Agenda and minutes

Presentation by Mr I W Jones, Programme Director, Bangor University.

The Chief Executive introduced Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones, Programme Director of the Menai Science Park who was present to address the Council regarding the Science Park and what it entailed. The Chief Executive emphasised that in light of the fact that a planning application for the Science Park has been submitted to the Planning Authority, the presentation by the Programme Director will be factual in nature and will be confined to imparting information about the vision for the Park and the facilities and services it will provide in which there is a great deal of public interest, and will not relate in any way to the planning application.

The Head of Council Business confirmed that there was no requirement for those Members of the Council who are also Members of the Planning and Orders Committee to declare an interest as that was not recognised as an interest under the Code of Conduct.

Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones, in his subsequent address expanded on the following aspects of the aims and objectives of the Menai Science Park which he supplemented with a visual presentation:

•  A science park is a cluster of knowledge based businesses, where support and advice is provided to enable companies to grow and develop. Science parks are usually associated with a centre of technology such as an university of research institute

•  The vision for the Park is founded on promoting growth in knowledge based science with particular reference to Energy, Information Technology, Natural Sciences, Low Carbon Energy and Clean Technologies as key growth sectors.

•  The aim will be to seek to promote entrepreneurship in those areas by providing high quality premises, business support, leadership and encouragement.

•  The Park will fit in with the Welsh Government’s Innovation Strategy based on developing business opportunities from research capacity.

•  The Park will seek to contribute to the economic growth of the region by endeavouring to meet the identified need for high quality employment deriving from research.

•  The Menai Science Park will place emphasis on innovativeness and progressiveness and will provide support for businesses from a fledgling start through to maturity.

•  The Park will seek to develop community links by encouraging young people’s interest in science and will aim to generate wider benefits by promoting employment opportunities particularly through a range of ancillary services.

There followed a question and answer session in which Members were given the opportunity to seek clarification and further information regarding the vision for the Menai Science Park.

The Chair thanked Mr Ieuan Wyn Jones and his colleagues for their time in attending this meeting and for sharing information about the Science Park.

To submit for confirmation and signature, the minutes of the meetings of the County Council held on the following dates:-

·      30^th September, 2014 (Extraordinary)

·      9^th October, 2014

The minutes of the previous meetings of the County Council held on 30th September (extraordinary) and 9th October, 2014 were presented and confirmed as a correct record of the proceedings.

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

Councillor J. Arwel Roberts declared a non-prejudicial interest in respect of item 9 on the agenda.

Miss Lynn Ball, Head of Function (Council Business) declared an interest in respect of item 9 on the agenda.

The Chair made the following announcements:

•  Congratulations are extended to all who were successful at the Anglesey and the Llanelwedd Winter Fairs.

•  Congratulations are extended to Anglesey’s young farmers who competed in November’s Young Farmers National Eisteddfod.

•  Congratulations are extended to Councillor Aled Morris Jones on his appointment to the Vice-Chairmanship of the UK Nuclear Power Station Chairs Committee.

•  Congratulations are extended to Commodore Keith Andrew Becket on the receipt of the CBE in the Queen’s Honours.

•  Best wishes are extended to Councillor Jeff Evans for a speedy recovery following knee replacement surgery.

•  Thanks are extended to the users of Blaen y Coed and Canolfan Heulfre services for their imaginative work in decorating the Council’s Christmas Tree in the Reception area.

•  The Council’s annual Christmas Carol Service will be held in the Reception area during lunch time on Thursday, 18th December, 2014.

•  Condolences are extended to Mrs Gwen Carrington, Director of Community following the loss of her father recently, and to any other member of staff who may have suffered a bereavement.

Members and Officers stood in silence as a mark of respect and sympathy.

The Chief Executive made the following announcement –

That he wished to declare his intention to retire from his post as Chief Executive of the Council on 31 May, 2015. This will allow the Council in the interim to make appropriate arrangements for his replacement. He deemed the time to be opportune given by the end of May, the Corporate Assessment will have been completed, the 2015/16 Budget and the Efficiency Strategy adopted and the Parliamentary Election will have been held. The Isle of Anglesey has an exciting future ahead with the prospect of major development and investment programmes but it could also possibly face the challenge of local government re-organisation, and will require robust stewardship in leading it through those changes. He had been asked by the Leader of the Council to provide guidance and options with regard to restructuring the Senior Management Team; he would be able to fulfil that role having declared his intention, thus disengaging personally from the process.

The Chair and the Leader of the Council acknowledged the decision and said they would be recognising the Chief Executive’s contribution to the Authority and to the work undertaken over the past few years to place the Council on a sound footing at the appropriate time.

To receive any petition in accordance with Paragraph 4.1.11 of the Constitution.

None received.

To consider adoption of the following :-

“Under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, to exclude the press and public from the meeting during discussion on the following item on the grounds that it may involve the disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the attached Public Interest Test.”

It was resolved under Section 100 (A) (4) of the Local Government Act, 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting during the discussion of item 7 on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the Public Interest Test presented.

To consider a report by the Director of Sustainable Development.

The report of the Corporate Director of Sustainable Development incorporating the Authority’s detailed response to Horizon Nuclear Power’s First Stage Pre-Application Consultation (PAC1) regarding the Wylfa Newydd project was presented for the Council’s consideration.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that Horizon’s first stage consultation for the new nuclear power station at Wylfa (the Wylfa Newydd Project) commenced on 29th September, 2014 and will run until 8th December.  In accordance with the requirements of Section 42 of the Planning Act, the documentation presented to the Council provides the Authority’s formal response to the consultation consisting of the following:

•  A letter which sets out the Authority’s priority concerns based on the information provided in the PAC1 documentation supported by

   •  An overview of topic responses

   •  Supporting spreadsheet of IACC topic responses, and

   •  Wylfa Newydd Project Consultation – PAC 1 Feedback Form response

The Chief Planning Officer then proceeded to explain by means of a visual presentation the status of current work and the stage reached relative to the projected timeline for the progression of the Wylfa Newydd project including the submission of Associated Development Proposals.

