Agenda and minutes

As noted above.

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

Councillor Nicola Roberts declared a prejudicial interest in item 4 – Supplementary Planning Guidance – Maintaining and Creating Distinctive and Sustainable Communities (Draft following Public Consultation) and left the meeting during consideration and voting thereon.

Councillors T Ll Hughes MBE, Vaughan Hughes and Dafydd Roberts declared that they are members of the Planning and Orders Committee with regard to discussions in respect of item 4 – Supplementary Planning Guidance – Maintaining and Creating Distinctive and Sustainable Communities (Draft following Public Consultation).

Councillor R A Dew said that whilst not a member of the Scrutiny Committee he declared an interest with regard to item 4 – Supplementary Planning Guidance – Maintaining and Creating Distinctive and Sustainable Communities (Draft following Public Consultation)

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the meeting held on 12 March, 2019.

The minutes of the meeting held on 12 March, 2019 were confirmed as correct.

To receive a report by the Chief Planning Officer.

Submitted – a report by the Planning Policy Manager – Joint Planning Policy Unit (Gwynedd and Anglesey) in relation to the above.

The Portfolio Holder – Planning & Public Protection said that the Anglesey & Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan was adopted July 2017 and is operational during the period up to 2026.   Although the Development Plan contains policies that enable the Local Planning Authority to make consistent and transparent decisions on development applications, it is unable to provide all the detailed advice required by Officers and prospective applicants to steer proposals locally.  In order to provide this detailed advice, the Councils are preparing a range of SPG’s to support the Plan that will provide more detailed guidance on a variety of topics and matters to help interpret and implement the Plan’s policies and proposals.  The initial draft was considered by Members of the Joint Local Development Plan Panel (which has an equal number of members from both Gwynedd and Anglesey Councils) and following the consultation on the SPG the Joint Planning Policy Committee will be making a decision regarding the suitability for adoption at its meeting on 23 May, 2019.  

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the purpose of the report is to raise awareness of the development of the Supplementary Planning Guidance: Maintaining and creating distinctive and sustainable communities amongst members of the Scrutiny Committee and to ensure that it is scrutinized prior to the Joint Planning Policy Committee making a decision regarding its suitability for adoption at its meeting on 23 May, 2019.  It was noted that the Communities Scrutiny Committee (Gwynedd Council) has discussed the report on 4 April, 2019. He expressed that once the SPG’s are approved they are relevant planning considerations when dealing with planning applications and the Planning and Orders Committee will be required to follow the guidance within the SPG.   Welsh Government and the Planning Inspectorate also gives weight to the SPG’s that are consistent with local development plans. 

The Supplementary Planning Guidance seeks to ensure that the following Policies regarding sustainable development are integrated within the development process:-

·      PS1 – Welsh Language and Welsh Culture;

·      PS5 -  Sustainable Development;

·      PS6 - Mitigation of Climate Change effects.

The SPG before this Committee is to provide detailed guidance on specific policies to ensure that they are effectively and consistently implemented across the area covered by the Joint Local Development Plan.  Guidance cannot change policies or proposals set out in the Local Development Plan and new policies can’t be introduced through Supplementary Planning Guidance.  

The Chief Planning Officer reported that Appendix 1 of the report refers to the public consultation which was undertaken with regard to the SPG from 3th December 2018 to 31st January 2019.  It was noted that 88 representations were received from 8 representatives/organisations; most representations were accepted apart from matters received which entailed changing planning policies or were for matters already addressed in the SPG.  Appendix 2 attached to the report, is a draft copy of the SPG, however some editorial work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To submit a report by the Chair of the Schools Progress Review Scrutiny Panel and the Senior Standards & Inclusions Manager.

Submitted – a progress report by the Chair of the Scrutiny Schools Progress Review Panel and the Standards & Inclusions Senior Manager.

The Chair said that representatives from the Committee have recently been shadowing GwE activities within Ysgol y Borth, Menai Bridge; attended a Conference at Venue Cymru, Llandudno for Head Teachers across North Wales with Shirley Clarke educational specialist addressing the Conference and a training session by GwE as regards to Wales Curriculum was also attended.  The Chair noted that Members will be reporting back to this Committee as regards to the activities arranged by GwE in due course. 

The Standards & Inclusions Senior Manager reported that the report summaries the work of the School Progress Review Scrutiny Panel from 7^th November, 2018 to 2^nd April, 2019.  The Panel has met with Schools Head Teachers and Chair of Governors as well as discussed arrangements to shadow GwE at various activities.

The Panel met as follows:-

·           22 November, 2018 – Ysgol Gynradd Corn Hir and Ysgol Gynradd Heblas;

·           13 December, 2018 – Ysgol Uwchradd David Hughes and monitoring Learning Service Action Plan;

·           24 January, 2019 – Ysgol Gynradd Bodedern

·           15 February, 2019 – Ysgol Gynradd Llanfairpwll and Ysgol Gynradd Santes Fair;

·           22 March, 2019 – Consideration of shadowing GwE arrangements and self-evaluation.

The Officer said that the School Progress Review Scrutiny Panel has attained better understanding of the process of the joint working between the Education Authority and GwE which has strengthens accountability within Anglesey’s schools.  It was noted that Anglesey does not have a school within the red and most of the schools are within the yellow category of Welsh Government new performance tables. 

The Committee considered the report and raised the following matters:-

·           It was considered that every Member of the Council should be afforded the opportunity to attain information as regards to the new education curriculum and the facilities afforded by GwE.  The Chief Executive reported that arrangements have been made for GwE representatives to attend Members Briefing Sessions in the near future as regards to the education curriculum.  The Scrutiny Manager said that three additional briefing sessions have been programmed to receive a presentation by GwE as regards to the new education curriculum and also to address the new special education needs act;

·           Reference was made as regards to cuts within financial resources within schools in general and possible strain on schools to attain educational standards.  Questions raised as to whether the School Progress Review Scrutiny Panel has discuss this issue.  The Standards & Inclusions Senior Manager responded that schools will be challenged as regards to financial resources within schools in the future.  She noted that schools will need find more effective ways to afford the best education for pupils within their schools. 

The Portfolio Holder for Education, Youth, Libraries & Culture thanked the School Progress Review Scrutiny Panel for their work and said that the work of the Panel has assisted the improvements within the schools on Anglesey and the joint working with GwE  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To submit a report by the Scrutiny Officer.

Submitted – a report by the Scrutiny Officer on the Committee’s Work Programme to July 2019.

It was RESOLVED to note the Work Programme to July 2019.

ACTION : As above.