximately 3000 criminal and anti-social incidents were monitored.
It is our aim to continue with the work of safeguarding the community
The Department is responsible for maintaining and cleaning the County's public toilets along with managing a scheme to provide other toilets (community toilets) which are open to the public by businesses and groups in the community. The Council does not have to provide public toilets, and residents did not prioritise the provision during the Gwynedd Challenge exercise. As there is a limited budget, other ways of Public Toilets Community providing the toilets must be identified Toilets through partnerships with the County's Town and Community Councils. Page 75 45 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan By creating partnerships, we will seek to keep public toilets open throughout the county.
The Department is responsible for maintaining roadside and open spaces in order to improve the environmental quality of our towns and villages and to make it safer for residents. Although grass is cut less often, public safety must be ensured. The Department cuts grass for other Council Departments, and for other establishments e.g. schools, leisure centres, residential homes and Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd.
We will promote wildlife whilst keeping our towns and villages tidy and safe.
Every child, parent and child minder appreciates playgrounds, and we maintain 131 of them across the County. Playing equipment is very expensive, and money for buying new equipment is very scarce.
Playgrounds with Playgrounds which equipment for have equipment young children older children We also maintain playgrounds so that they are safe for children and young people to be able to enjoy them.
The Department is responsible for 2017/18 Events Programme holding events to educate and raise 16 Litter / fly-tipping cleaning the awareness of children regarding campaigns with the recycling waste and preventing litter, community graffiti, fly-tipping and dog fouling 11 Clean environment road problems. We also organise local environmental shows in schools improvement campaigns with schools and community 8 Dog fouling prevention groups. This is important work to change behaviour in order projects in the community to promote a clean and safe environment today and in the or in schools future. 22 Visits to promote recycling It is our aim to continue with this programme in schools of events and campaigns throughout the County
Page 76 46 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 77 48 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Children and Supporting Families Department
Our purpose is to ensure that children and young people are protected from harm; experience stability in their lives and have the best opportunities in terms of their health and well-being.
There are several teams within our service and we work within three tiers of need:
1. Early Intervention 2. Care and support, safeguarding, and care needs 3. Specialist Teams In Gwynedd, we believe that every child and young person should be given the opportunity to fulfil his/her full potential. We recognise that children develop best when they are supported to grow and succeed within their families and communities. We also recognise that providing early intervention is critical in helping children and their families to thrive and to reduce the need for more intensive services.
In order to better meet the needs of children and their families, we need to work in an integrated way. We, therefore, want to develop the way in which we offer and provide services for families by adopting the Supporting Families Strategy.
The Supporting Families Strategy Improvement Priority 3
The purpose of the Supporting Families Strategy is to develop much more integrated services within the Council and with our partners, focusing our interventions on the early identification of needs, targeting families correctly, and providing services that reduce the need for more serious interventions. Further work has taken place to identify the demand for support for families across the Council's departments, in addition to mapping out the provisions that are already available to support families across Gwynedd, and the way people gain access to these services. This work will improve our understanding of the current situation and will guide the way we plan our response to the needs, jointly with our partners.
We will review our existing arrangements in this field in order to do more of what works to meet the needs of children and their families. Offering support to some families before matters escalate will be essential to help children and families prosper and to reduce the need for more intensive services. We will ensure a clear vision with key partners such as the Health Board, together with our communities and the Third Sector, to provide the best outcomes for those children, young people, and families who need our help.
49 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 78 Supporting People's Well-being Improvement Priority 3
In the Gwynedd Council Plan 2018-2023 published in March 2018 we planned for the 'Tackling Poverty' project in order to support the people of Gwynedd to cope with changes to welfare and benefits (in particular Universal Credit) and to give opportunities to people who are not part of the labour market. This project succeeded to increase the income levels of a number of families and campaigns such as 'Look after the Pennies' helped to alleviate some of the impact of moving to new benefit payment arrangements. The Universal Credit has now been operational in Gwynedd since December 2018, therefore there is no need to place as much focus on our response to that change. There is so much work that needs to be done in the field of tackling poverty to try to alleviate the impact of poverty on the people of Gwynedd, therefore from 2019 onwards we will be throwing the net wider and concentrating on the preventative field and the support that all Council services offer to the county's residents in order to address some of the obstacles they face. Some residents need more support, and the Council invests in, provides and plans many services and interventions that tackle various issues such as: difficulties with parenting and raising a family, obtaining and maintaining a home, maintaining healthy relationships, dealing with substance misuse and alcohol, violence, crime and the effects they have, living healthy and active lives, insufficient income and lack of work, inability to stay in education, lack of qualifications and basic skills, care, ageing, loneliness and lack of social contacts; and supports people to deal with them.
During the next period of the Council Plan, we will reach an agreement on the direction, scope and a work programme. 'Supporting People's Well-being' to ensure that the best use is made of the available resources to meet needs without delay, jointly plan services and appropriate interventions, and consider the efficiency of our current provision arrangements.
Early Intervention Gwynedd has established services and a track record of success and we have already developed a number of effective preventive projects. The Council commissions two large, grant-funded, anti-poverty programmes: Flying Start and Families First, which support children and their families.
50 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 79 Flying Start Flying Start Areas Our purpose is to make a positive difference to the life in Gwynedd opportunities of children under four years of age in specific areas of Gwynedd, through providing parenting, book-keeping, cookery, play, day care, and nursery group provision packs. During the 2017-18 year, the Flying Start referral panel dealt with 437 service referrals. This compares to 350 complaints during 2016/17. A number of the intervention packs were delivered to the multi-agency teams to be implemented, including health, child care, supporting families, or early language development staff.
Team Around the Family
Our purpose is to intervene early as soon as problems emerge within families, but this takes place on a voluntary basis with the family's permission. We will help by responding to needs and by providing appropriate services.
We received 649 referrals to the Team Around the Family in 2017/18 and a high percentage of families noted a positive difference in their lives following the intervention.
'Children First' Areas
We are trialling 'Children First' areas in the Maesgeirchen area of Bangor, to help create more integrated services and to reduce the amount of harmful experiences in childhood and to foster strength of character in our children and young people. This work is in its early stages, but the Children First plan is a priority for the Department. Youth services The opportunity to socialise, take part in activities and continue to learn and develop new skills outside school is very important to the County's young people. However, due to pressure on Council resources and the need to modernise to coincide with the aspirations of the County's young people, we have changed how the Council provides their youth service. Therefore in 2017/18 we have established a new youth service across Gwynedd. Our aim is to continue to support young people to learn and develop skills for personal, emotional, social and educational purposes.
51 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 80 Care and support, safeguarding, and care needs
Most children and young people in Gwynedd live happy, safe lives and enjoy opportunities to learn and play. However, some children and families need more formal advice and support at times.
The Council is responsible for leading, investigating and managing the county's safeguarding children interventions. We work closely with schools, the police, the health board, doctors, and health visitors etc. to fulfil this statutory responsibility. The responsibility for safeguarding is one of the Council's most important responsibilities.
The Information, Advice and Support Service maintains high standards when responding on time to referrals that may relate to safeguarding, and referrals for care and support. In order to safeguard children and young people we respond to referrals without delay. When those referrals include concerns about allegations of abuse, we need to investigate those allegations in accordance with the Child Protection Guidances. We will decide each case within twenty four hours in order to determine the best way to proceed.
The Social Work Teams offer intensive support and intervention to children and families. Social workers regularly see children and their families and keep in touch with them, remaining alert to issues of risk and reducing risk for children and young people. We ensure that resources are available to support them and that their needs are clear to us. Plans are then in place to respond to their needs. At times, we refer them to teams that provide more specialist intervention.
We are very keen to develop our interventions with families, and the Supporting Families Strategy and the intention to work in a more integrated way will help us provide earlier intervention for families to ensure we meet their needs before problems escalate. We also carry out child protection inspections; and, sometimes, some families need highly intensive support and we need to bring children who are in danger into the Council's care.
52 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 81 Children usually come into our care under highly challenging circumstances, and we are as ambitious for these children as anyone would be for his/her own child. To ensure that children and young people experience stability, we support children to live at home with support where this is possible. Emphasis is also placed on trying to place a child with members of his/her extended family or friends of the family. Where this is not possible, the child will be placed with registered foster carers or, at times, some children and young people will need specialist residential units to meet specific needs.
The Fostering Team's role is to ensure that we have enough foster parents to meet the needs of children who are not able to live at home. We assess and support foster carers so that they can provide children who come into our care with the necessary support, and this is a high priority for the Department. We are aware that children who are not in stable situations need the best opportunity to test those boundaries that are crucial for good development. This lays the foundation for achieving the best results for them.
While a child is under the Council's care, it is our responsibility to provide a clear care plan for him/her that is reviewed regularly in order to ensure that the right decisions are made for the benefit of the child and that there are no delays to the plan.
The Post-16 team supports young people who either need to be safeguarded or who need care and support and this includes young people who have left care up to 25 years old. The workers see the young people regularly and encourage them to keep good contact with their families and develop their skills to live independently. The 'When I'm Ready' Plan gives young people who are not ready to leave their foster placement on their 18th birthday the choice to stay on until they are ready to do so.
53 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 82 The Specialist Teams
The purpose of the Edge of Care Team is to reduce needs by offering intensive intervention and support to children who are about to enter care, or who have just entered care, or to return children home from care safely. By working with the children and their families, the physical and mental health needs and the emotional well-being needs of the children and their families are met.
The Derwen Team provides a service for sick and disabled children young people and their families. We provide support for young, disabled people to help their inclusion in community activities and life, and to increase their skills so they become more independent. We provide periods of respite care for a great number of families through a support service. It is a multidisciplinary team that works in partnership with the Health Board. We have social workers, nurses and psychologists working in the team and, because of the wide range of complex needs, our workers need to possess expert skills to respond to the needs of the children and their families.
The Integrated Family Support Service (IFSS) offers specialise intervention for families where the misuse of alcohol and drugs by parent and carers is a risk factor for children. Because of the intensive nature of the intervention, the service has prioritised it for families where the risk to children is high.
The purpose of the Youth Justice Service is to work intensively with children and young people who have offended and to prevent them from being repeat offenders. We offer a wide range of specialist interventions and work with the whole family to find solutions to help the children and young people from re-offending. We also work preventively with children and young people to prevent them from offending in the first place. This is done in partnership with schools and within the individuals' communities. We are a multi-agency team and we work in partnership with the Police, the Health Board, Careers Wales, North Wales Housing and others.
54 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 83 How we ensure the quality of Safeguarding
In order assure the Council that our safeguarding arrangements are robust, we have a Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit that focuses on different aspects of this important field. The Safeguarding and Quality Assurance Unit concentrates on different aspects in this important field. We implement the statutory duties to review cases of Looked After Children, and provide guidance on child protection, and chair Case Conferences and Strategic Meetings where allegations have been made about professionals.
We hold child protection conferences in partnership with the families and other workers. Intervening with a family to safeguard the child can be very difficult for them. Often, they do not welcome this support and often cooperation is often through enforcement. Our aim is to ensure that the child's voice is more prominent in these discussions and that families take a more effective part in their safeguarding plan.
Independent Reviewing Officers monitor every looked after child and young person's care plan. They ensure that the care plans have given appropriate consideration and weight to the wishes and feelings of the child, and that the child fully understands his/her situation bearing in mind the child's age and comprehension. Independent Reviewing Officers (IRO) assure the Council that the interests of the child are safeguarded throughout their time in care. They listen to children, make sure they are happy with their plans, ensure their opinion is heard and that their plans are followed, and that they are sufficiently empowered to take action if the plans are not followed.
55 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 84 Page 85 56 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Environment Department
The Department manages a broad range of fields within the three specific Services, namely:
• Planning and Public Protection • Property • Transportation and the Countryside Planning Service
The purpose of the Planning Service is to facilitate and manage sustainable developments for the benefit of our communities, the economy and the environment within the Gwynedd planning authority area (which does not include the National Park area).
In order to reach this aim, there are many aspects to the work:
Since adopting the Joint Local Development Plan (Gwynedd and Anglesey), the work of preparing 8 (of a series of 17) Supplementary Planning Guidance documents is ongoing. The guidance will add details to the planning policies, and strengthen the Plan's ability to provide firm grounds to make decisions on planning applications in the future. The arrangements for monitoring the Plan every year are also prepared to assess whether or not the Plan's strategy and policies are working.
We also provide guidance on planning policy matters to the Gwynedd Planning Authority, the Isle of Anglesey County Council Planning Authority and to external organisations and the public.
During 2017-18, over 2,300 general planning enquiries / pre-application enquiries were received.
We make decisions on planning permissions to develop land and deal with approximately 1,100 planning applications annually and, on average, over 85% of applications are granted permission.
On average, it takes 64 days to make a decision on applications, with a decision made on approximately 82% within the required timeframe.
Major developments have recently been approved including new schools, an electricity sub-station and poultry units. A very large number of applications for developments providing existing businesses with opportunities to expand and for new businesses to be established have also been approved, especially in the field of tourism attractions and associated businesses. The Planning Service is also a key part of the Wylfa Newydd Development Consent Order applications process and the National Grid's North Wales Connection Scheme, along with advising on a number of other large National Grid projects within the county.
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Page 86 We take enforcement steps against developments that have not received planning permission and we deal with approximately 400 cases every year. We investigated 75% of the enforcement cases within 84 days and a number of enforcement notices have been issued.
The Department is responsible for monitoring the expenditure of Planning financial contributions [106 agreements] within the LPA which can be significant amounts.
The Department also undertakes and annual programme of proactive work in accordance with the objectives of the Enforcement Strategy, which includes proactive monitoring, in addition to administrating, maintaining, updating and reviewing the Council’s register of Tree Preservation Orders Public Protection
The purpose of the Public Protection Service is to protect the public in relation to a range of environmental and health matters - such as air quality, noise, the food chain and alcohol as well as fake businesses and traders that unintentionally or intentionally breach the acceptable standards noted in legislation.
In order to reach this aim, there are many aspects to the work:
Pollution Control Responses to requests for service - We ensure that businesses or individuals do not number of enquiries pollute the air, the land, or seas with undesirable Odours, 79 substances or noise by investigating and responding to complaints of pollution and statutory nuisance. Abandone Noise, 469 d vehicles, We also assess the safety of private drinking water 358 supplies and the quality of bathing water and enforce improvements as required - 730 drinking water samples and 35 bathing water samples were Smoke and Waste and taken over the past year. air, 95 litter, 200
We investigate and monitor industrial processes on 47 sites and regulate industrial airborne emissions (oil waste burners, mobile crushers, cement machinery).
We also carry out burials in cases where there are no family members - we had 5 cases during the past year.
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Page 87 Licensing
We license the following fields in order to protect the Enforcing Licences users, businesses and communities of Gwynedd from any detrimental impacts.
• Alcohol and entertainment Licensing (including events) and gambling. 1,000 Alcohol 80 Gambling Premises Premises • Animal permits including pet shops, riding establishments and dog breeding establishments. 35 Animal Permits • Taxi vehicles, drivers and operators.
• Caravan sites and Scrap Metal dealer licences.
• Business sectors that could be dangerous. 400 Taxi Vehicles 570 Taxi Drivers
400 Caravan Sites 20 Scrap Metal Dealers Welfare
We ensure that businesses in Gwynedd meet Monitoring requirements in relation to food hygiene, food standards and health and safety in the workplace by responding to complaints, undertaking regular inspections and holding educational campaigns. More than 2,000 food business We protect residents and visitors to Gwynedd against infectious diseases and harmful chemicals.
95% of food businesses with a score of 4 or 5 We also investigate accidents and cases of infectious diseases promptly so that any further risks to individuals are removed. 333 Food samples 82 Accidents Requests for Service
1,040 205 226 Over 90 Educational Visit 2,000+ Food safety Health and Safety Infectious Visits businesses annually Diseases
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Page 88 Trading Standards
We ensure that businesses and traders in Gwynedd meet Monitoring product safety requirements (including age-restricted goods), fair trading, consumer protection, animal health and welfare and animal feed.
Over 8,000 traders We do this through a combination of responding to complaints, undertaking regular inspections, holding educational campaigns and targeting problematic traders.
Requests for Service More than 2,000 farms
1,410 105 requests for 460 30 Businesses to 40 Business to Complaints about advice from Animal Health store fireworks store petroleum traders businesses Applications Property Service
The purpose of the Property Service is to ensure that we have property that is suitable to Council services and to manage those property assets.
In order to reach this aim, there are many aspects to the work:- Property Safety and Maintenance
We ensure that our buildings are safe and in good condition to be used to provide services for the residents of Gwynedd by ensuring that we comply with the range of statutory responsibilities and ensure that we have an effective maintenance programme. Property Development
The purpose of the Unit is to develop new buildings or adapt and renovate existing buildings to improve the service provided for the residents of Gwynedd.
The New Ysgol Bro During 2017-18, 97% of our customers were happy with the work Llifon provided by the Property Development Team.
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Page 89 Estates and Facilities
Our purpose is to ensure that the Council receives the best value when managing its property assets and ensure that only those assets that we genuinely need are kept.
Office Service
The Offices Team provides office space for approximately 1,500 staff in seven substantial buildings including all relevant services that this covers such as caretaking and cleaning and safety arrangements for the buildings and their users.
We also provide a cleaning service for other buildings used to carry out the Council's front line services. We are also a provider to external companies such as Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd and Snowdonia National Park.
Energy Conservation Unit
After adopting our Carbon Management Plan, the Energy Team is implementing a number of projects to reduce carbon emissions.
The team's work to reduce our use has created annual revenue savings of over £900,000 for the Council.
A programme to raise awareness among school children has been an important part of this work and we have used characters such as Sbarci and Fflic to do so.
Parking Management and Enforcement The parking team is responsible for managing over 100 car parks across the County and is responsible for parking enforcement on our streets and in our car parks. The team's aim is to use enforcement powers in a reasonable and fair way in order to ensure safe parking and traffic flow for the public.
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Page 90 There is concern in the Caernarfon and Ogwen Valley area about the lack of public car parking for local people. The residents of the Penllyn area had concerns about the lack of parking spaces for workers on Bala Industrial Estate, which have now been resolved. We did not succeed in responding to these concerns in the Caernarfon and Dyffryn Ogwen areas in 2018, and we will investigate and consider options to address the problem.
Pest Control
We offer a service to control and destroy all types of pests by means of contracts and by responding to daily calls from the public for assistance to control pests in their homes or businesses. We also carry out the statutory service of caring for stray dogs.
Transportation and Countryside Service
There are four fields of work within the Service:
• Traffic, Projects and Street Works • Integrated Transport • Road Safety • The Countryside
Traffic, Projects and Street Works
Our purpose is to enable the public to use Gwynedd roads in a safe and unobstructed way.
We do this by assessing sites on the highways network in order to identify any potential hazards and implement solutions if needed. The solutions can be in the form of creating traffic orders (speed or parking restrictions) or undertaking road signing or marking plans to raise the public's awareness of hazardous situations.
We are also responsible for ensuring that proposed works from developers that could affect the highways network are carried out safely and in accordance with the correct standards. This involves providing advice to developers and submitting observations on planning applications received by the Council.
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Page 91 We also manage various road improvement projects across the County.
We are always looking for opportunities to fund our transport and safety plans from external sources and we often succeed to attract grant funding from various sources for these purposes.
Road Safety
We attempt to reduce injuries and accidents on our roads by undertaking appropriate initiatives (local, regional and national), including engineering measures, educational programmes, training, publicity and enforcement.
Concerns were raised regarding road safety outside primary and secondary schools in Penygroes which serve the Dyffryn Nantlle area. In the same manner, concerns were raised regarding road safety outside some of the schools in Caernarfon. We have already visited the schools to discuss their concerns with them and we are currently assessing the sites in order to try to find different options to help to reduce risks for users.
Street Works
We are also responsible for coordinating and monitoring the activities carried out on the public highway network by statutory contractors (e.g. Welsh
Water, BT) or their contractors. This involves d e s processing applications for e.g. drilling roads to fix s e equipment and closing roads to facilitate the c o r
undertaking of maintenance work. p
r e We also license the siting of skips and scaffolding b m on our roads as well as enforce property owners to fell u trees, move obstructions off the road and so on. N
Integrated Transport
Our purpose is to provide safe and quality transport which is cost effective as well as raising awareness and educating specific groups on how to cope with road hazards.
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Page 92 We do this by securing a network of public transport.
Public Transport
Over half the bus routes in Gwynedd receive financial assistance to run them because they are not commercially viable. To facilitate this, we prepare public transport contracts as well as prepare and create service timetables for the various routes.
We are also responsible for arranging education transport contracts (including a seat purchasing scheme) in order to provide free transport for eligible pupils.
In areas where a conventional transport provision is not available, or for our residents who are unable to, or find it difficult to, use conventional public transport, we also consider opportunities for community transport.
Percentage of services across In future we will consult with our communities the whole network to understand how we can use the resources we 1% 1% have to better serve our residents. We will also Tender seek to innovate to meet with the requirement in the most cost effective way possible while 35% Commercial ensuring quality and reliable services. 63% Community Transport On demand The Countryside
We facilitate and maintain public access rights to the countryside and coast, protect biodiversity and habitats on land and sea and we safeguard the quality of the landscape of the Pen Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Biodiversity We ensure that we comply with the Council's duties to protect our Biodiversity in Gwynedd. We provide specialist advice on planning applications and developments and have held 976 consultations over the 2017/18 year.
The Department is responsible for coordinating the work of managing a designated European site for marine habitats and species of European importance in the Pen Llŷn a'r Sarnau Special Area of Conservation, and manages and implements environmental projects such as the Marine Ecosystems Project.
The Department also holds activities with local groups and the public to raise awareness of the importance of our biodiversity.
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Page 93 Access to the Countryside
The Gwynedd public footpath network is 3,800km long and we have given priority to maintaining those paths that have been identified by communities as the ones that are important to them.
We also develop and maintain the national coast path which is stretches approximately 300km in Gwynedd.
A scheme has already been realised near Ty Moelwyn in Porthmadog which assists in improving the Coastal Path provision in the town. We will look at opportunities to improve the condition of other paths in the area in due course. There has been demand locally to complete the cycle path between Tywyn and Aberdyfi and it is already one of the Council's priorities. There has been progress on this scheme and we will be submitting a bid to the Welsh Government's Active Travel Fund in order to develop the scheme further. Calls are also being made to build a multi-use path between Pwllheli and Llanbedrog that would enable users to have easy access along Pen Llŷn’s southern coast. We will also submit a bid to Welsh Government to further develop the plan
We deal with applications to divert and create paths and maintain and update the definitive map which shows the county's rights of way network.
We have also prepared a Rights of Way Improvement Plan which sets a framework for improving the network and manages lands that include six Nature Reserves and other lands.
The Department protects and seeks to manage the quality of the Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in accordance with protocol. The AONB Management Plan is implemented by the Council and other organisations.
In future, our intention is to ensure that our cycling network is fit for purpose, and in that, solve aspects that prevent their full use. We will also take advantage of grant opportunities to expand the "Active Travel" network that offers health and environment benefits.
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Page 94 Page 95 66 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Economy and Community Department
The Economy and Community Department comprises a range of services that aim to improve the economic, social and cultural well-being of Gwynedd communities.
Developing Gwynedd’s Economy
We collaborate with partners to create the conditions for businesses and enterprises to establish themselves, to be competitive and develop in Gwynedd creating high quality jobs across the County.
The economy's performance has an impact on the quality of life of Gwynedd residents influencing household living costs and income.
Gwynedd's economy is performing fairly well at a Wales level but not in comparison with other regions of Britain and Europe. Wage levels in Gwynedd are much lower than in other parts of Wales and the productivity value of Gwynedd businesses is low compared to other areas. It is therefore important that Gwynedd Council takes proactive measures to create the conditions that enable businesses to grow and stimulate growth in the economy and this during a time of economic uncertainty as Britain leaves the European Union
This is a brief outline of the Department’s work in 2019/20:
Business Support
There are 15,100 businesses, enterprises and community companies in Gwynedd. The Department provides information, advice and 394 practical support to assist them to establish and develop in order to support and create of businesses have jobs. The Service places a particular focus on received support in supporting Gwynedd businesses to succeed 2017/18 when tendering for work and to keep the benefits of public and private sector contracts local by collaborating with Gwynedd Council's Procurement Team and the North Wales Economic Ambition Board. The Department also provides 87 work units throughout the county to enable businesses to be competitive and in the coming year we will include new management arrangements for these units. During the next year we will seek to ascertain the impact of Brexit on Gwynedd businesses and raise awareness of business support sources to enable businesses to cope with change.
Page 96 67 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Our improvement priority in 2019/20 will be:
Businesses Receiving Support to Improvement Priority 1 Prosper
The county's businesses work with many Council Departments and they receive a service from them, including rates, planning, trading standards, building control and procurement. By adopting an operational approach which places the needs of businesses at the centre, and makes it easier for businesses to contact and collaborate with the Council, businesses can be supported and encouraged to establish and grow in the county. Following research we have identified examples of good practice including the "Better Business for All" programme.
In future, we will continue with the work of reviewing how Council services are provided to businesses to consider whether there is room for improvement and will implement any lessons which become apparent to ensure that businesses are assisted to prosper. We will also support the development of the North Wales Business Network collaborating with partners in the public and private sector across the region.
Economic Development Programmes
In addition to directly supporting businesses, the Department works with partners across the North Wales region to target 320 million resources to invest in a package of investment by projects in of infrastructure projects and £ the economy since 2000 skills for businesses to prosper in the future.
Our improvement priorities in 2019/20 will be:
Growth Vision for North Wales Improvement Priority 1
The North Wales Economic Ambition Board is leading on the growth vision. The growth deal is based on seven programmes namely the Low Carbon Energy Programme; Advanced Manufacturing Programme; Land Industries and Tourism; Land and Property Programme; Skills and Employment Programme; Digital Programme; Strategic Transport Programme.
Over the coming year we will contribute towards the work of the North Wales Ambition Board to ensure that Gwynedd benefits from the investments associated with the Growth Vision.
Page 97 68 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Create High Value Jobs Improvement Priority 1 (£26,500 + salary)
Low salaries are an obvious feature of Gwynedd, with the weekly pay of Gwynedd residents (£478) amongst the lowest in Wales, and the low pay is at its worst in our rural communities (£418), namely the second lowest in the UK. In order to address this, one of the Council's main priorities is working with partners within the public and private sectors to create more, better-paid jobs. Among the highlights of 2018/29 was securing £7.5m in European funding to develop the infrastructure of the Llanbedr Airspace Centre to attract businesses to the site, and the Trawsfynydd Power-station site's profile received a significant boost when the British Government's nuclear sector deal was launched there.
We will continue to target sectors that pay well by creating an environment which supports new businesses and grows existing businesses and ensures that the local workforce is able to take advantage of the opportunities. We will also continue to seek to create conditions to attract investment in strategic sites such as the Trawsfynydd Power Station, Llanbedr Airfield and Parc Bryn Cegin/ Parc Menai.
Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig project Improvement Priority 1
The nature of our rural economy means that 78% of Gwynedd businesses do not employ more than one person and there are too many jobs within sectors which don't pay well. This leads to undermining the sustainability of our rural communities. Ensuring digital connectivity for our rural communities, and that the workforce and rural businesses have the skills to take advantage of them are matters which require attention if we are to have prosperous communities. We have already attracted £4million from the Wales Rural Development Programme to develop innovative working approaches and a range of exciting developments in order to target the rural communities in Gwynedd. During 2018/19 we secured money to support 10 rural towns and villages in the county to develop a WiFi service for the public. A range of ideas was trialled through Arloesi Gwynedd Wledig, including launching the digital playground in Glynllifon, that offers exiting opportunities to experiment with the Internet to respond to the challenges of rural areas.
We will build on the work which has already been done to transform the rural economy by introducing innovation within traditional sectors (such as agriculture and tourism) and support investment in the digital infrastructure of our rural communities through Digital Gwynedd giving particular attention to the Dŵyfor and Meirionnydd areas. We collaborate ŵith Grŵ p Llandrillo Menai and the private sector to establish a rural innovation hub in Glynllifon to lead on the work. We will also continue to work with the counties of Anglesey, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire to learn how to develop the rural economy and also sustain the Welsh language. We also influence and lobby regionally and nationally on behalf of the needs of rural Gwynedd.
Page 98 69 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Implementing the Gwynedd Slate Improvement Priority 1 Heritage
A number of Gwynedd's most needy communities are rich in heritage and are home to existing or proposed World Heritage Sites, such as the former traditional slate areas. There is an opportunity here to use the World Heritage Site designation as a tool to regenerate our slate communities and to increase the value of the tourist industry.
During 2018-19 the slate areas were selected by the Westminster Government as the UK's next nomination to UNESCO for a World Heritage Site designation. Also, more than £60,000 in lottery funding was secured to support communities to benefit from the designation. We are looking to bring forward a programme of regeneration activities in these areas which will lead to an increase in residents' ownership of their heritage, the form and appearance of communities and the quality of tourists' experience, along with continuing to work to secure a World Heritage Site status for the slate industry in Gwynedd.
Promoting Town Centres Improvement Priority 1
Lively town centres are able to make substantial contributions to the economic and social success of local authority. The high streets of a number of Gwynedd towns need support to ensure that they thrive by maintaining and creating work and providing a range of goods and services that residents and visitors need.
We will continue to work as a Council to look at how we could support and facilitate town centre regeneration to maintain a range of services for local residents and visitors within a lively environment with a Welsh atmosphere.
More Gwynedd residents playing a Improvement Priority 3 full part in the world of work
A range of residents are unable to fulfil their full potential as they are underemployed or excluded from employment. Being outside the world of work could lead to reducing residents' wealth and increasing the demand for public resources and preventing this is a key part of the anti-poverty agenda. There are direct benefits from being in work in terms of increasing earnings, but there are also wider benefits in terms of health, children's life opportunities and pride in communities.
In 2018/19, money from the Communities for Work fund and more was secured for the County, which will address any gaps in the current provision and offer support to individuals who are unemployed or underemployed. We will be continue to focus on a series of activities in order to get more Gwynedd residents into full-time work thereby reducing inactivity and unemployment.
Tourism, Marketing and Events Page 99 70 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan The tourist industry is a key employer in Gwynedd. With an economic value of nearly £1billion, over 15,000 people work in this sector. We assist the industry to attract people throughout the year who are likely to spend more locally, such as visitors who enjoy the outdoors and those who take an interest in the special history and culture of Gwynedd. To deliver this more efficiently we are redeveloping our Snowdonia, Mountains and Coast digital marketing and collaborating with partners to identify priorities to support 37,439 the main tourism destinations of Gwynedd and of followers on the broader sector. Snowdonia, Mountains and Coast's social We also support event organisers to create media vibrancy within communities across the county.
Our improvement priorities in 2019/20 will be:
Increase the Benefits from Major Improvement Priority 1 Events
Public events offer a commercial opportunity for local businesses to provide or deliver services. By staging events, it is possible to raise the profile of Gwynedd and market the area to tourists as an exciting and vibrant place to live, to visit and an ideal location for businesses to invest.
We have already been successful in attracting a number of national and international high-profile events to the County which brought in an investment of £5.3m in 2017/18. We are eager to continue with this in 2019/20 and to ensure that local businesses benefit from the events. This will lead to an increase in the number of opportunities to promote the County, an increase in the number of visitors to the County and increase in the number of opportunities for local companies to work at or offer services to the events.
Benefiting from Tourism Improvement Priority 1
Tourism is one of the main economic sectors in Gwynedd, nevertheless visitors put a significant added pressure on the infrastructure of the county's destinations, a cost which is mainly shouldered by Gwynedd residents.
We are looking to collaborate with the industry to consider the possibility of getting visitors to contribute financially to maintaining and enhancing Gwynedd destinations and raising the standards of the tourism sector. In doing so, we will improve the provision of the county's destinations and increase the standard of industry provision for visitors.
Maritime and Country Parks Page 100 71 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan As the Gwynedd landscape and natural environment is so important for the county's prosperity, the Department seeks to ensure quality and safe resources 2,700 in our country parks, harbours, marinas and on the boats annually use our beaches of Gwynedd in order to create recreational harbours attractions for local people and visitors. The Department manages 301km of the Gwynedd coastline, concentrating on eight blue flag beaches, four harbours and two marinas, including Hafan Pwllheli that accommodates 700 boats. The Department also manages the Country Parks in Glynllifon and Padarn.
In 2019/20 we will: • Update the Gwynedd Beach Management Scheme • Implement Strategies to Dredge Pwllheli Harbour and Victoria Dock • Develop future management options for Hafan and Pwllheli Harbour • Develop future management options for the Country Parks of Glynllifon and Parc Padarn
Our local priorities will be:
In consultation with local councillors in the Porthmadog, Ffestiniog and Penllyn areas in the summer of 2017, an aspiration was noted to attract more long-term good salary jobs to improve the economic situation of local residents. The Create High Value Jobs priority is developing new opportunities in Trawsfynydd and Llanbedr that will benefit these communities. In the Porthmadog area, it was also noted that the local councillors were concerned about the condition of some dormant sites in the area and in response we will be looking at opportunities to support, improve or reuse the sites. When we consulted councillors in the Dolgellau area it became evident that the poor connectivity of mobile phones and broadband hinder residents and the area's businesses. We are seeking for Welsh Government to prioritise the County for its schemes in relation to this field by following the principles of Digital Gwynedd. In the areas of Dyffryn Ogwen and Dyffryn Nantlle, local councillors noted that the promotion and regeneration of the high street was a local priority and we have made outline applications for some regeneration activities in the areas. In consultation with Bangor area councillors, their wish to improve the appearance of the local area was noted and to respond to empty shops, noting a wish to work with partners such as local businesses and Town and Community Councils to generate an income to contribute to the work. This, in turn, would support local businesses and tradespeople. We are considering the opportunities to build on existing work jointly with the Bangor Business Improvement District and out partners locally and regionally to plan a response. Additional grant funding to maximise the benefit of the interest free Loans Scheme has been secured. There is also a link to the county level priority to Implement the Gwynedd Slate Heritage plan, as noted above. The regeneration of these areas should improve any negative image that stems from being post-industrialised areas and release their potential.
Page 101 72 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Support Strong Communities
We ensure access to information, support and facilities to empower communities and to enable people to achieve their full potential. We also promote access, and protect and celebrate our culture and heritage.
The Department provides services for the people of Gwynedd which will help to create resilient communities; support the inclusion of people in their communities and tackle poverty.
We ensure access to information, support and facilities for residents to develop their skills and achieve their full potential. In order to create attractive communities, the Department also promotes access to the arts and protects and celebrates our culture and heritage.
This is a brief outline of the Department’s work in 2019/20:
Supporting Communities
It is important that Voluntary Groups and Local of projects that are Enterprises are supported to respond to local developing a new opportunities and needs. The Council has a service / network of area regeneration officers and 'CIST' 72 safeguarding access grants to support community projects. to a service We will target some communities more than others giving specific attention to planning support for areas with the most needs.
In 2019/20 we will: • Relaunch our Community Support service across Gwynedd • Measure the size and nature of the demand for support from communities and consider options to provide the service in future
Libraries Service
The Council provides a service in nine main libraries, four community libraries and three library click and collect links across the county. It is important for 30,283 Gwynedd residents to be able to borrow books, e- of Gwynedd residents books, audio books or DVDs of their choice. are Library members However, not all Gwynedd residents can reach their local library and therefore the Council also provides a mobile library that visits 129 stops in towns and villages as well as the homes of 87 individuals, (home service for those who are confined to their homes). Gwynedd Libraries are commissioned by the Education Department to provide the Lori Ni Service, which visits every Primary School, Special School and Language Centre twice a year to lend reading books for 3-11 year olds. Gwynedd residents borrowed 491,275 books in 2017/18. Page 102 73 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Gwynedd residents use the library for so much more than just to borrow books. They are welcoming places for people to use for various activities - reading and learning, access to information about matters such as health and welfare, job seeking, local services as well as 'Gwynedd Ni' which has specific information for families about services and activities for children. Gwynedd residents can also use one of the 110 computers or Wi-Fi, in the libraries for free.
In 2019/20 we will:
• Prepare a business case for resources to upgrade the facilities at Pwllheli Library • Introduce self-service arrangements in every library across the county • Continue to work with communities and promote access to the new service • Consider the role of Libraries within communities in future
Museums and Arts Service
The Service runs two museums in Gwynedd and is responsible for looking after collections and creating exhibitions in both, namely Storiel and the Lloyd 57,312 George Museum. visitors to the Storiel Much of our work in the field of community arts targets museum during health, well-being, education and tackling loneliness 2017/18 projects. The Service is also responsible for allocating arts grants in order to support arts standards opportunities for all.
The Service support various arts programmes to ensure that arts are alive in our communities and there is access to the arts in our rural areas.
Our aim will be to continue enrich the lives of Gwynedd residents by promoting an understanding of our unique heritage and culture.
In 2019/20 we will:
• Work with the Friends of the Lloyd George Museum to create a new way to manage the Museum • Ensure the success of the Storiel scheme and establish a Development Trust for it so that it may in future work with the arts and heritage sector in Gwynedd. • Work with the arts sector to realise the aims of our new strategy for the arts. • Support Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn to establish new community arts facilities • Develop plans to upgrade facilities at Neuadd Dwyfor and identify future sustainable provision models.
Archives Service
The Council has a statutory responsibility to protect our public records and to ensure that people have access to them. We will do this through the two record offices we have in Gwynedd - Caernarfon Record Office and the Meirionnydd Record Office in Dolgellau.
Page 103 74 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Gwynedd Record Offices have a wide range of documents, photographs, maps and newspapers with the oldest document dating back to 1176. 8,267 There is a range of public collections, official and people use the archives private that reflect the culture and heritage of Gwynedd communities. The Record Offices provide taster sessions and family history courses and work with Gwynedd Primary Schools.
In 2019/20 we will:
• promote access to the service • work with the Welsh Government and other records offices across north Wales to identify opportunities to make the best use of Record Office resources in the region.
Our local priorities will be:
During a consultation session in the Ffestiniog area it became evident that local councillors were concerned about the future of the Community Centre and the services located there, and the Regeneration Team recently conducted a survey on public buildings across Gwynedd. This indicated that ineffective use was being made of a number of public buildings in Blaenau Ffestiniog including the Community Centre. In a time of financial hardship, there is an opportunity here to share resources better in the future.
Improving the Health of Gwynedd’s Residents
We work with partners to inspire, support and enable Gwynedd residents to be active and live healthy lives.
The health trends of Gwynedd residents are slightly lower than the national average. However, with the levels of obesity amongst four-year-olds in Gwynedd among the highest in Wales, it is crucial that Gwynedd Council and partners respond and create the conditions to promote healthy living.
This is one of the Department's main aims, namely to collaborate with partners locally, regionally and nationally in order to inspire, support and enable Gwynedd residents to be active and live healthy lives.
This is a brief outline of the Department’s work:
Page 104 75 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Healthy Living Programmes
Sports for Life Team
The Department organises and supports a range of sports activities in of children schools, the community and outdoors participate in to inspire children and young people to sports three participate and enjoy sport. 49% times a week The percentage of Gwynedd children who participate in sport at least three times a week has increased from 43% in 2013 to 49% in 2018, and we aim to increase this in 2020. However, due to the national uncertainty regarding the arrangements to fund future sports programmes it will be a challenge to support some activities. In order to get the best impact with the available resources, we are looking at different ways to provide programmes to inspire young people to be active in the future.
In 2019/20 we will:
• Work jointly with partners to develop a new model to provide a service across north Wales. • Collaborate with Sport Governing Bodies to offer a range of activities that respond to the demand and opportunities that are available in the County.
Exercise Referral Scheme
have The Department supports Gwynedd improved residents to improve the condition of their their health via the Exercise Referral quality of Team. This is a specialist service with a 67% range of activities to help reduce the life score impact of conditions which prevent Gwynedd residents from exercising and to improve their health. There has been a significant increase in the number of clients for this service, especially in the fields of dementia and chronic conditions and there is clear evidence that shows the impact of this investment on the quality of life and health. However, there is a threat to the service budget as it is very dependent on grants and it will be necessary to look at different models to support the service in the future.
In 2019/20 we will:
• Respond appropriately to the reduction in the financial investment in order to try and support a county service. • Agreements with the Byw'n Iach company to provide the service on behalf of the Council in future.
Healthy Living Centres Page 105 76 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Gwynedd Council has a network of 12 leisure centres across Gwynedd which attract 1.3 million visits every year. This provision enables Gwynedd residents of all ages to learn new skills and to enjoy participating in energetic activities in safe environments. In a recent satisfaction survey it was shown that 90% of our users are very satisfied with what is on offer and this feedback has been crucial in enabling the Council to plan future improvements.
Gwynedd Council is committed to of 11 year continuing to provide Healthy Living old children Centres in future, however, in order to could swim deliver financial savings, it has established the Byw'n Iach company to run the in 2017/18 81% centres on its behalf in future. The Department will establish a contract with the Byw'n Iach company to manage the service from 1 April 2019 and the staff of every centre will be transferred to the Company by that date.
In 2019/20 our priority will be: • Supporting the Byw'n Iach company to establish and provide the service to Gwynedd residents in accordance with the agreement. • Establish arrangements to monitor the performance of the Byw'n Iach company in accordance with the agreement. • Establish arrangements to upgrade and invest in the facilities in accordance with the agreement
Page 106 77 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 107 78 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd Consultancy (YGC) Department
The Gwynedd Consultancy Department fulfils the Council's statutory roles in the fields of Flood Risk and Building Control. The remainder of the Department's work involves providing a commercial advisory service to internal and external clients, specialising in engineering or construction projects. Flood Risk We achieve our statutory duties as the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) for Gwynedd, following the principle of long-term planning to reduce the risk of floods to Gwynedd communities. In the future we will develop our work further in these 3 critical areas:
Planning for Investment
A duty under the Flood and Water Management Act (FWMA) is to investigate flood events which are reported to us – since the implementation of the Act in 2010 Gwynedd Council have investigated on average 42 incidents of internal flooding a year.
We also keep a database of near-misses and any flood related concerns raised by the residents of Gwynedd, where we aim to assist with solutions. We aim to respond to these in the shortest possible timeframe.
Collecting this information enables us to build a picture of local flood risk across Gwynedd, which is the basis of our flood risk management plan. Grant aid applications are subsequently made to Welsh Government to investigate and manage flood risk in the areas of most concern.
