The full council of cyngor Gwynedd met on the 5th March, 2026.
The agenda pack for the meeting can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5675/Public%20reports%20pack%2005th-Mar-2026%2013.30%20The%20Council.pdf?T=10
Council tax increase...
The Plaid Cymru council passed -
A budget of £379,701,110 should be set for 2026/27, to be funded by £264,009,390 of Government Grant and £115,691,720 of Council Tax income (which is an increase of 4.75% baseline plus a further 0.42% to meet the levy from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, giving a total of 5.17%).
Chief officers pay will increase...
In July 2025 confirmation was received that the employers and the unions that represent chief officers had agreed on a pay increase for 2025/26, that being an increase of 3.2% on the pay of each chief officer.
Council pension pot...
Is doing very well indeed.
Councillors also passed -
Amendments to the Members Code of Conduct and The Councils Whistle Blowing Policy, authored by the monitoring officer, Iwan G D Evans.
But staff have said they do not feel safe to whistleblow and no amount of amendments will change that. From an Internal Audit Plan by Luned Fon Jones, published in early 2025 - 
Jones' full report can be found on page 138 in the agenda pack -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5293/Public%20reports%20pack%2006th-Feb-2025%2010.00%20Governance%20and%20Audit%20Committee.pdf?T=10
According to the minutes, those present at that meeting were -
On repeat...
Have any cabinet members raised concerns at meetings or with other councillors?
What action, if any, has been taken by the legal team?
It is the same with other audits of the whistle blowing policy - going back many years -
From 2011 -
Authored by Dewi Morgan, then senior audit and risk manager -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/Data/Audit%20Committee/20110113/Agenda/05_01_Awareness%20of%20the%20Whistleblowing%20Policy.pdf
Observations from staff in 2011 include -
“Would be too afraid of the consequences.”
“No faith in the Council’s confidentiality.”
“When whistleblowing, you have to face the consequences.”
“Afraid of repercussions from Line Manager.”
Culture culture culture...
It is not the policy that is lacking...
There appears to be a complete lack of trust in senior officers and a fear for confidentiality and retribution.
After the Neil Foden
case, perhaps the policy should be ripped up and given to an
external body for staff safety.
****************
Two questions had been accepted by the monitoring officer for discussion.
The first by Gwynfor Owen, asking for support for a memorial in Harlech for Catrin, daughter of Glyndŵr, was given support by the cabinet member for the Econonmy, Richard Medwyn Hughes.
A question by Beca Brown, the former cabinet member for Education, who resigned after the Neil Foden case, asked -
Why Brown has asked this question five years after Audit Wales raised concerns is unknown.
Both questions in full can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=48517
A prepared script..?
Brown's question was answered by cabinet member for corporate services, councillor Llio Elenid Owen. The councillor's supplementary question was also answered by Owen, reading from her laptop. It is not usual that the supplementary question is known in advance...
There were two NOTICE OF MOTION accepted by the council and passed at the meeting -
One by Councillor Gruffydd Williams -
That this Council is totally opposed to the Digital Identification system and that Cyngor Gwynedd calls on the Welsh Government to oppose DI in line with the Government in Scotland and also in line with several local authorities across the UK. Convenience should never come at the expense of personal liberty...
No kidding...
The second Notice by Councillor Elin Hywel begins -
This Council recognises that trust is the foundation of democracy.
We know that recent events locally, nationally and internationally have undermined that relationship with the people of Gwynedd...
Trojan horse...
The discussion by councillors was more animated than has been seen in a long time.
Plaid Cymru councillor Dewi Jones, wondered if independent councillors were truly independent or if any were conservatives or reformers in disguise...
Deflection...
Jones may have been trying to divert attention from the former Plaid Cymru councillor, Iwan Huws, who attempted to defraud his employer, Anglesey council. Huws escaped prosecution by accepting a police caution. Is that usual for employees?
Huws is the brother of the Plaid MS for Arfon.
Sshh...
Whilst the 'Our Bravery Brought Justice' report was mentioned several times, no councillor asked about the senior officer from the legal department, present at the safeguarding meeting re Neil Foden, in 2019. What legal advice was given re concerns raised by the whistleblower?
The Ffordd Gwynedd way..?
A reminder that Garem Jackson, the former head of education, said he was 'advised' by a safeguarding officer to simply have a word with Foden re his closeness to some girls. The whistleblower was also outed to Foden.
The webcast of the meeting can be viewed here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1073997
For the translated feed press the english tab on the top left of the page.
Singing from the same hymn sheet..?
Why was chair of the response board, Sally Holland, not in attendance?
She meets with cabinet members but not ordinary councillors..?
A reminder that cabinet members may be whipped not to ask embarrassing questions.
Questions questions...
Has Estyn or Care Inspectorate Wales appeared before councillors?
What of the two senior police officers who sat as school governors at Ysgol Friars?
Is there to be a public inquiry..?
The Pickles 'extended' child practice review found failings over many departments.
Were any of the survivors in foster care?
Where is the report from the fostering team?
Where is the report from the education/economy scrutiny task and finish group - already overdue by many months?
Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...
