Cyngor Gwynedd Council - Us And Them...?

Once again, cyngor Gwynedd council's planning committee has voted against the very policies they helped create. An application to build 18 affordable houses on land near Cae Capel, Botwnnog, Pwllheli, LL53 8RE was rejected by councillors.

The application, which was supported by planning officer's with conditions can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/s41658/Land%20At%20Cae%20Capel%20Botwnnog%20Pwllheli%20LL53%208RE.pdf

Opposition to the homes for social rent was led by the local member Cllr Gareth Williams.

The webcast of the planning meeting can be found here -
https://gwynedd.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/907555

Councillor Gruff Williams also opposed the scheme and proposed the motion to reject saying most of the need for housing is around the Caernarfon area. In his summing up he said -
'Social media and people try and claim we are racist when we are trying to protect the language...' 

The meeting heard claims that Gwynedd council were gatekeepers of the Welsh language and that they were there to protect the language and not follow policy. Adra's track record was attacked and it was mentioned that non Welsh speaking families had been allocated houses in Nefyn and that it harms the social fabric in these estates. Williams also mentioned small children in Nefyn speaking english...

After the vote, Gareth Jones, the long suffering planning officer called for a 'cooling off' period, which means the decision is not yet finalised as there are risks to the council.

Councillors of the planning committee have a long history of going against their own department's recommendations. In February, 2023, Gwynedd council's monitoring officer, Iwan G D Evans, pleaded for consistency with regard to decision making after councillors rejected one application for a touring caravan site in Afonwen, Pwllheli. Councillor Gruff Williams led the opposition to this application. (This decision was later overturned on appeal).

In October, 2023, the committee passed one application contrary to the department's recommendations. The application was from Gruff Williams father - a former councillor -  in relation to his own caravan site in an area of outstanding beauty. The decision caused an outburst from councillor Elwyn Edwards, who angrily asked the committee 'where are your principles'? 

The October meeting was also notable for the monitoring officer resigning his position as solicitor for the planning committee...

Nine days after this meeting, the Daily Post reported -
Cyngor Gwynedd Council was adjudged to have 'behaved unreasonably' over the issue
The decision, by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), overturned previous rulings made Cyngor Gwynedd Council’s planning committee which went against officers’ recommendations. Welsh Government inspector Janine Townsley considered the local authority to have “behaved unreasonably”.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/century-old-footpath-row-ends-27881162?int_source=nba

Then there was the case of the family in Nefyn, whom one councillor claimed were 'under siege by their neighbours. This application was for the construction of an affordable dwelling on farm land near Uwch y Don, Bwlch Gwynt, Pistyll, Pwllheli, LL53 6LP, owned by the applicant's father.
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/documents/s33598/21-3-22%20Committee%20Report.pdf

Some councillors appeared to know the applicant well and spoke of the family’s troubles. Mention was made that the family already own an ex council home in Nefyn but that the family have been experiencing abuse from some in their community which is now affecting their children.

The applicant is an Information Technology Programmer/Analyst and one wonders if he is employed by Gwynedd council in some capacity? Planning officers had recommended refusal - for many reasons - but councillors voted to support the applicant and permission was granted, despite fears of intervention by the Welsh Government.

There are other cases where councillors have acted contrary to their own policies...

To an onlooker, there is a perception that the rules do not apply for some applicants and this has led some people to ask themselves if there is a two tier planning system in Gwynedd?

In other news, the Llŷn A.O.N.B Joint Advisory Committee held a meeting. Projects on the peninsula such as litter picking and repairs to dry stone walls by volunteers were discussed and praised for their success. The agenda pack can be found here -
https://democracy.gwynedd.llyw.cymru//documents/g5302/Public%20reports%20pack%2010th-Sep-2024%2016.00%20Lln%20A.O.N.B%20Joint%20Advisory%20Committee.pdf?T=10

But councillors of this committee appear focused more on the Welsh language than anything else and many were unhappy with the council - and other organisations - for being bilingual. Members discussed using their positions to put pressure on the council to push the Welsh language even more.

Something is so very wrong within Gwynedd council...

Gwynedd Council - Family 'Under Siege' In Nefyn Granted Planning Permission.

During the pandemic, Welsh Government passed new laws and policies to enable more public participation in local authority proceedings. Hybrid zoom meetings with some councillors in the chamber and some at home will become the new normal.

Though all council meetings have been recorded since the pandemic very few have been uploaded to Gwynedd's website for viewing by other councillors and the public.

Members of the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee were to hear back from the senior Education officer regarding the video circulated on social media that appeared to show the headmaster of a local school grab a pupil by the neck. The last meeting of this committee was cancelled - have members of the committee been updated ?

The question of why Neil Foden complained to the press that he had been 'thrown under a bus' by the council over the school meals fiasco has still not been answered.

Senior Operations Manager Aled Gibbard presented the Care Scrutiny Committee with the Council's 'Autism Plan' on November the 25th 2021.

Observations submitted by members included the following  - "There was a desire to receive an information session for Councillors in order to improve understanding of the field. It was reiterated that this training should be held before April 2022"

Have Councillors received this 'training' session ?

Also - "The annual review of the Plan was welcomed by Members adding that there was a strong desire to receive an update before April 2022."

Have Members received that update ?

Moving on - the annual complaints handling reports of Gwynedd social services has not been presented for scrutiny since before the pandemic. The last Children's report was presented in 2019, by Dafydd Paul. A complaint was raised with the council that the officer had misled the committee but this complaint was downgraded to an 'enquiry' by the Director  of SS who dealt with the complaint personally and so details will not be logged - presumably...

The Adult and Children departments are responsible for the most vulnerable people in society. We have had two years of a pandemic - many have died - social care is in crisis. Why no scrutiny?

In other news - Councillors of the Planning Committee complained that planning policies were not fit for purpose....

Two proposals which the planning department refused have now been overturned by councillors. Planning permission to create a home from a ruin by a local resident was granted. The other was more controversial and worries of intervention by the Welsh Government were raised.

Some councillors appeared to know the applicant and spoke of the family's troubles. Mention was made that the family already own an ex council home in Nefyn but that the family have been experiencing abuse from some in their community which is now affecting their children.

 https://amg.gwynedd.llyw.cymru/planning/?fa=downloadDocument&id=341076&public_record_id=31950

The story of anti-social behaviour and concerns for their mental health, portrayed by one councillor as a family 'under siege' was enough to sway councillors and the application was passed.