Similarly, we invest in the coastal areas that are most under threat of coastal erosion in order to try to manage the risks that face them. Current investment includes coastal defence in Borth y Gest, river defence works in Llanberis, and these schemes will reduce the risk to approximately 150 people.
Asset Maintenance
We are responsible for the upkeep of 129 coastal structures extending along 19km of defended coastline and, and also 40 structures which control the risk of flooding from ordinary watercourses.
The inspection and maintenance of these assets is essential in protecting hundreds of homes, businesses and critical infrastructure in communities throughout Gwynedd. We are able to give a snap shot at any one time of the most vulnerable areas in Gwynedd.
Page 108 7 9 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan We also maintain a coastal monitoring programme to identify changes to the coastline as a consequence of climate change, which could affect our coastal communities in years to come. Each asset is given a condition score between 1 and 5, and a target condition is set for each asset, our aim is that every asset in Gwynedd is to meet its target condition score.
Regulation
As LLFA Gwynedd Council have a regulatory role to prevent development and activities that could contribute to flood risk. These primarily include:
• Approving and adopting sustainable drainage systems for new developments that will control the risk of surface water from new developments. This is a new statuary duty that will be developed over the next few years, adopting and approving applications in a timely manner will assist the applicant and the planning process.
• Ensuring that any work carried out within an ordinary watercourse has the least possible impact on flood risk and the environment. We respond to 40 construction applications per year on average, with the statutory response time being 28 days, however we aim to approve these as soon as possible.
Building Control Unit
We work with the public and partners in order for our communities to have safe buildings that are in keeping with the latest technical requirements.
Customer Satisfaction (score out of 10) Building work must be completed in accordance with 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 the specific requirements of Building Regulations. This is important and valuable to the people of Gwynedd, as it will ensure that any building work is safe and is of the required 8.7 9.1 9.3 9.6 standard.
We aim to go beyond the statutory requirements by providing a Building Control service which is customer-centred, by offering advice, technical support, planning assessments and site inspections for every type of construction work.
In terms of dangerous buildings, we offer a 24-hour service to ensure that the health and safety of Gwynedd residents is safeguarded from dangerous buildings and structures.
Page 109 8 0 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan For Full Planning applications, the Building Control service aims to inspect the plans within 15 working days, with the decision being released as soon as possible. In order to approve the application (first decision), the Building Control officers offer to work with builders and architects in order to improve the standard of the application.
In future, we will develop our work further in these fields: • Customer satisfaction survey questionnaire. • Number of days to check full planning applications • Percentage of full plans approved/conditionally approved (First Decision). • Dangerous Structures – time taken to make building/site safe to members of the Public.
Consultancy Services
We design and manage projects relating to roads, structures, buildings, etc. in Gwynedd and throughout Wales, creating and maintaining quality jobs across the County, and contributing towards Gwynedd Council costs.
The costs of running the Consultancy Service are earned through client fees which, in turn, contribute towards the remainder of the costs of Gwynedd Council, by contributing towards financial overheads and targets.
Consultancy Services Operational Structure
Gwynedd Consultancy deals with each piece of work as an individual project, whichever Unit the work derives from. This means that individuals from any Unit across the organisation can act as leader or members of the project team to ensure success.
Through our Consultancy Services, we create local professional jobs that would not be available in the County otherwise. The Consultancy Services have to operate through innovative and sustainable methods, in addition to being competitive in price.
Highways, Construction and Building Units
Page 110 8 1 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan We carry out project management work which includes designing, and environmental and geographical needs.
Water and Environment Unit
The Unit works on designing coastal structures and flood prevention plans.
Gwynedd Council can attract funding for this work by gaining significant grants.
Business Unit
We serve and support all units within the Department, and implement the required processes to sustain the business.
In future, we will develop our work further in these fields:
• Continue to compete for work in 2019/20 in designing roads, bridges and projects in order to support the Council's financial benefit and maximise the profit by £107k. • Assist AECOM to deliver the upgraded A5025 from Valley to Wylfa Newydd. • Employ six new staff members.
Page 111 8 2 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 112 83 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Corporate Support Department
The Department reinforces the Council's ability to provide the best services to Gwynedd's residents through a combination of support, specialist and front-line services. This provides an opportunity for the remainder of the Council to focus on the other services that are provided directly to the public.
Customer Contact Answer phone Galw Gwynedd, from its centre in Penrhyndeudraeth, responds calls, on to telephone calls, e-mail messages and on-line service requests average within on behalf of Council services. Siop Gwynedd in Dolgellau, Pwllheli 40 seconds and Caernarfon operate as a combined one-stop shop and reception for the same purpose, along with operating as a first point of contact for the Tax and Benefits Services.
Galw Gwynedd receives approximately 200,000 telephone calls annually, and the Gwynedd Shops receive at least 20,000 visitors each year.
In future, we will:
• provide on-line self-service for an increasing amount of enquiries and service requests. As a Council, we want Gwynedd's residents to be able to access services or information at times which are convenient for them • review Blue Badge and Switchboard arrangements to improve customer services • introduce alternative contact arrangements e.g. “web-chat”.
Registration
The Council provides a registration service from four locations across the county, including Ysbyty Gwynedd.
During the past year, 5,600 marriages, civic partnerships, births and deaths were
In future, we will:
•undertake detailed assessments on the work of Registrars to ensure that we comply with the requirements on all occasions. •review work arrangements in relation to Weddings, to develop the service to be available through self-service • strengthen our service continuation plans.
84 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 113 registered and more than 3,000 requests for certificates. Communication and Engagement
The Communication and Engagement Service facilitates a two-way dialogue with the residents of Gwynedd, staff and councillors.
This communication includes maintaining a proactive relationship with the media, maintaining the Council's website and social media accounts, publishing Newyddion Gwynedd and coordinating opportunities for Gwynedd's residents to give their views on the Council's work.
In future we will: The Council's Social Website's followers • further strengthen the internal communication system and concentrate on establishing a procedure to identify and communicate a limited number of key messages and measure the extent to which these messages permeate through the workforce; • provide more services that are available 24 hours a day on the Council’s website; • complete the work of strengthening the visual “brand” to ensure that Gwynedd's residents are aware of the services and support provided by the Council.
Council Business Support This Service coordinates arrangements for publishing the Council's business plan, equality plan and performance reports in addition to advising and supporting project work, service reviews and scrutiny investigations. We will assist Council services to give fair consideration to the equality and rights of each individual and assist officers and councillors to challenge plans and working practices.
In future, we will: • implement the aims of the current Strategic Equality Plan and develop and publish the new plan for 2020-24. • develop and introduce a series of Project Management workshops for Council staff to introduce them to the key principles of project management.
The Service is also responsible for leading on partnership work between Gwynedd Council and Isle of Anglesey County Council:
85 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 114 Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board
Gwynedd and Anglesey Councils, with the Health Board, Natural Resources Wales and the Fire and Rescue Service, collaborate closely on the form of the Public Services Board in order to improve the well-being of residents in several fields.
The Board published its Well-being Plan in June 2018, with the aim of ensuring that public service providers work together to deliver positive changes in communities across the two counties.
In future, we will: • confirm arrangements to deliver and monitor the well-being objectives and the priority areas within the Well-being Plan.
Community Safety We will lead on both Council's work along with the Police, the Fire Service, the Probation Service and the Health Board to tackle and reduce crime and disorder to improve the safety and welfare of the residents of both counties.
In future, we will: • develop and implement a new plan to respond to the identified crime and disorder priorities in both counties. Promoting the Welsh Language All the Council's services are available to the public in Welsh and English, but the Council's administrative language is Welsh and we therefore promote and enable the use of the Welsh language in all our services. The Council wishes to see a situation where Gwynedd continues to be a stronghold for the Welsh language, and that it is an everyday language that is heard and spoken naturally by children, young people and adults across the county.
In future, we will:
• Implement the initial work programme of the Welsh Language Promotion Plan for Gwynedd 2018-2023 and develop collaboration projects across the fields in question. • Promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language as a natural social medium in the County's communities through the work of the language enterprise, Hunaniaith.
86 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 115 Promote the use of the Welsh language Improvement Priority 5 within the Council's services
Gwynedd Council has been at the forefront in terms of ensuring that services are available through the medium of Welsh and ensuring that the Council's internal work happens through the medium of Welsh. Nevertheless, we acknowledge that we are in a challenging period and that we need to work continually to push the boundaries to make sure that the services utilise every opportunity to promote the use of the Welsh language and to enable the public to use it in all contexts.
We will continue to work with services - especially front-line services - to develop the skills of new and existing staff and to take up new opportunities to ensure that we offer a fully bilingual provision for all aspects of our services
The Welsh Language in Public Services Improvement Priority 5
At present there is inconsistency in the provision of bilingual services by public bodies in Gwynedd which means that it is not always possible for residents to use the Welsh language naturally when communicating with public bodies.
Now that a work programme has been signed off, and as part of the Public Services Board's Welsh Language Sub-group, we will continue to drive forward projects that seek to set the expected and consistent standard across the public bodies - with the aim of encouraging a greater use of the Welsh language at first contact with services.
Gwynedd Businesses using the Improvement Priority 5 Welsh language
Gwynedd businesses have a role to play in promoting and using the Welsh language and our intention will be to encourage businesses to use the language when offering services.
Agree on and coordinate a tailored work programme.
87 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 116 Research and Information In order for all Council services to work successfully in accordance with the Ffordd Gwynedd principles, they need to understand the needs of their customers, to be able to measure whether or not they are delivering what's important to their customers, and to make decisions based on the evidence of the impact on the people of Gwynedd. To achieve this, gathering, recording and analysing information is vital. We are here to support the Council's services to do this.
As so much information is kept to provide Council services, including information about people, we need to ensure that the arrangements for creating, retaining, sharing and using this information are working correctly and that they comply with legislation.
In future, we will:
• review how staff and managers across the Council are able to obtain information and evidence, and improve the form and contents of what is available to them and how easy it is to access it (e.g. via the intranet) • contribute to the development of the Council's human resources systems, to specifically improve the type of information and analyses managers are able to easily access about their workforce. This will be crucial to the success of developments such as workforce planning and managing talent within the Council, and will enable us as a Service to focus on more specialist work that will provide business solutions in the field of human resources information. • make the most of the potential of the Council's new document and records management system (iGwynedd) and help services to develop things that facilitate ways of working and reduce unnecessary steps. • ensure that new work arrangements and practices that have been introduced across the Council to comply with new information legislation (GDPR) by 2018, are embedded and are robust. • review the arrangements of the Council's Records Centre to see how arrangements can be improved without affecting the resource available to the Service's other priorities.
88 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 117 Procurement The Council spends over £97m annually on procuring, or purchasing, various goods and services from revenue budgets. In 2017/18, the Council purchased goods and services which were worth over £60 £ million to the local economy. In future, we will:
• Strengthen and develop the procurement expertise within the Council and review what we are currently purchasing - we will assess the category management arrangements to ensure that the arrangements are implemented and that the tools and arrangements are fit for purpose. We will also ensure that the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations Act Wales are adopted in their procurement activities by ensuring that environmental, social and financial aspects receive appropriate consideration.
• Adopt best practice in the field - we will be reviewing our electronic purchasing systems in order to ensure that our arrangements are effective and efficient. As our ability to manage contracts is essential to ensure value for money, we will also seek to develop our arrangements for analysing the Council's expenditure. In doing so, we aim to ensure that our buyers make informed and smart decisions when procuring.
• Plans to support the market - for every contract, we will identify any deficiencies in the market that prevent companies from bidding for work and offer them appropriate support to be able to bid to deliver the services we need in future
Keeping the Benefit Local Improvement Priority 1
The Council is responsible for buying a number of goods and services and is eager to try to ensure that local businesses can compete and win these contracts in order to ensure that as much of the Council's expenditure as possible remains local. In 2017/2018, we succeeded to increase the percentage of local expenditure to 62% compared with 58% the previous year. New arrangements were introduced to seek to purchase goods and services in more innovative and efficient ways and steps have been taken in order to facilitate the businesses' ability to compete for contracts.
In 2019/20 we will continue with that work to raise awareness and understanding among businesses of the Council's procurement procedures and find other ways of supporting them further to deliver the services we need.
89 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 118 Democracy and Translation
The Democracy Service • maintains the committee arrangements and supports councillors in their work. • provides written and oral Welsh and English translations to staff, members and residents
Varied support is offered to 75 councillors in their various functions, so that they can make decisions and act in the interests of the residents of Gwynedd.
In future, we will:
• Develop regional scrutiny arrangements with other authorities • Prepare for the draft Local Government measure by developing web-casting and remote attendance arrangements • Implement the conclusions of the review of our scrutiny arrangements to contribute more to improve services
Emergency Plans
The Council has a role in preparing plans for dealing with emergencies and to collaborate with the emergency services, agencies and volunteers when caring for the public's well-being.
The provision of food and rest facilities, temporary accommodation and road safety are prominent examples of the specific responsibilities that the Council has in responding to emergencies.
Human Resources Advisory Service
The team of human resources advisers and officers are responsible for advising managers and headteachers on staff employment matters. This includes working conditions, equal opportunities issues, restructuring or service cuts, dealing with disciplinary matters and complaints, managing absences and recruitment and appointments. The Service also leads on the work of reviewing and developing local working conditions and promoting good employment practices.
This year, the team has already dealt with 130 individual cases. It is also currently advising on staffing matters related to projects such as establishing the Byw'n Iach company and the schools reorganisation agenda.
90 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 119 In future, we will:
• Establish an understanding of collaboration with every department, as a basis to develop a business model that supports Council mangers to take ownership of day-to-day human resources issues. • Collaborate with every department within the Council to consider and establish their workforce planning needs, and assist and support them to begin addressing any matters that arise from this • Review each of the Council's present local working conditions, including developing new ones, to reflect and support the way in which the Council wants its staff to work • Implement the 2019/20 pay settlement for local government workers and introduce a new pay structure that forms part of the national pay agreement.
Women in Leadership Improvement Priority 3
The Council is firm that it adheres to equal pay, however the Council acknowledges that the number of women who deliver a managerial function within the Council is disproportionate with the division within the entire workforce i.e. 70% women 30% men
The main purpose of this project therefore is to boost the number of women who apply for and attain higher positions within the Council by reviewing the conditions and the working environment to attract more women to undertake the work in future. We will consult widely within the Council with women and draw on work that has already been carried out by other organisations.
Support Service
The Support Services provide administrative support such as arranging appointments, ordering goods, printing, bill payments and post distribution for Council staff.
In 2017/18, the Service focused on rationalising the administrative arrangements, reducing superfluous paperwork, and enabling staff and managers to access service and information directly and promptly.
In future, we will:
• introduce on-line access to services to be able to check criminal records • input recruitment and appointment arrangements, in an effort to reduce internal bureaucracy and to facilitate the task for individuals when applying for a post in the Council. • change the procedure of communication and administration from paper to electronic means
91 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 120 Health, Safety and Well-being Advisory Service The Service provides advice and training on health and safety matters, investigates accidents and incidents and verifies standards in terms of health and safety arrangements across the Council. In addition to this, we support staff through periods of absences, provide advice to managers on the health of their staff and assess suitability to return to work following an injury or illness, screen the health of workers and carry out staff medical checks.
A review of the mental well-being support was conducted in 2017/28 and a number of aspects to improve were identified recognising that this is the main reason for sickness among Council staff
In future, we will:
• Reduce absences, and focus specifically on the priorities of the mental well-being work programme on how to cope best with stress • Continue to promote a new business model for the Service in order to encourage the services' ownership of day-to-day health and safety matters within the Council • Ensure that every cohort of the workforce has been assessed for the need for health checks.
Organisational Learning and Development
The Service provides relevant learning and development support, consults and responds to the needs of individuals and teams, helps to develop a beneficial working environment so that everyone gives their best, helps services to identify opportunities to improve and develops talent to fill gaps in the future.
This involves providing Learning and Development programmes for staff (on all levels) and Elected Members, and review them continuously to ensure relevance, We work with teams and officers to 'fill gaps' in the provision and tailor titles to meet their needs.
We will promote and support individuals to take ownership of their own learning, and offer a range of learning methods that include the 'traditional' along with innovative methods such as coaching and mentoring, learning through experience and using technology. Our intention is to develop and extend the e-learning provision.
We will Develop the Organisation by assisting the Council to establish and develop a working environment that allows staff to be at their best by putting the people of Gwynedd at the centre of what they do. This includes developing appropriate behaviours and culture and following the principles of
92 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 121 Investors in People, develop alternative working arrangements and ensuring a voice for staff. Alongside this, we will continue to extend the current benefits that are available to staff.
Another important element is to Improve Service by responding positively to Complaints, facilitating arrangements for Services to take ownership of, and learn from them.
In future, we will:
• Introduce the MoDS (Staff Development Module) on-line Learning and Development service • Develop Future Workforce Development plans (including Identifying and Managing Talent)
• Establish a culture of Continuous Appraisal that links directly to the principles of Ffordd Gwynedd
Developing Leadership Improvement Priority 7
Establishing leadership that sets a direction, motivates others and creates an appropriate environment for prosperity are central in enabling the Council to achieve the aim of placing the people of Gwynedd at the heart of everything we do. The development programme for honing the leadership skills of Elected Members and officers is moving forward promisingly. All Cabinet Members have developed their leadership skills as individuals and jointly during the last year, whilst the majority of Council managers have completed the development programme that concentrates on leaders' behaviours and on the understanding of the implementation principles that are part of establishing and maintaining the new culture.
We will continue to maintain development opportunities for Members and managers with a focus on a culture of leading people rather than merely managing people. We will re-establish the Managers Network and this will be an opportunity for managers across the Council to share good practice and receive training.
Empowering Units to Implement Improvement Priority 7 Ffordd Gwynedd
Establishing a consistent culture will not happen in isolation, and the purpose of this project is o lead service teams to reflect on their current working arrangements, to challenge whether they are placing the people of Gwynedd centrally and whether there is room for improvement. In doing so, we will ensure that every service unit within the Council places the people of Gwynedd at the centre of everything they do. This will also ensure that we consider alternative methods of implementation (including collaboration with others) and measure those ideas against a single yardstick – namely to what extent does it increase the benefit for the people of Gwynedd. We have already created a development programme based on learning in the workplace and have held training on the Ffordd Gwynedd principles for Heads of Department, Senior Managers and the
93 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 122 majority of Managers. Additionally, a number of service reviews have been undertaken, or are underway within the Council.
The original Ffordd Gwynedd Strategy published in October 2015 has now ended. Following consultation, we will publish a new strategy during 2019/20 whilst continuing to provide training for new managers and support services with reviews across the Council in order to ensure that we put the people of Gwynedd at the centre of any activities we undertake.
Apprenticeships Plan Improvement Priority 1
Welsh Government has outlined its national vision to address the need to develop vital skills in Wales and the broader economy to identify the priority fields and how apprenticeships will be an integral part of fulfilling this. The Council has already identified appropriate fields for establishing apprenticeships and has allocated funding to realise these schemes for the next two years.
We will establish an Apprenticeships Scheme that will employ at least 20 new apprentices during 2019/20.
94 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 123 Page 124 95 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Finance Department (and Information Technology)
The Finance Department's intention is to contribute towards achieving the aim of seeking "the best for the people of Gwynedd during a difficult period" by: • Ensuring the appropriate support to the Council's business operation and its services when managing, safeguarding and developing its financial position, in order to establish a sustainable community in an open, accountable and prominent manner. • Ensuring professional supportive guidance and technology of a high standard that promotes the Council's basic values and encourages entrepreneurship. • Providing front line services (such as collecting revenue and paying benefits) of a suitable quality to the customer, providing fairness to people and communities, and focusing on residents. Benefits Service 25 We administrate benefit support to approximately 7,500 tenants to pay their rents, and to approximately 10,000 20
s 15 individuals, couples or families to pay their Council Tax y a bill, aiming to do this in a timely and accurate manner. D 10 5 It can be seen from the graph that the number of days it 0 takes us to pay has reduced up to 2017, and we will 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 attempt to reduce the time further in future. Processing new benefits applications During 2019/20 we will continue to help the people of Gwynedd as required following the introduction of Processing notice of change in circumstances Universal Credit full service in October and December 2018.
Tax Service 98.7 Without Council Tax and Business Rates, it would not be 98.2
possible for the Council to provide its services. This % 97.7 service administrates and collects Council Tax for over 97.2 61,500 properties, and Business Rates (Non-domestic 96.7 Rates) of approximately 7,500 business properties in the 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 most timely and efficient manner as possible, including administrating the various available discounts, exemptions Council Tax collection rate (within the year) and release schemes. Non-Domestic Tax collection rate (within the year)
The service fully understands that it is not easy for everyone to pay these taxes, and we attempt to be flexible (e.g. encourage payment arrangements and agreements) and sympathetic to the individuals' circumstances. We attempt to encourage individuals to ask for advice on personal financing and more extensive debt advice.
Page96 125 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Income Service
The Council receives income (e.g. grants, payments for Value of varied debt over 6 months old service) of all types, and the Income Service processes this income, collecting the Council's debts in a timely and £1,000,000 efficient manner in order to make the most of the income. £950,000 The service considers the needs of the Council's departments and acts sensitively to debtors' financial £900,000 circumstances when carrying out its work. £850,000 £800,000 We have identified the need to improve the recovering processes of some of the debts of the Adults, Health and Well-being Department, and we will collaborate with this Department in order to make the most of the indebted money that is collected and available to provide services.
% of invoices paid within 30 days Payments Service
We are responsible for paying the Council's and GwE creditors in an accurate and timely manner. We pay over 105,267 invoices annually, with 91% of the invoices paid within 30 days on average, aiming to prioritise paying local 2017/18 suppliers promptly. 91% We will be moving to an e-invoices system in order to improve the service's efficiency. These arrangements will reduce a delay in payment and will enable us to have control 2016/17 2015/16 over all invoices that reach the Council. 91% 92%
Payroll Service
There are over 7,200 different individuals working for the Council in order to enable it to serve the people of Gwynedd, and the purpose of the Payroll Service is to ensure that they get paid accurately and in a timely manner. The service also keeps appropriate accounts in order to pay external bodies such as HMRC.
We will be reviewing what information needs to be included on the payslips, such as highlighting the employer pension contribution, etc.
Page 97126 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Pensions Service
The Pensions Service is responsible for administrating Average number of working days taken to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) on send a letter informing the value of behalf of over 40 employers including Gwynedd retirement benefits Council, Isle of Anglesey County Council and Conwy 15 County Borough Council. The fund includes over 16,000 active members, 10,000 deferred members and 10 9,000 pensioners. The service's daily duties include 5 establishing a record for new members, making changes to members' records, calculating deferred benefits, 0 transferring pension rights in and out of the LGPS, and 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 paying benefits after the retirement and death of the Estimate Actual Value scheme's members.
We will be improving documentation clarity in order to ensure that everyone understands it.
Investment and Treasury Management Service Within this service, we invest the Council's money in order to gain interest to contribute towards funding services. We also manage the Pension Fund's investments in order to ensure the ability to pay pensions now and in future. In addition to this, we are responsible for making decisions on long-term loans. The Unit's aim is to keep money safe, earn interest and ensure that funding is available to pay for daily expenditure. During 2017/18, the Council's borrowing activity remained within the constraints originally set. The total interest received on investments was £211,000 which was higher than the £173,000 in the budget. None of the banks the Council had used to invest failed to pay. Local government pension funds in Wales work by pooling investments in order to get the greatest benefit of joint-investing. Finance and Accounting Service (including devolved Units)
We provide a finance and accounting service, and we help and support services to be effective and efficient. The service:
• Regularly monitors and reports on the Council's financial performance. • Provides financial support with a gross budget of over £405 million • Is responsible for producing final calculations for the accounts of Gwynedd Council, two Joint Committees and the Harbour's accounts. • Is supporting the Departments to realise over £48.5 million in savings Success in staying and cuts since 2010/11 which is 96% of the savings target, with a slight within the budget slippage on the rest. The work of supporting the savings arrangement is ongoing. -0.36%
The Auditor General for Wales has published an unconditional audit report on the 2017/18 financial statements, namely that the accounts had been appropriately prepared and provide an accurate and fair picture of the financial situation. We will provide more financial advice to all Council budget holders. “Business” advice for departments and provide support to assist with the savings.
Page98 127 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan The finance the Council receives from the Welsh Government isn’t sufficient to pay for the key services the Council provides. Therefore, in order to ensure a balanced budget we will also continue to realise the savings already approved, and we will plan together with the people of Gwynedd to find and select the savings needed to respond to the financial challenge facing the Council in the future.
Internal Audit Service Internal Audit reviews the Council's governance and administrative arrangements in order to give confidence 102 to the Authority and the citizen that these arrangements 98 are robust. We will report independently and objectively 94 to the Head of Finance Department and the Audit and 90 % Governance Committee. 86 82 For 2018/19, a new arrangement was introduced where 78 Internal Audit reports are placed in one of four categories 74 of overall assurance. Initial feedback has been very 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 positive. % of audits that have been completed The move towards developing "agreed actions", which is an agreement between us and managers across the Council on how to improve management and reduce risks, has been completed.
Risk and Insurance Service All Council departments need to assess the threats and opportunities they could face when providing their services, and prioritise their activities based on the assessment. The role of the Risk and Insurance Service is to advise and support the departments when doing this. We also protect taxpayers' benefits by ensuring appropriate insurance arrangements and dealing with approximately 250 claims per year.
Information Technology Service % of network availability We implement the Council's Information Technology Strategy in order to help the people of Gwynedd to gain easy access to the Council's information and services, and for staff 2017/18 – 99.98% 2016/17 – 99.94% to work efficiently. 2015/16 – 99.95% The face of the service is the Support Service and the Helpdesk, % of Public Website availability which supports 2,350 users and completes approximately 20,000 requests for information, including providing 450 new computers annually, and 1,780 mobile phones and tablet computers. 2017/18 – 99.41% 2016/17 – 99.98% The Information Technology Strategy ensures that our 2015/16 – 99.62% technology services are presented on firm foundations that are supported by the Infrastructure, Telephone and Network Service, spreading to 250 buildings, 1,400 wireless access points and 2,370 phone connections, and support all systems in our data centres on 440 servers and 880TB storage.
Page 99128 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Despite these firm foundations, we need to introduce improvements to strengthen its durability, and this work will continue through the first half of 2019/20.
The current Strategy will be succeeded by a new Digital Strategy during 2019/20, which will transform our services further.
The Development and Geographical Information Service provides approximately 160 systems that have been developed around the user's appropriate needs, including systems that are used by the department for public services, direct interfaces for the public and staff self-service.
The Programme and Innovation Management Unit provides support to the departments to meet their IT needs, including ordering IT materials, implementing and monitoring agreements and analysing needs.
During 2019/20 will be conduct further exercises to strengthen the durability of our provision and the increasing calls to support services 24/7.
Page100 129 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 130 101 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Legal Services
The department supports the Council's ability to provide the best services to Gwynedd's residents through a combination of support and front-line services.
LEGAL
The Legal Service provides legal support across all of the Council's range of work from child protection and prosecution to the preparation of traffic orders and land and property proceedings.
As well as being available to deal with daily enquiries, the team on average deals with approximately 900 cases and proceedings annually.
PROPRIETY
The Legal Service supports the Standards Committee and the Monitoring Officer to implement their responsibilities for the propriety of the Council's method of action, the Constitution and complaints as well as the ethical framework for members of the Council and Town and Community Councils.
We continue to support Gwynedd Council's propriety system along with the ethical system for the County's Town and Community Councils.
ELECTIONS
The Legal Service also provides support to the Returning Officer and the Electoral Registration Officer.
The team is responsible for the administration of the electoral register and supports local and national elections and by-elections, referendums or polls within the county.
Projects
The service is implementing a project to improve the use of time and resources to make the best use of the capacity that is available to increase registration amongst cohorts where levels are lower than average, and also to promote is among the secondary sector age.
CORONER
The Legal Service provides support to the Coroner's Service for North West Wales.
We support and administer Coroner arrangements for North West Wales.
Page102 131 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 132 103 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Financial Information 2019/2020
Finance Economy and Community Department Department £6,528,280 £5,125,820 Corporate Management Environment Department Team and Legal £7,323,830 Department
Corporate Support £1,899,860 Department £7,525,360 Children and Supporting Families Department 2019/20 Net £14,373,020 Education Budgets Department Highways and £89,838,370 Municipal Gwynedd Department Council £25,707,890 Departments
Adults, Health and Wellbeing Department £52,440,250
Education Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Schools - Devolved 72,854,050 Quality of Education Services 2,579,130 Infrastructure and Support Services 7,849,600 Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion and Welfare 4,334,040 Leadership and Management 2,221,550 Total 89,838,370
104 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 133 Adults, Health and Wellbeing Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Older People 22,350,700 Physical Disability 3,507,340 Learning Disability 18,166,330 Mental Health 3,598,790 Housing Services 1,859,920 Management, Administration and Other Services 2,957,170 Total 52,440,250
Highways and Municipal Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Waste and Recycling 11,446,440 Road Maintenance 8,202,750 Street Cleaning 2,467,620 Street Lighting 1,768,850 Public Toilets 706,290 Grounds Maintenance 462,170 Crematorium and Cemeteries -36,890* CCTV 174,020 Fleet Management 308,470 Other 208,170 Total 25,707,890
Children and Supporting Families Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Children and Supporting Families Management 580,530 Operational Services 2,210,350 Placement Services 6,946,910 Derwen Services 1,793,610 Youth Justice Services 280,220 Edge of Care Team, Out of Hours Team and Other Services 1,563,770 Early Years Unit 144,050 Youth Services 853,580 Total 14,373,020
105 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 134 Environment Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Corporate Category and Management 453,740 Planning Services 196,650 Joint Planning Policy Unit 214,370 Pest Control and Dog Management Services 36,180 Safety, Cleanliness and Food Standards 728,130 Environmental Health 478,210 Trading Standards 500,220 Traffic, Road Safety and Enforcement 544,160 Forward Planning 75,910 Transport 1,712,420 Countryside Services 762,900 Corporate Property Services 1,432,500 Offices, Caretakers, Catering, Cleaning and Maintenance 2,193,280 Energy -130,290* Community Centres, Miscellaneous Buildings and Smallholdings -155,060* Public Protection Client Services -37,540* Parking and Enforcement -1,681,950* Total 7,323,830
Economy and Community Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Community Regeneration 300,254 Museums and the Arts 563,334 Archives 389,364 Commissioning Leisure Services 1,550,962 Business Support -23,297 Libraries 1,634,474 Maritime and Country Parks 105,923 Economic Development Programmes 291,993 Tourism and Marketing 312,814 Total 5,125,820
106 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 135 Ymgynghoriaeth Gwynedd Consultancy Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Engineering -557,300* Water and Environment Unit -40,350* Building Unit -22,210* Flood Risk Management 570,710 Building Control 70,170 Total 21,020
Corporate Support Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Departmental Management 504,160 The Council's Business Support Unit 649,670 Communication and Engagement 450,280 Research and Information 401,970 Democratic Service and Democracy 2,204,670 Welsh Language Services 276,110 Procurement 259,730 Human Resources Advisory Service 615,150 Health, Safety and Wellbeing 468,780 Support Service 585,990 Learning and Organisational Development 402,080 Siop Gwynedd, Galw Gwynedd, Blue Badges, Registrar 706,770 Total 7,525,360
107 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 136 Finance Department (and Information Technology) 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Departmental Management 364,730 Finance and Accounting 1,193,870 Treasury Investment and Management 122,010 Internal Audit 278,120 Pay-roll 347,270 Payments 176,040 Income 433,110 Revenue Systems Unit 278,040 Taxes 181,350 Benefits 389,630 Information Technology – Corporate 814,800 Information Technology – Programme Management 265,750 Information Technology – Development 655,080 Information Technology – Infrastructure 652,400 Information Technology – Support Service 376,080 Total 6,528,280
Corporate Management Team and Legal Department 2019/20 Area Net Budget £ Chief Executive, Corporate Directors and specific projects budgets 571,190 Emergency Plans (features in the Corporate Support departmental plan) 111,040 Monitoring and Propriety Officer 131,470 Legal Service 623,770 Register of Electors 157,640 Coroner 281,790 Elections 22,960 Total 1,899,860
* negative figures where income exceeds expenditure.
108 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Page 137 Page 138 109 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan GWYNEDD COUNCIL WELL-BEING STATEMENT 2019/20
Introduction
As a Council, we are committed to the principles within the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 in order to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well- being of communities in Gwynedd.
We will ensure that the Council considers the long term by collaborating and considering people of all ages when resolving and preventing problems. Working in this way will enable us to meet the present needs of our communities while ensuring that today's decisions are not harmful to future generations.
We reviewed the original set of well-being objectives (adopted for the Council in its Council Plan for 2017/18) as part of the process of creating the Council Plan for 2018-23. The evidence considered includes information from consultation sessions held with Elected Members across the County, feedback from a consultation session with the Council's Scrutiny Committee members, response to a public consultation on the proposed priorities for the Council Plan and the results of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Public Services Board Well-being Assessment.
This information was used to develop the new suite of well-being objectives for 2018/19 and we also looked to summarise, refine and improve on the original set of objectives adopted. In reviewing our well-being objectives for 2019/20 it is felt that the above evidence remains current and therefore our well-being objectives will remain as they were.
The Council's Ambition and Well-being Objectives
Our vision is for every community in Gwynedd to prosper, and for us as people to... • Enjoy happy, healthy and safe lives • Live in quality homes within their communities • Earn a sufficient salary to be able to support themselves and their families • Receive education of the highest quality which will enable them to do what they want to do • Live with dignity and independently for as long as possible • Live in a natural Welsh society • Take advantage of the beauty of the County's natural environment.
The Council's day-to-day work and the improvement priorities identified in the Council Plan 2018-23 will contribute to the aforementioned objectives.
Page 139 110 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan National Well-being Goals A summary of the national well-being goals can be seen below.
A PROSPEROUS WALES An innovative society which uses resources efficiently and well- educated people, which generates wealth and employment.
A RESILIENT WALES A nation which maintains and enhances biodiversity and healthy ecosystems which supports resilience and has the capacity to adapt to change (for example climate change).
A HEALTHIER WALES A society in which people’s physical and mental well-being is maximised and in which choices and behaviours that benefit future health are understood.
A MORE EQUAL WALES A society that enables people to fulfil their potential no matter what their background or circumstances (including their socio economic background and circumstances).
A WALES OF COHESIVE COMMUNITIES Attractive, viable, safe and well-connected communities.
A WALES OF VIBRANT CULTURE AND THRIVING WELSH LANGUAGE A society that promotes and protects culture, heritage and the Welsh language, and which encourages people to participate in the arts, and sports and recreation.
A GLOBALLY RESPONSIBLE WALES A nation which, when doing anything to improve the economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being of Wales, takes account of whether doing such a thing may make a positive contribution to global well-being.
How do the Council's well-being objectives contribute to the national well-being goals? The Council has adopted seven well-being objectives which contribute to achieving the national well-being goals. The table below outlines the link between our well-being objectives and the national well-being goals. It is also noted that our day-to-day work contributes to the national well-being goals.
Page 140 111 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan
e h g t
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u
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i a l e h s e r h l a i t p s e l l b a l s b i i a h s u e o o We will ensure that the residents v e l
o e r q of Gwynedd can: P R H E C A W G Enjoy happy, healthy and safe lives Live in quality homes within their communities Earn a sufficient salary to be able to support themselves and their families Receive education of the highest quality which will enable them to do what they want to do Live with dignity and independently for as long as possible Live in a natural Welsh society Take advantage of the beauty of the County's natural environment.
How will we work into the future?
When carrying out our work, we will seek to ensure that we work in accordance with the five sustainable development principles which have been adopted nationally:
• Long term - Balance short term needs with long term ones and plan for the future • Prevent - Allocate resources to prevent problems from occurring or getting worse. We will address problems by prevention and early intervention rather than being responsive. • Integration - Have a positive effect on people, the economy, the environment and culture. • Collaborate - Work with other partners to provide services • Inclusion (Communication and Engagement) - Include the people of Gwynedd when seeking to realise our plan and ensure that those people reflect the diversity of the area.
Our services already operate in a way which follows the sustainable development principle while adopting a long term and collaborative approach and working in partnership and including organisations, individuals and communities. In addition, we work in a preventative way, where possible, when responding to current needs and reducing dependency e.g. in the field of Additional Learning Needs.
Page 141 112 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan Having said that, the emergence of the Well-being of Future Generations Act and the Social Services and Well-being Act has offered us as a Council an opportunity to take stock of what we are already doing to work in a sustainable way and to set ourselves an ambition for the coming period.
Any financial decisions will consider carefully our ability to deliver what we have outlined in the Council Plan for 2018-23 and we will continually review what we are doing in order to ensure that the future well-being of the people of Gwynedd is central to the way that we plan and deliver our services.
Page 142 113 www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/CouncilPlan
Equality Impact Assessment 1 Details
1.1 What is the name of the Plan in question?
Gwynedd Council Plan 2018-23 – 2019/20 Review
1.2 What it the purpose of the Plan that is being created or changed? What changes are being considered?
The purpose of the Gwynedd Council Plan is to identify priorities and key fields to implement between 2018 and 2023. The original version of the Plan was adopted by the Council in its meeting on 8 March 2018
The Plan is annually reviewed and re-published with any necessary adaptations. These are the changes made in the 2019/20 Review –
The following projects either have been completed or have been incorporated into the day-to-day work of the respective Departments during 2018/19. - Transforming the schools system – Education Department - Corporate Parenting – Children and Supporting Families Department - Realising Savings – Corporate Support/Finance Department
The following projects have been added:
Improvement Priority 1
- Promoting Town Centres – Economy and Community Department - Apprenticeships Plan – Corporate Support Department
Improvement Priority 2
- Post-16 Provision – Education Department - Treferthyr Catchment Area – Education Department
Also, the following projects have changed:
Improvement Priority 3
- Working Together Against Poverty – The emphasis will change to concentrate on prevention and the support offered, with the title changing to Supporting People’s Well-being – Children and Supporting Families Department
Page 143 - Reducing the Gender Pay Gap – Title changed to Women in Leadership – Corporate Support Department
Improvement Priority 4 - Suitable and Affordable Housing and Identifying and Promoting Housing Schemes and Initiatives – Work continues as part of the Housing Strategy for the People of Gwynedd 2019-24 – Adults, Health and Wellbeing Department project.
This Equality Impact Assessment looks at the Plan in its entirety. Every individual plan is expected to be Assessed separately. It is the duty of the person who is responsible for the individual plan to carry out this Assessment.
1.3 Who is responsible for this assessment?
Dewi Jones, The Council's Business Support Service Manager.
1.4 When did you begin the assessment? What version is this?
27 June 2017, version relating to the engagement 13 December 2017, version 2, full assessment of the Plan. This is version 3- 4 February 2019.
2) Implementation
2.1 Who are the partners that you will have to work with to carry out this assessment?
Members, service users, Gwynedd residents, partners on Gwynedd and Anglesey Public Services Board.
2.2. What steps have you taken to engage with people with equality characters?
Page 144 A 6 week consultation during the winter of 2017/18 to present and explain the draft priorities to the public, partners and local organisations and raise awareness of the opportunity for them to participate in the exercise by completing a short on-line questionnaire on www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/consultation. Paper copies were also be available in local libraries and Siop Gwynedd.
We encouraged as many Gwynedd residents as possible to complete and return the questionnaire by using the Council's website, the local press, disseminating the message through our partners, social media and Rhaeadr, the elected members' e- newsletter.
We contacted as many as possible of interested groups and groups representing or working with people and/children with equality characteristics to notify them of the engagement and to ask them to notify their users of the questionnaire.
2.3 What was the result of the engagement?
197 questionnaires were received.
The respondents were asked to answer questions about their equality characteristics (optional) and the information gathered was as follows:
1) Completed the questionnaire as.... Individual - 159 Organisation or business - 5 No answer - 33
2) Gender Male - 84 Female - 65 Prefer not to say - 9 No response - 39
3) Age group
18-29 - 8 30-39 - 23 40-49 - 29 50-59 - 34 60-69 - 31 70 or older - 25 Prefer not to say - 9 No answer - 38
4) National identity
Welsh - 77 English - 22
Page 145 British - 46 Other - 9 I prefer not to say - 8 No response - 35
5) Ethnic Origin
White - 141 Mixed / several ethnic groups - 4 Black / African / Caribbean - 1 I prefer not to say - 11 Other - 3 No response - 37
6) Do you consider yourself as a disabled person?
Yes - 15 No - 129 I prefer not to say - 15 No answer - 38
7) Religion
Christian (every denomination) - 72 Hindu - 2 No religion - 52 Atheist - 5 Jehovah’s Witness - 1 Humanist - 1 Vasinava – 1 Wicca - 1 Other - 7 I prefer not to say - 17 No answer - 38
8) Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual / Straight - 127 Gay man - 1 Bisexual - 1 Other - 8 I prefer not to say - 20 No answer - 40
9) Gender at birth
Male - 79 Female - 61 Intersexual - 1
Page 146 I prefer not to say - 15 No response - 41
10)The way you think about yourself
Male - 77 Female - 59 Other - 8 I prefer not to say - 13 No answer - 40
It was not possible to identify a trend in the responses of any of the equality characteristics
2.4 What other information informed the way you operate?
As part of the process of drawing up the Council's Plan for 2018-23, a series of eight area meetings were held during July in order to give local members an opportunity to highlight any issues requiring attention in those areas. In addition, members of the Scrutiny Committees identified matters that they believed should be included within the Council Plan in the future.
Four further workshop sessions were held with members in September in Caernarfon, Penrhyndeudraeth, Dolgellau and Pwllheli. The purpose of these workshops was to give them an opportunity to identify the county priorities to be included within the Council's Plan and make further observations on the priorities identified per area.
2.5 Are there any gaps in our evidence that need to be gathered?
No
3) Identifying the Impact
3.1 What impact will the new Plan have on people with equality characteristics? The Council must give due regard to the impact any changes will have on people with equality characteristics.
Characteristics What type In what way? What is the evidence? of impact?
Page 147 Race (including None There are no individual plans that involve this nationality) identified characteristic. The Equality Impact Assessments on the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider.
The Welsh Positive This is a priority field therefore it is expected to have language a positive impact on the Welsh language. Each individual plan is expected to look at the impact on the Welsh language when carrying out a separate Equality Impact Assessment.
