To receive any declaration of interest from any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

Councillor Alun Roberts declared a personal but not prejudicial interest in respect of item 2 on the agenda as a Council representative on the Governing Body of Ysgol Beaumaris.

Councillor Carwyn Jones (not a member of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee) declared a personal and prejudicial interest with regard to item 2 on the agenda as his cousin is employed in Ysgol Beaumaris. Councillor Carwyn Jones said that he had been granted dispensation by the Standards Committee on 18 July, 2017 to represent the local viewpoint throughout the process but not to vote on the matter.

The Chair explained that Councillor Glyn Haynes would be standing in on behalf of Councillor J. Arwel Roberts for the purpose of speaking on the call-in request.

The Legal Services Manager clarified that speaking at the meeting was at the discretion of the Chair. However, substitute members are not permitted for the purpose of voting.

The Chair said that there would be no public speaking at this meeting of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee. He read out advice provided by the Head of Function (Council Business)/ Monitoring Officer in relation to the matter which confirmed that there is no legal constitutional right to public speaking at a scrutiny committee and that it is a matter for the Chair to determine when and if this is appropriate. The only requirement in connection with this discretion is that it be used fairly and consistently. The Officer further advises that in the circumstances, the Chair’s intentions are a reasonable use of this discretion as this is a case of calling in a decision made by the Executive and is not part of the pre-decision process whereby the Scrutiny Committee collects evidence.

A decision made by The Executive at its meeting held on 18 July, 2018 in relation to the modernisation of schools in the Seiriol area which has been called in by Councillors John Arwel Roberts, Robert Llewelyn Jones, Bryan Owen, Peter Rogers and Aled Morris Jones.

The documentation is attached as follows:-

•           The decision published on 23 July, 2018

•           The Call-In application

•           The report on the modernisation of schools in the Seiriol area presented to the meeting of the Executive on 18 July, 2018.

A decision made by the Executive at its meeting held on 18 July, 2018 to approve Option 1, namely to refurbish and extend Ysgol Llandegfan, close Ysgol Beaumaris and refurbish Ysgol Llangoed  was called in by Councillors  Aled Morris Jones, Robert Llewelyn Jones, Bryan Owen, John Arwel Roberts and Peter Rogers. The Executive’s decision, the call-in request and the report by the Assistant Chief Executive (Partnerships, Community and Service Improvement) to the meeting of the Executive on 18 July, 2018 on the modernisation of schools in the Seiriol area were presented.

In the absence of Councillor Bryan Owen, the Lead Call-In Member, Councillor Peter Rogers explained the reason for calling in the decision made by the Executive on 18 July, 2018 as set out in the call-in request form which was that the idea of a school situated on a new site to take the pupils of Llandegfan, Beaumaris and Llangoed had not been fully explored.

Councillor Peter Rogers referred to the very great uncertainty over which school pupils might attend in the event that Ysgol Beaumaris is closed which has the potential to affect the pupil numbers at Ysgol Llangoed. He pointed out that there is no evidence to suggest that parents will send their children to Ysgol Llangoed and that understanding parental choice is essential in the matter because it also partly accounts for the reduction in the number of pupils attending Ysgol Beaumaris. There is also potentially a knock on effect on numbers in the secondary school serving the catchment area. Councillor Peter Rogers said that many people will have understood that modernising schools means having a new area school built as has happened in other areas where the primary education provision has been reviewed. He thought that the delivery of a new area school was appropriate in this case also.

Councillor Robert Llewelyn also spoke as a signatory of the call-in. Councillor Jones referred to the absence of a detailed Business Plan which he believed should have accompanied the proposal to show more clearly the financial obligations and potential savings consequent on realising the proposal. Neither was it apparent that the risks had been assessed.  He highlighted the omission of any plans for the pre-school provision which at Ysgol Beaumaris is very popular and well thought of and referred to the need for sensitivity in dealing with Ysgol Beaumaris as a listed building.

Councillor Glyn Haynes speaking on behalf of Councillor J. Arwel Roberts who was a signatory to the call-in request said that although proposals for new area schools have been initially met with doubt in the communities involved, where they have been developed e.g. Ysgol Cybi, they are now a focal point for the community and are embraced by parents. Councillor Haynes said that he believed that a new school was the right solution for Seiriol in keeping with other areas on the Islands.

The Leader of the Council responded as follows –

•           The Corporate Scrutiny Committee scrutinised the non-statutory consultation on the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.