R HYBUDD O GYFARFOD / NOTICE OF M EETING Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri Snowdonia National Park Authority Emyr Williams Emyr Williams Prif Weithredwr Chief Executive Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri Snowdonia National Park Authority Penrhyndeudraeth Penrhyndeudraeth Gwynedd LL48 6LF Gwynedd LL48 6LF Ffôn/Phone (01766) 770274 Ffacs/Fax (01766)771211 E.bost/E.mail : [email protected] Gwefan/Website: : www.eryri.llyw.cymru Cyfarfod Arbennig: Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri Dyddiad: Dydd Mercher 15 Gorffennaf 2020 Amser: Ar ddiwedd y Pwyllgor Perfformiad ac Adnoddau Anfonir cyfarwyddiadau ymuno at yr Aelodau ar wahân Special Meeting: Snowdonia National Park Authority Date: Wednesday 15 July 2020 Time: On the rising of the Performance & Resources Committee Joining instructions will be sent to Members separately Aelodau wedi’u penodi gan Gyngor Gwynedd Members appointed by Gwynedd Council Y Cynghorydd / Councillor : Freya Hannah Bentham, Elwyn Edwards, Alwyn Gruffydd, Annwen Hughes, Judith Mary Humphreys, Edgar Wyn Owen, Elfed Powell Roberts, John Pughe Roberts, Gethin Glyn Williams; Aelodau wedi’u penodi gan Gyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy Members appointed by Conwy County Borough Council Y Cynghorydd / Councillor : Philip Capper, Wyn Ellis-Jones, Ifor Glyn Lloyd; Aelodau wedi’u penodi gan Llywodraeth Cymru Members appointed by The Welsh Government Mr. Brian Angell, Ms. Tracey Evans, Ms. Elinor Gwynn, Mr. Tim Jones, Mr. Neil Martinson, Mr Owain Wyn. A G E N D A 1. Apologies for absence and Chairman’s Announcements 2. Declaration of Interest To receive any disclosure of interest by members or officers in respect of any item of business. 3. Minutes of the Authority The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the meetings of this Authority held on the 20th May and 3rd June 2020, be signed as true records (copies herewith) and to receive matters arising, for information. 4. Revenue and Capital Outturn Report 2019/20 To submit a report by the Chief Finance Officer. (Copy herewith) 5. Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) 2020 Regulations To submit a report by the Chief Executive. (Copy herewith) 6. Strategic Objectives and Well-being Objectives and Corporate Plan 2021- 2026 To submit a report by the Chief Executive. (Copy herewith) 7. Working Group Report To submit the report of the Members Working Group meeting held on 11th May 2020. (Copy herewith) 8. Meetings of other Organisations To receive oral reports from Members on any recent meetings which they have attended as representatives of the Authority. 9. Schedule 12A Local Government Act 1972: Exemption from disclosure of documents Plas Tan y Bwlch To submit a report by the Director of Corporate Services. (Copy herewith) PART II 10. Plas Tan y Bwlch To submit a report by the Director of Corporate Services. (Copy herewith) ITEM NO. 3 SNOWDONIA NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY WEDNESDAY 20th MAY 2020 Mr. Owain Wyn (Chairman) (Welsh Government) PRESENT: Members appointed by Gwynedd Council Councillors Freya Bentham, Elwyn Edwards, Alwyn Gruffydd, Annwen Hughes, Edgar Wyn Owen, Elfed Powell Roberts, John Pughe Roberts, Gethin Glyn Williams; Members appointed by Conwy County Borough Council Councillors Philip Capper, Wyn Ellis Jones, Ifor Glyn Lloyd; Members appointed by the Welsh Government Mr. Brian Angell, Ms. Tracey Evans, Ms. Elinor Gwynn, Mr. Tim Jones, Mr. Neil Martinson; Officers Mr. E. Williams, Mr. G.I. Jones, Mr. J. Cawley, Mr. D. Edwards, Mr. E. Roberts, Ms B. Hughes, Mrs. A. Gaffey. In attendance Mr. Nick Selwyn, Mr. Euros Lake and Ms. Philippa Dixon – Wales Audit Office. Apology Cllr. Judith Humphreys. 1. Chairman’s Announcements (i) The Chairman advised that although a Notice of the Meeting had been published and the Agenda and reports were available on the Authority’s website, the meeting was not open to the public. He reported that the meeting was being recorded to assist in verifying the minutes and also advised that following the decision to delay the Authority’s Annual General Meeting, which should have taken place on the 3rd of June, further discussions on the appointment of members to various Committees, would take place at the Members’ Working Group on 1st July 2020. (ii) The Chairman welcomed Mr. Tim Jones, the newly appointed Welsh Government Member, to his first Authority meeting and also congratulated Ms. Tracey Evans on her re-appointment to the Authority for a further term of 4 years. (iii) The Chairman was pleased to welcome Mr. Brian Angell and Mr. Dafydd Edwards, who were both continuing to recover following recent illnesses, to the meeting. (iv) Covid-19 The Chairman did not wish to repeat the detailed update provided by the Chief Executive at the recent Working Group meeting but gave an outline of the main points:- - Regulations: Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (Wales) 2020, have allowed the Authority to take steps to close car parks and restrict access to Snowdon, Ogwen, Cadair Idris, Aran Benllyn