In relation to the prioritising the Welsh language specifically in the consultation, 18 of the comments supported the need to prioritise the Welsh language and 14 said that no money should be spent on the language.
A number of comments were made about the use of the Welsh language in the community and outside the classroom with many mentioning organisations such as the Young Farmers' Club due to the proposal to reorganise the Youth Service.
The following needs were also identified - for the Council to help the private sector to offer Welsh language provision, more bilingual signs and to ensure jobs or suitable housing to retain young people in the area. One believed that the Welsh language is a skill to attract jobs to the area.
There was concern that prioritising the Welsh language alienated non-Welsh speakers and tourists.
There was concern also about costs, with a number believing that there was no need for correspondence to be bilingual, rather it should be in the recipients' chosen language and there is no need for simultaneous translation if everyone is able to speak English. It was noted that the Council's staffing policy could alienate non-Welsh people and the Council could lose out on more able/experienced staff. It was believed that this was most likely in fields such as care. It was suggested that there should be an opportunity to learn Welsh 'on the job' and also the Council should encourage, and not force staff to speak the language.
One person called for the correspondence from
Page 148 schools to be bilingual rather than in Welsh only.
According to the respondents, the most important things about Welsh language lessons were their cost, their convenience (transport etc.) and their suitability.
A number of comments were received about the Welsh language when discussing matters related to children, young people and families also. Most of those comments were against preferential treatment of the Welsh language. There is concern that it would affect standards of education and staff recruitment and also about the cost. It was said that teachers should be allowed to develop language skills whilst in post. On the other hand, comments were received about the need to develop materials e.g. apps, and provide free Welsh language lessons.
Although not referring to the Welsh language specifically, there are a number of comments relating to the need for affordable housing and housing for local people.
The need to use clear Welsh when communicating with the public was noted, especially education reports. The need for to improve the standard of the language in correspondence etc. was also noted and the need to check it before sending it. The respondents accepted that the errors occurred because Welsh was the natural language.
Disability Positive Care is a priority therefore it is expected to have a positive impact. Each individual plan is expected to look at the impact on disability when carrying out a separate Equality Impact Assessment.
The responses to the engagement shows great support for the care workforce with many wanting them to have a pay increase, better working conditions, more training and the opportunity to move on in their career. There was concern about turnover in the workforce. There is also a demand for improving standards within care homes and to attract more young people into the field.
Another strong message is the need to carry out preventative work to ensure that people do not need health care and to learn from good practice in other
Page 149 areas. There was strong support for facilities such as libraries and leisure centres to be used as resources for this and that cuts in these fields would be a "false economy". The need for transport was also emphasised.
Also, the need for the Council to collaborate more, internally and with external organisations such as health and the third sector, is a strong message from those who have responded to the consultation. Support should also be given to communities and facilities such as health care and additional care homes provided in the countryside as well as the big towns.
The misuse of parking spaces for disabled people was identified. Two people were in favour of disabled people paying for parking, one of them a disabled person. One disabled person said that cars parked on the pavement were a problem for him.
The need for a variety of housing has been identified including accessible ones.
Two people were concerned that they did not reach the criteria for care despite being disabled.
It was noted that disabled people and people with health conditions are in greater need of public toilets.
A number from Meirionnydd believed that the quality of care was not consistent across the county and one person asked for a centre for people with Alzheimer's in the region and another noted concern about failing to have care through the medium of Welsh there. One disabled person noted that it was not possible to get cleaners in Meirionnydd. He received a list from the Council but there was no one on it from his area. He believed that this was because of the need to speak Welsh. He was concerned because of its effect on health needs.
Gender Positive There is one specific individual plan in this field namely "Consider whether more could be done within the Council's employment policy to promote the number of women who reach higher posts" therefore a positive impact is expected here. Nevertheless it is not possible to identify the impact
Page 150 of the Plan in its entirety without completing impact assessments on the other individual plans.
Age Positive Age is prioritised in a number of fields therefore it is expected to have a positive impact on the field of children, young people and older people.
Each individual plan is expected to look at the impact on different ages when carrying out a separate Equality Impact Assessment.
The consultation demonstrated support for work in the field of Children, Young People and Families, especially early support and intervention, strengthening education and providing young people with training to enable them to get jobs. There was concern that the emphasis on the Welsh language affected recruitment and the quality of education within the schools. The importance of Additional Learning Needs provision was noted. Several expressed that they did not wish to see cuts in the field of children's care. One person said that it was important to support young people after they left care.
There is concern that we are losing talented young people. Seasonal tourist jobs do not keep young people in the area. The lack of hope and aspiration is a problem for young people in Meirionnydd according to one person. Young people need work to pay for housing.
The Council recognises that there will be a change in demography with an ageing population. The response to the engagement shows that people are concerned about future provision e.g. care homes, because of these changes. There is demand for people to be able to live independently in their communities and to support those communities to reduce the need for care. One respondent wants apprenticeships for older people not just young people and another notes the fact that older people need to park in spaces nearer to the town centre.
There is also demand for nurturing a good relationship between the generations, with the Hen Blant Bach television programme being mentioned. One person proposed that lonely older people should be paired with homeless young people.
Page 151 It was identified that cars parking on the pavement is a problem for older people and families with young children in prams.
A cohort of people who do not necessarily receive much attention when preparing Equality Impact Assessments are working age people, however the Equality Act 2010 protects the rights of people of all ages. The comments about jobs etc. apply to this age. There was strong support to creating and retaining jobs in Gwynedd and improving the infrastructure to achieve this. There were also messages about improving residents' skills, attracting big companies, not being too reliant on tourism and supporting developments outside the county. The lack of public transport at the right time could also create problems for people who want to work.
The need for a greater variety of housing has been identified with the needs of young people and older people being highlingted. Nevertheless, we should not forget the needs of people of other ages, with the demand for affordable housing and housing for local people. There were also comments about housing being close to work opportunities and public transport links, having less stringent planning regulations in the countryside, looking at empty housing and the need for social housing. One person felt that the problem was that the homes were not available in the right places for young families (i.e. in towns close to schools and shops).
A number of people identified the importance of libraries and leisure centres for children, young people and older people for socialising, health and somewhere to go, away from the streets. The need for provision for young people was also noted e.g. youth clubs, Young Farmers' Club.
Sexual None There are no individual plans that involve this orientation identified characteristic. The Equality Impact Assessments on the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider.
Religion or None There are no individual plans that involve this belief (or lack of identified characteristic. The Equality Impact Assessments on belief) the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider.
Page 152 One person said that there was no room for religion within education.
Gender None There are no individual plans that involve this reassignment identified characteristic. The Equality Impact Assessments on the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider.
Pregnancy and None There are no individual plans that involve this maternity identified characteristic. The Equality Impact Assessments on the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider.
Marriage and None There are no individual plans that involve this civil partnership identified characteristic. The Equality Impact Assessments on the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider.
3.2 Does the Plan answer these General Duties? The Council must give due regard to these duties.
General Duties Does the In what way? What is the evidence? of the Equality policy have Act an impact?
Remove illegal Yes The priorities and the individual plans should have discrimination, an impact on the duty. The Equality Impact harassment Assessments on the individual plans will need to and identify any matters to consider. victimisation
Promoting Yes The priorities and the individual plans should have equal an impact on the duty. The Equality Impact opportunities Assessments on the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider. As one respondent noted, it is important to remember the equality features of individuals when providing services, especially in the care field.
Encouraging Yes The priorities and the individual plans should have good an impact on the duty. The Equality Impact relationships Assessments on the individual plans will need to identify any issues to consider.
Page 153 4) Analysing the results
4.1 Is the policy therefore likely to have a significant, positive impact on any of the equality characteristics or the General Duties and what is the reason for this?
It appears that the priorities should have a significant, positive impact on at least some of the equality characteristics. We will only be able to ascertain the full impact once the assessments on the individual plans are completed.
4.2 Is the Plan therefore likely to have a substantial, negative impact on any of the equality characteristics or General Duties and what is the reason for this?
No substantial, negative impact have been identified with the Plan as a whole but will only we be able to ascertain the full impact once the assessment on the individual plans are completed.
4.3 What should be done?
Select one of the following:
Continue with the plan as it is robust X
Adapt the plan to remove any barriers
Suspend and abolish the plan as the detrimental impacts are too large
Continue with the plan as any detrimental impact can be justified
4.4 What steps will you take to reduce or mitigate any negative impacts?
There will be a need to undertake an assessment of the individual plans to identify any negative impacts and to identify the steps needed to mitigate them.
4.5 If you do not take further action to remove or reduce negative impacts, explain why here.
Page 154 This will be addressed in the Equality Impact Assessments on the individual plans.
5) Monitoring
5.1 What steps will you take to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the plan (action plan)?
The individual departments will be responsible for implementing the individual plans within the Plan. The Gwynedd Council Plan Project Board will support and monitor progress in order to ensure compliance that will include looking at the individual Equality Impact Assessments.
Page 155 Agenda Item 10
MEETING: Full Council
DATE: 7 March 2019
SUBJECT: 2019/20 Budget
CABINET MEMBER: Councillor Peredur Jenkins, Cabinet Member for Finance
CONTACT OFFICER: Dafydd L Edwards, Head of Finance
PURPOSE: Set the Council’s Budget and determine the 2019/20 Council Tax level
2019/20 BUDGET
The Cabinet’s recommendations to the full Council are:
1. that a budget of £248,013,890 should be set for 2019/20, to be funded by £176,551,790 of Government Grant and £71,462,100 Council Tax income, with an increase of 5.8%.
2. to add £18,316,130 to the capital programme to be spent in 2019/20 in order to establish a capital programme worth £34,991,250 by 2019/20 to be funded from the sources noted in Appendix 4 of the report.
A Council Tax increase of 5.8% would be a weekly increase of £1.46, or an increase of £75.69 in Band D Council Tax, an annual increase from £1,300.53 to £1,376.22 for 2019/20.
The detailed effect of this is set out in the formal decision in Appendix 12.
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Council has to set a balanced budget for 2019/20 and, in accordance with the usual practice, the annual budget is presented within the context of a medium term financial strategy (Appendix 8), ensuring that the budget prepares for the position to come, rather than meeting the requirements of one year alone.
1.2 This year, the Council profits from previous years’ medium term planning, as we are able to use some previously planned savings to help balance the budget. Nevertheless, some difficult decisions must be made to combine achieving additional savings and increasing the Tax by 5.8%.
1.3 It is recommended that the Tax is increased by 5.8% in 2019/20 in order to protect services for the people of Gwynedd, as the effect of implementing the other savings schemes that were considered would have been unacceptable.
1.4 Having consulted with the public, and having discussed in two series of workshops in December/January, and with the Audit and Governance Committee (14 February), the Cabinet has considered the 2019/20 – 2021/22 financial strategy, by recommending an appropriate budget to the Council for 2019/20.
Page 156 1.5 By 2019/20, we would need to increase our expenditure by £10.37m in order to “stand still” (details in part 3 below), including £2.5m to meet pressures on the services’ budgets (a list of the individual ‘bids’ is in Appendix 2).
1.6 In order to address the financial gap, £5.2m of savings (details in part 4 below and the individual schemes are listed in Appendix 3) will have to be attributed, and then Council Tax will have to be increased 5.8% (details in part 5 below, and in Appendix 6).
1.7 A thorough review of the Asset Strategy is underway, but for now we have established a programme on the basis of the minimum required for 2019/20, as noted in Appendix 4, which will mean adding £18,316,130 to the 2019/20 capital programme.
1.8 The Medium Term Financial Strategy modelling work in Appendix 8 shows, unless anything fundamental changes in the Government’s actions, that it is likely that flexible procedures are required in order to realise more savings in following years. With this in mind, it is recommended that the Cabinet considers a savings strategy for the future, whilst urging Welsh Government to fund local authorities appropriately.
1.9 The 2019/20 budget attempts to protect the services the Council provides for the people of Gwynedd, and recommends a 5.8% Council Tax increase in order to achieve that aim this year. By ensuring savings, they are intended to be achieved in those areas which will have the least effect upon our citizens, but this will be more challenging by 2020/21 and beyond.
1.10 It is a matter for the full Council to consider the budget and set the Council Tax for 2019/20 on the basis of the issues noted in the following report. The detailed report notes the factors that influence the proposed revenue budget for 2019/20, and outlines the main changes since 2018/19.
2. WELSH GOVERNMENT GRANT
2.1 The Welsh Government has announced the settlement to finance local government for 2019/20. The details, as announced officially by Welsh Government, are noted in the table below, together with the real “cash” figures:
Total Gwynedd Gwynedd Revenue Support Grant Welsh Council Council 2018/19 – 2019/20 Authorities official ”cash” £ £ £ 2018/19 Government Grant (without amendment) 4,214,066,930 176,376,410 175,127,330 2018/19 Government Grant (amended) 4,227,135,930 176,926,640 175,677,570 2019/20 Government Grant 4,237,431,000 176,551,790 176,551,790 Increase £ +10,295,070 -374,850 +874,220 Increase % +0.2% -0.2% +0.5%
Further details are available here –
https://gov.wales/topics/localgovernment/finandfunding/settlement/lg-settlement-2019- 20/final-settlement-2019-20/?lang=en
Page 157 2.2 It can be seen from the Welsh Government’s official figures which are in the above table notionally that Gwynedd Council receives a decrease in the grant of £375k by next year (after amending the 2018/19 figure to reflect the transfers into the settlement), which is a reduction of -0.2%, with the average increase across Wales being +0.2%.
2.3 A number of factors feed the local government grant allocation formula, namely the number of pupils, number of income support claimants, etc. and those factors have not gone in our favour this year.
2.4 Despite that, in contrast to the £374,850 reduction in the Welsh Government’s “like for like” official figures (above), quite a significant increase of £1,249,070 was received due to a tax base adjustment, which re-distributes the grant between Welsh local authorities. This was due to a decrease in council tax properties in Gwynedd (to compensate for the effect of migration of ‘holiday homes’ to the business rates list), compared with the usual general increase in council tax properties across other Welsh local authorities. This means that the grant movement in “cash” terms is a net increase of £874,220 which is +0.5%.
3. COUNCIL REVENUE EXPENDITURE - 2019/20
3.1 The table below shows the increase in the expenditure required in order to “stand still” in 2019/20.
Additional Expenditure Requirements
£ £ Base Budget 242,862,930
Staff Salary Inflation 5,260,930
Teachers’ Pensions 1,632,340
Other Inflation (suppliers) 2,253,830
Levies 372,860
Demography 878,420
Transfers to the Settlement 546,640
Bids – Pressures on Services 2,513,390
Miscellaneous Budget Adjustments 360,060
Earmark the additional Council Tax Premium yield to Reserves 669,560
Borrowing Costs / Interest on balances -149,270
Services’ Income Adjustments -100,640
Teachers’ Pensions Grant -1,632,340
Specific Grants -2,000,000
Net total of increases 10,370,000
Total 2019/20 expenditure requirements before savings 253,232,930
Page 158 3.2 Base Budget 2018/19 Although £243m is the net 2018/19 expenditure, it is important to note that the Council’s true expenditure is £403m as we receive a multitude of specific grants worth £99m and raise nearly £61m for services which we provide.
3.3 Salary inflation £5.26m Provision has been made for a 2% salary increase for Council staff, in accordance with the national agreement, with a significantly higher % for some staff on lower grades worth £1.6m to meet the national ‘living wage’ requirements. Also, £1.4m is provided for a salary increase of up to 3.5% for Gwynedd’s school teachers.
3.4 Teachers’ Pensions - £1.63m The Westminster Government has increased the employers pension contribution rate for the Teachers’ Pensions Scheme from 16.5% to 23.6% from September 2020, and 7% of the value of costs for Gwynedd school teachers’ salaries for 7 months is £1.63m. The Department for Education is consulting regarding funding the cost fully in schools in England, and before long, a specific grant is expected to be received to fund the cost in schools in Wales.
3.5 Other inflation £2.25m Net amount which includes provision for the effect of the ‘living wage’ (minimum pay) on the costs and fees of our private suppliers, together with a significant increase in inflation on fuel and energy budgets.
3.6 Levies £373k In December 2018, North Wales Fire Authority decided to raise the levy 5.2% on the constituent authorities, which increases the requirement on Gwynedd Council of £313k, while there was an increase of £10k in special drainage levies for ‘Natural Resources Wales’, and a £50k increase in the Snowdonia National Park Authority levy.
3.7 Demography £878k Total amount which reflects +£418k due to a net increase in the number of pupils in schools, +£471k for the Adults Department due to an unavoidable increase in care costs for an ageing population, and +£11k due to an increase in the number of children receiving care from the Children and Families Department. The net figure of +£418k for schools hides different positions in different sectors, namely secondary +£617k, primary -£260k and special +£61k.
3.8 Transfers to the settlement £546k Apart from resources for the teachers’ salary agreement (pressures which have been included within ‘Salary Inflation’ above), two responsibilities will transfer into the Welsh Government’s grant settlement for the Council by 2019/20. The budgets that will transfer to the Council’s budget, together with the relevant responsibilities, will be assigned to the relevant departments.
Therefore, there will be an increase of £312k in the Adults, Health and Wellbeing Department’s budget to reflect new responsibilities regarding the capital threshold for residential care.
There will also be a £234k increase in the Education Department’s budget to reflect the transfer of more free school meals in the context of implementing Universal Credit.
Page 159 3.9 Pressures on Services £2.51m
Unavoidable ‘bids’ – refer to Appendix 2 for details of each individual ‘bid’.
It is recommended to approve applications (“bids”) worth £2.51m by the Council’s departments for permanent additional resources to meet the unavoidable pressures on their services.
It is also recommended to approve a one-off bid worth £38,280 from the Reserve to Assist the Financial Strategy.
Bear in mind that many of the Council’s main priorities (developmental matters in order to make a difference) are being funded and commissioned separately (individually, by Cabinet decisions), through the Council’s Plan. What is presented here through the “bids” are unavoidable commitments that the departments are facing now.
Every department has the right to identify any expenditure which the Council has to fulfil to ensure the continuation of basic services. This heading is not for new developments, but rather for continuation of current basic services.
Of course, an element of these applications are highlighted whilst reviewing this year’s spending patterns. Others are a result of factors where there is a need for expenditure in order to protect outcomes for the public, or to meet statutory requirements. There is also an element of central government creating more pressure and expectations, and then we have to deal with the consequential effects.
The items presented here in Appendix 2 have been challenged thoroughly by the Corporate Management Team and the Cabinet Member for Finance before being recommended to be approved by the Cabinet. Further, all these ‘bids’ were discussed when they were presented on slides at the series of ‘Budget Workshops’ on 4-7 December 2018, where Council members reached a consensus that the expenditure was unavoidable.
3.10 Adjustments to Miscellaneous Budget £360k A total which reflects a significant number of adjustments in provisions across the Council, but mainly to earmark a reserve to address possible additional expenditure pressures during 2019/20 (especially in the children’s care field) and also to address income predicaments during 2019/20 (similar to the decision regarding the price of school meals in September 2018).
3.11 Council Tax Premium £670k It is recommended to earmark the Council Tax Premium yield in 2019/20 in a specific reserve to be used to finance the Council’s Housing Strategy. £2.03m had been earmarked in the original budget for 2018/19, therefore the additional £670k will mean a total of £2.7m by 2019/20. Specific attention is given to this in Appendix 6.
3.12 Borrowing Costs and Interest on Balances -£149k Projection of a reduction in interest payable on loans in 2019/20, as old long-term loans come to an end.
3.13 Adjustments to Services’ Income Budgets -£101k Net amount which has adjusted services’ income targets, including -£198k Adults (Welsh Government has raised the non-residential weekly fees cap from £70 to £80), the Education Department +£66k (the cost of freezing the price of school meals in September 2018), Consultancy -£100k (additional staff fees), Finance +£97k (£55k as Page 160 a result of new bank costs and £42k benefit subsidy adjustment), Economy and Community +£30k (mainly Maritime fees), and Environment +£5k (+£40k planning fees, -£20k street care, and -£15k traffic and statutory arrangements).
3.14 Specific Grants -£2m
A substantial number of specific grants are received where the Council is often expected to commit to additional specific expenditure. In some cases, specific grants can be used to fund pressures on unavoidable expenditure.
This has already been mentioned in 3.4 above where a specific grant is expected in order to fund the additional cost of teachers’ pensions. Also, a grant of £0.3m is expected to fund teachers’ salaries inflation in 2019/20, a £1.2m care pressures grant which could be used to fund Adults and Children’s demography and ‘bids’, together with £0.5m to prevent children from being taken into care which could be used to fund some of the Children’s Department’s preventative bids.
4. SAVINGS
4.1 The Medium Term Financial Strategy presented with the 2018/19 budget to the full Council on the 8th of March 2018 forecasted a funding gap of between £11m and £20m over the 3 years 2018/19 – 2020/21. Therefore, it was decided to make an early start on the challenging task of identifying significant savings for 2019/20 and beyond.
4.2 This resulted in the Cabinet setting challenging savings targets for the departments, considering all ‘possible’ schemes presented by department heads during the summer of 2018. The Cabinet members achieved the difficult work of selecting the schemes presented here in Appendix 3, disregarding options where the effect on the people of Gwynedd would be unacceptable.
4.3 Having identified the probable 2019/20 funding gap in the wake of the Welsh Government’s disappointing draft ‘settlement’ for local authorities in October 2018, the budget position was explained to Council members in a series of ‘Budget Workshops’ on 4–7 December 2018.
4.4 Having listened to members’ feedback in the ‘Budget Workshops’, the Cabinet Member for Finance presented a report on proposed savings to the Cabinet meeting on 18 December 2018, noting that the Council is facing a significant funding gap by 2019/20 and is presenting a programme of savings to partly address the gap, with the increase in Council Tax having to address the residual gap.
4.5 Further, 6 ‘Savings Workshops’ were held with Council members on 18–28 January to see if members had any proposals to change the direction of this financial strategy, and an informal ‘Big Workshop’ was held on 5 February in order to ensure members’ consent on the way ahead.
4.6 Also, the Cabinet held a public consultation during January 2019 and the main findings have been announced on line here -
www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/financialstrategyconsultation
The Cabinet paid approriate attention to the results of the consultation whilst deciding whether to implement the savings schemes. The public and back bench members’ objections to some specific plans were considered in the Members’ Workshop on 5 February.
Page 161 4.7 Then, in the formal Cabinet meeting on 19 February, it was decided not to implement the 8 schemes presented in the second part of Appendix 3. As can be seen at the end of Appendix 3, the total amount of the 8 schemes that the Cabinet decided not to implement is £215,990.
4.8 The Cabinet decided to approve implementing the proposed schemes presented in the first list in Appendix 3, to harvest £2.24m worth of further savings in 2019/20.
4.9 Also, in order to address the funding gap, £2.48m of ‘Gwynedd Challenge’ savings, which have already been approved and are effective in 2019/20, can be harvested.
4.10 Additionally, the Chief Executive was asked to go ahead with his ideas to find a further £0.5m efficiency savings in order to reduce the funding gap.
Savings to address the 2019/20 Funding Gap £ Approved Gwynedd Challenge Savings 2,483,100 Proposed Savings Schemes 2,235,940 Further Efficiency Savings 500,000 Total Savings to close the Gap 5,219,040
4.11 As a result, there is a total of £5.22m savings to be used to reduce the funding gap.
5. 2019/20 FUNDING GAP AND THE COUNCIL TAX
5.1 It can be seen from part 3 above, that the Council’s expenditure requirements (before deducting savings) for 2019/20 are £253.2m.
5.2 It is noted in part 2 above that the Welsh Government’s grant will be £176.6m.
5.3 As explained in part 3 above, there is a total of £5.22m of savings to be used to reduce the funding gap.
Establishing the 2019/20 Budget £ 2018/19 Base Budget 242,862,930 Additional Expenditure Requirements 10,370,000 2019/20 Expenditure Requirements before Savings 253,232,930 less Welsh Government Revenue Grant Income -176,551,790 less Total Savings to close the Gap -5,219,040 Funding Gap from Council Tax 71,462,100
5.4 This means that there is a remaining gap of £71.46m, and it is recommended to meet that gap with Council Tax. The Tax would need to be raised by 5.8% in order to produce sufficient income.
5.5 By 2019/20 increasing the tax 5.8% will yield an income of £71.46m, including £2.7m of Premium yield and £3.05m of additional income towards the gap. This would equate to a Council Tax increase of £75.69 in a Band D property, or £1.46 a week. Page 162 5.6 The choice between maintaining services and taxation is always difficult, of course, and it is a matter for all members to weigh things up and find a balance they consider to be appropriate. However, further to many informal conversations in two series of members’ workshops, and having considered the response of Gwynedd residents to the public consultation, the Cabinet has recommended a Council Tax increase of 5.8%, with a Band D tax of £1,376.22 for 2019/20.
5.7 The tax raised by the community councils and the Police Authority would of course be additional to this.
5.8 Background information and the context for setting the Tax level (together with details of the Premium on second homes and empty properties) is presented in Appendix 6.
6. CONCLUSIONS / 2019/20 BUDGET
6.1 This report and the appendices set out the factors that should be considered when establishing the 2019/20 budget and confirms that the savings strategy to address the financial position which the Council is facing must continue.
6.2 It is recommended to address a revenue expenditure requirement of £248m, having added £10.4m for inflation and pressures on services. After receiving a grant of £176.6m from Welsh Government and depending on £5.22m of savings, the level of Council Tax will need to increase 5.8% to yield £71.46m of income in order to close the 2019/20 funding gap.
Balanced budget for 2019/2020 £ 2019/20 Expenditure Requirements before Savings 253,232,930 2019/20 Savings Total -5,219,040 2019/20 Budget 248,013,890
To be funded from - Grant Income 176,551,790 Council Tax (yield after raising 5.8%) 71,462,100 2019/20 Budget 248,013,890
6.3 This will mean setting a net budget of £248,013,890. An analysis of the budget per service is given in Appendix 1.
7. CAPITAL
7.1 A new 2019/20 – 2028/29 asset strategy was established and was approved in the Cabinet on 19 February. Details are in Appendix 4.
7.2 It is recommended to add £18,316,130 to the capital programme to be spent in 2019/20, in order to establish a total programme worth £34,991,250 to be funded from the sources noted in Appendix 4.
Page 163 8. LONGER TERM STRATEGY
8.1 The revised Medium Term Financial Strategy is included here in Appendix 8. This year, there is more uncertainty about the future due to the Westminster Government’s 2019 Expenditure Review.
8.2 On the basis of our assumptions, it is probable that additional savings will need to be identified by 2020/21 and 2021/22, and that could be as much as £10m over the two years. Should the medium scenario in our projections happen, £5.6m more savings would be required over the two years 2020/21 and 2021/22, but an element of the 2019/20 savings yield (up to £4.2m) will be available as a head start whilst addressing part of the required savings.
8.3 Therefore, a savings strategy for the future will need to be considered, whilst urging Welsh Government to fund local authorities appropriately.
9. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS AND VARIOUS ASSESSMENTS
9.1 It is considered that the current level of general balances, i.e. £6m, is appropriate and this budget does not recommend the use of these balances for practical cash flow and unexpected expenditure. Detailed information about the balances and reserves are presented in Appendix 7.
9.2 Appendix 5 provides a detailed explanation of Gwynedd’s schools’ very favourable budget position, where there will be an addition to their resources due to demography and full inflation.
9.3 When deciding on a budget, and in particular regarding savings schemes, the Cabinet and the Council must consider the effects of their decisions from an equality perspective, and detailed assessments have been prepared for the individual savings schemes, and also generally for the Budget. Appendix 9 deals specifically with this.
9.4 The Council implements the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the recommendations in the report are based and developed in accordance with the statutory duty to undertake sustainable development in all its activities. Information regarding the Wellbeing Act and relevant findings are in Appendix 10.
9.5 The statutory finance officer must express an opinion on the robustness of the estimates. An assessment of the main risks and confirmation that these schemes are robust, sufficient and achievable are presented in Appendix 11.
Page 164
APPENDICES
1 Budget Summary
2 2019/20 Bids
3 Savings
4 Capital
5 Dealing with the Schools’ Budget in 2019/20
6 Council Tax
7 Balances
8 Medium Term Financial Strategy
9 Equality Impact Assessment
10 Wellbeing of Future Generations Act
11 Robustness of Estimates
12 Formal Decision
Page 165 APPENDIX 1 - BUDGET SUMMARY
PROPSED BUDGETS BY SERVICE 2019/20 Base Transfer Pay Inflation Other Demography Various Pressure Adjusting Utilising Savings Base Budget to the and Inflation Budget on Income Specific & Budget 2018/19 Settlement Pensions Adjustments Services Budgets Grants Cuts 2019/20 DEPARTMENTS £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 £'000 Corporate Management Team and Legal 2,046 28 19 2 (201) 1,894 Corporate Support 7,741 150 42 (84) (363) 7,486 Finance 6,613 157 25 77 98 97 (559) 6,508 Highways and Municipal 23,790 532 367 82 36 (253) 24,554 Environment 5,130 184 3 140 (25) 5 (322) 5,115 Gwynedd Consultancy 229 91 (98) (16) (100) (127) (21) Central Education 14,431 234 250 182 259 (100) (6) 15,250 Schools Budget 70,043 0 3,745 264 418 (283) 125 66 (1,932) (308) 72,138
Page 166 Page Economy and Community 4,165 298 (105) (559) 30 (311) 3,518 Adults, Health and Wellbeing 50,426 312 1,166 976 471 248 1,161 (199) (1,200) (1,465) 51,896
Children and Supporting Families 13,842 285 124 (11) 98 631 (500) (273) 14,196 Departmental Total 198,456 546 6,886 1,799 878 (36) 1,926 (101) (3,632) (4,188) 202,534 Corporate and Capital Matters 44,942 6 963 264 19 (1,032) 45,162 TOTAL = 243,398 546 6,892 2,762 878 228 1,945 (101) (3,632) (5,220) 247,696
Less Community Council Precepts (2,207) (137) (2,344) TOTAL GROSS EXPENDITURE 241,191 546 6,892 2,625 878 228 1,945 (101) (3,632) (5,220) 245,352
Balances and Specific Reserves 1,672 420 570 2,662 NET EXPENDITURE TOTAL = 242,863 546 6,892 2,625 878 648 2,515 (101) (3,632) (5,220) 248,014
Financed Through:-
Grant 175,127 176,552 Council Tax 67,736 71,462 Total Income 242,863 248,014 2019/20 Bids APPENDIX 2
Ref Bid Title Permanent One-off Settlement Capital (£) (£) (£) (£)
Education Department Bid 1 School Taxi Transport 400,000 Bid 2 Integration – Statements / Individual 193,000 Development Plan Finance Department Bid 3 Increase in Microsoft Software prices 97,890 Adults, Health and Well-being Department Bid 4 Homelessness Prevention 35,000 Bid 5 Learning disability - Transition Age 286,800 Bid 6 Occupational Therapist - Learning Disability 23,000 Bid 7 Social Workers - Learning Disability 45,500 Bid 8 Registering Care Workers 38,280 Bid 9 Safeguarding Hub 51,000 Bid 10 Permanent resources to staff the new Dementia 808,000 Units Children and Supporting Families Department Bid 11 Social Worker x2 100,000 Bid 12 Additional Occupational Therapy Capacity 23,000 Bid 13 Returning Home Interviews 20,000 Bid 14 Child Placements 657,000 Highways and Municipal Department Bid 15 Waste Matters 36,150
Education Department Set 1 Free School Meals - Impact of the Universal Credit 234,150 Full Service (UCFS)
Adults, Health and Well-being Department Set 2 Change in the Capital Threshold that forms the 312,490 basis of Self-Funding Care Service from £40,000 to £50,000
Economy and Community Department Cap 1 Renew Mobile Shelving System Tracks - 57,350 Caernarfon Library Storeroom Cap 2 Voluntary Development Fund (CIST Gwynedd) 50,000 Cap 3 Adapt Changing Rooms at Glaslyn and Dwyfor 12,800 Leisure Centres Cap 4 Urgent Repair Works to Parc Glynllifon Structures 48,000
Details of the bids are available in the Cabinet report 19 February 2019 (Item 8, Appendices 2a - 2c) - https://democracy.cyngor.gwynedd.gov.uk/ielistdocuments.aspx?cid=133&mid=2438&ver=4
Page 167 APPENDIX 3 SAVINGS 1. The savings which have the least effect on the people of Gwynedd of course are efficiency savings, especially those which can be implemented in back office functions. However the opportunity for such savings has reduced significantly over the last 10 years, as we have already implemented them in order to find the considerable savings we have had to find over that period. 2. Nevertheless, various departments have found further opportunities to achieve further savings by looking at systems or reducing back office budgets. These schemes are noted in references 1.1 to 1.43 in the tables below. 3. There are also further efficiency savings which can be made by finding different ways of delivering services and these are noted in references 2.1 to 2.19 below. 4. Opportunities have also been identified to achieve savings by investing and these are identified in references 3.1 to 3.6. 5. After that, there are other services where we need to consider the income generation opportunities which exist in order to protect essential Council services. These appear in references 4.1 to 4.28. 6. In the end however, we will have to find savings in areas which are going to have an impact on the people of Gwynedd and that impact will vary from scheme to scheme. 7. The best way to minimise that impact is to persuade other organisations to take over responsibility for those functions, and two schemes, in references 5.1 to 5.2 below, fall into that category. 8. In references 6.1 to 6.27, there are other schemes which we can implement, whilst accepting that there will be an impact on our people, but noting that these are the schemes which will have the least effect. 9. It is important to note that this list has been drawn up having taken into account the results of the public consultation held in the autumn on the priorities of the people of Gwynedd. 10. Ensuring a quality education, substantial aspects of the care services; and two aspects of our municipal services (waste collection and recycling, along with the recycling centres) appeared in the 10 most important areas for the people of Gwynedd. 11. That said, it can be seen that everything we do is important to someone. Even with the service which came out as the least important overall from all those services we provide, around 100 respondents noted that this was one of the most important services for them.
Page 168 12. As the Care and Education functions account for 62% of the Council’s spending, it is impossible to omit them from any contribution towards the savings, but it can be seen from the list that we do not intend to ask schools to contribute to the schemes for decision here for 2019/20. Further, the contributions sought from the Care and Education fields are confined to efficiency savings, or savings which have a marginal effect. 13. Regarding groups with protected characteristics, it can be seen that public transport is prominent in their priorities. Therefore, the list below deliberately avoids asking for financial savings in those areas, although we are aware that costs are increasing significantly and the service will be hard pressed to keep all current services within their current budget. 14. You may note that the business sector naturally take a different perspective to the people of Gwynedd, and note that many areas associated with business support are the things which are most important to them. In formulating the proposals we have tried to limit such savings to the least detrimental reductions, but it is not possible to avoid an element of reduction in our functions. Any protection we could apply to this activity would mean a higher Council Tax than we would otherwise wish to see, but it is important that we continue to invest an element of our budget in this activity. 15. At its meeting on 18 December 2018, the Cabinet decided to conduct a second public consultation on the savings schemes listed in references 3.1 to 6.27 below. The consultation came to an end on 31 January 2019, and a link to an analysis of the results is presented in part 4.6 of the main report. 16. There was an opportunity to discuss the responses and analysis, together with the possible effects, in an informal workshop for all members of the Council on 5 February. 17. In order to establish a consensus of the best way forward, specific issues from the consultation were discussed to consider whether to reduce the proposed 5.5% increase in Council Tax by implementing further cuts. The consultation shows that over half of the respondents were in favour of the Cabinet’s motion, or the option to raise Council Tax by more than 5.5% in order to avoid having to make so many savings. The consensus at the Members’ workshop on 5 February was that the impact of the further cuts was unacceptable. 18. Consideration was also given to proposals not to implement some specific savings schemes, thus increasing the Council Tax by more than 5.5%. The workshop weighed up the potential impact of the proposals and the reasons the respondents gave for raising them. Many schemes were selected for further consideration, on the basis of the potential impact. 19. In the formal Cabinet meeting of 19 February, it was decided not to implement eight schemes (worth a total of £215,990) presented in the second list at the end of this Appendix.
Page 169 20. The Cabinet decided to approve the proposed savings schemes in the first list over the page in this Appendix. 21. The proposals noted in the following list will generate the savings below in 2019/20. A number of schemes also generate savings in future years which will enable us to start planning ahead –
£
Part 1 Back office efficiency 1,272,980
Part 2 Further efficiencies 269,370
Part 3 Invest to Save 21,500
Part 4 Increasing income 411,590
Part 5 Cease activity but ask others to take - responsibility (saving realised in future years)
Part 6 Savings which will have an impact 260,500 (to varying extents) Total 2019/20 2,235,940
22. Full information about the individual savings schemes, as presented to the Cabinet on 19 February, can be seen by following the link below - https://democracy.cyngor.gwynedd.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=13592
23. Of course, actioning some of the savings, would mean having to follow statutory processes and they would be subject to the results of such processes. Clearly the recommendation and any decision recognizes this and does not prejudice their outcomes.
Page 170 APPENDIX 3
Savings schemes the Cabinet decided to Ref. Total Savings move forward and implement 1.1 Achieve savings through purchasing more cheaply (e.g. office supplies & IT) £60,000 1.2 Set costs against capital budgets £45,000 1.3 Reduce office costs by letting vacant spaces £70,000 1.4 Rationalise and Integrate the back office of the Environment Department £35,000 1.5 Remove a post within the Property Safety Service £30,000 1.6 Previous restructuring savings within the Corporate Support Department £30,000 1.7 Reduce funds for travelling expenses and supplies within the Corporate £40,000 Support Department by approximately 10% 1.8 Terminate software agreement £10,000 1.9 Remove a management post within the Organisational Development Service £44,000 and merge the service with the Learning and Development Service 1.10 Review the support to the Public Services Board £15,000 1.11 Regrade two posts within the Corporate Support Department that support £15,000 the Council's work. 1.12 Transfer to a new customer contact back office system (Ffos) £23,000 1.13 Reduce administrative support within the support service by introducing IT £104,000 systems 1.14 Remove a post within the Information Service following the introduction of £30,000 an electronic system 1.15 Remove one human resources officer post and one human resources £80,000 consultant post by changing the delivery model (20% staff reduction) 1.16 Reduce the support to the Management Team and project management £110,000 1.17 End the Organisational Development Service £54,000 1.18 Reduce the costs of phone lines by using more of VOIP £76,000 1.19 Reduce External Audit Fees £40,000 1.20 Change the method of funding Procurement Systems £35,000 1.21 Reduce Travelling within the Finance Department by 30% £5,750 1.22 Reduce the Income Service's staffing by 8% £11,380 1.23 Reduce the Payroll Service's staffing by 9% £19,500 1.24 Reduce staffing in accountancy field £49,130 1.25 Use one-off underspend to fund training £34,400 1.26 Re-negotiate the Council's network agreement £170,000 1.27 Reduce the costs of supplies for the Finance Department by 2.5% £16,330 1.28 Remove a post within the Income Service £23,400 1.29 Extend the principles of the Alltwen Pilot Scheme across the service £534,000 1.30 Improve work processes by holding a 'Ffordd Gwynedd' review and using the £80,000 new IT system's finance modules 1.31 Review the business support within the Adults Services £135,000 1.32 Review working arrangements within Highways £50,000 1.33 Rationalise Fleet Workshops from 3 to 2 in the County £130,000 1.34 Reduce the professional / legal fees budget £7,260 Page 171 APPENDIX 3
Savings schemes the Cabinet decided to Ref. Total Savings move forward and implement 1.35 Reduce the training budget with the Children and Families Service £8,980 1.36 Reduction in the Children and Families Department support budget £14,960 1.37 Remove a support officer post £29,210 1.38 Delete the corporate working areas' budget £46,340 1.39 Create efficiency savings within the Coroners Service £5,000 1.40 Cut 2 days of elections and legal administration support (a reduction of 7% £12,450 in administrative support) 1.41 Delete the entire ‘Ffordd Gwynedd’ reviews support budget. £61,370 1.42 Limit staff time to attend educational courses, e.g. BTEC, HNC and degree £9,000 courses 1.43 Restructure the management of the Consultancy Service £23,000 2.1 Reduce the resource within the Countryside Service £20,000 2.2 Reduction in the number of Councillors £100,000 2.3 Revise DBS checking arrangements £50,000 2.4 Remove 1 post form the Communication and Engagement Service £26,000 2.5 Restructure the support for Scrutiny £25,000 2.6 Reduce staffing at the Tax and Benefits Service by 4% £40,440 2.7 An electronic payslip system for everyone £15,000 2.8 Savings in place from recent restructuring of the Library Service £15,000 2.9 Collaborate with the third sector to find a new provider to take over the day £100,000 care service in Criccieth and Blaenau Ffestiniog 2.10 Improve the coordination of the service with the Children and Families £60,000 Department at the time of transfer 2.11 Review of out of county packages in order to find more local locations to £100,000 individuals 2.12 Hire Collection Vehicles at the Recycling Centres instead of purchasing them £20,000 2.13 Rationalise the Highways' On-duty / On-call arrangements £15,000 2.14 Use cheaper materials to maintain roads £45,000 2.15 Change CCTV with monitoring officers to a system 'without officers' £210,000 2.16 Change working arrangements for collecting waste by establishing shifts and £150,000 shorter circuits 2.17 Support and train child-minders and nurseries ourselves £24,980 2.18 Reduce the Maintenance Allowance budgets £30,900 2.19 Realise more efficiency savings within the Emergency Planning Service £12,700 3.1 Provide electric car charging points in car parks £50,000 3.2 Invest in improvements that would make Neuadd Dwyfor more efficient, and £100,000 prepare to look at an alternative model for the future 3.3 Create a new Respite Care Unit at Tan Marian which will reduce the costs of £43,000 external placements 3.4 Develop 3 Extra Care Housing developments in Gwynedd (Pwllheli, £300,000 Ffestiniog, South Meirionnydd areas) 3.5 Reduce the dependency on temporary accommodation by investing in £100,000 appropriate accommodation Page 172 APPENDIX 3
Savings schemes the Cabinet decided to Ref. Total Savings move forward and implement 3.6 Install LED lamps to the remainder of street lights £45,900 4.1 Increase the fee for the care club before school from £0.80 to £1 £43,000 4.2 Increase the fee to assess the quality of water in order to reflect the cost of £25,000 providing the service. 4.3 Issue penalties on contractors who fail to comply with legislation when £15,000 working on our roads 4.4 Increase income by increase the number of pay and display car parks and £135,000 increase parking fees whilst considering how we can maintain or even reduce the cost to residents 4.5 Increase pest control fees in line with market prices £10,000 4.6 Significantly increase the fees charged to Statutory Contractors for road £30,000 closures / traffic orders 4.7 Increase the Occupational Health Service's income by selling more services £20,000 4.8 Attract additional income by providing services to other public bodies £56,340 4.9 Create income by selling our fleet tracking system £20,000 4.10 Generate income by preventing fraud £40,000 4.11 Attract additional income through an Internal Collection Agency £100,000 4.12 Standardise parking arrangements by introducing parking fees to areas (e.g. £40,000 Y Glyn area) 4.13 Establish parking fees at Dinas Dinlle £50,000 4.14 Increase launching fees across the beaches of Gwynedd from £10 to £15 £10,000 4.15 Charge the schools more for the archives service £10,000 4.16 Increase inspection and licensing fees of multi-occupancy properties from £20,380 £140 to £180 4.17 Increase the income from street enforcement by fining more individuals who £20,000 litter 4.18 Garden Waste: more income or reduce costs £100,000 4.20 Charge an additional fee for cremating on the same day as the service £20,000 4.21 Increase Crematorium fees from £520 to £550 £30,000 4.22 Recycling Centres: charge a fee on traders £20,000 4.23 Charge a fee for disposing DIY materials (e.g. Rubble at £3 per bag or £30 £100,000 per trailer) 4.24 Increase waste collection fees for businesses £100,000 4.25 Increase income by selling legal services to other public bodies £33,000 4.26 Increase YGC fees in the civil engineering consultancy work field £40,000 4.27 Increase income in the flood prevention field £51,000 4.28 Increase income by offering technical, scientific and engineering support to £30,000 flood risk mitigation plans to Councils across Wales 4.29 Increase income by offering more project management support to Welsh £10,000 Government on major plans 5.1 Transfer some public toilets to others £50,000 5.2 Transfer Play Areas to others £210,000 6.1 Reduce the contribution of the Council to GwE by 1% £6,410
Page 173 APPENDIX 3
Savings schemes the Cabinet decided to Ref. Total Savings move forward and implement 6.3 Reduce the frequency of cleaning in some areas within Schools by reducing £35,120 hours by 1.7% 6.4 Reduce the resource within the Road Safety Unit £10,000 6.5 Reducing the budget for maintaining public footpaths £10,000 6.6 Reduce the resource within the Planning Policy Service £5,000 6.7 Reduce the budget for the Traffic Orders unit by 33% £10,000 6.8 Reduce seasonal employment of the Tax and Benefits Service by 50% £42,780 6.9 Remove a vacant post within the Business Support Service (a reduction of £23,000 25% in the number of staff) 6.10 Review parking fee and operational arrangements at Storiel £20,000 6.12 Remove 1 post from the Economic Development Service (reduce staffing by £40,000 33%) 6.13 Remove 1 post and change the management arrangements of the £50,000 Community Regeneration Service (a 20% reduction) 6.14 Remove 1 post from the Tourism and Marketing Service (reduce staffing by £25,000 25%) 6.15 In the long term, reduce the subsidy to the new Company being established £155,000 by 20% 6.18 Review physical disability care packages and look to achieve objectives £100,000 through alternative ways 6.19 Review of the Continuous Health Care packages £200,000 6.20 Waste collection calendars in electronic form only £30,000 6.21 Barmouth Bridge – stopping payment to Network Rail for the right of way £35,000 over the bridge 6.23 Reduce the advocacy budget by 6% £2,090 6.24 Halve the foster parents' recruitment and training budget £5,420 6.26 Reduce resource within the Legal Unit to support the work of other £15,000 departments 6.27 Restructure the Building Control Unit by reducing the number of team £23,000 leaders TOTAL SAVINGS £6,402,920
SAVINGS AVAILABLE IN 2019/20 £2,235,940
Page 174 APPENDIX 3
Savings schemes which were part of the public consultation but the Ref. Total Savings Cabinet decided not to implement 4.4 Increase income by ending free Christmas parking from 2019 onwards. £45,000 4.19 Charge a fee for re-supplying bins that have been damaged by residents £25,000 6.2 End Library Services to Schools £73,560 6.11 Reduce the mobile library service - visiting less locations and less often £10,000 6.16 Reduce the strategic grants budget for the arts by 20% £18,000 6.17 Reduce the budget of the books fund by 10% £19,500 6.22 Reduce the budget of Women's Aid by 20% £10,770 6.25 Reduce the Council's contribution to the Youth Justice Service by 7% £14,160 TOTAL SAVINGS NOT TO BE IMPLEMENTED £215,990
Page 175 APPENDIX 4
CAPITAL
1. Whilst local authority revenue budgets face constraints, capital budgets are also under pressure, and there are revenue implications for capital expenditure which is not funded by specific grants.