Mr Gareth Hall, Major Energy Programme Delivery Manager expanded on the approach taken by the Authority to the consultation documentation issued by Horizon and the extent of the engagement throughout the Council and the professional input and advice. This has included a detailed and meticulous analysis of the documentation contents, and the application of a RAG traffic light system to denote the level of response and the degree of assent in relation to each of the individual topic areas.  

Mr Steven Owen, Major Consents Officer elaborated on the response on an issue by issue basis, and he highlighted the most significant areas where it was deemed further clarification and information were required.

Members considered the information submitted both visually and in writing and were given an opportunity to question the Officers, and to present their views on the formal response and the matters raised therein. Councillor Aled Morris Jones proposed an amendment to the Chief Executive’s covering letter to the effect that the final sentence be deleted. In the subsequent vote the proposal was carried.

It was resolved to approve the Authority’s formal response to the Horizon First Stage Pre Application Consultation (PAC 1) as set out in the documentation presented subject to amending the Chief Executive’s covering letter as proposed.

To submit the following question on notice by Councillor R.Ll. Jones to the Leader of the Council :-

“The Wylfa B consultation has now commenced and we have, as a County Council, had several meetings with the developer explaining all the benefits it will bring to this island.

Although local residents are wanting jobs they are still very concerned with the risks and the need to look after the waste generated by a nuclear power station for Anglesey.  In order to balance things up I am calling for a SEMINAR to be arranged between this Council and representatives opposed to the building of Wylfa B and asking if you and your majority group will support this request.  Local residents need to have a voice in this consultation and be fully briefed, up to now we appear to have only had the foreign based developers from Germany, they pulled out, and now from Japan to give us their opinions.  Neither of these countries want to build nuclear on their own soil.”

The following question submitted on notice by Councillor R. Llewelyn Jones was put to the Leader of the Council:

“The Wylfa B consultation has now commenced and we have, as a County Council, had several meetings with the developer explaining all the benefits to this Island. Although local residents are wanting jobs they are still very concerned with the risks and the need to look after the waste generated by a nuclear power station for Anglesey. In order to balance things up I am calling for a Seminar to be arranged between this Council and representatives opposed to the building of Wylfa B and asking if you and your majority group will support this request. Local residents need to have a voice in this consultation and be fully briefed; up to now we appear to have only had the foreign based developers from Germany, they pulled out, and now from Japan, to give us their opinions. Neither of these countries want to build nuclear on their own soil.”

The Leader of the Council replied by saying that the Council as a supporter of the project as well as those who object to Wylfa Newydd are all stakeholders within the process and as such are part of the consultation and briefings being undertaken by Horizon. The decision will be made at Westminster. A meeting of the Stakeholder Group was held the previous evening at which local residents were represented by a number of organisations. Information is being disseminated and objectors have the right of response in the same way as the Council. He believed the approach to be balanced and treats everyone equally. Whilst he was aware that there is a difference of opinion across the Island he could not see that a seminar would deliver consensus. It is the developer who is able to provide the information – for those who object as well as for those who are supporters of the project. He said that he could therefore see no benefit in conducting a separate seminar with objectors.

As a supplementary question, Councillor R. Llewelyn Jones said that there is greater power in Wales than in England to influence nuclear build due to the way in which it is able to deal with the Development Consent Order and those plans in Wales can be challenged prior to their submission to the Secretary of State. This is the Authority’s opportunity to state that it objects to the development wholesale until such time as it is given details of how the waste is to be dealt with. He questioned whether it was legal to allow a company to commence site clearance in preparation for a large structure before it has submitted credible evidence of how it will dispose of very dangerous industrial nuclear waste. He asked the Leader to contact the First Minister and to establish what he and his Government are doing to ensure that Anglesey is not being left alone in calling for a clear understanding of what is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To submit a report by the Head of Planning a Public Protection.

The report of the Head of Planning and Public Protection Services incorporating a revised timetable for the preparation of the Joint Local Development Plan was presented for the Council’s approval.

It was resolved to approve the revised timetable to prepare the Joint Local Development Plan as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

To consider a report by the Interim Head of Function (Resources) and Section 151 Officer, as submitted to the Executive on 1^st December, 2014.

The report of the Interim Head of Function (Resources) and Section 151 Officer incorporating a review of the mid-year position in respect of treasury management activity was presented for the Council’s acceptance.

It was resolved to accept the Treasury Management mid-year review report.

To consider report by the Interim Head of Function (Resources) and Section 151 Officer as submitted to the Executive on 1^st December, 2014.

The report of the Interim Head of Function (Resources) and Section 151 Officer setting out proposals for the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2015/16 as recommended by the Executive at its meeting held on 4 December, 2014 was presented for the Council’s consideration.

It was resolved to endorse the recommendations contained within the report with regard to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2015/16.

To consider re-scheduling the date of the Council meeting on 7^th May, 2015 due to the Parliamentary election.

Consideration was given to re-scheduling the meeting of the County Council for 7th May, 2015 due to the Parliamentary election.

It was resolved to re-schedule the County Council’s meeting in May, 2015 to Thursday, 14th May, 2015.