and Aran Fawddwy, which represents 11% of the area of the Snowdonia National Park. The regulations will remain in place until 26th September 2020. A recent review by officers did not extend the present restrictions at Llyn Tegid, which remains open to people who can reach it. 3 - the English National Parks have no such legislation and the recent relaxation of the rules in England had caused problems for the National Parks in the Peak District, Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and the Lake District. - The Chairman thanked the staff from all three Welsh National Parks for their work. The media campaign had been effective with only a few incidents reported, mainly outside National Park boundaries. A joint statement would be issued by the Welsh National Park Authorities before the next Bank Holiday weekend. - The Chairman thanked Members for volunteering and supporting their local communities and thanked the Authority’s staff for their work. - The Chairman referred to the First Minister’s statement for “Unlocking our society and economy: continuing the conversation” released on Friday 15th May 2020 and outlined the main points as follows:- we can only move forward with care the choices were limited for easing the current restrictions, so difficult decisions need to be made a traffic light system will define how restrictions on various aspects of life can begin to be eased and will outline steps on how to relax the restrictions from red, to amber to green. the traffic light system will be based on different categories, which will include seeing family and friends, reopening schools and childcare, working or running a business, playing sport games and relaxing. decisions will be made on a step by step basis subject to evidence that the virus was being managed. Welsh Government will be developing further advice in the next 10 days in consultation with partners, although the Welsh National Park Authorities were not included in these discussions at present. further guidance on agriculture and woodlands will be considered in due course. - the Chairman confirmed that the First Minister would be releasing his next statement on the 29th May 2020. - the Chairman invited Members’ views on two questions before he presents a discussion paper to Members on the challenges of Covid-19 for Eryri. Question 1 – what, in your opinion, will be the likely changes in attitude, behaviour, and activities of people, whether they live in or are visiting, the Snowdonia National Park and the challenges this presents in the context of the climate crisis? Question 2 – how can the Authority respond to the long term implications of the “New Normal” when:- fulfilling our statutory purposes and duty. conserving and enhancing our nine special qualities. reviewing our corporate aims and priorities and ways of working. - the Chairman will circulate the discussion paper by the end of the week, to facilitate either online discussions or comments by email, in order to prepare a report to the next meeting of the Members’ Working Group on the 1st July 2020. - the Chairman welcomed the paper circulated by Neil Martinson which had raised a number of questions and issues for lifting the restrictions. He advised that the Chief Executive would be circulating an update for members, staff and the community on the implications of the Welsh Government paper “Unlocking our Society and Economy” to address some, if not most, of these questions. The Chairman advised that the Welsh 4 National Park Authorities had little or no influence on the timetable and that Members should focus their attention on longer term questions. Members noted the Chairman’s report and discussed the following in detail:- - a Member stated that according to Statutory Instruments, National Park Authorities were authorised to make the decision on when to lift the restrictions. He asked the Director of Corporate Services to clarify this matter. Also, as this was clearly not business as usual, current processes, including how the Authority communicates, will need to change to deal with situations that will emerge over the coming months and years. - in response, the Director of Corporate Services clarified the Regulations which state that the restrictions should stay in place until such time as the Authority feels they are no longer necessary. Any future decision taken by the Authority to lift restrictions, would be in consultation with Gwynedd Council, Conwy County Borough Council, Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government. - a Member asked whether staff were working on an internal post Covid-19 recovery plan and whether Members would be asked for their input? Many organisations had individual recovery plans and the Authority needed to be prepared for future statements from the Welsh Government. - the Chief Executive, in response, explained that there were many levels to the Authority’s Recovery Plan. The Authority was proceeding on a regional basis and there was also a technical risk assessment procedure in place for officers to meet on a weekly basis to consider the evidence.