2. In light of the revenue financial constraints we face and the fact that our previous Asset Strategy included a significant element of prudential borrowing (which places pressure on the revenue budget to pay for the borrowing costs), a thorough review of the next Asset Strategy is underway.
3. A proposed programme for schemes for the next three years is set out below:
CAPITAL PROGRAMME 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22
£'000 £'000 £'000 New Schemes Asset Management Plan to be Allocated 11,728 7,535 6,610 Highways Refurbishment 2,650 1,325 0 Childcare 1,238 1,113 0 Housing Strategy 2,700 2,700 2,700 18,316 12,673 9,310 Approved Schemes - Already a part of 16,675 6,129 0 the Programme
PROGRAMME TOTAL 34,991 18,802 9,310
4. We will be funding the programme as follows:
CAPITAL PROGRAMME FUNDING 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22
£'000 £'000 £'000 New Schemes Capital Provision in the Settlement 7,995 7,535 6,610 Grants and Contributions 2,563 2,438 0 Renewals and Other Funds 7,758 2,700 2,700 18,316 12,673 9,310 Approved Schemes - Already a part of
the Programme Other Borrowing 1,393 777 0 Grants and Contributions 8,753 525 0 Capital Receipts 98 750 0 Departmental and Corporate Revenue 265 0 0 Capital Fund 1,435 0 0 Renewals and Other Funds 4,731 4,077 0 16,675 6,129 0
PROGRAMME FUNDING TOTAL 34,991 18,802 9,310
Page 176 5. It is intended to establish a new asset strategy from 2019/20 going forward, in accordance with the report presented to Cabinet early in 2019. The new asset strategy will be operational for the period from 2019/20 to 2028/29.
6. The procedure for establishing the next strategy was approved by the Cabinet on 16 January 2018 and in the following months all Council members were asked to prioritise the schemes put forward by departments. A report on the detailed schemes will be presented for approval early enough for the 2019/20 financial year.
7. The above table therefore reflects the general capital requirements (together with the funding) for setting the 2019/20 to 2021/22 budget, whilst the individual scheme details will be established by the Council in the new 10 year asset strategy.
8. Therefore, the full Council is asked to add £18,316,130 to the capital programme to be spent in 2019/20, in order to establish a total programme worth £34,991,250 by 2019/20, to be funded from the sources noted in the table under part 4 above.
Page 177 APPENDIX 5
DEALING WITH THE SCHOOLS’ BUDGET IN 2019/20
1. Whilst developing a savings strategy and draft budget for 2019/20, a way ahead was agreed in order to avoid transferring a further savings target for Gwynedd schools again this year.
2. The schools’ budget will increase this year due to the usual “demography” adjustments, which derive from changes in the number of pupils. The actual number of pupils in September 2018 is used to calculate 2019/20 allocations. The position varies from school to school, but on the whole the effect of an increase in pupil numbers means that the schools’ budget in its entirety will increase £418k, which includes a reduction -£260k primary, an increase +£617k secondary, and +£61k for special schools. Against this years’ £617k increase, the secondary sector achieves a saving of £299k in 2019/20, following a decision to defer for two years from 2017/18, when the secondary demography was negative.
3. It can be seen in the ‘bids’ part of this report (Appendix 2) that there is a recommendation to agree to fund bids worth £593k for the Education Department, towards the transport (£400k) and integration (£193k) budgets, which means that the cost of ‘Education’ increases substantially between 2018/19 and 2019/20. However, there is a reduction of £247k in schools allocations in accordance with the Additional Learning Needs and Inclusion Strategic Review. Certainly, having taken inflation of over £4m into consideration, the schools’ budget will be much higher in 2019/20 than the 2018/19 level.
4. Also, there are a number of Welsh Government specific grants in the Education field. Whilst it appears that there will not be a “cash” reduction for these grants this year, it seems that the Government doesn’t add inflation to their grants. Therefore, with costs (teachers’ salary and pension inflation) increasing 5%, schools will perceive the position of some of the Government’s grants as a cut in “real” terms. However, our schools will receive a new grant from the Government towards teachers’ training.
5. The Westminster Government have increased the Teachers’ Pension Scheme employers’ contribution rate from 16.5% to 23.6% from September 2019. This will cost £1.6m for the 7 months in 2019/20, and the full year effect by 2020/21 will be £2.8m. It is 7% of the teachers’ pay bill, but a 40% increase in employers’ pension contributions.
While drafting this budget, it was assumed that the Welsh Government will fund the 2019/20 teachers’ pension increase through a specific grant. In January 2019, the Department for Education have consulted with the education sector mentioning “fully funding” the cost (£910m) for schools in England. A consequential allocation to the Welsh Government is anticipated, and in turn that would be passed on to local authorities, and then on to schools.
If there is no specific grant funding, or if the grant is far from being sufficient, at that time the Council will revisit this and discuss with schools how to deal with the one-off pressure in 2019/20.
Page 178 APPENDIX 6
COUNCIL TAX
1. It is a key decision for the full Council’s members to make, in light of the considerations presented here, to establish the exact level of Council Tax for 2019/20. The key to all of this is to strike an appropriate balance between the need to spend on services for the most vulnerable in our society, and the appropriate tax increase to be levied on the residents of Gwynedd.
2. In historical assumptions made in our medium term financial strategy, a figure of 3.5% was used, as an estimate of the average increase in Wales. By 2016/17, it was decided to increase the tax 3.97%, in order to avoid implementing some cuts. By 2017/18, as a number of factors had gone in our favour, it was possible to balance the 2017/18 budget with a 2.8% increase in the tax level. By 2018/19, the Welsh Government’s grant settlement was disappointing, and the tax had to be increased 4.8%.
3. This year, by 2019/20 it is recommended to increase the tax 5.8%, which would yield tax of £71.46m, including £2.7m of Premium yield and £3.05m of additional income towards the gap. This would equate to a Council Tax increase of £75.69 in a Band D property, or £1.46 a week. The tax raised by the community councils and the Police Authority would of course be additional to this.
4. Over 16.4% of households which are liable to pay tax in Gwynedd receive some element of assistance towards their Council Tax, and over 60% of properites in Gwynedd are in bands lower than band D. Every additional 0.1% of tax would adjust the funding gap we would need to find by around £71,246. Therefore, 0.5% would mean adjusting the funding gap by around £356,230 whilst 1% would mean adjusting the funding gap by around £712,461.
5. The increase in Gwynedd’s Council Tax, together with the average increase across Wales since 2014/15, is shown below.
Year Gwynedd Wales
2018/19 4.8% 5.0% 2017/18 2.8% 3.1% 2016/17 4.0% 3.7% 2015/16 4.5% 4.3% 2014/15 3.9% 4.2%
Total 2014-19 20.0% 20.3%
Average 2014-19 4.0% 4.1%
In 2018/19, Gwynedd Council’s Band D Council Tax level was £1,301, while the average level of tax for the counties in Wales was £1,219.
https://gov.wales/docs/statistics/2018/180322-council-tax-levels-2018-19-en.pdf
Page 179 6. We do not yet know what the exact average increase across Wales will be for 2019/20, but the latest information I have is that the average across Wales will be around 6%. Therefore, the motion here is going to be very close to the Wales average for 2019/20, and therefore adhere to the long-term policy.
7. The choice between maintaining services and taxation is always difficult, of course, and it is a matter for all members to weigh things up and find a balance they consider to be appropriate. However, further to many informal conversations in two series of members’ workshops, and having considered the response of Gwynedd residents to the public consultation, the Cabinet has recommended a Council Tax increase of 5.8%, which would be a weekly increase of £1.46, or £75.69 annually, with a Band D tax of £1,376.22 for 2019/20.
COUNCIL TAX PREMIUM YIELD ON EMPTY PROPERTIES AND SECOND HOMES
8. In the full Council meeting on 6 December 2018, it was decided to continue with the premium of 50% on second homes and on properties that have been empty for 12 months or more for 2019/20. It is estimated that the Council will receive £2.7m of additional income in 2019/20 by charging the Premium, and it is intended to earmark the money in a fund in order to implement the Housing Strategy, which aims to provide housing for young people in our communities.
9. All of the income and relevant expenditure to be addressed must be incorporated into the 2019/20 budget.
Page 180 APPENDIX 7
BALANCES
1. Local authorities need a prudent level of ‘working capital’ balances to maintain adequate cash flow and meet unforeseen expenditure. It is foreseen that the Council will have general balances of £6m at the end of this financial year, representing around 1.5% of the Council’s gross revenue expenditure.
2. We have noted, on more than one occasion, that due to the turbulent environment we will be facing in the years ahead, that it is appropriate to keep sums in reserve in order to deal with problems that could arise.
3. Nothing has happened in the meantime to change this opinion, and more challenging savings schemes in view of the Welsh Government’s disappointing grant settlement for local government in 2019/20 mean that the risk continues (if not intensifies). Therefore, the need to ensure that we have appropriate balances to deal with any financial shocks is still relevant (see Appendix 8 for the medium term Financial Strategy).
4. Having set aside funds in the Reserve to Assist the Financial Strategy in order to deal with possible overspending by some services in 2018/19, and after committing £38k from a specific fund in order to finance one-off bids, it is recommended that we do not use general balances in 2019/20.
5. The Council has a number of specific reserves established to meet specific expenditure needs. These are also part of the Council’s budget of course, and have been scrutinised annually. Attention was given to the specific reserves by the Cabinet on 22 May 2018 and also the Audit and Governance Committee on 28 June 2018, when it was approved to transfer £2.75m from reserves and provisions towards corporate priorities / requirements. I review the level of these reserves continually, and it is intended to hold another intensive review by May/June 2019, to consider how much scope there will be for the Council to change its priorities within these reserves.
6. In their report “Meeting the Financial Challenges facing Local Authorities in Wales” the Wales Audit Office stated (in paragraph 1.8):
“Councils can use reserves to help them to balance their budgets where savings plans do not achieve the expected results or where income is less than anticipated. However, financing recurrent expenditure from reserves would not normally be appropriate. A prudent level of useable reserves is a key element of financial stability; the minimum appropriate level will vary dependent on an authority’s known and potential liabilities and its spending plans. There are signs that a few councils are over-relying on general reserves to deal with budget shortfalls, rather than seeking more sustainable approaches, which often involve making unpopular decisions.”
7. Also, on 14 November 2018, the Welsh Government issued a statement on local authority reserves, which provides a useful context for our position and shows Gwynedd Council at a reasonable level in the middle of the Welsh authorities’ range of usable reserves.
https://gov.wales/topics/localgovernment/finandfunding/whole-government- accounts/publications/whole-government-accounts-reserves/?lang=en
8. I am convinced that the Council’s use of specific funds to finance one-off requirements is a totally appropriate action, and it is recommended that the Council’s balances are not used to balance the 2019/20 budget. Page 181 APPENDIX 8
MEDIUM TERM PLAN TO ADDRESS THE 2019/20 - 2021/22 FUNDING GAP
1. For a number of years, whilst establishing its budget, Gwynedd Council has been planning ahead to prepare for what might be on the horizon. This has paid dividends, and in fact this is why we have been able to use £2.48m of ‘Gwynedd Challenge’ savings to balance the 2019/20 budget. Not all Councils are in a position to be able to avoid cutting school budgets, raising tax 9%, etc. this year.
2. In order to continue on this course, in addition to establishing a budget for 2019/20, an effort has also been made to project the financial position for the following two years, so that we can set the 2019/20 position in its wider context and plan how we are going to meet the challenges ahead.
3. Since determining the Financial Strategy 2018/19 - 2020/21 in February / March 2018, detailed work to reassess likely budgetary
Page 182 Page commitments and assess a range of possibilities, has been carried out. In order to identify the financial challenge to the Council, further to thorough research, a range of assumptions were identified for the Government's grant 'settlement' level and the spending requirements of the Council's services, in order to provide likely financial scenarios for 2019/20 - 2021/22. These financial scenarios are presented to the Cabinet / Council in the form of a fan chart ("funnel of expectations") in order to identify the likely need for savings (or 'funding gap') to 2021/22.
Government’s Grant Assumptions for 2020/21 and beyond
4. In projecting, the most uncertain figure is the grant figure that we will receive from the Welsh Government from 2020/21 onwards. As the central grant 'settlement' funds 72% of the Council's net budget, this element is key in trying to project the financial position.
5. A combination of economic and political factors determine the amount of grant we will receive - the state of the economy, spending and taxation policies, and the UK and Welsh Governments’ prioritisation selections. In order to update the projection of what might happen, we have used the latest information available to us now, including the projected total UK public spending in the Chancellor's latest Budget.
6. The UK Government is going to conduct a Spending Review during 2019, which is a fundamental factor that could significantly change the position. This will determine how the total UK public spending will be allocated between various departments (and thus, how much the Welsh Government will receive through the implementation of the "Barnett formula"). It's probably superfluous to add that there’s an extra layer of uncertainty regarding the impact of 'Brexit' on the economy, and consequently, how much money will be available to spend on public services.
7. Despite the fact that so many economic and political factors are uncertain, the Council must plan prudently in the meantime, for a range of possible scenarios. In order to model how much may be allocated to local government in Wales, for the projections in this report we have made reasonable assumptions about the positions of relevant UK Government departments, the impact of the Barnett formula, the income the Welsh Government will get from the new devolved taxes, and the Welsh Government's prioritisation (how much 'protection' will be given to Health and other projects).
8. Regarding this last factor, as we don’t have any definite information about the Welsh Government's intentions, we have had to assume that they will continue with the same type of funding direction seen over recent years (i.e. giving less of an increase to local government compared to the Health Service and various other spending areas under Government care). If they changed this policy so that services are more equally funded, we would need a lot less further savings in 2020/21 and 2021/22.
The Council’s Expenditure Requirements
9. The most recent financial information about the Council's spending requirements for the 2019/20 budget has been prepared, based on ‘true Page 183 Page inflation’ (specific levels of inflation on pay and other budgets) and relevant trends, together with the 'pressure on services', including demographics (pupil numbers statistics and the number of older people) and bids for unavoidable growth in expenditure, net of possible adjustments to minimize the requirement on the budget.
10. We have reviewed our pay inflation and other inflation forecasts, and reviewed the forecasted demand for services. Of course, the basis of these projections is less reliable when forecasting further into the future.
Probable Scenarios – the need for savings
11. Final figures are in place for 2019/20, and it appears that the budget may be balanced by harvesting £5.4m savings plus a 5.5% increase in the level of Council Tax – which will be around the average level for local authorities in Wales, as mentioned in the assumptions of the previous medium term financial plan.
12. The fan chart below is presented for the next three years (2019/20 - 2021/22) creating a realistic and prudent picture of what could hit us. The "funnel of expectations" fan chart shows a combination of the possible scenarios, showing results in 10% bands.
13. Local authorities tend to declare their gross 'funding gap', before raising the rate of Council Tax. The first 'funding gap' calculated here is a net gap, which shows how much savings the Council will need to achieve in order to balance the budget after raising Tax by around the average increase. Then, the second fan chart shows the gross gap for comparison with other local authorities.
Gwynedd Council possible funding gap to 2021/22
25000
February 2019 version - on a net 20000 basis (after increasing the rate of Council Tax by around the average)
£15.4m
Page 184 Page 15000
£11.8m £11.0m
10000 £000 £8.8m
£6.5m £5.7m 5000 £5.4m
0 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22
-5000
Gwynedd Council possible funding gap to 2021/22
35000
30000 February 2019 version - on a gross basis (before raising the rate of Council Tax) 25000 £24.0m
20000 Page 185 Page £19.5m £17.8m
15000 £15.0m £000 £14.8m
£11.7m 10000 £8.9m
5000
0 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22
-5000 Savings Strategy 2020/21 and 2021/22
14. There could be a significant challenge ahead of the Council over the 2 years 2020/21 and 2021/22. See from the net gap fan chart that a strategy may be required to find a potential total of up to £10m of additional savings by 2020/21 and 2021/22.
15. With uncertainty arising from the Westminster Government Spending Review, the actual result could be outside our 'best / worst scenarios' on the chart. However, if the 'central' case happens, £3.4m of additional savings would be required by 2020/21 and a further £2.2m by 2021/22 (totalling £5.6m), while an element of the 2019/20 schemes’ savings (possibly up to £4.2m) would be available for 2020/21 and 2021/22. Disregarding the 10% most peripheral results, the total gap for the two years can range between £1.1m and £10m.
16. While our arrangements should aim to be flexible enough to deliver up to £10m of savings, after the 2019/20 savings strategy experience, we know how challenging it was to identify less than half of that amount of savings. Cabinet members have considered the impact on services for the people of Gwynedd and see that the line where no further cuts can be made is approaching.
Page 186 Page 17. We’ve concluded that the general picture appears to be serious for many Welsh local authorities, facing considerable pressure this year, as their financial position becomes more vulnerable. Some councils have ventured last year and tested that by now there is no 5% cap on the Council Tax increase, but remember that an additional 5% tax increase would only bring an additional £3.6m to the Council's coffers. That amount would not meet the Council's inflation, while a tax increase would put pressure on the people of Gwynedd.
18. Ideally, the Council would like to implement a 4 or 5 year financial strategy. Unfortunately, that is totally impracticable, as the Welsh Government has only provided a single year settlement without an indicative figure for the following year (understandably perhaps, in the face of national financial uncertainty due to the UK Government's Spending Review during 2019, etc.).
Medium Term Financial Plan for 3 years
19. Therefore, it is sensible to deal with the 2019/20 budget now, and continue with the savings strategy to respond in more detail by the following two years (2020/21 and 2021/22) when we will have identified the relevant funding gap with more certainty.
20. Meanwhile, while aiming to be flexible enough to be able to achieve up to £5.6m further savings (the central case of the forecasts) over the two years 2020/21 and 2021/22, whilst ensuring that all efficiency options are identified, it must be recognized that this will be extremely challenging and the Welsh Government should be urged to provide an appropriate grant settlement for 2020/21 and beyond.
21. Within this regime, we will continue to implement consistent principles in considering an increase in Council Tax close to the Welsh local authorities’ average increase, maximizing the efficiency savings that can be realized (in order to avoid further cuts), and implement cuts only as necessary, in order to meet the remaining balance of the funding gap. APPENDIX 9
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
1. The budget outlined here endeavours to continue to provide appropriate outcomes for all the county’s citizens, but as there was insufficient increase in our income to meet inflation, etc, we must implement the savings schemes already approved, together with the package of additional schemes which are in Appendix 3.
2. With savings, there is a possibility for us to have an impact which would disproportionately affect those with protected characteristics, but the departments responsible for the individual savings schemes have held appropriate impact assessments regarding the financial decisions on the savings and cuts presented here. Where appropriate, in Appendix 3, there are comments opposite the individual schemes, or a link to detailed assessments.
3. Our aim was to ensure that our financial decisions conform with the requirements of the Equality legislation, namely: Eliminate illegal discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and any other conduct prohibited by the Act. Promote equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. Encourage good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
In assessing, the relevant departments attempted to identify how to make the best of every opportunity to improve equality as well as trying to avoid or mitigate any negative effects to the best of their ability.
4. In planning our budgets for the continuation of the Council’s services, our accountants have given consideration to equality on every level, by utilising data and evidence in relation to demography and trends by planning at a strategic level. In the same way (but more specific) when coming to decisions on individual savings schemes, the Council’s heads of department have collected data, analysed the effect of schemes and monitored appropriately.
5. We have clear regimes for finding savings, which include a full assessment of the impact of savings in terms of equality. The relevant department has analysed each individual scheme, noting if an impact assessment needs to be conducted when developing the project. This will be the procedure with further efficiency savings by 2019/20.
6. The recommended budget does more than meet inflation costs. It also attempts to ensure that unavoidable financial pressures being placed on services (due to greater demands from increasing numbers of clients, pupils, etc) are also addressed by making conscientious and reasonable budgetary decisions (see the additional expenditure requirements, including ‘demography’, in part 3 of the report).
7. Each service has the right to submit a request for resources if it considers that additional funding is required to ensure that services continue. The sums seen under the “service pressures” heading is recognition that the Council provides sufficient funding to ensure that our financial arrangements do not have a detrimental impact on the level of services provided. Full details are given in Appendix 2 and it can be seen that a substantial part (£1,786,350) of the total sum of permanent revenue bids (£3,060,030) is going to social care, and the majority of the remainder (£1,139,640) will go towards school pupils’ special needs.
In the Cabinet report, there was a presentation on Equality Impact Assessments by the specialist Policy and Equality Officer, together with her observations, specifically about the effect of the savings. This can be seen by following the link below to Item 8, Appendix 9 – Equality Impact Assessment - https://democracy.cyngor.gwynedd.gov.uk/mgAi.aspx?ID=13592
Page 187 APPENDIX 10
WELLBEING OF FUTURE GENERATIONS (WALES) ACT 2015
1. The work of planning and preparing the recommendations has taken place within the context of the Act’s requirements. Although the recommendations are derived from a difficult financial position, the Council has acted on the basis of the principle of acting in a way that addresses the statutory duty in Section 3 to undertake sustainable development and achieve the Council’s Wellbeing Objectives. This is addressed by identifying and evaluating options for savings, but also in decisions and choices from the perspective of supporting investment in services.
2. Main conclusions for the 2019/20 budget regarding the 7 well-being goals:
Prosperous – Neutral Resilient - Positive (prudential long-term approach to funding services) Healthier – Positive (funding Dementia Units, and other ‘Care’ requirements) More Equal - Positive (taxing in order to fund 'welfare' services) Cohesive Communities – Neutral Culture and Language – Positive (by funding bilingual services) Globally Responsible – Neutral
3. This budget reflects the following five ways of working that the Council is required to consider when applying sustainable development.
Looking to the long term - The budget plans for the future, identifying future needs and demand for services, taking a strategic approach to ensure services are sustainable. Taking an integrated approach - The budget proposals encourage ways of working with partners, where that’s more sustainable. Involving the population in decisions – Part of the budget process and savings strategy included engagement with residents, customers and partners. Working in a collaborative way – Where better services can be provided by collaboration, the budget process and savings strategy encourages this. Understanding issues and preventing them – The budget process facilitates an understanding of the financial position, so that issues can be tackled at the source. Also, the public consultation and the 2 series of Members’ Workshops have aided an understanding of the financial savings strategy.
4. Regarding specific financial savings schemes, as part of the corporate and departmental savings regime, where appropriate there was a specific wellbeing assessment for each individual scheme, and consideration thereof in the workshops organised to scrutinise them and to prioritise savings to be implemented.
5. Generally, coupled with the Council’s Plan and Wellbeing Objectives, this budget supports the Council to realise strategic objectives.
Page 188 APPENDIX 11
ROBUSTNESS OF ESTIMATES
1. Section 25 of the Local Government Act 2003 requires the Chief Finance Officer to report on the robustness of budget estimates and the adequacy of the proposed financial reserves. Appendix 7 outlines the position of the balances and reserves, while this appendix confirms the robustness of the budgetary estimates which are the basis of the budget.
2. Budget estimates are based on assumptions of future expenditure and income and contain an element of assumption risk. The impact of this risk can be mitigated through contingency plans, contingency budgets and financial reserves.
3. The robustness of budget estimates is not simply a question of whether they are correctly calculated. In practice, many budgets are based on estimates or forecasts, and there will be an element of risk as to whether plans will be delivered and targets achieved. Different risks to the budget are considered below:
4. Inflation Risk – This is the risk that actual inflation could turn out to be significantly different to the assumption made in the budget. For 2019/20, inflation has been allowed based on the latest information about pay awards and prices, but there is a risk that inflation will rise again during 2019/20, and uncertainty over the probable rise (apart from salary and pensions inflation which has already been agreed). A rise in inflation may add to the Council’s costs, but that could be funded through the use of reserves, if necessary.
5. Interest Rate Risk - Interest rates may affect the budget through the interest earned - i.e. an interest rate rise would increase income. In accordance with the Council’s Treasury Management Strategy, the budget is not reliant on high investment returns. Interest rates continue at a historical low and are not likely to begin increasing until at least 2020/21. Therefore, the interest rate risk is considered low and this is a compensating risk for inflation risk because if one increases the other is likely to increase also.
6. Specific Grants Risk - There are risks attached to the large number of specific grants from Welsh Government, Europe or other bodies which support a proportion of Council expenditure. Some of these could be reduced, or be cut altogether, and we don’t have a complete picture as the financial year begins. When the grant ceases, so must the associated expenditure, but contract terms may mean that expenditure cannot be cut as quickly as the grant, or severance costs may need to be funded. Further, the activity funded may be so important to the delivery of the Council’s own Priorities that the Council decides to continue with the expenditure. We will mitigate this risk by ensuring that we have the best information available on each grant, but the funding bodies (Government, etc) control this position.
7. Income Risks – The budget is based on securing a specific increase in fees which is equal in value to the increase in the relevant service costs. If demand for Council Services falls, and income targets are not achieved, that may cause overspending on service budgets. The actual budget position will require careful monitoring during the year and, if necessary, spending may need to be cut back to match reduced income. This will not be possible with some large corporate budgets, where estimated income must be set at a prudent level.
Page 189 8. Savings Risks – One significant risk in current circumstances is that the Council is over-optimistic regarding the savings that will be achieved. If these projects should run into difficulties and fail to achieve the savings taken out of the budget, significant overspendings could occur. We will mitigate this risk by ensuring that savings schemes are owned by departments and Cabinet members, and by monitoring relevant progress regularly.
9. Staff Redundancy Costs – Some services restructure their staff in order to achieve savings, with staff being released through redundancy. Where appropriate, the cost of redundancies is funded from a central contingency reserve, and an appropriate sum has been earmarked for this purpose, which mitigates the risk.
10. Council Tax Premium – When deciding on the Tax Base, a prudent assessment was made of the number of second homes and empty properties to include in the calculation. There is a risk that the number of properties subject to the premium have been over estimated and that the income collected is lower than the amount estimated (due to properties transferring to the business rates list). We are managing this risk by employing inspectors who check the facts, and by not committing all of the tax yield from the Premium until the position becomes clearer.
11. The Statutory Finance Officer’s Opinion – Having considered all the risks noted above and the mitigating actions, the Head of Finance (Section 151 Officer) is of the opinion that the budgets are robust, sufficient and achievable.
Page 190
(i) Penderfyniad drafft y Dreth Cyngor yn seiliedig ar argymhelliad y Cabinet i’r Cyngor ar gyfer ei gyfarfod ar 7 Mawrth 2019 (ar sail cynnydd o 5.8%)
(ii)Tablau yn dangos lefel y Dreth Cyngor a’r cynnydd fesul cymuned
(i) Draft Council Tax resolution based on the Cabinet’s recommendation to the Council for its meeting on 7 March 2019 (on the basis of a 5.8% increase)
(ii)Tables showing the level of Council Tax and increases by community
Page 191 Penderfynwyd
1. Cymeradwyo’r argymhellion a gyflwynir gan y Cabinet fel y nodir yn yr adroddiad.
2. Nodi fod yr Aelod Cabinet dros Gyllid, drwy daflen benderfyniad dyddiedig 19 Tachwedd 2018, wedi cymeradwyo cyfrifiad y symiau a ganlyn ar gyfer y flwyddyn 2019/20 yn unol â’r rheoliadau a luniwyd dan Adran 33 (5) o Ddeddf Cyllid Llywodraeth Leol 1992 (“Y Ddeddf”):-
(a) 51,926.38 yw’r swm a gyfrifwyd fel Sylfaen drethiannol Gwynedd yn unol â’r Rheoliadau Awdurdodau Lleol (Cyfrifo Sylfaen y Dreth Cyngor) (Cymru) 1995 fel y’i diwygiwyd fel ei sylfaen Dreth Cyngor am y flwyddyn.
(b) Rhan o ardal y Cyngor – Sylfaen drethiannol Cymuned –
Aberdaron 553.03 Llanddeiniolen 1,836.69 Aberdyfi 977.73 Llandderfel 497.72 Abergwyngregyn 118.92 Llanegryn 159.72 Abermaw (Barmouth) 1,154.94 Llanelltyd 288.42 Arthog 617.35 Llanengan 2,119.89 Y Bala 774.71 Llanfair 309.59 Bangor 3,885.63 Llanfihangel y Pennant 216.38 Beddgelert 316.54 Llanfrothen 221.28 Betws Garmon 138.73 Llangelynnin 409.42 Bethesda 1,674.96 Llangywer 137.30 Bontnewydd 432.27 Llanllechid 340.89 Botwnnog 447.42 Llanllyfni 1,411.04 Brithdir a Llanfachreth 424.51 Llannor 901.93 Bryncrug 341.95 Llanrug 1,135.80 Buan 228.88 Llanuwchllyn 312.51 Caernarfon 3,543.60 Llanwnda 783.86 Clynnog Fawr 447.08 Llanycil 200.54 Corris 303.66 Llanystumdwy 866.24 Criccieth 944.01 Maentwrog 280.90 Dolbenmaen 606.10 Mawddwy 350.59 Dolgellau 1,228.41 Nefyn 1,474.65 Dyffryn Ardudwy 812.10 Pennal 220.86 Y Felinheli 1,157.21 Penrhyndeudraeth 772.99 Ffestiniog 1,745.06 Pentir 1,188.82 Y Ganllwyd 86.50 Pistyll 252.01 Harlech 791.40 Porthmadog 2,014.59 Llanaelhaearn 443.57 Pwllheli 1,753.45 Llanbedr 322.90 Talsarnau 321.85 Llanbedrog 713.19 Trawsfynydd 507.98 Llanberis 759.06 Tudweiliog 461.40 Llandwrog 1,029.14 Tywyn 1,605.03 Llandygai 990.62 Waunfawr 560.86
sef y symiau a gyfrifwyd fel symiau Sylfaen y Dreth Gyngor ar gyfer y flwyddyn ar gyfer tai annedd yn y rhannau hynny o’i ardal lle bo un eitem arbennig neu fwy’n berthnasol.
Page 192 3. Bod y symiau a ganlyn yn cael eu cyfrifo yn awr gan y Cyngor ar gyfer y flwyddyn 2019/20 yn unol ag Adrannau 32 i 36 o’r Ddeddf:-
(a) £380,182,830 Sef cyfanswm y symiau y mae’r Cyngor yn eu hamcangyfrif ar gyfer yr eitemau a nodwyd yn Adran 32(2)(a) i (e) o’r Ddeddf (gwariant gros).
(b) £130,295,020 Sef cyfanswm y symiau y mae’r Cyngor yn eu hamcangyfrif ar gyfer yr eitemau a nodwyd yn Adran 32(3)(a) i (c) o’r Ddeddf (incwm).
(c) £249,887,810 Sef y swm sy’n cyfateb i’r gwahaniaeth rhwng cyfanswm 3(a) uchod a chyfanswm 3(b) uchod, a gyfrifwyd gan y Cyngor, yn unol ag Adran 32(4) o’r Ddeddf, fel ei ofynion cyllideb ar gyfer y flwyddyn (cyllideb net).
(ch) £176,081,773 Sef cyfanswm y symiau y mae’r Cyngor yn amcangyfrif y byddant yn daladwy yn ystod y flwyddyn i’w gronfa ar gyfer cyfan o’r Dreth Annomestig Genedlaethol a Grant Cynnal Refeniw, llai amcangyfrif o’r gost i’r Cyngor o ryddhad dewisol o’r dreth annomestig a ganiateir.
(d) £1,421.36 Sef y swm yn 3(c) uchod llai’r swm yn 3(ch) uchod, y cyfan wedi ei rannu gan y swm a nodir yn 2(a) uchod, a gyfrifwyd gan y Cyngor yn unol ag Adran 33(1) o’r Ddeddf, sef swm sylfaenol ei Dreth Cyngor am y flwyddyn (treth Cyngor Gwynedd a threth cyfartalog cynghorau cymuned).
(dd) £2,343,940 Sef cyfanswm yr holl eitemau arbennig y cyfeirir atynt yn Adran 34(1) o’r Ddeddf (praeseptau’r cynghorau cymuned).
(e) £1,376.22 Sef y swm yn 3(d) uchod llai’r canlyniad a geir wrth rannu’r swm yn 3(dd) uchod â’r swm yn 2(a) uchod, a gyfrifwyd gan y Cyngor, yn unol ag Adran 34(2) fel swm sylfaenol ei Dreth Cyngor am y flwyddyn ar gyfer tai annedd yn y rhannau hynny o’i ardal lle nad oes unrhyw eitem arbennig yn berthnasol (Band D ar gyfer treth Cyngor Gwynedd yn unig).
Page 193 (f) Ar gyfer rhannau o ardal y Cyngor –
Aberdaron 1,403.34 Llanddeiniolen 1,393.53 Aberdyfi 1,412.87 Llandderfel 1,394.30 Abergwyngregyn 1,401.45 Llanegryn 1,407.52 Abermaw (Barmouth) 1,425.83 Llanelltyd 1,402.22 Arthog 1,395.66 Llanengan 1,399.81 Y Bala 1,407.20 Llanfair 1,418.21 Bangor 1,475.36 Llanfihangel y Pennant 1,427.42 Beddgelert 1,406.23 Llanfrothen 1,409.21 Betws Garmon 1,394.96 Llangelynnin 1,400.16 Bethesda 1,431.42 Llangywer 1,405.35 Bontnewydd 1,419.02 Llanllechid 1,399.69 Botwnnog 1,388.51 Llanllyfni 1,410.82 Brithdir a Llanfachreth 1,390.35 Llannor 1,396.35 Bryncrug 1,412.37 Llanrug 1,420.24 Buan 1,392.60 Llanuwchllyn 1,408.22 Caernarfon 1,432.23 Llanwnda 1,411.94 Clynnog Fawr 1,409.77 Llanycil 1,396.17 Corris 1,403.96 Llanystumdwy 1,393.54 Criccieth 1,420.71 Maentwrog 1,397.76 Dolbenmaen 1,405.92 Mawddwy 1,401.38 Dolgellau 1,425.06 Nefyn 1,420.30 Dyffryn Ardudwy 1,419.32 Pennal 1,403.39 Y Felinheli 1,410.79 Penrhyndeudraeth 1,425.64 Ffestiniog 1,499.42 Pentir 1,418.28 Y Ganllwyd 1,410.90 Pistyll 1,415.90 Harlech 1,464.67 Porthmadog 1,406.38 Llanaelhaearn 1,432.58 Pwllheli 1,417.85 Llanbedr 1,420.17 Talsarnau 1,438.36 Llanbedrog 1,402.86 Trawsfynydd 1,411.65 Llanberis 1,413.11 Tudweiliog 1,391.39 Llandwrog 1,429.66 Tywyn 1,431.13 Llandygai 1,397.83 Waunfawr 1,397.62
sef y symiau a geir trwy ychwanegu symiau’r eitem neu eitemau arbennig sy’n berthnasol i dai annedd yn y rhannau hynny o ardal y Cyngor y cyfeiriwyd atynt uchod, at y swm a geir yn 3(e) uchod wedi’u rhannu ym mhob achos gan y swm yn 2(b) uchod, a gyfrifwyd gan y Cyngor yn unol ag Adran 34(3) o’r Ddeddf, fel symiau sylfaenol ei Dreth Gyngor am y flwyddyn ar gyfer tai annedd yn y rhannau hynny o’i ardal lle bo un eitem arbennig neu fwy’n berthnasol.
(ff) Ar gyfer rhannau o ardal y Cyngor, y ffigyrau a nodir yn Atodiad 1, sef y symiau a geir trwy luosi’r symiau yn 3(f) uchod â’r rhif sydd yn ôl y cyfrannau a nodir yn Adran 5 (1) o’r Ddeddf, yn berthnasol i dai annedd a restrir mewn band prisio arbennig wedi’i rannu â’r rhif sydd yn ôl y cyfrannau hynny’n berthnasol i dai a restrir ym mand prisio D, a gyfrifir gan y Cyngor, yn unol ag Adran 36(1) o’r Ddeddf, yn symiau sydd i’w hystyried ar gyfer y flwyddyn ar gyfer y categorïau o dai annedd a restrir yn y gwahanol fandiau prisio.
Page 194 4. Nodi ar gyfer y flwyddyn 2019/20 fod Comisiynydd Heddlu a Throsedd Gogledd Cymru wedi nodi’r symiau a ganlyn mewn praesept a roddwyd i’r Cyngor, yn unol ag Adran 40 o’r Ddeddf ar gyfer pob un o’r categorïau o dai annedd a ddangosir isod:
Band Band Band Band Band Band Band Band Band A B C D E F G H I 185.40 216.30 247.20 278.10 339.90 401.70 463.50 556.20 648.90
5. Wedi pennu’r cyfanswm ym mhob achos o’r symiau 3(ff) a 4 uchod, bod y Cyngor, yn unol ag Adran 30(2) o’r Ddeddf trwy hyn, yn pennu’r symiau a nodir yn Atodiad 2 ar gyfer y Dreth Gyngor yn y flwyddyn 2019/20 ar gyfer pob categori o dai annedd a ddangosir yn yr Atodiad.
Page 195 Resolved
1. To approve the recommendations of the Cabinet as noted in the report.
2. It be noted that the Cabinet Member for Finance, in a decision notice dated 19 November 2018, approved the calculation of the following amounts for 2019/20 in accordance with Regulations made under Section 33 (5) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (“The Act”):-
(a) 51,926.38 being the amount calculated in accordance with the Local Authorities (Calculation of Council Tax Base) (Wales) Regulations 1995 as amended, as its Council Tax base for the year.
