Article 4 Test Run @ Cyngor Gwynedd...

A report entitled 'Article 4 Direction', authored by Gareth Jones - Assistant Head of Environment Department and Iwan Evans - Head of Legal Services, is to be presented to the Communities Scrutiny Committee on the 11th June, 2026. 

It is a very informative document, revealing a lack of candour not only on the part of cyngor Gwynedd but also it would appear on the part of Welsh government. 

The document can be found in the agenda pack for the meeting here - 
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5712/Public%20reports%20pack%2011th-Jun-2026%2010.30%20Communities%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf?T=10

At the full council meeting, held on the 14th, May, Gruffydd Williams, asked this question - 
Following the fact that article 4 was quashed by a court as a result of what has been ruled as misleading details by this Council, I previously asked if this Council would apologise to campaigners who fought so hard to get Article 4 in force, and there was no apology.
The Council's right of appeal has now been refused. Therefore, is the Council finally going to apologise to the campaigners for article 4, patriots, linguists and taxpayers, following the fact that it is now clear that a shortcoming in the key paperwork caused Article 4 to be quashed and that a sum of money of over half a million has been wasted?"

Response from the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Craig ab Iago - 
As I noted when answering a very similar question from the Member at the Council meeting in December, we remain determined to ensure that the people of Gwynedd have access to suitable housing in their communities.
That's why the Council introduced an Article 4 Direction – as part of a package of measures to manage the significant impact of second homes and short-term holiday accommodation on the housing market.
This decision was based on significant effort, including in-depth research, extensive consultation and expert advice.
Despite our disappointment with the legal outcome and our request to appeal the High Court's decision, I am confident that our decision to introduce Article 4 has been sound and appropriate. The Council acted responsibly and in good faith in addressing issues that are hugely important to the future of our communities.
This experience, including the 12-month period during which Article 4 was in place in the Gwynedd Planning Authority Area, will be key as we decide on the best way forward.  

ab Iago did not apologise.
Did he actually vote at cabinet for Article 4..?

Many people are of the belief that the near half a million pounds this has cost the public purse was money from cyngor Gwynedd's own coffers - it is not...

The Article 4 Direction report reveals that £311,683,05 has come from Welsh government...

  

4.48 '...which can be amended and re-used in the future'.

Why did Craig ab Iago not explain this?

Are Welsh government and cyngor Gwynedd acting together to control the housing market?

Empowered by the legal knowledge gained, it is apparent that the recent Article 4 action was not to actually implement Article 4 but an exercise in HOW to implement Article 4 in the future...

A test run and an opportunity for the council to be in a position to advise neighbouring authorities on the application of Article 4.
Regardless of the trauma and harm caused? 
Shocking... 

 

Will the new Plaid Cymru government now be supporting the Plaid controlled Gwynedd council in such matters? Will Gwynedd become a test bed for new Plaid policies?

It's not over... 

The meeting will be held on the 11th, June at 10.30am and can be viewed here - 
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/1098120

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Sick Days Cost £5.7 Million

Cyngor Gwynedd council held a Cabinet meeting on the 17/12/24. The webcast can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/941307

The council 'Staff Well-being Plan 2024 - 2028' was presented to the Plaid Cymru members. It reports staff absences cost the public purse £5.7 million -

14,404 (22.13%) work days were lost due to sickness absence related to stress, depression and mental health problems;
7,718 (11.86%) work days were lost due to sickness absence related to musculoskeletal problems;
'Other sickness' was recorded as the main reason for the sickness of 22.79%;
Long-term absences contributed to 51% of the Council's sickness absence days;
On average, every officer in the Council has lost 10.29 work days a year;
2.72% more sickness absence days were lost in 2023/24 compared to 2022/23.

The report also shows -
665 staff members were referred to the Occupational Health Service
194 Council staff members were referred to the Counselling Service (Medra)
129 Council staff members were referred to the Physiotherapy Service

Are there waiting lists for these services for council employees, like there are for the services available to the general public?

The COMPLAINTS AND SERVICE IMPROVEMENT REPORT QUARTER 1-2 2024/25 was also presented. It included -

 

The complaint from a 'customer', raised earlier this year, concerning safeguarding issues within Education is not believed to have come before any scrutiny committee. So has anything been learnt from the Neil Foden case? Openness and transparency...?

One would expect that the cabinet member for Education, Dewi Jones, would have asked for an explanation at the meeting.
Jones did not attend the meeting...

There appears to be an ongoing issue with assessments too. Not one cabinet member asked for an explanation of senior officers. Perhaps they were updated behind closed doors?

Oddly, a children's SS complaint was included in the report -
 

As the Investigating Officer considered how officers dealt with the complaint serious enough to notify the council's monitoring officer, it is concerning that this complaint was not included in the SS annual complaints that was presented for scrutiny in September...

Menna Trenholme, the cabinet member for children, did not question this item and so another complaint involving the children's SS department appears to have avoided any scrutiny.

Whilst the MO, Iwan Evans, has asked the SS department(s) to consider the PSOW's guidance on responding to complaints, it is concerning that that Ian Jones, the head of democratic services recently commented in relation to the Ombudsman investigations -

It should be noted that it is not the role of the Committee to consider whether individual complaints have been dealt with appropriately, but rather to assess the effectiveness of the complaints process. As a result, there is no reference in this report to any individual complaint or departmental performance within the Council.

Annual Complaints and Service Improvement Report 2023/24 - by Ian Jones.
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s42709/ANNUAL%20COMPLAINTS%20AND%20SERVICE%20IMPROVEMENT%20REPORT%20202324.pdf

So who does consider whether individual complaints have been dealt with appropriately..?

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...