Y CYNGOR 28/02/08 THE COUNCIL, 28/02/08 Present: Councillor Meinir Owen (Chair) Councillor Evie Morgan Jones (Vice-chair) Councillors: S W Churchman, E T Dogan, Dyfed Edwards, Dylan Edwards, Elwyn Edwards, Huw Edwards, Trefor Edwards, T G Ellis, Alun Wyn Evans, Tomos Evans, W A Evans, Margaret Griffith, Selwyn Griffiths, Huw Price Hughes, Richard Parry Hughes, R J Hughes, Sylvia Humphreys, O P Huws, Dafydd Iwan, Peredur Jenkins, Anne Lloyd Jones, Arwel Jones, Brian Jones, Charles Jones, Dai Rees Jones, E Meinir Jones, Henry Jones, Iris Margretta Jones, John Gwilym Jones, Linda Wyn Jones, R L Jones, R Morris Jones, W Penri Jones, P.G.Larsen, Dewi Lewis, Dewi Llewelyn, Dilwyn Lloyd, Bill Lovelock, J W Meredith, W.M.Meredith, Godfrey Northam, Glyn Owen, M Sol Owen, W.Roy Owen, W Tudor Owen, Gerald Parry, Arwel Pierce, Emyr Pugh, D H Roberts, Caerwyn Roberts, Ieuan Roberts, Liz Saville Roberts, W Gareth Roberts, Jean Roscoe, Kathleen Thomas, M. L.Vaughan, Alan Williams, Ann Williams, Gwilym Williams, J.W.Williams Owain Williams and R H Wyn Williams. Also present: Harry Thomas (Chief Executive), Dilwyn O Williams (Strategic Director - Resources), Iwan Trefor Jones (Strategic Director - Development), D P Lewis (Strategic Director - Care), Dewi V Rowlands (Strategic Director - Environment), Dafydd Edwards (Head of Finance), Dilys Phillips (Monitoring Officer / Head of Administration and Public Protection), Geraint George (Head of Policy and Performance), Gwen Carrington (Head of Social Services), Gareth Wyn Jones (Senior Legal and Administrative Manager), Arwel Ellis Jones (Senior Policy and Operations Manager), Ian Mowatt (Senior Procurement and Efficiency Manager), Richard Jones (Corporate Scrutiny Manager), Meinir Owen (Corporate Efficiency Manager), Catherine Roberts (Senior Community Officer) and Eleri Parry (Senior Committee Officer) Apologies: Councillors R Glyn Evans, Simon Glyn, Keith Greenly-Jones, Gwen Griffith, J R Jones, June Jones, June Marshall, Trevor Roberts, Dyfrig Siencyn and Ernest Williams 1 PRAYER The meeting was opened with a prayer by Councillor Emyr Pugh 2 MINUTES The Chair signed the minutes of the previous Council meeting held on 13 December 2007 as a true record. Y CYNGOR 28/02/08 3 DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST The following declared a personal interest in the urgent item - Arfon Learning Disability Day Service – Canolfan Segontium and Arfon Community Scheme due to the reasons noted and they withdrew from the chamber during the discussion thereon. (i) Councillor Huw Price Hughes since a family member was a member of staff at the Centre (ii) Councillor Dafydd Iwan since a relative of his was one of the Centre’s users (iii) Councillor Linda Wyn Jones since she was a director of Cwmni Seren which provides a day service to people with learning disabilities 4 CHAIRMAN’S ANNOUNCEMENTS (i) Sympathy was extended to the following in their bereavement:- Councillor R H Wyn Williams on the loss of his brother; Councillor Gwilym Williams on the loss of his sister; Councillor Keith Greenly-Jones on the loss of his mother. The untimely death of Kevin Cooper - an year 10 pupil at Ysgol Coed Menai, Bangor, was noted with great sadness and the Council’s sincerest sympathy was extended to his family and friends at this sad and difficult time. Sympathy was also extended to everyone who had recently lost loved ones and the Council stood in silence as a mark of respect and sympathy. (ii) Councillor Gwen Griffith was wished a speedy recovery having been admitted to hospital at the beginning of the week. (iii) Guto Puw, a lecturer in Composing at the Bangor University School of Music and the BBC’s Welsh National Opera’s resident Composer, was congratulated on winning the prestigious prize of the BBC British Composer 2007. The Chair explained that this was the last meeting of the existing Council and she thanked members and officers for their support during the year. She also thanked them for their hard work and she wished them well for the future. The Chief Executive reiterated the words of gratitude and expressed appreciation for the good co-operation between members and officers. He also thanked the Chair and Vice-Chair for their work during the year. Y CYNGOR 28/02/08 5 URGENT ITEMS The item regarding Arfon Learning Disability Day Service – Canolfan Segontium and Arfon Community Scheme had not been noted on the Council agenda since the appropriate number of names calling for the matter to be referred up, in accordance with Procedural Rule 21, had been received after the agenda’s distribution. The Chair resolved to allow the item under Section100 (4) (b) of the Local Government Act1972, since the matter had to be discussed as soon as possible and the ensuing Council meeting would not be held until May. It was resolved to discuss the item before the notice of motion. 