(b) Parts of the Council’s Area – Communities Tax Base -
Aberdaron 553.03 Llanddeiniolen 1,836.69 Aberdyfi 977.73 Llandderfel 497.72 Abergwyngregyn 118.92 Llanegryn 159.72 Abermaw (Barmouth) 1,154.94 Llanelltyd 288.42 Arthog 617.35 Llanengan 2,119.89 Y Bala 774.71 Llanfair 309.59 Bangor 3,885.63 Llanfihangel y Pennant 216.38 Beddgelert 316.54 Llanfrothen 221.28 Betws Garmon 138.73 Llangelynnin 409.42 Bethesda 1,674.96 Llangywer 137.30 Bontnewydd 432.27 Llanllechid 340.89 Botwnnog 447.42 Llanllyfni 1,411.04 Brithdir a Llanfachreth 424.51 Llannor 901.93 Bryncrug 341.95 Llanrug 1,135.80 Buan 228.88 Llanuwchllyn 312.51 Caernarfon 3,543.60 Llanwnda 783.86 Clynnog Fawr 447.08 Llanycil 200.54 Corris 303.66 Llanystumdwy 866.24 Criccieth 944.01 Maentwrog 280.90 Dolbenmaen 606.10 Mawddwy 350.59 Dolgellau 1,228.41 Nefyn 1,474.65 Dyffryn Ardudwy 812.10 Pennal 220.86 Y Felinheli 1,157.21 Penrhyndeudraeth 772.99 Ffestiniog 1,745.06 Pentir 1,188.82 Y Ganllwyd 86.50 Pistyll 252.01 Harlech 791.40 Porthmadog 2,014.59 Llanaelhaearn 443.57 Pwllheli 1,753.45 Llanbedr 322.90 Talsarnau 321.85 Llanbedrog 713.19 Trawsfynydd 507.98 Llanberis 759.06 Tudweiliog 461.40 Llandwrog 1,029.14 Tywyn 1,605.03 Llandygai 990.62 Waunfawr 560.86
being the amounts calculated as the amounts of its Council Tax base for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.
Page 196 3. That the following amounts be now calculated by the Council for the year 2019/20 in accordance with Sections 32 to 36 of the Act:-
(a) £380,182,830 Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(2)(a) to (e) of the Act (gross expenditure).
(b) £130,295,020 Being the aggregate of the amounts which the Council estimates for the items set out in Section 32(3)(a) to (c) of the Act (income).
(c) £249,887,810 Being the amount by which the aggregate at 3(a) above exceeds the aggregate at 3(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 32(4) of the Act, as its budget requirement for the year (net budget).
(ch) £176,081,773 Being the aggregate of the sums which the Council estimates will be payable during the year into its fund in respect of the National Non-Domestic Rates and Revenue Support Grant, less the estimated cost to the Council of discretionary non-domestic rate relief granted.
(d) £1,421.36 Being the amount at 3(c) above less the amount at 3(ch) above, all divided by the amount at 2(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 33(1) of the Act, as the basic amount of its council tax for the year. (Gwynedd Council tax and average community council tax).
(dd) £2,343,940 Being the aggregate amount of all special items referred to in Section 34(1) of the Act (community council precepts).
(e) £1,376.22 Being the amount at 3(d) above less the result given by dividing the amount at 3(dd) above by the amount at 2(a) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(2) of the Act, as the basic amount of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which no special item relates (Band D for Gwynedd Council tax only).
Page 197 (f) Parts of the Council’s Area – Community
Aberdaron 1,403.34 Llanddeiniolen 1,393.53 Aberdyfi 1,412.87 Llandderfel 1,394.30 Abergwyngregyn 1,401.45 Llanegryn 1,407.52 Abermaw (Barmouth) 1,425.83 Llanelltyd 1,402.22 Arthog 1,395.66 Llanengan 1,399.81 Y Bala 1,407.20 Llanfair 1,418.21 Bangor 1,475.36 Llanfihangel y Pennant 1,427.42 Beddgelert 1,406.23 Llanfrothen 1,409.21 Betws Garmon 1,394.96 Llangelynnin 1,400.16 Bethesda 1,431.42 Llangywer 1,405.35 Bontnewydd 1,419.02 Llanllechid 1,399.69 Botwnnog 1,388.51 Llanllyfni 1,410.82 Brithdir a Llanfachreth 1,390.35 Llannor 1,396.35 Bryncrug 1,412.37 Llanrug 1,420.24 Buan 1,392.60 Llanuwchllyn 1,408.22 Caernarfon 1,432.23 Llanwnda 1,411.94 Clynnog Fawr 1,409.77 Llanycil 1,396.17 Corris 1,403.96 Llanystumdwy 1,393.54 Criccieth 1,420.71 Maentwrog 1,397.76 Dolbenmaen 1,405.92 Mawddwy 1,401.38 Dolgellau 1,425.06 Nefyn 1,420.30 Dyffryn Ardudwy 1,419.32 Pennal 1,403.39 Y Felinheli 1,410.79 Penrhyndeudraeth 1,425.64 Ffestiniog 1,499.42 Pentir 1,418.28 Y Ganllwyd 1,410.90 Pistyll 1,415.90 Harlech 1,464.67 Porthmadog 1,406.38 Llanaelhaearn 1,432.58 Pwllheli 1,417.85 Llanbedr 1,420.17 Talsarnau 1,438.36 Llanbedrog 1,402.86 Trawsfynydd 1,411.65 Llanberis 1,413.11 Tudweiliog 1,391.39 Llandwrog 1,429.66 Tywyn 1,431.13 Llandygai 1,397.83 Waunfawr 1,397.62
being the amounts given by adding to the amount at 3(e) above the amounts of the special item or items relating to dwellings in those parts of the Council’s area mentioned above divided in each case by the amount of 2(b) above, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 34(3) of the Act, as the basic amounts of its Council Tax for the year for dwellings in those parts of its area to which one or more special items relate.
(ff) In respect of parts of the Council’s area, the figures noted in Appendix 1, being the amounts given by multiplying the sums specified in 3(f) above by the number which, in the proportion set out in Section 5 (1) of the Act, is applicable to dwellings listed in a particular valuation band divided by the number which in that proportion is applicable to dwellings listed in valuation band D, calculated by the Council, in accordance with Section 36(1) of the Act, as the amounts to be taken into account for the year in respect of categories of dwellings listed in different valuation bands.
Page 198 4. That it be noted that for the year 2019/20 the Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales have stated the following amounts in a precept issued to the Council, in accordance with Section 40 of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992, for each of the categories of dwellings shown below.
Band Band Band Band Band Band Band Band Band A B C D E F G H I 185.40 216.30 247.20 278.10 339.90 401.70 463.50 556.20 648.90
5. That, having calculated the aggregate in each case of the amounts at 3(ff) and 4 above, the Council, in accordance with Section 30(2) of the Local Government Finance Act, 1992, hereby sets the amounts noted in Appendix 2 as the amounts of Council Tax for the year 2019/20 for each of the categories of dwellings shown therein.
Page 199 ATODIAD 1 / APPENDIX 1
Treth Cyngor: Cyngor Gwynedd + Cyngor Cymuned Council Tax : Cyngor Gwynedd + Community Council Band A Band B Band C Band D Band E Band F Band G Band H Band I Aberdaron 935.56 1,091.49 1,247.41 1,403.34 1,715.19 2,027.05 2,338.90 2,806.68 3,274.46 Aberdyfi 941.91 1,098.90 1,255.88 1,412.87 1,726.84 2,040.81 2,354.78 2,825.74 3,296.70 Abergwyngregyn 934.30 1,090.02 1,245.73 1,401.45 1,712.88 2,024.32 2,335.75 2,802.90 3,270.05 Abermaw (Barmouth) 950.55 1,108.98 1,267.40 1,425.83 1,742.68 2,059.53 2,376.38 2,851.66 3,326.94 Arthog 930.44 1,085.51 1,240.59 1,395.66 1,705.81 2,015.95 2,326.10 2,791.32 3,256.54 Y Bala 938.13 1,094.49 1,250.84 1,407.20 1,719.91 2,032.62 2,345.33 2,814.40 3,283.47 Bangor 983.57 1,147.50 1,311.43 1,475.36 1,803.22 2,131.08 2,458.93 2,950.72 3,442.51 Beddgelert 937.49 1,093.73 1,249.98 1,406.23 1,718.73 2,031.22 2,343.72 2,812.46 3,281.20 Betws Garmon 929.97 1,084.97 1,239.96 1,394.96 1,704.95 2,014.94 2,324.93 2,789.92 3,254.91 Bethesda 954.28 1,113.33 1,272.37 1,431.42 1,749.51 2,067.61 2,385.70 2,862.84 3,339.98 Bontnewydd 946.01 1,103.68 1,261.35 1,419.02 1,734.36 2,049.70 2,365.03 2,838.04 3,311.05 Botwnnog 925.67 1,079.95 1,234.23 1,388.51 1,697.07 2,005.63 2,314.18 2,777.02 3,239.86 Brithdir & Llanfachreth 926.90 1,081.38 1,235.87 1,390.35 1,699.32 2,008.28 2,317.25 2,780.70 3,244.15 Bryncrug 941.58 1,098.51 1,255.44 1,412.37 1,726.23 2,040.09 2,353.95 2,824.74 3,295.53 Buan 928.40 1,083.13 1,237.87 1,392.60 1,702.07 2,011.53 2,321.00 2,785.20 3,249.40 Caernarfon 954.82 1,113.96 1,273.09 1,432.23 1,750.50 2,068.78 2,387.05 2,864.46 3,341.87 Clynnog Fawr 939.85 1,096.49 1,253.13 1,409.77 1,723.05 2,036.33 2,349.62 2,819.54 3,289.46 Corris 935.97 1,091.97 1,247.96 1,403.96 1,715.95 2,027.94 2,339.93 2,807.92 3,275.91 Criccieth 947.14 1,105.00 1,262.85 1,420.71 1,736.42 2,052.14 2,367.85 2,841.42 3,314.99 Dolbenmaen 937.28 1,093.49 1,249.71 1,405.92 1,718.35 2,030.77 2,343.20 2,811.84 3,280.48 Dolgellau 950.04 1,108.38 1,266.72 1,425.06 1,741.74 2,058.42 2,375.10 2,850.12 3,325.14 Dyffryn Ardudwy 946.21 1,103.92 1,261.62 1,419.32 1,734.72 2,050.13 2,365.53 2,838.64 3,311.75 Y Felinheli 940.53 1,097.28 1,254.04 1,410.79 1,724.30 2,037.81 2,351.32 2,821.58 3,291.84 Ffestiniog 999.61 1,166.22 1,332.82 1,499.42 1,832.62 2,165.83 2,499.03 2,998.84 3,498.65 Y Ganllwyd 940.60 1,097.37 1,254.13 1,410.90 1,724.43 2,037.97 2,351.50 2,821.80 3,292.10 Harlech 976.45 1,139.19 1,301.93 1,464.67 1,790.15 2,115.63 2,441.12 2,929.34 3,417.56 Llanaelhaearn 955.05 1,114.23 1,273.40 1,432.58 1,750.93 2,069.28 2,387.63 2,865.16 3,342.69 Llanbedr 946.78 1,104.58 1,262.37 1,420.17 1,735.76 2,051.36 2,366.95 2,840.34 3,313.73 Llanbedrog 935.24 1,091.11 1,246.99 1,402.86 1,714.61 2,026.35 2,338.10 2,805.72 3,273.34 Llanberis 942.07 1,099.09 1,256.10 1,413.11 1,727.13 2,041.16 2,355.18 2,826.22 3,297.26 Llandwrog 953.11 1,111.96 1,270.81 1,429.66 1,747.36 2,065.06 2,382.77 2,859.32 3,335.87 Llandygai 931.89 1,087.20 1,242.52 1,397.83 1,708.46 2,019.09 2,329.72 2,795.66 3,261.60 Llanddeiniolen 929.02 1,083.86 1,238.69 1,393.53 1,703.20 2,012.88 2,322.55 2,787.06 3,251.57 Llandderfel 929.53 1,084.46 1,239.38 1,394.30 1,704.14 2,013.99 2,323.83 2,788.60 3,253.37 Llanegryn 938.35 1,094.74 1,251.13 1,407.52 1,720.30 2,033.08 2,345.87 2,815.04 3,284.21 Llanelltyd 934.81 1,090.62 1,246.42 1,402.22 1,713.82 2,025.43 2,337.03 2,804.44 3,271.85 Llanengan 933.21 1,088.74 1,244.28 1,399.81 1,710.88 2,021.95 2,333.02 2,799.62 3,266.22 Llanfair 945.47 1,103.05 1,260.63 1,418.21 1,733.37 2,048.53 2,363.68 2,836.42 3,309.16 Llanfihangel y Pennant 951.61 1,110.22 1,268.82 1,427.42 1,744.62 2,061.83 2,379.03 2,854.84 3,330.65 Llanfrothen 939.47 1,096.05 1,252.63 1,409.21 1,722.37 2,035.53 2,348.68 2,818.42 3,288.16 Llangelynnin 933.44 1,089.01 1,244.59 1,400.16 1,711.31 2,022.45 2,333.60 2,800.32 3,267.04 Llangywer 936.90 1,093.05 1,249.20 1,405.35 1,717.65 2,029.95 2,342.25 2,810.70 3,279.15 Llanllechid 933.13 1,088.65 1,244.17 1,399.69 1,710.73 2,021.77 2,332.82 2,799.38 3,265.94 Llanllyfni 940.55 1,097.30 1,254.06 1,410.82 1,724.34 2,037.85 2,351.37 2,821.64 3,291.91 Llannor 930.90 1,086.05 1,241.20 1,396.35 1,706.65 2,016.95 2,327.25 2,792.70 3,258.15 Llanrug 946.83 1,104.63 1,262.44 1,420.24 1,735.85 2,051.46 2,367.07 2,840.48 3,313.89 Llanuwchllyn 938.81 1,095.28 1,251.75 1,408.22 1,721.16 2,034.10 2,347.03 2,816.44 3,285.85 Llanwnda 941.29 1,098.18 1,255.06 1,411.94 1,725.70 2,039.47 2,353.23 2,823.88 3,294.53 Llanycil 930.78 1,085.91 1,241.04 1,396.17 1,706.43 2,016.69 2,326.95 2,792.34 3,257.73 Llanystumdwy 929.03 1,083.86 1,238.70 1,393.54 1,703.22 2,012.89 2,322.57 2,787.08 3,251.59 Maentwrog 931.84 1,087.15 1,242.45 1,397.76 1,708.37 2,018.99 2,329.60 2,795.52 3,261.44 Mawddwy 934.25 1,089.96 1,245.67 1,401.38 1,712.80 2,024.22 2,335.63 2,802.76 3,269.89 Nefyn 946.87 1,104.68 1,262.49 1,420.30 1,735.92 2,051.54 2,367.17 2,840.60 3,314.03 Pennal 935.59 1,091.53 1,247.46 1,403.39 1,715.25 2,027.12 2,338.98 2,806.78 3,274.58 Penrhyndeudraeth 950.43 1,108.83 1,267.24 1,425.64 1,742.45 2,059.26 2,376.07 2,851.28 3,326.49 Pentir 945.52 1,103.11 1,260.69 1,418.28 1,733.45 2,048.63 2,363.80 2,836.56 3,309.32 Pistyll 943.93 1,101.26 1,258.58 1,415.90 1,730.54 2,045.19 2,359.83 2,831.80 3,303.77 Porthmadog 937.59 1,093.85 1,250.12 1,406.38 1,718.91 2,031.44 2,343.97 2,812.76 3,281.55 Pwllheli 945.23 1,102.77 1,260.31 1,417.85 1,732.93 2,048.01 2,363.08 2,835.70 3,308.32 Talsarnau 958.91 1,118.72 1,278.54 1,438.36 1,758.00 2,077.63 2,397.27 2,876.72 3,356.17 Trawsfynydd 941.10 1,097.95 1,254.80 1,411.65 1,725.35 2,039.05 2,352.75 2,823.30 3,293.85 Tudweiliog 927.59 1,082.19 1,236.79 1,391.39 1,700.59 2,009.79 2,318.98 2,782.78 3,246.58 Tywyn 954.09 1,113.10 1,272.12 1,431.13 1,749.16 2,067.19 2,385.22 2,862.26 3,339.30 Waunfawr 931.75 1,087.04 1,242.33 1,397.62 1,708.20 2,018.78 2,329.37 2,795.24 3,261.11 Page 200 ATODIAD 2 / APPENDIX 2
Treth Cyngor: Cyngor Gwynedd + Cyngor Cymuned + Comisiynydd Heddlu a Throsedd Gogledd Cymru Council Tax : Cyngor Gwynedd + Community Council + North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Band A Band B Band C Band D Band E Band F Band G Band H Band I Aberdaron 1,120.96 1,307.79 1,494.61 1,681.44 2,055.09 2,428.75 2,802.40 3,362.88 3,923.36 Aberdyfi 1,127.31 1,315.20 1,503.08 1,690.97 2,066.74 2,442.51 2,818.28 3,381.94 3,945.60 Abergwyngregyn 1,119.70 1,306.32 1,492.93 1,679.55 2,052.78 2,426.02 2,799.25 3,359.10 3,918.95 Abermaw (Barmouth) 1,135.95 1,325.28 1,514.60 1,703.93 2,082.58 2,461.23 2,839.88 3,407.86 3,975.84 Arthog 1,115.84 1,301.81 1,487.79 1,673.76 2,045.71 2,417.65 2,789.60 3,347.52 3,905.44 Bala 1,123.53 1,310.79 1,498.04 1,685.30 2,059.81 2,434.32 2,808.83 3,370.60 3,932.37 Bangor 1,168.97 1,363.80 1,558.63 1,753.46 2,143.12 2,532.78 2,922.43 3,506.92 4,091.41 Beddgelert 1,122.89 1,310.03 1,497.18 1,684.33 2,058.63 2,432.92 2,807.22 3,368.66 3,930.10 Betws Garmon 1,115.37 1,301.27 1,487.16 1,673.06 2,044.85 2,416.64 2,788.43 3,346.12 3,903.81 Bethesda 1,139.68 1,329.63 1,519.57 1,709.52 2,089.41 2,469.31 2,849.20 3,419.04 3,988.88 Bontnewydd 1,131.41 1,319.98 1,508.55 1,697.12 2,074.26 2,451.40 2,828.53 3,394.24 3,959.95 Botwnnog 1,111.07 1,296.25 1,481.43 1,666.61 2,036.97 2,407.33 2,777.68 3,333.22 3,888.76 Brithdir & Llanfachreth 1,112.30 1,297.68 1,483.07 1,668.45 2,039.22 2,409.98 2,780.75 3,336.90 3,893.05 Bryncrug 1,126.98 1,314.81 1,502.64 1,690.47 2,066.13 2,441.79 2,817.45 3,380.94 3,944.43 Buan 1,113.80 1,299.43 1,485.07 1,670.70 2,041.97 2,413.23 2,784.50 3,341.40 3,898.30 Caernarfon 1,140.22 1,330.26 1,520.29 1,710.33 2,090.40 2,470.48 2,850.55 3,420.66 3,990.77 Clynnog Fawr 1,125.25 1,312.79 1,500.33 1,687.87 2,062.95 2,438.03 2,813.12 3,375.74 3,938.36 Corris 1,121.37 1,308.27 1,495.16 1,682.06 2,055.85 2,429.64 2,803.43 3,364.12 3,924.81 Criccieth 1,132.54 1,321.30 1,510.05 1,698.81 2,076.32 2,453.84 2,831.35 3,397.62 3,963.89 Dolbenmaen 1,122.68 1,309.79 1,496.91 1,684.02 2,058.25 2,432.47 2,806.70 3,368.04 3,929.38 Dolgellau 1,135.44 1,324.68 1,513.92 1,703.16 2,081.64 2,460.12 2,838.60 3,406.32 3,974.04 Dyffryn Ardudwy 1,131.61 1,320.22 1,508.82 1,697.42 2,074.62 2,451.83 2,829.03 3,394.84 3,960.65 Y Felinheli 1,125.93 1,313.58 1,501.24 1,688.89 2,064.20 2,439.51 2,814.82 3,377.78 3,940.74 Ffestiniog 1,185.01 1,382.52 1,580.02 1,777.52 2,172.52 2,567.53 2,962.53 3,555.04 4,147.55 Y Ganllwyd 1,126.00 1,313.67 1,501.33 1,689.00 2,064.33 2,439.67 2,815.00 3,378.00 3,941.00 Harlech 1,161.85 1,355.49 1,549.13 1,742.77 2,130.05 2,517.33 2,904.62 3,485.54 4,066.46 Llanaelhaearn 1,140.45 1,330.53 1,520.60 1,710.68 2,090.83 2,470.98 2,851.13 3,421.36 3,991.59 Llanbedr 1,132.18 1,320.88 1,509.57 1,698.27 2,075.66 2,453.06 2,830.45 3,396.54 3,962.63 Llanbedrog 1,120.64 1,307.41 1,494.19 1,680.96 2,054.51 2,428.05 2,801.60 3,361.92 3,922.24 Llanberis 1,127.47 1,315.39 1,503.30 1,691.21 2,067.03 2,442.86 2,818.68 3,382.42 3,946.16 Llandwrog 1,138.51 1,328.26 1,518.01 1,707.76 2,087.26 2,466.76 2,846.27 3,415.52 3,984.77 Llandygai 1,117.29 1,303.50 1,489.72 1,675.93 2,048.36 2,420.79 2,793.22 3,351.86 3,910.50 Llanddeiniolen 1,114.42 1,300.16 1,485.89 1,671.63 2,043.10 2,414.58 2,786.05 3,343.26 3,900.47 Llandderfel 1,114.93 1,300.76 1,486.58 1,672.40 2,044.04 2,415.69 2,787.33 3,344.80 3,902.27 Llanegryn 1,123.75 1,311.04 1,498.33 1,685.62 2,060.20 2,434.78 2,809.37 3,371.24 3,933.11 Llanelltyd 1,120.21 1,306.92 1,493.62 1,680.32 2,053.72 2,427.13 2,800.53 3,360.64 3,920.75 Llanengan 1,118.61 1,305.04 1,491.48 1,677.91 2,050.78 2,423.65 2,796.52 3,355.82 3,915.12 Llanfair 1,130.87 1,319.35 1,507.83 1,696.31 2,073.27 2,450.23 2,827.18 3,392.62 3,958.06 Llanfihangel y Pennant 1,137.01 1,326.52 1,516.02 1,705.52 2,084.52 2,463.53 2,842.53 3,411.04 3,979.55 Llanfrothen 1,124.87 1,312.35 1,499.83 1,687.31 2,062.27 2,437.23 2,812.18 3,374.62 3,937.06 Llangelynnin 1,118.84 1,305.31 1,491.79 1,678.26 2,051.21 2,424.15 2,797.10 3,356.52 3,915.94 Llangywer 1,122.30 1,309.35 1,496.40 1,683.45 2,057.55 2,431.65 2,805.75 3,366.90 3,928.05 Llanllechid 1,118.53 1,304.95 1,491.37 1,677.79 2,050.63 2,423.47 2,796.32 3,355.58 3,914.84 Llanllyfni 1,125.95 1,313.60 1,501.26 1,688.92 2,064.24 2,439.55 2,814.87 3,377.84 3,940.81 Llannor 1,116.30 1,302.35 1,488.40 1,674.45 2,046.55 2,418.65 2,790.75 3,348.90 3,907.05 Llanrug 1,132.23 1,320.93 1,509.64 1,698.34 2,075.75 2,453.16 2,830.57 3,396.68 3,962.79 Llanuwchllyn 1,124.21 1,311.58 1,498.95 1,686.32 2,061.06 2,435.80 2,810.53 3,372.64 3,934.75 Llanwnda 1,126.69 1,314.48 1,502.26 1,690.04 2,065.60 2,441.17 2,816.73 3,380.08 3,943.43 Llanycil 1,116.18 1,302.21 1,488.24 1,674.27 2,046.33 2,418.39 2,790.45 3,348.54 3,906.63 Llanystumdwy 1,114.43 1,300.16 1,485.90 1,671.64 2,043.12 2,414.59 2,786.07 3,343.28 3,900.49 Maentwrog 1,117.24 1,303.45 1,489.65 1,675.86 2,048.27 2,420.69 2,793.10 3,351.72 3,910.34 Mawddwy 1,119.65 1,306.26 1,492.87 1,679.48 2,052.70 2,425.92 2,799.13 3,358.96 3,918.79 Nefyn 1,132.27 1,320.98 1,509.69 1,698.40 2,075.82 2,453.24 2,830.67 3,396.80 3,962.93 Pennal 1,120.99 1,307.83 1,494.66 1,681.49 2,055.15 2,428.82 2,802.48 3,362.98 3,923.48 Penrhyndeudraeth 1,135.83 1,325.13 1,514.44 1,703.74 2,082.35 2,460.96 2,839.57 3,407.48 3,975.39 Pentir 1,130.92 1,319.41 1,507.89 1,696.38 2,073.35 2,450.33 2,827.30 3,392.76 3,958.22 Pistyll 1,129.33 1,317.56 1,505.78 1,694.00 2,070.44 2,446.89 2,823.33 3,388.00 3,952.67 Porthmadog 1,122.99 1,310.15 1,497.32 1,684.48 2,058.81 2,433.14 2,807.47 3,368.96 3,930.45 Pwllheli 1,130.63 1,319.07 1,507.51 1,695.95 2,072.83 2,449.71 2,826.58 3,391.90 3,957.22 Talsarnau 1,144.31 1,335.02 1,525.74 1,716.46 2,097.90 2,479.33 2,860.77 3,432.92 4,005.07 Trawsfynydd 1,126.50 1,314.25 1,502.00 1,689.75 2,065.25 2,440.75 2,816.25 3,379.50 3,942.75 Tudweiliog 1,112.99 1,298.49 1,483.99 1,669.49 2,040.49 2,411.49 2,782.48 3,338.98 3,895.48 Tywyn 1,139.49 1,329.40 1,519.32 1,709.23 2,089.06 2,468.89 2,848.72 3,418.46 3,988.20 Waunfawr 1,117.15 1,303.34 1,489.53 1,675.72 2,048.10 2,420.48 2,792.87 3,351.44 3,910.01 Page 201 ATODIAD 3 / APPENDIX 3
Cynnydd yn y Dreth Cyngor fesul Cymuned / Increase in Council Tax by Community
Sylfaen Treth Treth Treth Cyfanswm / Cynnydd / Drethiannol / Praesept / Cymuned / Gwynedd / Heddlu Total Increase Taxbase Precept Community Gwynedd / Police (Band D) Band D 18/19 - Cynnydd / Cymuned/ Community (Band D) £ Tax Tax Tax 2019/20 2018/19 19/20 Increase % Aberdaron 553.03 15,000 27.12 1,376.22 278.10 1,681.44 1,585.53 95.91 6.0% Aberdyfi 977.73 35,829 36.65 1,376.22 278.10 1,690.97 1,593.44 97.53 6.1% Abergwyngregyn 118.92 3,000 25.23 1,376.22 278.10 1,679.55 1,584.53 95.02 6.0% Abermaw (Barmouth) 1,154.94 57,300 49.61 1,376.22 278.10 1,703.93 1,606.16 97.77 6.1% Arthog 617.35 12,000 19.44 1,376.22 278.10 1,673.76 1,577.60 96.16 6.1% Y Bala 774.71 24,000 30.98 1,376.22 278.10 1,685.30 1,589.63 95.67 6.0% Bangor 3,885.63 385,216 99.14 1,376.22 278.10 1,753.46 1,657.38 96.08 5.8% Beddgelert 316.54 9,500 30.01 1,376.22 278.10 1,684.33 1,585.38 98.95 6.2% Betws Garmon 138.73 2,600 18.74 1,376.22 278.10 1,673.06 1,577.73 95.33 6.0% Bethesda 1,674.96 92,455 55.20 1,376.22 278.10 1,709.52 1,598.82 110.70 6.9% Bontnewydd 432.27 18,500 42.80 1,376.22 278.10 1,697.12 1,596.64 100.48 6.3% Botwnnog 447.42 5,500 12.29 1,376.22 278.10 1,666.61 1,570.72 95.89 6.1% Brithdir & Llanfachreth 424.51 6,000 14.13 1,376.22 278.10 1,668.45 1,572.86 95.59 6.1% Bryncrug 341.95 12,360 36.15 1,376.22 278.10 1,690.47 1,593.65 96.82 6.1% Buan 228.88 3,750 16.38 1,376.22 278.10 1,670.70 1,574.97 95.74 6.1% Caernarfon 3,543.60 198,488 56.01 1,376.22 278.10 1,710.33 1,615.00 95.33 5.9% Clynnog Fawr 447.08 15,000 33.55 1,376.22 278.10 1,687.87 1,585.43 102.44 6.5% Corris 303.66 8,425 27.74 1,376.22 278.10 1,682.06 1,582.91 99.15 6.3% Criccieth 944.01 42,000 44.49 1,376.22 278.10 1,698.81 1,597.04 101.77 6.4% Dolbenmaen 606.10 18,000 29.70 1,376.22 278.10 1,684.02 1,578.04 105.98 6.7% Dolgellau 1,228.41 60,000 48.84 1,376.22 278.10 1,703.16 1,602.29 100.87 6.3% Dyffryn Ardudwy 812.10 35,000 43.10 1,376.22 278.10 1,697.42 1,595.90 101.52 6.4% Y Felinheli 1,157.21 40,000 34.57 1,376.22 278.10 1,688.89 1,589.03 99.86 6.3% Ffestiniog 1,745.06 215,000 123.20 1,376.22 278.10 1,777.52 1,673.43 104.09 6.2% Y Ganllwyd 86.50 3,000 34.68 1,376.22 278.10 1,689.00 1,592.01 96.99 6.1% Harlech 791.40 70,000 88.45 1,376.22 278.10 1,742.77 1,647.50 95.27 5.8% Llanaelhaearn 443.57 25,000 56.36 1,376.22 278.10 1,710.68 1,614.09 96.59 6.0% Llanbedr 322.90 14,193 43.95 1,376.22 278.10 1,698.27 1,602.74 95.53 6.0% Llanbedrog 713.19 19,000 26.64 1,376.22 278.10 1,680.96 1,583.58 97.38 6.1% Llanberis 759.06 28,000 36.89 1,376.22 278.10 1,691.21 1,589.72 101.49 6.4% Llandwrog 1,029.14 55,000 53.44 1,376.22 278.10 1,707.76 1,605.84 101.92 6.3% Llandygai 990.62 21,408 21.61 1,376.22 278.10 1,675.93 1,580.76 95.17 6.0% Llanddeiniolen 1,836.69 31,800 17.31 1,376.22 278.10 1,671.63 1,573.00 98.63 6.3% Llandderfel 497.72 9,000 18.08 1,376.22 278.10 1,672.40 1,576.18 96.22 6.1% Llanegryn 159.72 5,000 31.30 1,376.22 278.10 1,685.62 1,590.20 95.42 6.0% Llanelltyd 288.42 7,500 26.00 1,376.22 278.10 1,680.32 1,584.59 95.73 6.0% Llanengan 2,119.89 50,000 23.59 1,376.22 278.10 1,677.91 1,581.80 96.11 6.1% Llanfair 309.59 13,000 41.99 1,376.22 278.10 1,696.31 1,599.14 97.17 6.1% Llanfihangel y Pennant 216.38 11,078 51.20 1,376.22 278.10 1,705.52 1,608.04 97.48 6.1% Llanfrothen 221.28 7,300 32.99 1,376.22 278.10 1,687.31 1,586.61 100.70 6.3% Llangelynnin 409.42 9,800 23.94 1,376.22 278.10 1,678.26 1,582.62 95.64 6.0% Llangywer 137.30 4,000 29.13 1,376.22 278.10 1,683.45 1,586.42 97.03 6.1% Llanllechid 340.89 8,000 23.47 1,376.22 278.10 1,677.79 1,580.42 97.37 6.2% Llanllyfni 1,411.04 48,826 34.60 1,376.22 278.10 1,688.92 1,587.11 101.81 6.4% Llannor 901.93 18,160 20.13 1,376.22 278.10 1,674.45 1,576.83 97.62 6.2% Llanrug 1,135.80 50,000 44.02 1,376.22 278.10 1,698.34 1,595.55 102.79 6.4% Llanuwchllyn 312.51 10,000 32.00 1,376.22 278.10 1,686.32 1,590.15 96.17 6.0% Llanwnda 783.86 28,000 35.72 1,376.22 278.10 1,690.04 1,590.59 99.45 6.3% Llanycil 200.54 4,000 19.95 1,376.22 278.10 1,674.27 1,579.02 95.25 6.0% Llanystumdwy 866.24 15,000 17.32 1,376.22 278.10 1,671.64 1,575.79 95.85 6.1% Maentwrog 280.90 6,051 21.54 1,376.22 278.10 1,675.86 1,579.90 95.96 6.1% Mawddwy 350.59 8,820 25.16 1,376.22 278.10 1,679.48 1,583.01 96.47 6.1% Nefyn 1,474.65 65,000 44.08 1,376.22 278.10 1,698.40 1,599.90 98.50 6.2% Pennal 220.86 6,000 27.17 1,376.22 278.10 1,681.49 1,585.11 96.38 6.1% Penrhyndeudraeth 772.99 38,200 49.42 1,376.22 278.10 1,703.74 1,604.80 98.94 6.2% Pentir 1,188.82 50,000 42.06 1,376.22 278.10 1,696.38 1,602.59 93.79 5.9% Pistyll 252.01 10,000 39.68 1,376.22 278.10 1,694.00 1,592.13 101.87 6.4% Porthmadog 2,014.59 60,759 30.16 1,376.22 278.10 1,684.48 1,586.54 97.94 6.2% Pwllheli 1,753.45 73,000 41.63 1,376.22 278.10 1,695.95 1,600.17 95.78 6.0% Talsarnau 321.85 20,000 62.14 1,376.22 278.10 1,716.46 1,620.16 96.30 5.9% Trawsfynydd 507.98 18,000 35.43 1,376.22 278.10 1,689.75 1,594.17 95.58 6.0% Tudweiliog 461.40 7,000 15.17 1,376.22 278.10 1,669.49 1,571.43 98.06 6.2% Tywyn 1,605.03 88,125 54.91 1,376.22 278.10 1,709.23 1,613.15 96.08 6.0% Waunfawr 560.86 12,000 21.40 1,376.22 278.10 1,675.72 1,579.56 96.16 6.1% Awdurdod 2019/20 2018/19 Authority Cyngor Gwynedd 1,376.22 1,300.53 5.8% Gwynedd Council Comisiynydd Heddlu a Throsedd Gogledd Cymru 278.10 258.12 7.74% North Wales Police & Crime Commissioner Cynghorau Cymuned (Cyfartaledd) 45.14 42.38 6.5% Community Councils (Average) Cyfanswm 1,699.46 1,601.03 6.1% Total
Page 202 Agenda Item 11
GWYNEDD COUNCIL
Report for a Council meeting
Date of meeting: 7 March 2019 Report by Councillor Peredur Jenkins, Finance Cabinet Member Contact Officer: Dilwyn Williams, Chief Executive Title: Asset Plan 2019-29
Background
1. The current Asset Plan has come to an end and we need to develop a new plan for the period 2019/20 - 2029.
2. As a starting point for creating such a plan, all departments were asked to identify their likely requirements for the next 10 years. In accordance with the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) act 2015, a number ofthese schemes relate to preventative work and look to the long term in order to ensure sustainable services for the future.
3. Having received these schemes, all Council members were asked to prioritise the schemes put forward by departments. 38 members took part in the task.
4. In consdering the relative priority to be given to schemes the detail of each scheme was presented and they were asked to prioritise according to the relative benefit which they felt the scheme would offer to the people of Gwynedd.
5. This was obviously in the context of the well-being aims noted in the Council’s Corporate Plan.
6. At its meeting on the 19 February, the Cabinet considered the prioritisation undertaken by the members and the full report can be seen by following the link given below.
https://democracy.cyngor.gwynedd.gov.uk/documents/s19980/Item%209%20- %20Asset%20Plan%202019-29.pdf
7. Had we followed the prioritisation given by the 38 members without question, taking into account the limited capital resources likely top be available to us for
Page 203 the next 10 years, it was aparent that there would be some schemes which we could no undertake despite the fact that the riks of not undertaking them were fairly significant.
8. The Cabinet therefore largely kept to the prioritisation set out by the members in the prioritisation exercise but transferred two schems to be considered as part of the prioritisation process for resourcing the Housing STrategy rather than the Capital Plan. These two schemes are noted in clauses 59 to 62 of the Plan.
9. The practical effect of this decision is then that we can ensure that we also undertake more high/ medium risk schemes which would not otherwise be undertaken.
10. The schemes which can then be undertaken as a result are noted in clauses 21; 22; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 33 a 40 of the Plan.
Equalities Act 2010 - effect on those with protected characteristics
11. This report does not recommend any action which will be detrimental to the service provided to any individual with protected characteristics. Indeed, the purpose of the Asset Plan is to ensure that we direct our available capital resources to those places which will have a positive effect on all of our citizens including those with protected characteristics.
12. Some schemes, especially those in the social care sector, are aimed at ensuring that the quality of the service provided to those with protected characteristics are improved and those schemes are obvious from the list. Where a scheme had an indirect effect upon those with protected characteristics, the details of the scheme given to members would have identified that effect.
13. Many of of the schemes which we will be prioritising at the outset fall into the category of improving the resources available for those with protected characteristics.
14. It is hoped that we will also be able to undertake the remaining schemes if resources allow during the 10 year span of the Plan but if a more detailed equality impact assessment identifies an impact not known at the time of preparing this Plan, then we will need to re-visit the prioritisation set out in this Plan.
15. The Cabinet therefore recommends that the Council adopts the attached Asset Plan as its Asset Plan for the period 2019/20 – 2028/29.
Page 204 Gwynedd Council Asset Plan 2019/20 – 2028/29
Page1 205 Introduction
1. This is Gwynedd Council’s Asset Plan for the ten year period starting in 2019/20.
2. The Council’s Corporate Plan sets out the Council’s aims and improvement priorities, and also sets out our well-being objectives in accordance with the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
3. In order to achieve these aims, services have to use a variety of assets.
4. The first step in establishing this plan was to ask every Council Department to identify those schemes they needed to undertake over the next 10 years in order to deliver those aims.
5. Every Council Member was then given the opportunity to take part in a prioritisiation process by identifying the priority he or she considered should be given to an individual scheme and the Cabinet considered the results of this consultation process in creating this Plan.
6. Apart from some specific schemes where appropriate emphasis had to be given to the risk of not fulfilling that scheme, in general, the Cabinet followed the prioritisation determined by members during the consultation process.
7. This Asset Plan therefore takes all of the capital spending requirements the Departments have noted they need in order to fufil the aims noted in the Council’s Corporate Plan, and sets out the relative priority to be accorded to those schemes.
8. The Council would obviously like to undertake every scheme identified by the departments, but considering what we currently know of the capital resources that will be available to the Council over the next ten years, this resource will not permit us to carry out every scheme.
9. Having said that, the situation could change over this period and we would review this scheme in light of any additional resources made available or any change in circumstances.
10. This Plan will form the basis of our capital spending strategy for the ensuing ten years and this Plan will also therefore drive our annual capital budgets.
Page2 206 RESOURCES
11. The key context to all of this of course is the resource which is going to be available for us to fund the Plan.
12. Our current capital settlement shows that we receive £6.6m of capital resources every year. Therefore over a period of 10 years it is anticipated we will have £66m.
13. On top of that, in a recent budgetary statement the First Minister of Wales declared that he will provide an additional £100m for local authorities to spend on capital over a period of 3 years. The first two instalments will be paid in respect of 2018/19 and 2019/20 and our share of this resoure is anticipated to be £4.5m. There is also £1.4m from the old Asset Strategy Fund still available making a total capital resource of £72m available over the 10 year period.
14. It is possible over the next 10 years that we will see additional resources arising in the form of grants towards specific purposes and we should be alive to this possibility so as to try to ensure that we maximize the resources available for our core needs.
15. Over a period of 10 years, there is also a strong likelihood that we will dispose of some assets which will increase resources available but as the Council’s Capital Plan for the period 2009-2018 is already based on selling a large amount of assets surplus to our requirements, there do not appear to be any opportunities at the moment to supplement our resources with any certainty.
16 The spending needs identified by the different departments are noted below. The schemes are divided into three groups:-
Schemes that we will be able to undertake within the resources available; Schemes that will have to be addressed by other means; Schemes where we will have to wait and see whether we can add to the resource available before they can be completed
17 If we receive further resources either through individual grants for approved schemes or otherwise we will prioritise schemes that cannot currently be approved in the order noted in part C which represents the priority accorded to them by the Council.
Page3 207 PART A – SCHEMES THAT ARE POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE WITHIN THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES
Education Department
18 Potential Scheme to ensure suitable post-16 education provision in Arfon. (£6,300,000). A review of the post-16 provision in Gwynedd is currently being undertaken, with a clear focus on Arfon schools, where post-16 pupils receive their education in the secondary schools rather than in a tertiary College provision as is the case in the rest of the county. The Isle of Anglesey Council will be looking at this provision at the same time. Although we do not currently know what the exact conclusions of the research will be, but accepting that there will be a strong possibility that capital expenditure will be needed in order to deliver any solution, be that through schools or any other solution, Welsh Government has already agreed in principle to include the match funding as a part of the investment in Band B of the 21st Century Schools Programme which means that we will receive 65% of the scheme’s possible cost (£18m) through grant aid. It is possible that the cost will be less depending on the response which will become clear in the review.
19. A new school to replace Ysgol Treferthyr, Criccieth which is in a serious condition (£1,750,000). The existing Ysgol Treferthyr building is in a serious condition (the only school in Gwynedd in Category C or lower). Match funding for a new school has been agreed in principle in Welsh Government's Band B schemes which means that 65% of the total cost of the scheme (£5m) will be grant funded.
20. Upgrade the condition and suitability of schools (3,570,000). The Council has already invested in the schools' field in order to raise the quality of our schools and Welsh Government has acknowledged that by agreeing in principle to earmark match funding from money in Band B in order to assist the Council to further realise the programme which means that 65% of the total cost of the scheme (£10.2m) will be grant funded.
Environment Department
21. Carry out feasibility studies and complete preparatory work to attract grant funding towards highway and environmental schemes. (£750,000) Carrying out feasibility studies and completing preparatory work enables us to persuade a variety of public bodies and landowners to finance schemes within the County and enables us to respond quickly when grants become available. Since 2005, the Council has managed to deliver capital projects to the value of approximately £75 million to improve the highways infrastructure and a vast majority of these (89%) have been funded with grants or a combination of
Page4 208 grants, with 70% supported by a feasibility study. Failing to carry out feasibility studies would reduce the ability to do so. The Department had asked for £1m over the scheme’s lifetime but we do not have funds available to meet this sum in its entirety and we will therefore be providing £750,000 for this plan.
22. Maintaining the Lonydd Glas Recreational Network (£140,000). The Lonydd Glas network attracts over 300,000 annual journeys and it has been developed over the past 20 years at a cost of approximately £5m (mainly through external grants). However they require maintenance and unless we carry out the necessary maintenance work some sections would have to be closed.
23. Disposing of asbestos from our properties (£1,708,000) - Every year, the Council inspects every piece of asbestos in our buildings, in accordance with the statutory requirements. If the asbestos is in a dangerous condition, it must be disposed of, otherwise the building must close. There are serious implications to the health of building users unless asbestos is managed very carefully. This is the amount that we estimate will be required over the years in order to meet the need.
24. Replace the drinking water purification systems in smallholdings (£400,000) - Some smallholdings are located in isolated areas and do not have access to a public water supply. The families who live there are dependent on being able to use water from a well or natural reservoirs. This water is unsuitable to drink without being purified and the purification systems are now old and are reaching the end of their lifespan.
Economy & Community Department
25. Health & Safety Issues in Leisure Centres (£250,000) - Health & Safety assessments have shown that there are risks deriving from the failure to sufficiently separate pedestrians and vehicles in the Plas Silyn Leisure Centre, Penygroes and Arfon Tennis Centre, Caernarfon. We need to rectify the situation by undertaking these schemes.
26. Parc Padarn, Llanberis (£175,000) - This site is obviously full of risks as it is a quarry. It includes a network of paths that are open to the public - which meander through former quarries and ancient woodland. The quarry area includes a number of old buildings that are now deteriorating and collapsing (roofs, walls, etc.). In addition, a substantial number of trees (over 100 oak trees) have collapsed in recent storms. It is considered that work needs to be done to protect the safety of visitors to the Park, and the users of relevant public footpaths.
Page5 209 27. Multi-purpose playing fields (£1,300,000) - A number of AstroTurf pitches were developed in the 90s that are extensively used by schools and the broader community. The pitches are now reaching the end of their lifespan and unless they can be replaced, they will be dangerous to use and must be closed. This will have a substantial impact on schools' ability to meet the physical education curriculum and on a substantial number of clubs (football, hockey, rugby etc. [both children and adults clubs]).
Children and Family Support Department
28. Canolfan Maesgeirchen/Ty Cegin (£500,000) - Our family support strategy is in its infancy; however, one certainty is that the area of Maesgeirchen, Bangor deserves specific attention in terms of providing support. Although the Council does have a presence there already, it could be argued that a different provision is needed if we are to realise our vision in our family support strategy. Although we are yet to define exactly what needs to be done, obviously investment will be needed if the aim of seeing the principle of "one service" is to be realised and whilst it will be possible to target some grants, the Council may have to contribute as well.
Adults, Health & Well-being Department
29. Housing Adaptation Grants (£13,000,000) - A substantial proportion of the housing grants spend is statutory expenditure on adaptations (£1.3m per annum), to enable disabled people to continue in their homes or to facilitate hospital discharge. This funding pays for the Disability Facilities Grant (DFG) and the minor adaptations to property scheme. We have a duty to provide adaptations if an assessment has noted that it is essential and necessary. Adaptations are important in order to promote independence and to support carers and avoid challenges.
30. Hostels for the Homeless (£500,000) - The nature of the current resources is dated and investment and alterations are needed to provide a quality service and to comply with expectations in terms of quality. Without upgrading, there will be challenges in the future, in terms of an increase in protecting the interests and privacy of individuals, particularly in terms of the current requirement to share some facilities such as bathrooms and kitchens.
31. Extra Care Housing (£2,500,000) - Extra Care Housing allows us to meet the real needs of older people by offering them a property that allows them to live independent lives whilst receiving appropriate support. The demand is increasing and whilst we are likely to be able to develop two such sites by means of grants etc., there is room to extend the provision for individuals with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and mental health conditions as well as provision for older people only. The provision means that individuals have
Page6 210 their own tenancy and are able to receive timely support if needed in order to enable them to remain independent for as long as possible within their local communities. There is evidence that it is possible to provide care to individuals with very intensive needs within the schemes. They also allow couples to stay together and receive support and enable families to continue to provide elements of support should they so wish.
32. The department had requested that they be given the resource to develop two additional sches at a cost of £5m. The Plan provides for one scheme and priority to be given to the second scheme will be considered as part of the Housing Strategy prioritisation process.
33. Penygroes Health and Care Hub (£3,500,000) - This would be an innovative scheme to provide an integrated health and care hub with the opportunity to use the development as a catalyst for community and economic recovery at the same time. The scheme would ensure a timely response, by the most suitable person, to local residents. It would develop collaboration and integration between the local community, third sector and statutory bodies in order to make the best use of resources and deliver what matters to the community. The geographical location of Penygroes means that the development would benefit the local community and the residents of the County in a broader sense. The scheme would include a housing provision for older people and individuals with specific needs and would create an opportunity to adapt the care provision offered from Plas Gwilym residential home. Developing an equipment facility that allows specialist equipment to be trialled to ensure suitability before providing or purchasing their own equipment, provides a local service that can respond in a timely manner. Similarly, there is an opportunity here to strengthen the county provision to support children and families, in particular by working in partnership on preventative work.
34. Canolfan Dolfeurig, Dolgellau (£1,200,000) - In our efforts to ensure that people with Learning Disabilities are able to live complete lives and participate in society, we give them opportunities during the day in Meirionnydd at Canolfan Dolfeurig. The building is in a very poor condition and is unfit for purpose. It raises many concerns in relation to health and safety matters. The report of the Property Department notes that the cost of repairing the building properly to maintain the service for 20-25 years would make less sense than building a smaller resource with purpose-built space. This would also reduce running and maintenance costs. The aim would be to develop a community hub in this building in order to continue the existing services on the site and develop a broad range of day and work opportunities for adults with learning disabilities in the south of the county. In addition, it would be possible to develop a range of services and group work to be held from the Hub.
Page7 211 35. Residential Homes (£2,125,000) – We have a number of residential homes in need of adaptations so that we can in the future provide the service that responds to the true needs of our residents in the . This would allow us to provide specialist dementia care and to respond to more intensive needs such as health needs and support end of life needs as well as being able to provide respite care. The residential homes in question are :-
Hafod Mawddach Residential Home, Barmouth Bryn Blodau Residential Home, Blaenau Ffestiniog Cefn Rodyn Residential Home, Dolgellau Plas Hafan Residential Home, Pwllheli Plas Hedd Residential Home, Bangor Plas Pengwaith Residential Home, Llanberis Tanymarian Residential Home, Pwllheli
Highways and Municipal Department
36. Preventing deterioration of roads (£7,000,000) - Whilst the comparative condition of our class A and B roads places us "central" in the national tables, the condition of our class C roads - namely the longest length we have, is in the 18th position across Wales. The current expenditure on road maintenance (a revenue budget of £6.961m) is insufficient to avoid a deterioration and on the current level of expenditure, a deterioration of approximately 1% per annum is anticipated. To keep the roads in their current condition, it is anticipated that an additional investment of approximately £1m per annum would be required. Naturally, more would need to be spent if one wishes to see an improvement.
37. We will be receiving £3.9m of additional resources for our roads from Welsh Government which will be sufficient to meet the need for the first three years of the Plan and we will consider providing £1m per annum after that time if further rsources from Welsh Government do not materialise.
38. Replace traffic lights (£650,000) - We need to replace columns and traffic lights which are coming to the end of their operational life. In the past, the small numbers arising from the road maintenance budget could be coped with; however, the numbers are increasing as more reach the end of their lifespan.
39. Replace sub-standard safety fences (£1,000,000) - During the first 10 years of the previous Asset Plan, half of the sub-standard Safety Fences (timber posts), were replaced (34 locations). Another 34 still need replacing.
40. Defective Bridges (£1,778,500) – Following the Council’s Highway Maintenance Review published in 2016 it was decided that we would deal with bridges by moving to a risk based inspection and assessment system for bridges andretaining walls (i.e. ensuring that we have clear and definitive
Page8 212 arrangements for establishing ansd targeting our main risks). The assessments show that a number of our bridges require attention if we are to continue using them. Failure to do so could result in traffic restrictions on the bridges with possible diversions or even closure. The following are the bridges in question:-
Pont Mwnwgl y Llyn, Bala Cadfan Road Bridge, Tywyn Penllyn Bridge near Brynrefail Llanystumdwy Bridge Capel Horeb Bridge, Arthog Dysynni Bridge, Tywyn
41. Flooding on the Highway (£1,000,000) - We do not currently have a specific budget to deliver minor schemes in order to prevent water from flowing onto the road and cause damage to residential property. Recently, many cases of this has occurred and consideration must be given to using the roads maintenance budget as a way of dealing with the worst examples. Obviously, there are implications to the residents in those places that suffer as well as to the Council's reputation. There could also be legal implications. We therefore need to provide a budget for such work.
42. Providing Land for Burials (£682,000) - Failing to deliver this scheme would mean that we would not have sufficient burial land in three urban areas within the county.
43. Replacement of Housing Estate Water Pipes (£2,400,000) - A report was submitted to the Cabinet on 7/6/16, noting that there is a responsibility on the Council to maintain unadopted water pipes that serve Council housing. This work (that would remove sub-standard water pipes), would continue in the long-term and it is estimated that this amount is needed over the plan period. Failing to do so would create a risk of legal challenge and could mean that CCG tenants would receive sub-standard supplies.
44. Develop and Renew the Caergylchu Site (£718,000) – There is a need to renew the building's roof and meet fire requirements to ensure that recycling and transfer activities continue.
45. Develop the Coed Fridd Arw Waste Transfer Site (£210,000) – Currently only a section of the site can be used under the waste treatment and recycling material licence. The exception to the rest of the site under the licence will end within a year unless a surface water management system is provided on the site.
Page9 213 Gwynedd Consultancy Department
46. Flood Prevention Schemes (£2,047,800) – The Consultancy Department is responsible for assessing flood risk within the County and looks at ways of alleviating the risks. There are a number of schemes where an application could be made for grant aid to undertake alleviation works but that would depend on match funding from the Council. The schemes under consideration and the risks protected are:-
Aberdyfi Quay - a structure that protects the area behind property from erosion and maintains a number of quay services in Aberdyfi North Promenade, Barmouth – This is in order to release an investment of £1.6m to protect 200 properties from flooding. Viaduct Gardens, Barmouth - This is in order to release an investment of £1.6m to protect 50 properties from flooding and would also assist with the long-term strategy of sand management in the town. Crugan Beach, Pwllheli - This money will release an investment of £2m to protect 200 houses in Pwllheli. Repairing and upgrading drainage system at Hirael, Bangor - Assist the long-term strategy and provide flood protection in the Hirael area in Bangor. Protect up to 120 homes and key infrastructure. Fordd y Traeth, Y Felinheli - This would release an investment of £800k to prevent flooding to 33 houses.
Renewal Shemes
47. Vehicle Fleet (£2,037,000) – A number of Council services utilise vehicles in order to deliver their services, and whilst some departments have renewals funds to replace those vehicles when that needs to be done, others are dependant upon the capital budget to replace them. The amount shown here is the amount which will be required to replace vehicles over the next 10 year period.
48. Information Technology Equipment (£7,215,360) – In the same way, the use of information technology is now key for all Council services, and this resource needs to be replaced when it comes to the end of its life. This sum is the amount required to fund that replacement programme over the 10 year timeframe of the Plan.
Page10 214 PART B – SCHEMES WHICH WILL HAVE TO BE UNDERTAKEN BY OTHER MEANS
49 Education Department - Complete the review of education organisation in Bangor. (£6,370,000)
50. The Council and Welsh Government is already investing £12million in Band A of the Welsh Government's 21st Century Schools Programme in the primary sector in Bangor. This further investment in Band B that would see the Welsh Government funding 65% of the total cost of the scheme of £18.2m and is key in order to build on, and complete, the work of investing in education in the Bangor area.
51. However, in view of the financial constraints which we face; the resources required in order to undertake the Education schemes noted in paragraphs 18- 20 of this Plan restraints and the comparative priority given to this scheme against other schmes, we need to consider other ways of delivering it. 52. There is a possibility that the cost of undertaking the post-16 scheme noted in paragraph 18 above could be less than that earmarked for it, and if so, we will divert any resources released as a result towards this scheme.
53. If there is no reduction in the cost of that scheme or if it is insufficient, if this scheme continues to be a priority for the Education Department, the scheme can be undertaken by borrowing additional moneys to do so, but that would entail the Education Department finding the revenue resources to pay the cost of that borrowing.
54. Environment Department - Dealing with the repairs and maintenance backlog (£14,000,000) .
55. At the beginning of our previous asset Plan, we had a £27m maintenance back- log as we had not been investing enough in the maintenance of our buildings. As a result of the expenditure earmarked in the previous plan, this amount has now reduced to £14m. To be able to deal with all condition issues identified in our buildings at present, e.g. leaking roofs, old windows, damp, kitchens and toilets in a poor condition, etc. there is a need for a greater investment than that set aside in the revenue budget which is spent to try and stop the situation getting worse.
56. This investment would meet all of the need and would avoid the risk of a building having to be closed due to a failure arising due to the historic deficit. However, it is such an enormous sum that the expenditure cannot be met if we wish to undertake the other elements of this Plan.
57. On that basis therefore we cannot give this scheme priority and will expect the
Page11 215 department to move funds from the revenue maintenance budget if a situation arises when a building would have to be be closed for this reason.
58. In addition however, if any capital receipts are received during this Plan’s lifetime which have not already been earmarked for other schemes, we will direct those capital receipts towards making inroads into the repairs and maintenance backlog. We will also start on that work by providing £600,000 of the Capital Plan’s resources for that purpose.
59 Adults, Health & Well-being Department - Grants for Empty Houses (£3,000,000) - This investment would fund the Council's Empty Houses Scheme which brings 60+ empty houses back into use every year. Without the resource, the scheme cannot be continued. Gwynedd Council has been pioneering in the field and the housing units that are restored are recycled in order to provide accommodation for people on the housing register and the homeless. It is anticipated that reducing this investment would increase the demand on the register and the period to obtain permanent accommodation. 60. The empty homes scheme also supports first-time buyers, by offering them support to bring empty houses back into use. Expenditure on empty homes will obviously attract additional private investment within the County's boundaries. Between 2008 and 2017, it is estimated that £3.9m in Council money was spent on empty homes which led to a further private investment of £10.5m.
61. However, taking into account the sums already being allocated for the housing function in this Plan and the resources available, and knowing that there will be substantial sums available over the next 10 years to deliver the Council’s Housing Strategy, we will transfer this scheme to receive consideration under the arrangements for considering the priorities for resources abvailable to deliver the Housing Strategy.
62. Extra Care Housing (£2,500,000) – As noted in paragraph 31 of the Plan we intend to provide resources for one additional Extra Care Housing scheme but consideration of the second additional scheme will have to be transferred to the prioritisation process for the Housing Strategy.
Part C – SCHEMES WHICH WILL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE WHETHER WE CAN ADD TO THE RESOURCE AVAILABLE BEFORE WE CAN UNDERTAKE THEM
63. Grants to improve the condition and safety of sub-standard housing (£4,000,000) - This investment funds schemes that improves the condition and safety of sub-standard housing. Money such as Gwynedd's contribution is used to attract match funding from external sources and to stimulate further improvements. A number of schemes administered on behalf of the Welsh Assembly are subject to the Council's match funding. It would be difficult for
Page12 216 the Council to attract money from Government and act and encourage restoration work without intervention and making a financial contribution. We assist vulnerable individuals that would not be able to supervise the necessary improvements themselves. The money enables the Council to give low-interest loans to applicants who would not otherwise receive assistance, and enables people to remain in their homes. The money also tops up the DFGs, which avoids the need for older and vulnerable people to receive permanent care.
64. Replace play equipment in playing fields (£516,000) - Without this investment, play equipment would not be replaced at the end of their operational life. During the 10 years, it is anticipated that 42 of the 131 Council playing fields would replace the play equipment and improve the safety measures.
65. Installation of equipment to pay to use public toilets (£165,000) - In order to facilitate the transfer of some public toilets to others, it would be desirable to install payment machines on those toilets so that those who are taking over the toilets could gain an element of income from them. Failing to do so would raise a question as to whether other organisations would be as prepared to take responsibility for them.
66. Upgrade defective drainage system at Tremadog (£75,000) - This money will release an investment of £500k to protect 20 houses in Tremadog.
67. Waterloo Port, Caernarfon (£55,000) – A scheme to protect the access to the beach below Waterloo Port in Caernarfon. The work is associated with a sea wall that is unable to hold the land back behind the cycle path. Also, to protect 8 houses from flood risk.
68. Penpaled, Criccieth (£45,000) - To protect the coast and four houses.
69. Bangor Swimming Pool (£500,000) - Currently, our fitness and "dry" sports offer is very restricted to the residents of Bangor due to a lack of suitable space in the existing building. In addition, the current design of the changing rooms restricts the number of swimming lessons we are able to offer and this leads to waiting lists. We are also open to possible challenge from protected groups via equality legislation, e.g. lack of women only changing space and restricted space for disabled people. It is also unsuitable for the users of the fitness room, e.g. open/poolside showers only.
70. Hafan Pwllheli (£700,000) - Hafan Pwllheli's income derives from the boat moorings located there. The pontoons and stakes at Hafan date back to the 90s and they need to be replaced. Failure to do so would lead to a deterioration in their condition and would lead to the need to remove pontoons from Hafan, thus reducing income (and therefore the profits), generated there. A reduction
Page13 217 in the number of customers would also be likely to affect businesses around Hafan. The need for further investment is anticipated in 2030.
71. Neuadd Dwyfor, Pwllheli (£350,000) - A scheme to the value of £340k has been submitted to the Welsh Government in order to make improvements to Neuadd Dwyfor - revamping the library (the project noted above), creating a joint reception, revamping the hallway and developing a space for hot drinks / Wi-Fi access and newspapers there and create an activity room. The bid was unsuccessful due to the pressure on the national fund. Without investment, the building will not be able to offer the experience that customers would expect and this could lead to a reduction in income. Investing in the building would place the Council in a much stronger position to discuss the transfer of the service with partners. Without investment, or transfer in the short/medium term, the viability of the Theatre/Cinema at Neuadd Dwyfor will be at risk and subsequently there would be implications to the Library and to the Council/community meeting spaces on the site. There would also be implications to the Council as the Theatre space in Neuadd Dwyfor is listed and the Council would be responsible for protecting it. Should Neuadd Dwyfor close, it would impact not only the service, but also the businesses in Pwllheli Town Centre and the broader area (it is a rainy day facility for tourists).
72. Plas Ffrancon Leisure Centre, Bethesda (£100,000) - Currently, a section of the Leisure Centre is used by Flying Start and income derives from that. Should that scheme end, the space would not be suitable to ensure that an income could be derived from and it would require some expenditure in order to return it to an use that would create income. Of course, this is dependent on whether or not Flying Start comes to an end.
73. Improving the Lonydd Glas Recreational Network (£60,000) – This would be a programme to update and improve signs and user information in the most widely used areas on the network. It would also provide a programme of access improvements along the network in order to facilitate greater use and improve user safety near road junctiuons along with undertaking a programme of fencing and protecting retaining walls where the liability rests with the Council.
74. Adapt Pwllheli Library (£120,000) - Work has been completed to introduce a self-service system to the Gwynedd library network in 2017/18. However, the space in Pwllheli Library restricted the service's ability to take advantage of opportunities to improve efficiency as a result of the new system. Investment is required to adapt the building and take full advantage of co-locating opportunities with the reception of the Theatre/Cinema in the building
75. Dwyfor Leisure Centre (£75,000) - There is an insufficient number of parking spaces on the site to cope with the number of users and they have to park on
Page14 218 the street or on nearby streets. The benefit of the scheme would be to improve user experience and reduce on-street parking problems for nearby residents.
76. Adaptations to Bangor Library - Bangor Library offers a very restricted provision of space for users considering that it is one of the main libraries in Gwynedd, one of the largest communities, and is also a University city. There is insufficient space in the current building to carry out any work to extend or partnership work with external agencies. Therefore, our ability to provide a comprehensive library service such as reading activities (Reading Clubs), health and well-being activities (information sessions, Mindfulness sessions), children's activities (story and rhyme sessions for babies, family literacy activities), is very low compared to other towns in the county. There is no opportunity to promote the library as a community information hub either, which has happened successfully in some of the other libraries.
77. If we manage to find further resources during the Plan’s timeframe, we will try and undertake the schemes noted in Part C according to the rank orderin which they appear above, which reflects the order in which they were placed by members during the consultation process.
CONCLUSIONS
78. The total cost of schemes noted in Part A above and in paragraph 58 of Part B is £67m which is £5m lower than the £72m estimate we are likely to have available to us over the planning period.
79. However we need to be alive to the fact that other calls will arise during that 10 year period and it would be inappropriate for us to leave ourselves without the capability of meeting those requirements.
80. Accordingly, the £5m noted above will be retained in order to have £0.5m per annum to respond to such needs.
81. The priority to be given to any new requirement will have to be assessed against the priorities established in this Plan. If no new requirement arises, then the resource can be committed on an annual to fund those schemes which appear in Part C.
82. It also possible that further information could come to hand, be it further significant requirements; a significant adjustment in the resource available or a more detailed equality assessment which might affect the prioritisation accorded in this plan to various schemes and the Plan will periodically therefore need to be the subject of a review.
Page15 219 Page16 220 Agenda Item 12
MEETING: FULL COUNCIL DATE: 7 MARCH 2019 SUBJECT: CAPITAL STRATEGY 2019/20 PURPOSE: TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED CAPITAL STRATEGY FOR 2019/20 CONTACT OFFICER: DAFYDD L EDWARDS, HEAD OF FINANCE CABINET MEMBER: COUNCILLOR PEREDUR JENKINS, CABINET MEMBER FOR FINANCE
INTRODUCTION
1. This capital strategy is a new report for 2019/20, giving a high-level overview of how capital expenditure, capital financing and treasury management activity contribute to the provision of local public services along with an overview of how associated risk is managed and the implications for future financial sustainability. It has been written in an accessible style to enhance members’ understanding of these sometimes technical areas.
CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND FINANCING
2. Capital expenditure is where the Council spends money on assets, such as property or vehicles, that will be used for more than one year. In local government this includes spending on assets owned by other bodies, and loans and grants to other bodies enabling them to buy assets. The Council has some limited discretion on what counts as capital expenditure, with some low value assets charged to revenue in year. All assets and schemes are assessed and charged on their own merits.
Further explanation of the Council’s policy on capitalisation can be seen in the Policy Notes of the Council’s Statement of Accounts for 2017/18, see: https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Council/Performance-and-spending/Budgets- and-finance/Statement-of-Accounts/Gwynedd-Council.aspx
3. In 2019/20, the Council is planning capital expenditure of £35m as summarised below:
Page 221 Table 1: Prudential Indicator: Estimates of Capital Expenditure in £ millions 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m General Fund 23.4 28.5 35.0 18.8 9.3 Services
4. The main General Fund capital projects in 2019/20 include: Asset Management Plan (to be allocated) - £11.7 m Highways Refurbishment- £2.7 m Housing Strategy - £2.7 m 21st Century Schools - £8.7 m
5. Governance: The Council has a 10 year Asset Strategy, a plan of the Council’s capital spending priorities based on the requirements of departments. Part of the strategy includes an unallocated sum. From this amount departments are able to bid annually for funding for capital schemes. Bids are collated by the Finance Department. The Cabinet appraises all bids based on priorities and makes recommendations. The capital bids and asset strategy are presented to Cabinet and to full Council annually.
For full details of the Council’s capital programme, refer to Appendix A.
6. All capital expenditure must be financed, either from external sources (government grants and other contributions), the Council’s own resources (revenue, reserves and capital receipts) or debt (borrowing, leasing and Private Finance Initiative(PFI)). The planned financing of the above expenditure is as follows:
Table 2: Capital Financing in £ millions 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m External Sources 11.1 15.4 15.2 6.4 2.5
Own Resources 4.5 7.1 14.3 7.5 2.7
Debt 7.8 6.0 5.5 4.9 4.1
TOTAL 23.4 28.5 35.0 18.8 9.3
Page 222 7. Debt is only a temporary source of finance, since loans and leases must be repaid, and this is therefore replaced over time by other financing, usually from revenue which is known as minimum revenue provision (MRP). Alternatively, proceeds from selling capital assets (known as capital receipts) may be used to replace debt finance. Planned MRP and use of capital receipts are as follows:
Table 3: Replacement of Debt Finance in £ millions 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m Own Resources 7.8 7.7 7.6 7.7 7.7
The Council’s full Minimum Revenue Provision Statement is available in Appendix B to the Capital Strategy Statement.
8. The Council’s cumulative outstanding amount of debt finance is measured by the capital financing requirement (CFR). This increases with new debt-financed capital expenditure and reduces with MRP and capital receipts used to replace debt. The CFR is expected to decrease by £2.1m during 2019/20. Based on the above figures for expenditure and financing, the Council’s estimated CFR is as follows:
Table 4: Prudential Indicator: Estimates of Capital Financing Requirement in £ millions 31.3.2018 31.3.2019 31.3.2020 31.3.2021 31.3.2022 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m General Fund 177.0 177.6 175.5 172.7 169.1 Services
9. Asset Management: To ensure that capital assets continue to be of long- term use, the Council has an asset management strategy. A new Asset Strategy for the 10 year period from 2019/20 to 2028/29 has been developed. As part of the procedure to establishing the new strategy, Departments were asked to consider their capital requirements to enable them to run their services. A series of workshops were held for members to express opinion and prioritise capital schemes. The Cabinet in the committee on 19/02/2019 will be submitting its formal recommendations to the full Council for approval on 07/03/2019.
Page 223
10. Asset Disposals: When a capital asset is no longer needed, it may be sold so that the proceeds, known as capital receipts, can be spent on new assets or to repay debt. Repayments of capital grants, loans and investments also generate capital receipts. The Council plans to receive capital receipts as indicated in the table below:
Table 5: Capital Receipts in £ millions 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m Asset Sales 0.2 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.8
TREASURY MANAGEMENT
11. Treasury management is concerned with keeping sufficient but not excessive cash available to meet the Council’s spending needs, while managing the risks involved. Surplus cash is invested until required, while a shortage of cash will be met by borrowing, to avoid excessive credit balances or overdrafts in the bank current account. The Council is typically cash rich in the short-term as revenue income is received before it is spent, but cash poor in the long-term as capital expenditure is incurred before being financed. The revenue cash surpluses are offset against capital cash shortfalls to reduce overall borrowing.
12. Due to decisions taken in the past, the Council currently has £106m borrowing at an average interest rate of 5.6% and £34m treasury investments at an average rate of 0.67%.
13. Borrowing Strategy: The Council’s main objectives when borrowing are to achieve a low but certain cost of finance while retaining flexibility should plans change in future. These objectives are often conflicting, and the Council therefore seeks to strike a balance between cheap short-term loans (currently available at around 0.75%) and long-term fixed rate loans where the future cost is known but higher (currently 2.0% to 3.0%).
14. Projected levels of the Council’s total outstanding debt (which comprises borrowing and PFI liabilities) are shown below, compared with the capital financing requirement (see above).
Page 224 Table 6: Prudential Indicator: Gross Debt and the Capital Financing Requirement in £ millions 31.3.2018 31.3.2019 31.3.2020 31.3.2021 31.3.2022 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m Debt (incl. PFI 106.4 106.4 104.4 103.1 101.8 & leases) Capital Financing 177.0 177.6 175.5 172.7 169.1 Requirement
15. Statutory guidance is that debt should remain below the capital financing requirement, except in the short-term. As can be seen from table 6, the Council expects to comply with this in the medium term.
16. Liability Benchmark: To compare the Council’s actual borrowing against an alternative strategy, a liability benchmark has been calculated showing the lowest risk level of borrowing. This assumes that cash and investment balances are kept to a minimum level of £20m at each year-end. This benchmark is currently £118m and is forecast to fall to £109m over the next three years.
Table 7: Borrowing and the Liability Benchmark in £ millions 31.3.2018 31.3.2019 31.3.2020 31.3.2021 31.3.2022 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m Outstanding 106.4 106.4 104.4 103.1 101.8 Borrowing Liability 109.9 109.6 107.4 105.8 104.2 Benchmark
17. The table shows that the Council expects to remain borrowed below its liability benchmark. This is because cash outflows to date have been lower than expected due to the negative working capital position. If the position changes any loans required will be short term.
Page 225 18. Affordable Borrowing Limit: The Council is legally obliged to set an affordable borrowing limit (also termed the authorised limit for external debt) each year. In line with statutory guidance, a lower “operational boundary” is also set as a warning level should debt approach the limit.
Table 8: Prudential Indicators: Authorised Limit and Operational Boundary for External Debt in £m
2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 Limit Limit Limit Limit £m £m £m £m Authorised Limit – total external 190 190 200 200 debt Operational Boundary – total 180 180 190 190 external debt
Further details on borrowing are in the Treasury Management Strategy in Appendix C.
19. Investment Strategy: Treasury investments arise from receiving cash before it is paid out again. Investments made for service reasons or for pure financial gain are not generally considered to be part of treasury management.
20. The Council’s policy on treasury investments is to prioritise security and liquidity over yield, that is to focus on minimising risk rather than maximising returns. Cash that is likely to be spent in the near term is invested securely, for example with the government, other local authorities or selected high-quality banks, to minimise the risk of loss. Money that will be held for longer terms is invested more widely, including in bonds, shares and property, to balance the risk of loss against the risk of receiving returns below inflation. Both near-term and longer- term investments may be held in pooled funds, where an external fund manager makes decisions on which particular investments to buy and the Council may request its money back at short notice.
Page 226 Table 9: Treasury Management Investments in £millions 31.3.2018 31.3.2019 31.3.2020 31.3.2021 31.3.2022 Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget £m £m £m £m £m Near-Term 47 10 10 10 10 Investments Longer-Term 0 10 10 10 10 Investments TOTAL 47 20 20 20 20
Further details on treasury investments are in the Treasury Management Strategy in Appendix C.
21. Governance: Decisions on treasury management investment and borrowing are made daily and are therefore delegated to the Head of Finance and staff, who must act in line with the Treasury Management Strategy approved by Full Council. Half year and full year reports on treasury management activity are presented to the Audit and Governance Committee. The Audit and Governance Committee is responsible for scrutinising treasury management decisions.
INVESTMENTS FOR SERVICE PURPOSES
22. The Council can make investments to assist local public services, including making loans to local small businesses to promote economic growth and to support the housing strategy. In light of the public service objective, the Council is willing to take more risk than with treasury investments, however it still plans for such investments to break even after all costs.
23. Governance: Decisions on service investments are made by the relevant Head of service in consultation with the Head of Finance. Most loans are capital expenditure and would therefore also be approved as part of the capital programme.
LIABILITIES
24. In addition to debt of £109m detailed above, the Council is committed to making future payments to cover its pension fund deficit (valued at £227m). It has also set aside £8m to cover risks of provisions, of which 98% relate to Waste Sites. The Council is also at risk of having to pay for contingent liabilities relating to the capping and aftercare requirements for the Authority’s landfill Sites, and also a
Page 227 potential insurance liability relating to the insurance arrangements of its predecessor authorities and the closure of the Municipal Mutual Insurance (MMI) Fund. In accordance with the accounting requirements, no money has been set aside for such contigent liabilities.
25. Governance: Decisions on incurring new discretional liabilities are taken by Heads of Services in consultation with the Head of Finance. The risk of liabilities crystallising and requiring payment is monitored by the Finance Department. New material liabilities are reported to the Audit and Governance Committee.
Further details on liabilities are on page 11 of the 2017/18 Statement of Accounts https://www.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Council/Documents--- Council/Performance-and-spending/Statement-of-Accounts-17-18/Statement-of-Accounts- 2017-18.pdf
REVENUE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
26. Although capital expenditure is not charged directly to the revenue budget, interest payable on loans and MRP are charged to revenue, offset by any investment income receivable. The net annual charge is known as financing costs; this is compared to the net revenue stream i.e. the amount funded from Council Tax, National Non-Domestic Rates and general government grants.
Table 10: Prudential Indicator: Proportion of Financing Costs to Net Revenue Stream 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22
Actual Forecast Budget Budget Budget Financing Costs £13.7m £13.4m £13.3m £13.3m £13.3m (£m) Proportion of Net 5.9% 5.5% 5.4% 5.3% 5.3% Revenue Stream(%)
Further details on the revenue implications of capital expenditure are included in the 2019/20 Budget. https://democracy.cyngor.gwynedd.gov.uk/ielistdocuments.aspx?cid=136&mid=2503&ver=4
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27. Sustainability: Due to the very long-term nature of capital expenditure and financing, the revenue budget implications of expenditure incurred in the next few years will extend for 50 years and over into the future. The Head of Finance is satisfied that the proposed capital programme is prudent, affordable and sustainable in the long term.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
28. The Council employs professionally qualified and experienced staff in senior positions with responsibility for making capital expenditure, borrowing and investment decisions. For example, the Head of Finance is a qualified accountant with a number of years’ experience, and the Senior Property Manager is a chartered surveyor and member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. The Council has qualified staff and pays for junior staff to study towards relevant professional qualifications including CIPFA, ACCA and AAT.
29. The Council currently employs Arlingclose Limited as treasury management advisers. This approach is more cost effective than employing such staff directly, and ensures that the Council has access to knowledge and skills commensurate with its risk appetite.
30. The relevant staff attend CIPFA and Arlingclose training events to ensure that we are aware of the latest developments, and that knowledge and skills are kept up to date.
RECOMMENDATION
31. The Council is asked to adopt the Capital Strategy for 2019/20.
Page 229 Agenda Item 13
MEETING OF THE Full Council DATE 7 March 2019 CABINET MEMBER Cllr Dafydd Meurig, Cabinet Member - Environment TITLE Gwynedd Council's Gambling Policy Statement for 2019 to 2022 OBJECTIVE To submit Gwynedd Council's Gambling Policy Statement for 2019 to 2022 for approval AUTHOR Gwenan Mai Roberts, Public Protection Manager, Environment Department
1. A summary of the Council's responsibility as a Licensing Authority
1.1 For the purposes of the Gambling Act 2005 (the Act), Gwynedd Council is recognised as a Licensing Authority that is responsible for determining and regulating premises licences, including premises that provide bingo, betting offices, entertainment arcades and so on. The Authority is also responsible for registering small lotteries and for issuing gambling machine permits to public houses.
Why is a review of the Gambling Statement of Policy required?
1.2 Section 349 of the Act requires Licensing Authorities, every three years, to prepare and publish a declaration of the Licensing Principles they wish to implement as they carry out their functions in accordance with the Gambling Act 2005. The purpose of the policy statement is to highlight what the Council is doing to ensure that the relevant sections of the gambling industry are operating in a legal and responsible manner within the County. The policy provides guidance for operators of gambling establishments that run such businesses in the county, especially in relation to the process of applying for a licence.
1.3 The current Gambling Policy Statement has not been subject to significant amendments in the past. In determining its Policy, the Authority must have regard to the Guidance issued by the Gambling Commission under section 25 of the Act. The policy statement has been reviewed and amended in accordance with the fifth edition of the Gambling Commission’s Guidance to Local Authorities which was issued in late 2015.
In its latest Guidance, the Commission has introduced new provisions requiring gambling operators to assess the local risks to the licensing objectives (see paragraph 3.1) posed by the provision of gambling facilities at each of their premises, and to have policies, procedures and control measures to mitigate those risks. This change to national policy is intended to provide a well evidenced and transparent approach to considering and implementing measures to address the possible risks associated with gambling. In making these risk assessments, licensees must take into account the Licensing Authority’s Statement of Gambling Policy.
1.5 The draft Policy Statement was prepared (See Appendix 1) in consultation with the North Wales Licensing Group, which includes the Local Authorities of North Wales, and representation from other public bodies involved in the field of Licencing, such as the Police, the Home Office and the Gambling Commission. The aim is to have consistency when dealing with gambling licensing matters across the region
Page 230 2. Purpose of the report
2.1 Gwynedd Council's Gambling Policy Statement for 2019 to 2022 will be submitted to the Council, with a recommendation to adopt it in accordance with Section 154 of the Gambling Act 2005. (Appendix 1)
3. Background and relevant considerations
3.1 The Act has three licensing aims, and it is these that form the basis of the Licensing Authority's functions. They are as follows -
Preventing Gambling from being a source of Crime and Disorder, or from being associated with crime or disorder, or from being used to support crime Ensuring that Gambling is conducted in a fair and open way Protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
3.2 Not all types of gambling are regulated by the Local Authority; for example, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and the National Lottery Commission continue to regulate spread betting and the National Lottery.
3.3 It is the Gambling Commission's responsibility to issue operating and personal licences for commercial gambling (such as casinos and bingo halls), including on-line gambling activities, and for people working in the industry.
Public Consultation and an Equality Impact Assessment of the Policy
3.4 In accordance with the requirements of the Act, the draft policy was the subject of a public consultation. A consultation was held on the Council's website for a 12-week period in 2017, and relevant stakeholders were notified.
3.5 No observations were received on the consultation, and the outcome of the consultation was reported to the Central Licensing Committee in September 2017. The Committee approved the Draft Policy, subject to undertaking an Equality Assessment, and subject to it being submitted to the full Council for adoption.
3.6 It is noted that in the context of the equality assessment, all available relevant evidence was assessed, and it was concluded that it was not anticipated that the Statement of Gambling Policy would have a significant negative or positive impact on any of the groups protected by the Equality Act, on equality characteristics, or on the general duty of the Act. A copy of the Equality Assessment is included in Appendix 2.
3.7 It was noted that the Gambling Commission had drawn up specific guidelines for Licensing Authorities that meant that the equality characteristics of citizens had to be considered when drafting Policies under the Gambling Act 2005, and that these guidelines had been considered when drawing up the draft policy.
3.8 Furthermore, it was noted that the Licensing Authority should give attention to equality characteristics when determining applications for a gambling premises licence.
3.9 It is important to note that very little work has been done in the past to demonstrate the negative side effects of problematic gambling, and that it has not been possible to prove whether these policies have had an impact on the population. The Gambling Commission has recently published a briefing paper that summarises the current position in terms of evidence of harm associated with gambling practices, and problematic gambling has been recognised as a public health problem.
It is expected that the new policy is a step in the right direction to manage the negative impacts of gambling on any vulnerable population due to the requirement that the industry must assess risks locally when applying for licences.
4. RECOMMENDATION Page 231 4.1 It is recommended that the Council approve the Gambling Policy Statement so that it comes into force by 2019 - 2022 in accordance with the statutory review cycle of the Act.
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Gwynedd Council's Gambling Policy Statement for 2019 to 2022 Appendix 2: Equality Impact Assessment
Page 232
Statement of Gambling Policy
GAMBLING ACT 2005 2019 – 2022
Page 233
CONTENTS
1. Introduction ...... 1 1.1 Background ...... 1 1.2 Geography of Gwynedd Council ...... 2 1.3 Consultation Process ...... 2 2. Scope and Extent ...... 3 3. Licensing Objectives ...... 5 3.1 Objective 1: Preventing Gambling from being a source of Crime and Disorder 5 3.2 Objective 2: Ensuring that Gambling is conducted in a Fair and Open Way ...... 6 3.3 Objective 3: Protecting Children and other Vulnerable Persons ...... 6 4. Legislation and Policies ...... 7 4.1 Legislation ...... 7 4.2 Planning and Building Control ...... 7 5. Delegation, Licensing Committee and Decision Making ...... 9 5.1 Delegation ...... 9 5.2 Licensing Committee ...... 9 5.3 Decision Making...... 11 6. General Principles ...... 12 6.1 Competent Authority for protection of children from harm ...... 12 6.2 Interested Parties ...... 13 6.3 Exchange of Information ...... 13 6.4 Inspection and Criminal Proceedings ...... 14 7. Licensing Process ...... 16 7.1 Applications ...... 16 7.2 Mediation ...... 17 7.3 Conditions ...... 18 7.4 Reviews ...... 18 8. Local Standards ...... 20 8.1 Premises Licences ...... 20 8.2 Notices ...... 23 8.3 Permits ...... 24
Page 234 8.4 Registrations ...... 26 8.5 Local Risk Assessments ...... 27 9. Complaints against Licensed Premises ...... 28 10. Further Information ...... 29 10.1 Gaming Machines ...... 29 10.2 Licensing Register ...... 30 10.3 Database of Premises Records ...... 30 Appendix A: Local Area Profile of Gwynedd ...... 31 Appendix B: Glossary of Terms ...... 37 Appendix C: Delegation of Decision Making ...... 41 Appendix D: Gaming Machine Summary ...... 42
Page 235 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND
1.1.1 Under the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005, Gwynedd Council is the Licensing Authority (and is referred to in this document as “the licensing authority”) responsible for granting gambling Premises Licences, Notices, Permits and Registrations in the county of Gwynedd.
1.1.2 The Gambling Act 2003 (“the Act”) requires a licensing authority to prepare and publish a statement of licensing policy (“the policy”) at least every three years. This policy is made under Section 349 of the Act and in accordance with the ‘Guidance to Local Authorities’ issued by the Gambling Commission under Section 25 of the Act (“the Guidance”).
1.1.3 The licensing authority is bound by the Act and any regulations made under the Act. The licensing authority must have regard to the Guidance and the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) issued by the Gambling Commission (Section 153). If it considers it appropriate, the licensing authority may depart from the Guidance if they have good reason to do so and can provide full reasons.
1.1.4 The policy was adopted by Gwynedd Council on XXXX 2019 having considered the comments received from those consulted. The policy becomes effective from this date and will remain in force until a statutory or other review and consultation process is deemed necessary. The licensing authority will keep the policy under review, making any amendments it considers appropriate to support the licensing objectives. Any amendments will be published in the form of a new policy statement or, if appropriate, by publishing the amendment.