6 QUESTIONS (i) Question by Councillor J W Meredith “How many times has the Council used the power to eavesdrop on the communication/correspondence of the Council’s residents?” Answer from Councillor Tomos Evans, Portfolio Leader - Resources “Many thanks for the question. I understand that the question emanates from an article in the Daily Telegraph under the heading "Phones tapped at the rate of 1,000 a day". I confirm that the Council does not eavesdrop at all on any telephone conversations but it is true to say that, in order to prevent crime the Council has powers to obtain data about communications but not their contents under Part 1 of Chapter 2 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. Each application must be made through the Council's point of contact, and during the calendar year 2007, the Council used its powers four times and this was reported to the Commissioner on the 30th January, 2008. (ii) Question by Councillor W Gareth Roberts “How does Gwynedd compare with other Welsh councils in terms of expenditure on schools?” Answer from Councillor Dyfed Edwards, Schools Portfolio Leader “Thank you for the question. I quote information the Assembly publishes annually regarding Welsh Local Authority expenditure and statistics. Y CYNGOR 28/02/08 The following financial information is based on the budget of the 2007/2008 financial year with the statistics based on the information of January 2007. • School Gross Expenditure - Gwynedd spends £4,912 per pupil across all sectors of schools seventh highest out of twenty two authorities in Wales with the Welsh average at £4,757. • Teacher Pupil Ratio - Gwynedd has a teacher pupil ratio of 16.4 across all sectors of schools third lowest out of twenty two authorities in Wales with the Welsh average at 17.6 • Average Classroom Sizes – Gwynedd Primary Schools have an average classroom size of 21.6 pupils per classroom which is the third lowest in Wales, with the Welsh average being 24.2. Gwynedd Secondary Schools have an average classroom size of18.4, namely the smallest in Wales, with the Welsh average being 20.4. These are the measures we consider appropriate for comparison in terms of expenditure on schools and while there are other measures used by people from time to time – they are not appropriate measures to be used for making meaningful and rationale comparisons with other authorities. (iii) Question by Councillor Meinir Jones:- “How many planning permissions have been given in the past 4 years with a local person 106 clause and local person affordable housing clause attached to them. What is the value of the land that Gwynedd Council has contributed towards facilitating affordable housing?” Answer from Councillor R H Wyn Williams, Senior Leader – Environment “Thank you for the question. Since 1st April 2004 a total of 50 planning permissions, with an affordable housing local need restriction attached to them, have been released by Gwynedd Council Planning Authority. These will ensure the provision of 164 affordable units including rent, shared ownership, and housing to be sold at a discount of the open market value and self build affordable homes. Also approximately 120 additional units are being developed in the Gwynedd Council Planning Authority area that have either received planning permission subject to signing an affordable housing 106 restriction, or are in the pre-planning application stage, including Trefor, Bangor, Waunfawr, Caernarfon, Morfa Nefyn and Abersoch. Since 1st April 2004 a total of 108 planning permissions, with a local person restriction attached to them, have been released by Gwynedd Council Planning Authority. Y CYNGOR 28/02/08 These will ensure the provision of 143 units with a local person restriction attached to them. In terms of Gwynedd Council’s contribution to affordable housing through utilising Council land for the provision of such housing: Gwynedd Council has been very proactive in this field through utilising land in its ownership for providing affordable housing. To date the Council has invested £390,000 into the Affordable Housing Project through disposing of land for less than open market value. £260,000 has already been processed with the remaining £130,000 a commitment on the verge of being implemented. This will secure the provision of 20 affordable units in the County in Garndolbenmaen, Llanfrothen, Brithdir, and Llanuwchllyn. Gwynedd Council has also leased or sold land to Housing Associations to provide 34 affordable homes in Llanuwchllyn, Rachub, Dyffryn Ardudwy, Aberdyfi and Llandderfel. In addition a report is being presented to the Meirionnydd Area on 10th March 2008 recommending the release of further land on the Maes y Pandy site Llanuwchllyn, in order to implement an innovative scheme which will lead to an opportunity or seven local persons to be given the opportunity to self build on land sold to them by the Council. A range of measures, previously not used by the Council, will ensure that these homes will be affordable and available for locals in genuine need.