1.1.5 The policy will normally apply to any application determined after the date that the licensing authority resolved to make these policies operational, irrespective of the date on which the application was made.
1.1.6 Key policy principles are presented in shaded boxes.
1.1.7 The Appendices are to be read in conjunction with this policy however they do not form part of the policy and may be updated at any time.
1 Page 236 1.2 GEOGRAPHY OF GWYNEDD COUNCIL
1.2.1 The county of Gwynedd lies in North West Wales, has a population of over 122,000 residents and a land area of 2548 sq.km. It has 301km of coastline and is home to the biggest mountain in England and Wales, Snowdon at 3,560ft. Much of its area falls within the Snowdonia National Park, reflecting the physical beauty of the area. A map and profile of the area is available in Appendix A.
1.2.2 The leisure and tourism industry in Gwynedd is a major contributor to the local economy. Gwynedd attracts over 7 million tourists and visitors per year.
1.2.3 Gwynedd has over 250 premises authorised by a premises licence, notice or permit under the Gambling Act 2005.
1.3 CONSULTATION PROCESS
1.3.1 The draft Statement of Licensing Policy was subject to formal consultation with: North Wales Police Service; North Wales Fire & Rescue Service; Representatives of the holders of the various licences for premises in the District who will be affected by this policy; Persons and businesses likely to be affected by authorised gambling within the District
1.3.2 The draft Statement of Licensing Policy was also advertised and made available for inspection on the licensing authority website, and in council offices and libraries for a period of 12 weeks in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
1.3.3 The licensing authority, giving full regard to the Guidance, gave appropriate weight to the views of those consulted. In determining what weight to give particular representations, the licensing authority took into account: who made the representation (what is their expertise or interest) how many other people have expressed the same or similar views how far the representations relate to matters that the licensing authority should be including in the policy statement.
2 Page 237 2. SCOPE AND EXTENT
2.0.1 The purpose of this statement of licensing policy is to set out the principles the licensing authority will apply when exercising its licensing function, i.e. when regulating the gambling activities within the terms of the Act. Reference will be made to the Act for ease of understanding however it is not intended to be a simplified summary of the law.
2.0.2 The Act defines Gambling as:-
2.0.3 Gaming - means playing a ‘game of chance’ for a prize. A ‘game of chance’ includes a game that involves both an element of chance and skill, a game that involves an element of chance that can be eliminated by superlative skill, and a game that is presented as involving an element of chance, but does not include a sport.
2.0.4 Betting – means making or accepting a bet on the outcome of a race, competition, or any other event; the likelihood of anything occurring or not occurring; or whether anything is true or not.
2.0.5 Taking part in a lottery – means paying in order to take part in an arrangement, during the course of which one or more prizes are allocated by a process which relies wholly on chance.
A full glossary of the terms used in the Act and in this policy can be found in Appendix B.
2.0.6 It is a criminal offence under Section 33 of the Act to provide facilities for Gambling unless an exception is provided for under the Act.
2.0.7 The types of authorisation the Act requires the licensing authority to regulate are:- Premises Licences Temporary Use Notices Occasional Use Notices Permits as required under the Act; and Registrations as required under the Act.
2.0.8 This policy relates to all premises licences, notices, permits and registrations identified as falling within the provisions of the Act, namely: - Premises Licences o Casinos; o Bingo Premises; o Betting Premises; o Tracks (site where races or other sporting events take place); o Adult Gaming Centres; o Licensed Family Entertainment Centres;
3 Page 238 Notices o Temporary Use Notices o Occasional Use Notices Permits o Family Entertainment Centre Gaming Machine Permits; o Club Gaming Permits; o Club Gaming Machine Permits; o Alcohol licensed premises Gaming Machine Permits; o Prize Gaming Permits; Registrations o Registrations of Small Society lotteries.
4 Page 239 3. LICENSING OBJECTIVES
3.0.1 When exercising its functions under the Act the licensing authority must seek to promote the three licensing objectives contained in the Act. The three objectives are: preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime; ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
3.1 OBJECTIVE 1: PREVENTING GAMBLING FROM BEING A SOURCE OF CRIME AND DISORDER
3.1.1 The licensing authority will, when determining applications, consider whether the grant of a premises licence will result in an increase in crime and disorder.
3.1.2 The Guidance for local authorities notes that “disorder is intended to mean activity that is more serious and disruptive that mere nuisance. Factors to consider in determining whether a disturbance was serious enough to constitute disorder would include whether police assistance was required and how threatening the behaviour was to those who could see or hear it.” The licensing authority agrees with this statement.
3.1.3 Applicants are encouraged to discuss the crime prevention procedures in their premises with the licensing authority Licensing Officers and/or the North Wales Police before making a formal application.
3.1.4 In considering licence applications, the licensing authority will particularly take into account the following: The design and layout of the premises; The training given to staff in crime prevention measures appropriate to those premises; Physical security features installed in the premises. This may include matters such as the position of cash registers or the standard of CCTV that is installed; Where premises are subject to age-restrictions, the procedures in place to conduct age verification checks; The likelihood of any violence, public order or policing problem if the licence is granted.
5 Page 240
3.2 OBJECTIVE 2: ENSURING THAT GAMBLING IS CONDUCTED IN A FAIR AND OPEN WAY
3.2.1 Generally, the Commission would not expect licensing authorities to become concerned with ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way as this will be a matter for either the management of the gambling business, and therefore subject to the Operating Licence, or will be in relation to the suitability and actions of an individual and therefore subject to the Personal Licence, both of which are the responsibility of the Gambling Commission.
3.3 OBJECTIVE 3: PROTECTING CHILDREN AND OTHER VULNERABLE PERSONS
3.3.1 With limited exceptions, the access of children and young persons to licensed gambling premises, which are adult only environments, will not be permitted.
3.3.2 The licensing authority will seek to limit the advertising for premises so that gambling products are not aimed at children or advertised in such a way that makes them particularly attractive to children.
3.3.3 The licensing authority will consult with the Social Services Department on any application that indicates there may be concerns over access for children or vulnerable persons.
3.3.4 The licensing authority will judge the merits of each separate application before deciding whether to impose conditions to protect children on particular categories of premises. This may include such requirements as: Supervision of entrances; Segregation of gambling areas from areas frequented by children; Supervision of gaming machines in non-adult gambling specific premises.
3.3.5 The 2005 Act provides for a Code of Practice on access to casino premises by children and young persons and the licensing authority will work closely with the police to ensure the appropriate enforcement of the law.
3.3.6 The licensing authority does not seek to prohibit particular groups of adults from gambling in the same way that it seeks to prohibit children but it will assume, for regulatory purposes, that ‘vulnerable persons’ includes : people who gamble more than they want to; people who gamble beyond their means; and people who may not be able to make an informed or balanced decision about gambling due to a mental impairment, alcohol or drugs.
6 Page 241 4. LEGISLATION AND POLICIES
4.1 LEGISLATION
4.1.1 In undertaking its licensing function under the Gambling Act 2005, the licensing authority will use a full range of measures including its planning controls and be mindful of legislation, strategies and policies which may impact on the promotion of the licensing objectives. These include:- Equalities Act 2010 Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1988; Human Rights Act 1998; Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Environmental Protection Act 1990; The Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003; Race Relations Act, 1976 (as amended) The Licensing Act 2003 Regulatory Return (Fire Safety) Order 2005 The Regulators’ Compliance code Gwynedd Council’s Public Protection Service Enforcement Policy Gwynedd Council’s Strategic Equality Scheme
However, the policy is not intended to duplicate existing legislation and regulation regimes that already place obligations on employers and operators.
4.2 PLANNING AND BUILDING CONTROL
4.2.1 Planning, building control and licensing regimes are properly separated to avoid duplication and inefficiency. They involve consideration of different, although related matters.
4.2.2 There are two Local Planning Authorities with statutory planning responsibilities within the county of Gwynedd, namely: Gwynedd Council – which operates within the areas of Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd that fall outside the Snowdonia National Park. Snowdonia National Park - which is an independent Planning Authority and responsible for the whole area falling within its boundaries.
4.2.3 Gwynedd Council’s planning policies are set out in the ‘Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan’ and ‘Supplementary Planning Guidance’. The Snowdonia National Park planning policies are set out in the ‘Eryri Local Development Plan’ and ‘Supplementary Planning Guidance’.
7 Page 242 4.2.4 The two Planning Authorities work together during the preparation of their respective plans to: develop complementary and compatible policies, ensure effective and sustainable long term planning, and optimise economic, social and environmental benefits.
4.2.5 In general, planning permissions authorise a broad type of use of a premises, whereas licences are granted for a particular type of activity. A planning permission for an entertainment use, for example may cover activities that can have a wide range of different impacts in the locality. The precise nature of the impacts of the specified activities proposed by an applicant for a premises licence need to be considered when the application is made.
4.2.6 The licensing authority will normally expect that prior to the submission of a licensing application, the appropriate planning permission will have been granted in respect of any premises. However, applications for licences may be made before any relevant planning permission has been sought or granted.
4.2.7 The authority will also normally expect the activity to be authorised by the licence to be a lawful planning use and that any operating hours sought do not exceed those, if any, authorised by the planning permission.
4.2.8 Operating hours granted within the licensing process do not replace any restrictions imposed as a planning condition. Planning conditions will be addressed through the planning process.
8 Page 243 5. DELEGATION, LICENSING COMMITTEE AND DECISION MAKING
5.1 DELEGATION
5.1.1 The licensing authority will be involved in a wide range of licensing decisions and functions and has established a Licensing Committee to administer them. Appreciating the need to provide a speedy, efficient and cost-effective service to all parties involved in the licensing process, the Committee has delegated certain decisions and functions and has established a Sub Committee to deal with them.
5.1.2 Many of the decisions and functions will be purely administrative in nature and the grant of non-contentious applications, for example, those licences and permits where no representations have been made, will be delegated to Council Officers.
5.1.3 The licensing authority will delegate licensing matters to be dealt with by the Central Licensing Sub-Committee and to Officers in accordance with the latest recommended Delegation of Functions specified in guidance issued by the Secretary of State, under Section 182 of the Act. The table shown at Appendix C sets out the current agreed delegation of decisions and functions to Licensing Committee, Panels and Officers.
5.1.4 This form of delegation is without prejudice to Officers referring an application to a Panel, a Panel to Full Committee, or Committee to Full Council, if appropriate.
5.2 LICENSING COMMITTEE
5.2.1 The Act provides that the functions of the licensing authority, including its determinations are to be carried out by its licensing committee. At Gwynedd Council this committee is referred to as the Central Licensing Committee and contains 15 members.
5.2.2 The licensing committee may delegate these functions to sub-committees or in appropriate cases, to officials supporting the licensing authority.
9 Page 244 5.2.3 The Central Licensing Committee of Gwynedd Council have appointed a Central Licensing Sub-Committee to deal with Applications where there are relevant representations Applications to review premises licence Applications for club gaming/club machine permits where there are relevant representations Decision to give a counter notice to a Temporary Use Notice.
5.2.4 The Sub-Committee contains 3 members who will sit to hear applications where representations have been received from interested parties and responsible authorities. Ward councillors will not sit on a sub-committee involving an application within their ward.
5.2.5 Where a councillor who is a member of the Central Licensing Committee is making or has made representations regarding a licence on behalf of an interested party, in the interests of good governance they will disqualify themselves from any involvement in the decision-making process affecting the licence in question.
5.2.6 The Central Licensing Sub-Committee will refer to the Central Licensing Committee any matter it is unable to deal with because of the number of its members who are unable to take part in the consideration or discussion of any matter or vote on any question with respect to it.
5.2.7 The Central Licensing Committee will refer to the full Council any matter it is unable to deal with because of the number of its members who are unable to take part in the consideration or discussion of any matter or vote on any question with respect to it.
10 Page 245 5.3 DECISION MAKING
5.3.1 Every determination of a licensing decision by the Central Licensing Committee or Sub-committee shall be accompanied with clear, cogent reasons for the decision. The decision and the reasons for that decision will be sent to the Applicant and those who have made relevant representations as soon as practicable.
5.3.2 A summary of the decision shall be posted on the Council’s website as soon as possible after the decision has been confirmed, where it will form part of the statutory licensing register required to be kept by the licensing authority.
5.3.3 The Council’s licensing officers will deal with all other licence applications where either no representation have been received, or where representations have been received and it is agreed by the parties that a hearing is not necessary.
5.3.4 Decisions as to whether representations are irrelevant, frivolous or vexatious will be made by Council officers, who will make the decisions on whether representations or applications for licence reviews should be referred to the licensing committee or panels. Where representations are rejected written reasons as to why that is the case will be given.
5.3.5 In order to avoid duplication with other statutory regimes as far as possible the licensing authority will not attach conditions to a licence unless they are considered necessary for the promotion of the licensing objectives. Conditions will generally be considered unnecessary if they are already adequately covered by other legislation.
11 Page 246 6. GENERAL PRINCIPLES
6.0.1 Nothing in this ‘Statement of Policy’ will: Undermine the rights of any person to apply under the Act for a variety of permissions and have the application considered on its individual merits; OR Override the right of any person to make representations on any application or seek a review of a licence or permit where they are permitted to do so under the Act.
6.0.2 The licensing authority, in undertaking its licensing function, will have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to promote equality and good relations between persons of different racial groups.
6.0.3 The licensing authority shall aim to permit the use of premises for gambling in so far as they think it is In accordance with any relevant code of practice under Section 24 of the Act; In accordance with any relevant guidance issued by the Commission; Reasonably consistent with the licensing objectives In accordance with the licensing authority’s statement of licensing policy.
6.0.4 Unmet demand is not a criterion that will be taken into consideration when determining an application for a premises licence under the Act.
6.1 COMPETENT AUTHORITY FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN FROM HARM
6.1.1 The licensing authority, designates the Social Services Department of Gwynedd Council as the competent authority to provide advice on the protection of children from harm given the wealth of specialist knowledge and expertise to hand to fulfil this role.
6.1.2 The Act indicates each licensing authority must nominate a single body to undertake this function but it may be prudent for the licensing authority to involve other organisations if it believes it is right to do so for the prevention of their physical, moral or psychological harm, especially where it receives representations to that effect.
12 Page 247 6.2 INTERESTED PARTIES
6.2.1 For the purposes of the Gambling Act 2005, a person is an interested party in relation to a premises licence if, in the opinion of the licensing authority which issues the licence or to which the application is made, the person: Lives sufficiently close to the premises to be likely to be affected by the authorised activities; Has business interests that might be affected by the authorised activities; this could also include, for example, trade associations, charities, faith groups and medical practices. Represents persons who satisfy either of the above; for example Residents’ and Tenants’ Associations.
6.2.2 When considering whether a person is an interested party, each case will be judged on its merits taking into consideration the relevant circumstances, including those contained in the Guidance to local authorities.
6.2.3 Where a person, whether or not directly affected by an application or living in the vicinity of a licensable premise under consideration, puts themselves forward as representing the interests of residents in the vicinity, the licensing authority will normally ask them to provide evidence that they are acting as representatives of others.
6.3 EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION
6.3.1 In fulfilling its functions and obligations under the Gambling Act 2005 the licensing authority will exchange relevant information with other regulatory bodies and will establish protocols in this respect. In exchanging such information the licensing authority will conform to the requirements of the Gambling Act, Data Protection and Freedom of Information legislation in accordance with the Council’s existing policies.
6.3.2 Contact details of those persons making representations and details of the representations will made available to applicants to allow for negotiation and, in the event of a hearing being held, will form part of a public document. Anyone making representation or applying for a review of a premises licence will be informed that these details will be disclosed.
13 Page 248 6.4 INSPECTION AND CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS
6.4.1 The licensing authority will be guided by the Gambling Commission’s Guidance and will endeavour to be: Proportional: regulators will only intervene when necessary; remedies will be appropriate to the risk posed and costs identified and minimized. Accountable: regulators will be able to justify decisions and be subject to public scrutiny. Consistent: rules and standards will be joined up and implemented fairly. Transparent: regulators will be open and endeavour to keep regulations simple and user friendly; Targeted: regulation will be focused on the problem and minimize side effects.
6.4.2 The licensing authority will endeavour to avoid duplication with other regulatory regimes so far as possible.
6.4.3 The licensing authority recognises that, apart from the licensing function, there are a number of other mechanisms available for addressing issues of unruly behaviour that can occur away from licensed premises, including: Planning controls; Ongoing measures to create a safe and clean environment in these areas in partnership with local businesses, transport operators and other Council Departments; Regular liaison with the Police on law enforcement issues regarding disorder and anti-social behaviour; The power of the police, other responsible authorities or a local resident or business to seek a review of the licence.
6.4.4 This licensing authority has adopted a risk based inspection programme, i.e. those premises considered to pose a greater risk will be subject to more frequent inspections than those posing a lower risk.
6.4.5 When determining risk, consideration will be given to :- the nature of the gambling activities carried out on the premises the location of the premises in relation to schools etc. the procedures put in place by the management to meet the licensing objectives.
6.4.6 The licensing authority will make arrangements to monitor premises, undertake inspections and take appropriate enforcement is deems necessary to support and promote the licensing objectives or following receipt of complaint. The district will be monitored for unlicensed premises.
14 Page 249 6.4.7 The licensing authority will seek to work actively with the police in enforcing licensing legislation. It encourages the police to share information about licensees and licensed premises under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
6.4.8 In general terms, action will only be taken in accordance with the Public Protection Service Enforcement Policy. To this end the key principles of consistency, transparency and proportionality will be maintained.
6.4.9 Where conditions have been imposed on a licence, an authorised person of the licensing authority may inspect the premises at any reasonable time for the purpose of checking that those conditions are being complied with.
6.4.10 The licensing authority will consider issuing a written informal warning to a licence holders specifying recommended improvement within a particular period of time if it deems necessary to support and promote the licensing objectives.
15 Page 250 7. LICENSING PROCESS
7.0.1 Applicants are advised that the application process for each type of authorisation or permission is set out in detail in the Act, the Regulations and the Guidance.
7.0.2 Applications must be made on the prescribed or local form, and be accompanied by a fee. All prescribed forms and notices can be downloaded from the Commission’s website www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk .
7.0.3 All local application forms are available in both the Welsh and English language, and are available to download from the licensing authority’s website. A request for an application form may also be made directly to the licensing authority via telephone 01766 766000.
7.0.4 Applicants may submit applications electronically to the licensing authority by hardcopy or via email to [email protected] .
7.1 APPLICATIONS
7.1.1 The starting point in determining applications will be to grant the application, without conditions.
7.1.2 Conditions will only be considered where they are needed to meet the requirements of the licensing objectives and any conditions applied will not be overly onerous and will be proportionate to the scale of the application and the ‘risks’ involved. Conditions will generally be considered unnecessary if they are already adequately covered by other legislation.
7.1.3 When determining an application to grant a premises licence or whether to review a premises licence, regard will be given to the proximity of the premises to schools, vulnerable adult centres, or to residential areas with a high concentration of families with children, and the size and scope of the gambling premises concerned.
7.1.4 Each case will be determined on its own merits. Therefore, if an applicant can effectively demonstrate how they might overcome licensing objective concerns, this will be taken into account.
16 Page 251 7.1.5 Where there are no relevant representations from Responsible Authorities or Interested Parties to an application the licence will be granted provided that the application is made in accordance with the requirements of the Act. For representations to be relevant they must relate to the promotion of one of the three licensing objectives; be made by a responsible authority or interested party within the prescribed period; not been withdrawn; and they are not, in the opinion of the relevant licensing authority, frivolous or vexatious.
7.1.6 Where relevant representations on an application are received and the application has been made in accordance with the requirements of the Act, any non- compliance with other statutory requirements may be taken into account in reaching a decision about whether to grant a licence.
7.2 MEDIATION
7.2.1 Where a relevant representation concerning the licensing objectives is made by a responsible authorities or interested party, the licensing section will decide whether the representation is relevant.
7.2.2 Where the licensing authority find the representation to be relevant it may recommend a mediation meeting to address and clarify the issues of concern.
7.2.3 This process will not override the right of an applicant or interested party to decline to participate in a mediation meeting.
7.2.4 If this informal process is unsuccessful a hearing before the licensing committee or sub-committee will follow. All relevant parties will be notified.
7.2.5 The determination of the application will be made by the licensing committee or sub-committee and the details of that decision will be circulated to the parties concerned.
17 Page 252 7.3 CONDITIONS
7.3.1 The Act and regulations provide for specific conditions to be attached to a Premises Licence as either “mandatory” or “default” conditions.
7.3.2 Section 169 of the Act gives licensing authorities the power to impose default conditions on premises licences that they issue.
7.3.3 When considering any conditions to be attached to licences, the licensing authority will consider the local circumstances and risks associated with specific premises or class of premises, which might give rise to the need for conditions.
7.3.4 The licensing authority will not impose any conditions unless its discretion has been engaged following the making of a relevant representation and it has been satisfied at a hearing of the necessity to impose conditions due to the representations raised. It will then only impose such conditions which are appropriate and proportionate to promote the licensing objectives arising out of the consideration of the representations.
7.3.5 Conditions on premises licences will relate only to gambling, as considered appropriate in light of the following principles: Must be proportionate to the circumstance which they are seeking to address; Should be relevant to the need to make the proposed building suitable as a gambling facility; Should be directly related to the premises (including the locality and any identified local risks) and the type of licence applied for; Should be fairly and reasonably related to the scale and type of premises; Should be reasonable in all other respects.
7.4 REVIEWS
7.4.1 At any time following the grant of a premises licence a responsible authority or any interested party may ask the licensing authority to review the premises licence because of a matter arising at the premises in connection with any of the three licensing objectives.
7.4.2 The review process represents a key protection for the community where problems associated with the licensing objectives occur at a premises.
7.4.3 In every case, an application for a review must relate to a particular premises and must be relevant to the promotion of one or more of the licensing objectives.
18 Page 253 7.4.4 Grounds for a review may be that activities, including the following, are taking place at the premises: Use of licensed premises for the sale and distribution of Class A drugs and the laundering of the proceeds of drugs crimes; Use of licensed premises for the sale and distribution of illegal firearms; Use of licensed premises for prostitution or the sale of unlawful pornography; Use of licensed premises as a base for organised criminal activity; Use of licensed premises for the organisation of racist, homophobic or sexual abuse or attacks; Use of licensed premises for the sale of smuggled tobacco or goods; The use of licensed premises for the sale of stolen goods. Children and/or vulnerable persons are put at risk.
7.4.5 The licensing authority will reject an application for a review if the applicant fails to provide supporting information and documents that one or more of the licensing objectives are not being met or if the reason for the review does not relate to the licensing objectives.
7.4.6 The licensing authority will also reject an application for a review if the grounds are frivolous; the grounds are vexatious; the grounds are irrelevant; the grounds will not cause the Council to revoke or suspend a licence or to remove or attach conditions on the Premises Licence; the grounds are substantially the same as the grounds cited in a previous application relating to the same premises; or the grounds are substantially the same as representations made at the time the application for a Premises Licence was considered.
7.4.7 The licensing authority considers it good practice for all responsible authorities that have concerns about problems identified at premises to give licence holders early warning of their concern and the need for improvement, and where possible they should advise the licence holder of the steps they need to take to address those concerns.
INITIATION OF REVIEW BY LICENSING AUTHORITY 7.4.8 A Premises Licence may also be reviewed by the licensing authority on its own volition.
7.4.9 Prior to discharging its power to initiate a review, the licensing authority will attempt to have constructive discussions with the operators about any concerns and may ask the operator to provide the licensing authority with its own risk assessment which sets out the controls it has put in place to mitigate risks.
19 Page 254 8. LOCAL STANDARDS
8.1 PREMISES LICENCES
8.1.1 Premises Licences can authorise the provision of gambling facilities on Casinos; Bingo Premises; Betting Premises, including Tracks; Adult Gaming Centres (AGC); and Family Entertainment Centres.
By distinguishing between premises types, the Act makes it clear that gambling activity of the premises should be linked to the premises described. The Act does not permit premises to be licensed for more than one of the above activities.
8.1.1 An application for a Premises Licence can only be made by persons (which includes companies or partnerships): Who are aged 18 or over, and Who have the right to occupy the premises and Who have an Operating Licence authorising him to carry out the proposed activity OR who have applied for an Operating Licence to allow them to carry out the proposed activity.
The premises licence cannot be determined until an operating licence has been issued.
8.1.2 The exception to this is an applicant for a premises licence to allow a track to be used for betting, as these applicants are not required to hold an operating licence if they merely provide space for other people to provide betting (and those other people hold valid betting operating licences).
8.1.3 The licensing authority strongly encourages applicants to discuss proposed applications with a licensing officer and responsible authorities at an early stage and prior to the submission of the application itself. This should identify potential problems and help to build good partnership working. It may also reduce the need for a hearing at a later stage.
8.1.4 Applicants are encouraged to make themselves aware of any relevant planning and transport policies, tourism and cultural strategies and local crime and disorder strategies, and to take these into account, where appropriate, in the formulation of their operating schedules.
20 Page 255 8.1.5 The licensing authority will expect all applicants to specify the methods by which they will promote the three licensing objectives in their operating schedules, having regard to the type of premises, the licensable activity proposed, the operational procedures, the nature of the location and the needs of the local community.
8.1.6 The authority considers that a well-drawn, specific operating schedule indicates that an applicant understands and is prepared to meet the responsibilities of a licence holder under the Act.
8.1.7 The authority considers that a blank or sparsely completed operating schedule may give the impression that the applicant has given inadequate thought to the responsibilities of a licence holder.
8.1.9 Unmet demand is not a criterion that will be taken into consideration when determining an application for a premises licence under the Gambling Act 2005.
CASINOS 8.1.10 There is no resolution to prohibit casinos in Gwynedd at present. However, the licensing authority reserves its right to review this situation and may, at some time in the future, resolve not to permit casinos. Currently there are no casinos operating within Gwynedd.
8.1.11 Should the licensing authority choose to make such a resolution, this will be a resolution of Full Council following considered debate and the reasons for making the resolution will be provided. There will be no right of appeal against such a resolution.
BINGO PREMISES 8.1.12 Bingo is not given a statutory definition in the Act although two types of bingo are commonly understood: Cash bingo, where the stakes paid make up the cash prizes that are won Prize bingo, where various forms of prizes are won, not directly related to the stakes paid.
8.1.13 The licensing authority will attach mandatory and default conditions to all Bingo Premises licences.
BETTING PREMISES 8.1.14 The licensing authority is responsible for issuing and monitoring premises licences for all betting premises.
8.1.15 The licensing authority will attach mandatory and default conditions to all Betting Premises licences.
21 Page 256 TRACKS 8.1.16 The Act does not give a list of premises that are officially recognised as ‘tracks’ but there are a number of venues where sporting events do or could take place, and accordingly could accommodate the provision of betting facilities. Examples of tracks include A horse racecourse A greyhound track A point-to-point horserace meeting Football, cricket and rugby grounds A golf course Venues hosting darts, bowls or snooker tournaments.
8.1.17 The licensing authority will determine what constitutes a sporting event or race on a case by case basis.
ADULT GAMING CENTRES (AGC) 8.1.18 Applicants for an Adult Gaming Centre Premises Licence must hold a ‘Gaming Machines General Operating Licence (Adult Gaming Centre)’ from the Gambling Commission before the premises licence can be determined.
8.1.19 The licensing authority will attach mandatory conditions to all AGC Premises licences.
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRES (FEC) 8.1.20 Applicants for a Family Entertainment Centre Premises Licence must hold a ‘Gaming Machines General Operating Licence (Family Entertainment Centre)’ from the Gambling Commission before the premises licence can be determined.
8.1.21 Licensed Family Entertainment Centres (FECs) are commonly located at seaside resorts, in airports and at motorway service stations, and cater for families, including unaccompanied children and young persons. They are permitted to make available category C and D gaming machines.
8.1.22 Children and young persons are not permitted to use category C machines and it is a requirement that there must be clear segregation between the types of machines so that persons under 18 years of age do not have access to them.
8.1.23 The licensing authority will take into account the policies and procedure proposed by the applicant to protect children and young persons when considering applications for FEC Premises licences .
8.1.24 The licensing authority will attach mandatory conditions to all FEC Premises licences.
22 Page 257 8.2 NOTICES
TEMPORARY USE NOTICES (TUN) 8.2.1 Temporary use notices allow the use of premises for gambling where there is no premises licence but where a gambling operator wishes to use the premises temporarily for providing facilities for gambling. Premises that might be suitable for a temporary use notice, according to the Gambling Commission, would include hotels, conference centres and sporting venues.
8.2.2 The licensing authority can only grant a temporary use notice to a person or company holding a relevant operating licence, i.e. a non-remote casino operating licence.
8.2.3 There are a number of statutory limits as regards temporary use notices.
8.2.4 In considering whether a place falls within the definition of "a set of premises", the licensing authority will look at, amongst other things, the ownership/occupation and control of the premises.
8.2.5 This licensing authority expects to object to notices where it appears that their effect would be to permit regular gambling in a place that could be described as one set of premises, as recommended in the gambling commission’s guidance to licensing authorities.
OCCASIONAL USE NOTICES (OUN) 8.2.6 The licensing authority has very little discretion as regards these notices aside from ensuring that the statutory limit of 8 days in a calendar year is not exceeded. This licensing authority will though consider the definition of a ‘track’ and whether the applicant is permitted to avail him/herself of the notice.
23 Page 258 8.3 PERMITS
8.3.1 Permits are designed as a light-touch approach to low level ancillary gambling. The permits regulate gambling and the use of gaming machines ins specific premises.
8.3.2 The licensing authority are responsible for issuing Family Entertainment Centre Gaming Machine Permits; Club Gaming Permits and Club Gaming Machine Permits; Alcohol-licensed premises Gaming Machine Permits; Prize Gaming Permits.
8.3.3 The licensing authority will grant or reject and application for a permit. No conditions may be attached to a permit.
8.3.4 In addition, the licensing authority are responsible for receiving notification from holder of alcohol licences under the Licensing Act 2003 that they intend to exercise their automatic entitlement to 2 gaming machines in their premises.
8.3.5 See Appendix D for further information regarding the categories of gaming machines allowed by permit and information regarding stakes and prize limits.
8.3.6 When determining applications for permits the licensing authority will consider any convictions held by the applicant that would make them unsuitable to operate the premises plus the suitability of the premises in relation to their location and issues about disorder.
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE GAMING MACHINE PERMIT 8.3.7 Unlicensed Family Entertainment Centres are able to offer only category D machines on a gaming machine permit. Any number of category D machines can be made available.
8.3.8 An application for a permit can only be made by a person who occupies or plans to occupy the premises to be used as an unlicensed Family Entertainment Centre and, if the applicant is an individual, is aged over 18 years.
8.3.9 The permit may be granted only if the licensing authority is satisfied that the premises will be used as an unlicensed Family Entertainment Centre, and if the chief officer of police has been consulted on the application.
8.3.10 There is no prescribed application form for this permit however the licensing authority have created a local application form for this purpose. A plan for the unclicensed Family Entertainment Centre must be submitted with each application.
24 Page 259 CLUB GAMING PERMITS AND CLUB GAMING MACHINE PERMITS 8.3.11 The licensing authority may grant members clubs and miners’ welfare institutes (but not commercial clubs) club gaming permits which authorise the provision of gaming machines, equal chance gaming and games of chance as prescribed in regulations.
8.3.12 If a members’ club or minter’s welfare institute does not wish to have the full range of facilities permitted by a club gaming permit, they may apply for a club gaming machine permit using the prescribed form.
8.3.13 Holders of club gaming permits and club gaming machine permits are required to comply with the code of practice issued by the Gambling Comission on the location and operation of machines.
ALCOHOL-LICENSED PREMISES GAMING MACHINE PERMITS 8.3.14 The licensing authority may issue holders of alcohol licences under the Licensing Act 2003 a gaming machine permit which permits any number of Category C or D machines in licensed premises.
8.3.15 The application must be made by the person that holds the alcohol premises licence issued under the Licensing Act 2003.
8.3.16 The licensing authority may vary the number and category of gaming machines authorised by the permit if it considers it necessary to promote the licensing objectives.
8.3.17 Holders of licensed premises gaming machine permits are required to comply with the code of practice issued by the Gambling Comission on the location and operation of machines.
8.3.18 There is no prescribed form for this permit however the licensing authority have created a local application form for this purpose.
PRIZE GAMING PERMITS 8.3.19 The licensing authority may issue prize gaming permits to authorise the provision of facilities for gaming with prizes on specific premises.
8.3.20 The application must be made by the person who occupies or plans to occupy the premises and if the applicant is an individual, must be aged 18 or over.
8.3.21 Applicants are asked to set out the types of gaming that they are intending to offer in their application.
8.3.22 There is no prescribed form for this permit however the licensing authority have created a local application form for this purpose.
25 Page 260 8.4 REGISTRATIONS
8.4.1 The Act denotes ‘local authorities’ as being responsible for registering societies to run Small Society Lotteries, as opposed to licensing authorities. In the interest of consistency, Gwynedd Council being the local authority defined under Section 25 of the Act will be referred to as the licensing authority in this document.
8.4.2 Applications for small society lottery registrations must be in the form prescribed and be accompanied by both the required registration fee and all necessary documents required by the licensing authority.
8.4.3 The licensing authority will require applicants to provide a copy of their terms and conditions and their constitution to establish that they are a non-commercial society.
26 Page 261 8.5 LOCAL RISK ASSESSMENTS
8.5.1 The Gambling Commission’s ‘Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice’ (LCCP) formalise the need for operators to consider local risks.
8.5.2 The Social Responsibility code 10.1.1 requires all premises licensees to assess the local risks to the licensing objectives posed by the provision of gambling facilities at each of their premises, and have policies, procedures and control measures to mitigate those risks. In undertaking a risk assessment, licensees must take into account the matters identified in this statement of policy.
8.5.3 A local risk assessment must be undertaken when applying for a new premises licence and must be updated When applying for a variation of a premises licence; To take account any significant changes in local risks; When there are significant changes at a licensees premises that may affect their mitigation of local risks.
8.5.4 The licensing authority will expect every risk assessment to cover the following broad headings: Reference to any specific local risks How the operator proposes to mitigate these risks How the operator will monitor the risks
8.5.5 The Local risks identified by the licensing authority include, but are not restricted to: The proximity of the premises to sensitive establishments such as schools, vulnerable adult centres, or to residential areas with a high concentration of families with children. The nature of the gambling activities and category of gaming machines made available at the premises. Any age restrictions and segregation requirements at the premises necessary for the protection of children and young persons. The prevalence of vulnerable persons in the locality of the premises.
8.5.6 A Local Area Profile of Gwynedd, i.e. an assessment of the key characteristics of the area, has been prepared by the licensing authority and is available as Appendix A.
8.5.7 Although there is no statutory requirement on licensing authorities to prepare a local area profile, it has been prepared so that operators may have a better awareness of Gwynedd and its risks.
8.5.8 The licensing authority encourage all operators to consider the information provided in the ‘Local Area Profile of Gwynedd’ when preparing their local risk assessments.
27 Page 262 9. COMPLAINTS AGAINST LICENSED PREMISES
9.0.1 The licensing authority will investigate complaints against licensed premises in relation to matters concerning the licensing objectives. In the first instance, complainants are encouraged to raise the complaint directly with the licensee or business concerned to seek a local resolution.
9.0.2 Where an interested party has made a complaint about licensed premises, or a valid application for a licence to be reviewed, the Council may initially recommend a conciliation meeting to address and clarify the issues of concern.
9.0.3 This process will not override the right of any interested party or for any licence holder to decline to participate in a conciliation meeting.
9.0.4 Due consideration will be given to all complaints unless they are considered to be frivolous, vexatious or repetitious.
28 Page 263 10. FURTHER INFORMATION
10.1 GAMING MACHINES
10.1.1 The licensing authority notes that the term “Gaming Machine” covers all machines on which people can gamble and the term has only been preserved in the Act because it is one that is readily understood.
10.1.2 The definition of “gaming machines” is wider in the Gambling Act 2005 than those in previous gaming legislation and covers all types of gambling activities which can take place on a machine, including betting on virtual events.
10.1.3 It should be noted however that there still remains a distinction between skill machines and gaming machines plus important exemptions remain for certain equipment that is not considered a gaming machine, even when gambling can be performed on it, for example a home personal computer.
10.1.4 In order for a premises to site gaming machines an authorisation is normally required. Typically this is An operating licence from the Commission and a gambling premises licence from the licensing authority; An alcohol premises licence, or A gaming machine permit.
10.1.5 Where the licensing authority is concerned regarding the manufacture, supply, installation, maintenance or repair of gamine machines, or the manner in which they are operating will contact the Commission for guidance.
10.1.6 Regulations define four categories of gaming machine: categories A, B, C and D with category B divided into five further sub-categories. The maximum number of machines permitted varies according to the premises type.
10.1.7 There is no minimum age for players of Category D gaming machines however players of category A, B and C gaming machines must be aged 18 years or above.
10.1.8 See Appendix D for further information regarding machine categories and entitlements.
29 Page 264 10.2 LICENSING REGISTER
10.2.1 Under the Act, every licensing authority is required to keep a licensing register containing a record of each premises licence, club premises certificate and personal licence issued by it, a record of each temporary event notice received by it, a record of every other applications made to it, notices given to it and any counter notice given by it, and such other information as may be prescribed by regulations.
10.2.2 The information contained in the licensing register will be made available for inspection by the public during office hours, free of charge, and a copy of that information may be supplied on request (for a fee).
10.2.3 A summary of the information contained in the licensing register is available to view online at www.gwynedd.gov.uk.
10.2.4 Any person wishing to view the licensing register in person should contact the licensing authority by email [email protected] or via telephone 01766 766000 to arrange an appointment.
10.2.5 To ensure that the information contained in the register is presented in an appropriate format, any person wishing to view the register in person will be requested to clarify which part of the register they wish to have available during the appointment.
10.3 DATABASE OF PREMISES RECORDS
10.3.1 A database of premises licences is available on the Commission’s website and consists of information submitted by licensing authorities. The Commission’s website address is www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk .
30 Page 265 APPENDIX A: LOCAL AREA PROFILE OF GWYNEDD
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this Local Area Profile of Gwynedd is to provide an assessment of the key characteristics of the county so that operators of licensed gambling premises may have a better understanding and awareness of Gwynedd and its risks.
Although there is no statutory requirement on licensing authorities to prepare a local area profile, it is hoped that the information provided will assist operators when preparing their local risk assessments for licensed gambling premises.
It is important that operators have an awareness of the unique cultural and environmental characteristics of the area; including the number of Welsh speakers and therefore the requirement to address this when establishing their businesses and providing a service.
This document provides an assessment of: The Area Characteristics of Gwynedd; The Language Characteristics of Gwynedd; The Licensed Gambling Premises in Gwynedd; The Sensitive Establishments in Gwynedd; and The Prevalence of Vulnerable Persons in Gwynedd.
AREA CHARACTERISTICS
The county of Gwynedd lies in North West Wales, has a population of over 122,000 residents and a land area of 2548 sq.km split across three districts namely, Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd. It has 301km of coastline and is home to the biggest mountain in Wales, Snowdon at 3,560ft. Much of its area falls within the Snowdonia National Park, reflecting the physical beauty of the area.
The leisure and tourism industry in Gwynedd is a major contributor to the local economy. Gwynedd attracts over 7 million tourists and visitors per year. The Llyn Penninsula located in the district of Dwyfor is renowned for its diverse and spectacular coastline and beautiful landscape. The peninsula was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in 1956. The designated area includes approximately ¼ of the peninsula –a total of 15,500 hectares extending mainly along the coast and reaching inland to include the volcanic peaks of Garn Fadryn and Yr Eifl. The primary purpose of the AONB designation is to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the area, which includes protecting flora, fauna, geological, archaeological, historic remains and architectural features. The designation also creates a responsibility to provide for a quiet enjoyment of the countryside and having regard for the interests of those who live and work there. Further information regarding the Llyn AONB, is available at www.ahne-llyn-aonb.org .
31 Page 266 Education and learning is also a major contributor to the local economy in the district of Arfon where the city of Bangor, situated between the mountains of Snowdonia and the Menai Straits, is the home to Bangor University which attracts over 11,000 students a year.
LANGUAGE CHARACTERISTICS
According to the 2011 census, 65.4% of Gwynedd residents are Welsh speakers. The number of Welsh speakers in each district varies greatly, with the greatest percentage of Welsh speakers being in the Arfon district wards of Llanrug (87.8%) and Peblig (87.4%).
The number of Welsh speakers in the city of Bangor is considerably less (36.4%) and in coastal areas such as along the Meirionnydd district coastline, with the percentage of Welsh speakers in Aberdyfi as low as 35.5%.
Table 1 shows the Welsh language profile of the residents per district. The Welsh language profile of residents per ward is available to view on the Gwynedd Council website www.gwynedd.gov.uk .
Table 1. Welsh Language Profile in Gwynedd as per 2011 Census
Arfon Dwyfor Meirionnydd Gwynedd Wales Percentage aged 3+ 58,427 26,833 32,529 117,789 2,955,841 96.5% 96.8% 96.9% 96.6% 96.5% Can speak Welsh 38,558 19,124 19,318 77,000 562,016 66.0% 71.3% 59.4% 65.4% 19.0% Can speak, read and 32,687 16,847 16,387 65,921 430,717 write in Welsh 55.9% 62.8% 50.4% 56.0% 14.6% No skills in Welsh 14,792 5,949 10,436 31,177 2,167,987 25.3% 22.2% 32.1% 26.5% 73.3% Can understand 4,279 1,517 2,329 8,125 157,792 spoken Welsh only 7.3% 5.7% 7.2% 6.9% 5.3% Can speak but 3,640 1,420 1,778 6,838 80,429 cannot read or write 6.2% 5.3% 5.5% 5.8% 2.7% Welsh Can speak and read 2,064 798 1,085 3,947 45,524 but cannot write 3.5% 3.0% 3.3% 3.4% 1.5% Welsh Other combination 965 302 514 1,781 73,392 of skills in Welsh 1.7% 1.1% 1.6% 1.5% 2.5%
32 Page 267 LICENSED GAMBLING PREMISES IN GWYNEDD
Gwynedd Council currently regulates the gambling activities at 254 premises. Of this total, 30 have a premises licence for gambling and 224 premises are authorised to allow gambling by means of a permit.
Figure 1 – Breakdown of the 30 Gambling Premises Licences in Gwynedd
Family Bingo, 1 Entertainment Centre, 4
Betting Shop, 15
Adult Gaming Centre, 10
Figure 2 – Breakdown of the 224 Gambling Permits in Gwynedd
Club Machine Club Gaming Permit, 14 Permit, 3 Family Entertainment Centre Permit, 18
Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit, 17
Licensed Premises Automatic Entitlement Permit, 172
33 Page 268 The majority of the gambling premises are clustered in the more densely populated areas of the county and in the main tourist, coastal regions of the county.
This is reflected in the number of Family Entertainment Centres and Adult Gaming Centres located across the coastal, tourist regions of the county.
34 Page 269 SENSITIVE ESTABLISHMENTS IN GWYNEDD
The proximity of gambling premises to sensitive establishments such as schools, vulnerable adult centres, or to residential areas with a high concentration of families with children is a factor that should be considered by operators when undertaking their local risk assessments.
Secondary Schools
Area School Age Group Arfon Ysgol Brynrefail (11 - 18) Ffordd Crawia, Llanrug, Gwynedd, LL55 4AD Arfon Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle (11 - 18) Ffordd Y Brenin, Penygroes, Gwynedd, LL54 6RL Arfon Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen (11 - 18) Ffordd Coetmor, Bethesda, Gwynedd, LL57 3NN Arfon Ysgol Friars (11 - 18) Lon Y Bryn, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2LN Arfon Ysgol Syr Hugh Owen (11 - 18) Ffordd Bethel, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 1HW Arfon Ysgol Tryfan (11 - 18) Lon Powys, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2TY Dwyfor Ysgol Ardudwy (11 - 16) Ffordd Glan Mor, Harlech, Gwynedd, LL46 2UH Dwyfor Ysgol Botwnnog (11 - 16) Botwnnog, Gwynedd, LL53 8PY Dwyfor Ysgol Eifionydd (11 - 16) Ffordd Tremadog, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, LL49 9HS Dwyfor Ysgol Glan-y-Môr (11 - 16) Ffordd Caerdydd, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, LL53 5NU Meirionnydd Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn (11 - 16) Station Road, Tywyn, Gwynedd, LL36 9EU Meirionnydd Ysgol y Berwyn (11 - 18) Heol Ffrydan, Y Bala, Gwynedd, LL23 7RU Meirionnydd Ysgol y Gader (11 - 16) Ffordd Pont Yr Aran, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, LL40 1HY Meirionnydd Ysgol y Moelwyn (11 - 16) Ffordd Wynne, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, LL41 3DW
Gwynedd Council currently regulates the gambling activities at 254 premises. Of this total, 30 have a premises licence for gambling and 224 premises are authorised to allow gambling
35 Page 270 PREVALENCE OF VULNERABLE PERSONS IN GWYNEDD
One of the objectives of the Gambling Act 2005, is the protection of children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
It is illegal for operators to allow children and young persons aged less than 18 years to play certain age restricted games, place a bet or be allowed entry into casinos, betting premises, Adult gaming centres and age restricted area in Bingos, Tracks and Family Entertainment centres.
The Gambling Commission refers to vulnerable persons as people who may gamble more than they want to; people who gamble beyond their means; and people who may not be able to make informed or balanced decisions about gambling due to mental health needs, learning disability or substance misuse relating to alcohol or drugs.
36 Page 271 APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Adult Gaming Centre: licensed gambling premises which can provide gaming machines. Only adults (persons 18 years old or over) can enter an Adult Gaming Centre.
Betting premises: licensed gambling premises which can provide betting facilities and gaming machines. Only adults (persons 18 years old or over) can enter Betting Premises unless the premises are on a track.
Bingo: there are two types of bingo High Turnover Bingo - Bingo where the aggregate of stakes and prizes in any 7 day period exceeds £2000. High turnover bingo can only take place in casinos and bingo halls. Low Turnover Bingo - (sometimes described as non-high turnover bingo) Bingo where the aggregate of stakes and prizes in any 7 day period is less than £2000. Low turnover bingo can take place in pubs and clubs, and in premises that hold a Prize Gaming Permit or Unlicensed Family Entertainment Centre Gaming Machine Permit.
Bingo Premises: licensed gambling premises which can provide high turnover bingo and gaming machines.
Casino: there are 3 types of casino that can exist in England and Wales: large, small, or “tiny” (casinos that existed under the old law and have retained their licences under the new law). The differences are based on overall size and the number of machines and gaming tables that can be provided. Casinos can provide casino games (games which are not equal chance gaming and may involve playing against a bank) and bingo as well as gaming machines.
Child: For the purposes of the Gambling Act 2005, anyone under the age of 16 years.
Club: the 2005 Act recognises 2 types of club: members clubs (at least 25 members and established for purposes other than gaming unless it is a bridge or whist club, including Miners Welfare Institutes); and commercial clubs. Equal chance gaming can take place without any further permit provided the limits on stakes and prizes are not exceeded. In addition low turnover bingo can take place and if it is a bridge or whist club then bridge or whist can be played.
Club Gaming Permit: a permit to enable the premises to provide gaming machines (three machines of Categories B3A, B4, C or D), equal chance gaming and games of chance (limited to pontoon and chemin de fer).
Club Machine Permit: a permit to enable the premises to provide gaming machines (three machines of Categories B3A, B4, C or D).
Conditions: there are two types of conditions 1. Default Conditions – are prescribed in regulations and will be attached to all classes of premises licence, unless excluded by the licensing authority.
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2. Mandatory Conditions – are conditions set by the Secretary of State (some are set out in the Act and some will be prescribed by regulations) which will be automatically attached to a specific type of premises licence. The licensing authority will have no discretion to alter or remove these conditions.
Crane grab machine: a non-money prize machine in respect of which every prize which can be won consists of an individual physical object (such as a stuffed toy) won by a person’s success in manipulating a machine to separate one or more physical objects from another.
Equal Chance Gaming: games that do not involve playing or staking against a bank and where the chances are equally favourable to all participants.
Exempting gambling: certain specified low-level gambling can take place in private premises, workplaces, pubs and clubs without any requirements for licensing or registration.
Exempt Lotteries: certain types of lottery can be run without either a licence from the Gambling Commission or registration with the local authority. They are Incidental Non Commercial Lotteries, Private Lotteries and Customer Lotteries.
Family Entertainment Centre: there are 2 types of Family Entertainment Centres: licensed and unlicensed. In both cases children and young persons can enter the premises unaccompanied by adults and use category D machines. Licensed Family Entertainment Centre can provide category C and D machines, but only persons aged 18 or over can use the category C machines. An Unlicensed Family Entertainment Centre can only provide category D machines.
Fixed Odds Betting: if a gambler is able to establish what the return on a bet will be when it is placed, (and the activity is not ‘gaming’), then it is likely to be betting at fixed odds.
Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs): FOBTs are a type of gaming machines which generally appear in licensed betting shops. FOBTs have ‘touch-screen’ displays and look similar to quiz machines familiar in pubs and clubs. They normally offer a number of games, roulette being the most popular.
Gaming: playing a game of chance for a prize. This includes games of pure chance (or luck), games that have an element of skill and chance combined, and games where “superlative skill” can eliminate the element of chance. Sports are excluded from the definition of Games of Chance.
Gaming Machine: a machine used for gambling. There are divided into 8 categories, (A, B1, B2, B3A, B3, B4, C & D) depending on the maximum stakes and maximum prizes. Different categories of machines can be used in different types of licensed gambling premises and under different permits.
Guidance to Licensing Authorities: guidance issued by the Gambling Commission.
Incidental non-commercial lottery: see Exempt Lotteries above.
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Large Lottery: where the total value of tickets in any one lottery exceeds £20,000 or £250,000 in separate lotteries over one calendar year. This type of lottery requires an operating Licence from the Gambling Commission.
Licensed premises Gaming Machine Permit: allows pubs to have more than 2 gaming machines, provided the main purpose of the premises is to remain a pub, rather than an Entertainment Centre with a bar.
Licensing authority: the district, borough or unitary authority responsible for licensing gambling and other activities in the area.
Licensing Objectives: there are three objectives Preventing gambling from being a source of crime or disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime; Ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and Protecting children and other vulnerable persons from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
Lottery: the 2005 Act recognises 2 types of lottery, a simple lottery or a complex lottery. In both cases players pay to take part and prizes are allocated. In the case of a simple lottery, that allocation is wholly by chance, but in the case of a complex lottery there can be further steps which are not dependent upon chance. Some lotteries are exempt from regulation (see above).
Occasional Use Notice: a notice that may only be issued in respect of a track (see below) that permits betting on a track without the need for a Premises Licence.
Prize Gaming: gaming in which the nature and size of the prize is not determined by the number of players or stakes, e.g. bingo with non-cash prizes.
Prize Gaming Permit: a permit issued by the Licensing Authority allowing prize gaming to take place.
Pub: premises that have a premises licence under the Licensing Act 2003 to sell alcohol for consumption on the premises in a bar at which alcohol is served to customers. Pubs can have 2 category C or D gaming machines. If a pub has a Licensed Premises Gaming Machine Permit (see above) it can have more gaming machines.
Risk Assessments: the requirement under the Social Responsibility code 10.1.1 for operators to assess the local risks to the licensing objectives posed by the provision of gambling facilities at their premises and have policies, procedures and control measures to mitigate those risks.
Relevant representations: are representations made by responsible authorities or interested parties within the prescribed period, that relate to the promotion of at least one of the three
39 Page 274 licensing objectives, have not been withdrawn; and, in the opinion of the licensing authority, are not frivolous or vexatious.
Responsible authority: public bodies that must be notified of applications and are entitled to make representations to the licensing authority. They include the licensing authority in whose area the premises is wholly or partly situated, the Gambling Commission, the chief officer of police or chief constable for the area in which the premises is wholly or partly situated, the fire and rescue authority for the same area, the local planning authority for the area in which the premises is wholly or partly situated, the relevant authority which has functions in relation to pollution to the environment or harm to human health for the area in which the premises is wholly or partly situated, a body, designated by the licensing authoirty, as competent to advise about the protection of children from harm, HM Revenue and Customs Any other person prescribed in regulations by the Secretary of State.
Review: following the grant of a premises licence a responsible authority or interested party may ask the licensing authority to review the licence because of a matter arising at the premises in connection with any of the three licensing objectives.
Skills with Prizes machine: a machine on which the winning of a prize is determined only by the player’s skill and there is no element of chance. These are unregulated.
Small Society Lottery: these are for non-commercial societies (a society established and conducted for charitable purposes; for the purpose of enabling participation in, or of supporting, sport athletics or a cultural activity; or for any other non-commercial purpose other than that of private gain) who must register their lotteries with the local authority.
Temporary Use Notice: a notice that allows limited types of gambling to take place for a limited period on premises that do not have a premises licence.
Track: a site where races or other sporting events take place e.g. horse racing, dog racing, athletics, football, motor racing etc.
Travelling Fair: a fair that ‘wholly or principally’ provides amusements and must be on a site used for fairs for no more than 27 days per calendar year. Fairs can provide prize gaming and category D gaming machines.
Young Person: for the purposes of the Gambling Act 2005, anyone who is not a child but is aged under 18.
40 Page 275 APPENDIX C: DELEGATION OF DECISION MAKING
Matter to be dealt with Full Council Sub-committee of Officers licensing committee Final approval of the Licensing X Authority statement of policy Policy not to permit casinos X
Fee setting X (when appropriate) (if delegated by full council) Application for X X premises licences Where representations Where no have been received representations and not withdrawn received/ representations have been withdrawn Application for a variation to a X X licence Where representations Where no have been received representations and not withdrawn received/ representations have been withdrawn Application for a transfer of a X X licence Where representations Where no have been received representations from the Commission received from the or responsible Commission or authority responsible authority
Application for a provisional X X statement Where representations Where no have been received representations and not withdrawn received/ representations have been withdrawn Review of a premises licence X
Application for club gaming/club X X machine permits Where objections have Where no objections been made and not made/objections have withdrawn been withdrawn Cancellation of club X gaming/club machine permits Applications for other permits X
Cancellation of licensed X premises gaming machine permits Consideration of temporary use X notice Decision to give a counter notice X to a temporary use notice
X indicates the lowest level to which decisions can be delegate
41 Page 276
APPENDIX D: GAMING MACHINE SUMMARY
SUMMARY OF MACHINE PROVISION BY PREMISES
Premises Type A B1 B2 B3 B4 C D Large casino Maximum of 150 machines (machine/table ratio of Any combination of machines in categories B to D 5-1 up to maximum) (except B3A machines), within the total limit of 150 (subject to machine/table ratio) Small casino Maximum of 80 machines (machine/table ratio of Any combination of machines in categories B to D 2-1 up to maximum) (except B3A machines), within the total limit of 80 (subject to machine/table ratio) Pre-2005 Act casino (no Maximum of 20 machines categories B to D (except B3A machines), or machine/table ratio) any number of C or D machines instead Betting premises and Maximum of 4 machines categories B2 to D tracks occupied by Pool (except B3A Machines) betting Bingo premises Maximum of 20% of the total number of gaming machines No limit on category which are available for C or D machines use on the premises categories B3 or B4 Adult gaming centre Maximum of 20% of the total number of gaming No limit on category machines which are C or D machines available for use on the premises categories B3 or B4 Licensed family No limit on category entertainment C or D machines centre Family entertainment No limit centre (with permit) on category D machines Clubs or miners’ Maximum of 3 machines in welfare institute categories B3A or B4 to D (with permits) Qualifying alcohol- 1 or 2 machines of Licensed premises category C or D automatic upon notification Qualifying alcohol- Number of category licensed premises C-D machines as (with licensed premises specified on permit gaming machine permit) Travelling fair No limit on category D machines
Page42 277
SUMMARY OF GAMING MACHINE CATEGORIES AND ENTITLEMENTS
Category of machine Maximum stake Maximum prize Unlimited – No category A gaming machines are A currently permitted B1 £5 £10,000*
B2 £100 £500
B3A £2 £500
B3 £2 £500
B4 £2 £400
C £1 £100
D – non-money prize 30p £8 D – non-money prize (crane grab machines only) £1 £50 D – money prize 10p £5 £8 (of which no more D – combined money and non-money prize 10p than £5 may be a money prize) D – combined money and non-money prize £20 (of which no (coin pusher or penny falls machines only) 20p more than £10 may be a money prize)
Page 43278
Equality Impact Assessment Please see the leaflet How to make an Equality Impact Assessment for help to complete this form. You are also welcome to contact Delyth Gadlys Williams, Policy and Equality Officer on ext 32708 or [email protected], for further assistance.
1 Details
1.1. What is the name of the policy / service in question?
Gambling Policy Statement
1.2 What is the purpose of the policy / service that is being created or amended? What changes are being considered?
Under the provisions of the Gambling Act 2005 (the Act), Gwynedd Council has a duty to act as a Licensing Authority responsible for issuing Premises Licences, Notices, Permits and Gambling Registrations in Gwynedd.
All licensing authorities are required to prepare and publish a statement of gambling policy every three years. The purpose of the statement is to outline the principles that the licensing authority will apply when exercising its licensing function in regulating gambling activities in accordance with the requirements of the Act. When exercising its functions under the Act, the licensing authority will promote the three licensing objectives namely - preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, being associated with crime or disorder, or being used to support crime; ensuring that gambling is conducted in a fair and open way; and protecting children and other vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited by gambling.
1.3 Who is responsible for this assessment?
Gwenan Mai Roberts, Public Protection Manager (Pollution and Licensing Control) Environment Department
Page 285 1.4 When did you commence the assessment? Which version is this?
The policy review was commenced in 2016. This is the final version that has been approved by the Central Licensing Committee in September 2017, following a public consultation over the Summer. This is the first time the process of reviewing the policy has been assessed in terms of the possible impact on equality issues.
2) Action
2.1 Who are the partners it will be necessary to work with to undertake this assessment?
Members of the Licensing Committee and the Cabinet Users and the public The Gambling Industry The Gambling Commission The Police
2.2 What measures have you taken to engage with people with equality characteristics?
A formal consultation process has taken place during July and August, and the draft policy statement was published inviting observations from the public, the industry and any relevant organisations.
2.3 What was the result of the engagement?
No responses were received during the engagement process.
Page 286 2.4 On the basis of what other evidence do you operate?
There is no evidence to indicate that the Statement of Gambling Policy is likely to have an impact on any groups protected by the Act. North Wales Police statistics show that there is no evidence of crime and disorder in Gwynedd that may be linked to the contents of the current Gambling policy. Although the Gambling Act came into effect in 2005; the Gambling Commission guidance on formulating and reviewing policy leads Licensing Authorities to take into consideration the equality characteristics of citizens that may be impacted by gambling practices when determining a premises licence etc. Therefore, equality characteristics have been considered when the Statement of Gambling Policy was formulated in compliance with the original Act; and each time the Policy has been reviewed following this.
The Act and the new policy expect gambling licence operators to undertake a local risk assessment to identify any nearby sensitive institutions such as schools, centres for vulnerable adults; residential areas with a large number of children.
To facilitate the process of allowing gambling licence operators to assess the risks of operating the licences locally, the Licensing Authority has created a profile of the Gwynedd area. The area profile will facilitate the task of conducting risk assessments; and assist to ensure that gambling activities do not negatively affect any section of the population.
2.5 Are there any gaps in the evidence that needs to be collected?
There is a lack of evidence in the field to prove if gambling policies have an impact in any way on the population. The Gambling Commission has published a briefing paper that summarises the current position in terms of evidence of harm associated with gambling practices*
*Gambling –related harm as a Public Health issue. Briefing paper for Local Authorities and Local Public Health prroviders (England and Wales) October 2017
Page 287 3) Identifying the Impact
3.1 What impact will the new policy/service or the amendments to the policy or service have on people with equality characteristics?
Characteristics What type of In what way? What is the evidence? impact? (delete if not applicable)
Race (including None There is no specific evidence to indicate that there is nationality) an impact on race or nationality - however, there is a suggestion in a recent paper by the Gambling Commission* that some groups are more likely to be open to harm due to the impact of gambling. The Welsh none There is no evidence to show that the gambling policy Language or gambling activities have an impact on the Welsh Language. Disability The potential of a Recent research* indicates that some groups of small negative vulnerable persons are more likely to have problems impact with gambling in some circumstances. Sex Possible minor There is no specific evidence grounds to support that negative impact the impact of gambling can be more negative to men rather than women - however, work by the Gambling Commission* indicates that the tendency to gamble can be a problem amongst men - where other factors contribute to the likelihood of gambling problems - such as mental health issues or dependency on drugs/alcohol Age Possible minor Recent research* indicates that young people are negative impact more likely to have problems as a result of gambling. Sexual none There is no evidence that the gambling policy or orientation gambling activities can have an impact.
Religion or none The policy states that companies need to be sensitive belief (or non- to customs and religions when choosing locations for belief) gambling centres. Gender none There is no evidence that the gambling policy or reassignment gambling activities can have an impact.
Pregnancy and none There is no evidence that the gambling policy or maternity gambling activities can have an impact.
Marriage and none There is no evidence that the gambling policy or civil partnership gambling activities can have an impact.
Page 288 3.2 Does the policy or the service answer these General Duties?
General Duties Delete if not In what way? What is the evidence? of the Equality applicable Act
Abolishing No Not relevant illegal discrimination, harassment and victimisation
Promoting No Not relevant equal opportunities
Building good No Not relevant relationships
Page 289 4) Analysing the results
4.1 Is the policy therefore likely to have a significant, positive impact on any of the equality characteristics or the General Duty and what is the reason for this?
It is not anticipated that the policy will have a significantly positive impact on any of the equality characteristics, or the general duty.
4.1 Is the policy therefore likely to have a significant, negative impact on any of the equality characteristics or the General Duty and what is the reason for this?
It is not anticipated that the policy will have a significantly negative impact on any of the equality characteristics, or the general duty.
4.3 What should be done?
Choose one of the following:
Continue with the policy / service as it is robust Yes
Adapt the policy to delete any barriers
Suspend and delete the policy as the detrimental impacts are too big
Continue with the policy as any detrimental impact can be justified
4.4 What steps will you take to reduce or mitigate any negative impacts?
Ensure the companies responsible for running gambling businesses in the area operate and follow the principles set in the policy and are in compliance with the Act.
Page 290 4.5 If you do not act further to delete or reduce the negative impacts, explain why here.
Although evidence highlights the possibility of minor negative impacts of gambling on some equality groups the evidence is insufficient. Also, it is much better that gambling is regulated by the Council and it is the Council's duty to do so.
5) Monitoring
5.1 What steps will you take to monitor the impact and effectiveness of the policy or service (action plan)?
It is a requirement that every company that operates gambling licenses and permits that are under the responsibility of the Licensing Authority (Gwynedd Council) are in compliance with the Act and that they also follow the principles and act in accordance with this policy. The Council and the Gambling Commission will ensure compliance with the Act and will take enforcement measures if needed.
Page 291 Agenda Item 14
NAME OF COMMITTEE Full Council
DATE OF MEETING 7th March 2019 TITLE Implement Land Drainage Byelaws AUTHOR Rhydian Roberts CABINET MEMBER Councillor Gareth Griffith PURPOSE Members of the Council are requested to consider approving byelaws for adoption.
1.0 Background and purpose.
1.1 Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, councils in Wales received additional powers and responsibilities to manage flooding from surface water, groundwater and ordinary watercourses. As part of these new powers, responsibility for granting ordinary watercourse consent under section 23 of the Land Drainage Act 1991 were transferred from Natural Resources Wales to the Lead Local Flood Authorities in April 2012.
1.2 Since taking on this consenting duty and wider flood risk management function, practitioners have noted that powers under current legislation are limited and certain activities which are not currently consented could potentially increase the risk of flooding especially in more built up areas. It was therefore decided in 2013 to set-up a Task & Finish Group to oversee a review of current byelaws with the aim of creating a new set to help LLFAs in Wales manage more effectively and consistently activities along ordinary watercourse.
1.3 The new byelaws are attached and consist of 16 individual byelaws designed to support and work alongside the current regulation framework provided under the Land Drainage Act 1991 and the Flood and Water Management Act 2010.
1.4 The complete set comprises of 7 sections but byelaws themselves are only grouped under 4 distinct chapters:
- Control the introduction of water and increase in flow or volume, or water - Control any potential to cause impediment or obstruction to flow - To ensure the condition of the banks of a watercourse are maintained - To cover incidental provisions 1.5 These byelaws have been designed by experienced flood risk management practitioners following extensive consultation with various local authority’s departments and Natural Resources Wales. Welsh Government encourages local authorities to adopt the model byelaws as they are without any modifications to ensure consistency across Wales.
Page 292 2.0 The adoption procedure
2.1 Section 66 of the Land Drainage Act 1991, permits Local Authorities to adopt local byelaws to manage activities concerning land drainage and flooding.
2.2 As part of the process there was a four week public consultation, from 14th November until 13th December 2018, when a draft of the byelaws was displayed to the public on the Council's website. In addition a notice of intention to make the bylaws was published in the Caernarfon and Denbigh Herald on 14th November 2018, referring to where draft copies could be perused and how to offer observations on the contents of the byelaws. The consultation exercised carried out was in accordance with the advice offered by the Welsh Local Government Associationi.
2.3 No observations were received from the public during the consultation period, or at any other time.
2.4 The adoption of the bylaws was discussed by the Communities Scrutiny Committee on 7th February 2019.
2.5 Should the Full Council to agree on their formal adoption the Council will then need to confirm with the Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs of the Welsh Government that Gwynedd has adopted the byelaws.
3.0 The benefit to the residents of Gwynedd
3.1 The primary function of the new Land Drainage byelaws is to help LLFAs manage the risk of flooding where it is the highest through better control. However, through careful revised wording and a wide range of activities covered these byelaws can also benefit the wider environment. By doing so, they will benefit other functions within local government and help with the delivery of other legislations including the Water Framework Directive and Habitat Directive.
3.2 Ultimately, this holistic approach to flood risk management through the use of Land Drainage byelaws will be in line with the principles of the Well-Being of Future Generations Act and help LLFAs deliver its goals, and the adoption of the byelaws will also comply with the Council's Strategic Equality Plan.
4.0 Implications on Council Staffing.
4.1 The adoption of the byelaws will not have an impact on the current staffing level. The Water and Environment Unit will implement the byelaws in the future if the Council should agree to their adoption.
5.0 Recommendation
5.1 To approve the draft Land Drainage Byelaws (in the format as recommended by the Welsh Government) and that the said byelaws be formally made in the name of the Council. i Land Drainage Byelaws Advice Note for Local Authorities (WLGA)
Page 293 Land drainage (Gwynedd Council) Byelaws 2019 Contents
Chapter I - Administrative...... 2 1. Citation and commencement ...... 2 2. Application of Byelaws ...... 2 3. Definition and Interpretation ...... 2 4. Causing or knowingly permitting ...... 4
Chapter II - Control of introduction of water and increase in flow or volume ………. 4 5. Control of the introduction of water, altering flow and volume of water ...... 4 6. Interference with sluices, flood and tidal defences ...... 5 7. Operation of watercourse or tidal control works ...... 5 8. Tidal Outfalls ...... 5
Chapter III - Potential to cause impediment or obstruction to flow ...... 5 9. Maintenance of land liable to flooding and watercourse banks ...... 5 10. Building of structures, pipes, etc. on land liable to flooding ...... 6 11. Repairs to buildings and structures ...... 7
Chapter IV - Ensuring the condition of the banks of a watercourse ...... 7 12. Vegetation ...... 7 13. Driving of animals and vehicles ...... 7 14. Damage by grazing animals ...... 7
Chapter V – Incidental provisions ...... 8 15. Control of animals ...... 8 16. Interference with local authority [/internal drainage board]’s functions ...... 8
Chapter VI – Exemptions ...... 8 17. Emergency works ...... 8 18. General Permitted Developments ...... 8 19. Ladders and scaffold towers ...... 9
Chapter VII – Miscellaneous ...... 9 20. Penalty...... 9
1 Page 294 Land Drainage (Gwynedd Council) Byelaws 2019 Gwynedd Council under and by virtue of the powers and authority vested in them by section 66 of the Land Drainage Act 1991, do hereby make the following Byelaws which are considered necessary for the following purposes: a) securing the efficient working of a drainage system in the Council’s area, b) regulating the effects on the environment in the Council’s area of a drainage system, c) securing the effectiveness of flood risk management work within the meaning of section 14A of that Act, or d) securing the effectiveness of works done in reliance on section 38 or 39 of the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (incidental flooding or coastal erosion),
Chapter I – Administrative
1. Citation and commencement These Byelaws have been approved by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs Lesley Griffiths and may be cited as Land Drainage (Gwynedd Council) Byelaws 2019 and they shall commence on 1st April 2019
2. Application of Byelaws These Byelaws apply to ordinary watercourses situated within the area in Wales of the local authority making these byelaws.
3. Definition and Interpretation In these byelaws, unless defined below or the context otherwise requires, the terms and expressions to which meanings are assigned by the Water Resources Act 1991, the Land Drainage Act 1991, the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 and the Interpretation Act 1978 shall have the same meanings in these byelaws.
In these byelaws: The expressions “bank”, “drainage”, ‘’drainage body’’, “Internal Drainage Board”, “land”, “local authority”, ‘’ordinary watercourse’’ have the same meaning as defined in the Land Drainage Act 1991. “the Act” means the Land Drainage Act 1991 "Animal" means any animal including birds, any horse, cattle, sheep, deer, goat, swine, goose or poultry; but excluding fish and human beings; "Byelaws distance" means any land lying landward within the following distances measuring horizontally from any watercourse bank: (i) if it includes a wall or embankment 8 metres from its landward extent; or
2 Page 295 (ii) in other cases 8 metres from the top of the watercourse bank; or (iii) any land lying 8 metres horizontally from the outer perimeter of a culvert measured from the widest part of the culvert. ‘’Building or structure’’ means any structure or erection, and any part of a building so defined, but does not include plant or machinery comprised in a building; It also includes a fence, post, pylon, wall, wharf, bridge, loading stage, piling, groyne, pontoon, revetment, and an engine or any mechanical contrivance; any formwork, falsework, scaffold or other structure designed or used to provide support or means of access during construction work, and any reference to a structure includes part of a structure. ‘’Consent of the authority’’ means the prior written agreement, either by email or formal documentation, of any person authorised on behalf of the Authority, and which may include any conditions/restrictions as deemed necessary by the Authority. "Culvert" means an enclosed channel pipe or conduit for the carrying of a watercourse and any other structure forming part of a culvert including headwall, outlet and trash screen. "Embankment" means a natural or artificial mound or other raised defence. "Flood Defence works " means tidal, fluvial or pluvial flood defence structures and works including walls, gates, embankments or bypasses constructed or used for these purposes as well as man-made or natural sand dunes and earth retaining structures or structures constructed or used as a defence against inundation of any land by raising water levels. ‘’Flood warning system’’ means any apparatus used by the Authority for obtaining or providing information in relation to and warnings of flood. "Land liable to flooding" means all land over which watercourse water flows in times of flood, including areas where that water is stored in times of flood. “Nets” includes (a) a stake net, bag net or keep net; (b) any net secured by anchors and any net, or other implement for taking fish, fixed to the soil or made stationary in any other way; (c) any net placed or suspended in any inland or tidal waters unattended by the owner or a person duly authorised by the owner to use it for fish, and any engine, device, machine or contrivance, whether floating or otherwise, for placing or suspending such a net or maintaining it in working order or making it stationary. "Occupier" means any tenant, licensee or other person either in occupation of any land or entitled to its occupation. “Objects or matters” means natural or man-made liquid or solid matters or objects or materials including trees, roots of trees, branches, timber, tins, bottles, boxes, tyres, bricks, stones, soil, wire, rubbish. "Owner" means the owner of a legal estate, and when the owner is not in immediate occupation shall include an occupier. "Person" includes where appropriate, reference to more than one person, including a body of persons corporate or non-corporate.
3 Page 296 "Sea defence" means any artificial or natural defence against sea water or tidal water including natural or artificial high ground (including sand dunes and cliffs) and any works constructed or used as a defence against inundation of any land by sea or tidal waters, or for securing adequate watercourse outfalls provided it shall not include any sea defence works which are vested in or under the control of a Coast Protection Authority, a local authority or any Navigation Harbour or Conservancy Authority. ‘’Tidal control works’’ means any floodgate, lock, sluice or other structure or appliance provided or constructed for the purpose of defence against sea or tidal water. “Vegetation” means trees, willows, shrubs, weeds, grasses, reeds, rushes or other vegetation growths; "Vessel" means any ship, boat, or any other waterborne craft, including hovercraft and any remains of any vessel. "Watercourse" means any river, stream, ditch, channel or other passage through which water flows including the channel of any watercourse that is for the time being dry but excluding public sewers within the meaning of the Water Industry Act 1991. "Watercourse bank" means any bank, wall, revetment or embankment adjoining or confining any watercourse from the top to the bottom of the sloping or upright part. "Watercourse bed" means land forming any part of a watercourse over which water normally flows. “Water control structure” means a structure or appliance for introducing water into any watercourse and for controlling or regulating or affecting flow, and includes any sluice, slacker, floodgate, lock, weir, pump or pumping machinery;
4. Causing or knowingly permitting Where by or under these byelaws the doing of any act is prohibited or restricted the same prohibition or restriction shall extend to causing or knowingly permitting the act or restriction to be done.
Chapter II - Control of introduction of water and increase in flow or volume or water 5. Control of the introduction of water, altering flow and volume (1) Without prejudice to sections 23 and 25 of the Land Drainage Act 1991 no person shall without the consent of the authority take any action to: (a) stop up any watercourse; or (b) divert; or (c) impede; or (d) alter the level of or direction of the flow of water in, into or out of any watercourse.
4 Page 297 (2) In this byelaw ‘alter’ includes creating or extending a watercourse and introducing water which directly or indirectly increases the flow or volume of water in any watercourse within the local authority’s area. (3) In this byelaw impede includes blocking off or infilling of any watercourse channel, and obstruction of any arch of any bridge or causeway designed of, or which permits the passage of water in any watercourse or land liable to flooding.
6. Interference with sluices, flood and tidal defences (1) No person shall without consent of the authority operate or interfere with any sluice, flood gate, flood or tidal defence or other water control structure or appliance or flood warning or monitoring system used for controlling, regulating or monitoring the flow of water in, into or out of an ordinary watercourse. (2) In this byelaw “interfere” includes removing, damaging or disturbing materials forming part of a flood or tidal defence.
7. Operation of watercourse or tidal control works Any person having control of (a) any sluice or flood gate; or (b) any water control structure or appliance for controlling or regulating or affecting the flow of water in, into or out of a watercourse shall use and maintain such structure or appliance in a proper state of repair and efficiency with a view to: (a) the prevention of flooding or of any shortage in the flow or supply of water and (b) the efficient working of the drainage system in the area of the (local authority/ internal drainage board)
8. Tidal Outfalls No person shall place or abandon upon the foreshore any object or matter or vegetation which, whether immediately or as a result of subsequent tidal action, may (a) impede or be likely to impede the flow of water through the sluices, flood gate, or outfall pipes through the tidal banks or through the watercourses on such foreshore; or (b) impede or be likely to impede the operation of such sluices, flood gate, or outfall pipes; or (c) cause or be likely to cause damage to such sluices, flood gate, or outfall pipes.
Chapter III - Potential to cause impediment or obstruction to flow
5 Page 298 9. Maintenance of land liable to flooding and watercourse banks (1) No person shall without the consent of the authority plant any tree, deposit or store objects or matters, light a fire or interfere with a watercourse bed or bank within the byelaw distance in such a manner as is likely to: (a) cause flooding, (b) impede the flow, or (c) cause or be likely to cause damage to, or (d) endanger the stability of, or (e) affect the efficiency of a culvert, watercourse bank, watercourse control work, flood defence, tidal control work or sea defence. (2) In this byelaw: “interfere” includes to dredge, remove, damage or disturb materials forming part of a flood or tidal defence or of a watercourse bank or bed; and to make any excavation or do anything in, to or upon any land like to damage a watercourse bank or bed. “light a fire” includes committing any action liable to cause any fire to be lit on any land adjoining any watercourse where such action is liable to set on fire any peat land forming the banks of the watercourse or any vegetation growing on land forming the banks of the watercourse. “store objects or matters” includes depositing or stacking or keeping objects and solid or liquid matters including vegetation and vegetation cuttings. “objects” include vessels.
10. Building of structures, pipes, etc. on land liable to flooding (1) No person shall without the consent of the authority: (a) erect or construct any building or structure (i) in, on, under or over any watercourse or in or on any bank of a watercourse; (ii) within the byelaws distance; (iii) on any watercourse control work, flood defence, tidal control work or sea defence; or (iv) over any part of a culvert, or within the byelaws distance on either side of it; or (b) make or cut any excavation or any tunnel or any drain, culvert or other passage for water in, into or out of any watercourse or in or through any bank of any watercourse; in such a manner or for such length of time as to cause damage to the watercourse bed or banks; or obstruct the flow of water in, into or out of such watercourse. (2) This byelaw does not apply to any temporary work executed in an emergency. (3) In this byelaw:
6 Page 299 “Emergency” means causing immediate danger to life or property.
11. Repairs to buildings and structures The person having control of any building, fence or structure in, on, under or over any watercourse, culvert, watercourse bank, flood defence works, tidal control works, tidal or sea defence shall maintain such building, fence or structure in a proper state of repair and efficiency with a view to preventing such building, fence or structure from: (a) impeding the flow of water in into or out of any watercourse; (b) damaging any watercourse bank, flood protection works, tidal control works or sea defence; or (c) creating danger or obstruction to the carrying out of flood defence works by the (local authority/internal drainage board)
Chapter IV - Ensuring the condition of the banks of a watercourse
12. Vegetation The owner or occupier of any land through which any watercourse flows or on which any sea defence is situated or any adjoining land over which the local authority [/internal drainage board] needs access to get to such land shall maintain all vegetation situated within the byelaws distance and shall remove such vegetation from the watercourse or bank immediately after such cutting so that it does not impede the flow of the watercourse.
13. Driving of animals and vehicles No person shall use or drive any cart or vehicle of any kind on, over or along any bank of a watercourse control work, flood protection work, tidal control work, or sea defence in such manner as to cause damage to such bank, control work, flood protection work, tidal control work, or sea defence.
14. Damage by grazing animals No person shall graze, keep or water any animal on any watercourse, watercourse bed or bank, flood protection work or sea defence without: (a) taking all such steps as are necessary to prevent the watercourse, the watercourse bed or bank, flood protection work or sea defence from being damaged by such use and (b) reporting to the local authority [/internal drainage board] any damage caused to the watercourse, the watercourse bed or bank, flood protection work or sea defence by the
7 Page 300 grazing, keeping or watering of animals, as soon as practicable following the occurrence of such damage.
Chapter V – Incidental provisions
15. Control of animals The owner or occupier of any land through which any watercourse flows or on which any sea defence is situated or any adjoining land over which the local authority [/internal drainage board] needs access to get to such land to carry out any work or inspection, shall ensure that, during the progress of any work or any inspection animals on such land are kept under proper control and supervision or, if such control and supervision is not possible, are not kept on such land.
16. Interference with local authority [/internal drainage board]’s functions No person shall interfere with: (a) access required to any land by the local authority [/internal drainage board] or of their agents to carry out their flood management functions; or (b) the carrying out of their functions.
Chapter VI – Exemptions
17. Emergency works These Byelaws shall not apply to any work executed in an emergency but a person executing any work so excepted shall, as soon as practicable, inform the Council in writing of the execution and of the circumstances in which it was executed and comply with any reasonable directions the Council may give with regard thereto.
18. General Permitted Developments These byelaws shall not apply to any development by a drainage body in, on or under any watercourse or land drainage works and required in connection with the improvement, maintenance or repair of that watercourse or those works.
8 Page 301 19. Ladders and scaffold towers (1) These Byelaws shall not apply to any work requiring the temporary erection and use of ladders and scaffold towers (“equipment”). (2) For the purposes of this paragraph, the specific conditions are— (a) the suitability of river conditions is reviewed by the operator each working day; (b) the equipment is erected on each working day on which it is required; and (c) the equipment is removed at the end of each working day and is stored outside the river and its banks.
Chapter VII – Miscellaneous
20. Penalty By section 66(6) of the Act every person who acts in contravention of, or fails to comply with, any of the foregoing Byelaws, is liable on summary conviction in respect of each offence to a fine not exceeding the amount prescribed from time to time for level 5 (£5,000) on the standard scale referred to in section 37 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982 and a further fine not exceeding forty pounds for every day on which the contravention or failure is continued after conviction. By section 66(7) of the Act if any person acts in contravention of, or fails to comply with any of these Byelaws the Council may without prejudice to any proceedings under section 66(6) of the Act take such action as may be necessary to remedy the effect of the contravention or failure and may recover the expenses reasonably incurred by it in doing so from the person in default.
9 Page 302 Agenda Item 15
MEETING FULL COUNCIL
DATE 7th MARCH 2019
TITE OF THE REPORT COMMITTEES CALENDAR 2019/20
PURPOSE ADOPT THE COUNCIL’S COMMITTEES CALENDAR FOR 2018/19 AUTHOR GERAINT OWEN, HEAD OF DEMOCRATIC SERVICES
1. BACKGROUND
1.1 The Council’s Committees Calendar is produced for the comming year in order to assist the Council, its Members and the public to plan ahead for the dates and times of the Council’s main committee meetings.
1.2 Note that these are the dates which are scheduled for now, however, it may be necessary to hold additional meetings in order to ensure the smooth running of Council business.
1.3 Whilst every effort is made to avoid arranging meetings during the school holidays, it is not always possible in every circumstance as we need to ensure the continuity of Council Services.
1.4 Members of the Democratic Services Committee were consulted on the draft calendar and consultation has also taken place with the Snowdonia National Park to ensure that there are no clashes between the committee meetings of both organisations.
2. 2019/2020 COMMITTEES CALENDAR
2.1 The Calendar listing the dates of meetings of the Council’s main committees for 2019/20 is presented overleaf.
2.2 Note that discussions have been held in some committees to reflect on their work programme and consider the need for a specific number of meetings in any Municipal year. As a result of the discussions, the number of meetings scheduled for the following committees have been rationalised:
Standards Committee
Page 302 Democratic Services Committee Cabinet
3. RECOMMENDATION The Council is asked to adopt the final Committees Calendr.
Page 303 -2020 May May April Time March June December August October January February July November September 2 019 Meeting
COUNCIL pm 2* 18 3 12 5 7* pm 7 4/25 16/23 17 15 5/26 17 21/28 18 10/31 21 Cabinet am/ Member Training pm 15 26 18 27 8 12 18 Scrutiny Committee – Education am/ and Economy pm 20 19 21 23 19 am/ 26 Scrutiny Committee - pm 4 5 6 2 Communities am/ Scrutiny Committee - Care pm 6 12 14 30 26 am 17 Audit Committee 13 29 28 13 am/ pm 19 Democratic Service Committee 27 9 am/ Planning Committee pm 20 10 1/22 2/23 21 11 9 13 10 2/23 20 am/ Joint Planning Policy Committee pm 14 20 15 24 20 am Central Licensing Committee 3 9 2 16
Standards Committee am 17 4 27 SACRE pm 12 6 5 SACRE Language Committee am 9 7 16 23 am Local Joint Consultative 5 Committee am/ Employment Appeals Committee pm 17 21 19 13 11 8 6 17 14 13 10
Pensions Committee pm 23 29 24 16 12 Porthmadog Harbour yr Consultative Committee hwyr 9 11
Pwllheli Harbour Consultative yr Committee hwyr 15 17
Aberdyfi Harbour Consultative am 12 Committtee 3
Barmouth Harbour Consultative Committtee am 22 24 6 a 6-17 SCHOOL HOLIDAYS (for 4 a 27-31 information only) 1 20-31 1- 28-31 1 23-31 1-3 17-21 25-29 31 *Cyfarfod Blynyddol / *Annual Meeting •Yn ol yr angen / •As required am - bore/morning pm – pnawn/ afternoon Am/pm – trwy’r dydd / all day
These are the current dates available, other meetings may be required in order to implement the Council's business.
Page 304 Agenda Item 17a
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