Agenda, decisions and minutes

The apology for absence was submitted and was noted as documented above.

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

No declaration of interest was received.

No urgent matters at the time of dispatch of this agenda.

None to report.

To submit for confirmation, the draft minutes of the meeting of the Executive held on 17 July 2025.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive held on 17 July 2025 were presented for confirmation.

It was resolved that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive held on 17 July 2025 be confirmed as correct.

To submit the report of the Head of Democratic Services.

The report of the Head of Democracy incorporating the Executive’s Forward Work Programme for the period from October, 2025 to May, 2026 was presented for confirmation.

The Head of Democracy updated the Executive on new additions to the Forward Work Programme as follows –

·      21 October 2025 meeting – Complaints and Whistleblowing Annual Report 2024/25 and DWP Connect to Work Programme – Collaboration Agreement.

·      25 November 2025 meeting – Council Tax Base 2026/27 and Draft Revenue Budget for 2026/27 (subject to Welsh Government’s budget setting timetable)

·      16 December 2025 meeting – Treasury Management Mid-Year Review 2025/26 and Housing Rents and Service Charges 2026/27

·      27 January 2026 meeting – Capital Strategy, Community based non-residential social care services – fees and charges, Local Authority residential homes – setting the standard charge for 2026/27, Independent sector care home fees 2026/27 and Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi .

·      24 February 2026 meeting - Treasury Management Strategy Statement 2026/27, Fees and Charges for 2026/27, MTFP and Budget 2026/27 and Capital Budget 2026/27.

·      24 March 2026 meeting -  HRA Business Plan 2026-2056.

It was resolved to confirm the Executive’s updated Forward Work Programme for the period October 2025 to May 2026 with the changes outlined at the meeting.

To submit the report of the Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer.

The report of the Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring recommending an amendment to the Council’s Constitution to merge the Annual Self-Assessment Report and the Annual Performance Report into a single integrated document was presented for consideration. The proposed change would designate the Executive as responsible for the merged report.

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience presented the report noting that the publication of both an Annual Self-Assessment report and an Annual Wellbeing Report are statutory requirements under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 and The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 respectively. Although the two reports derive from different legislation, they contain common ground relying on similar data and analysis to demonstrate compliance with two different sets of statutory requirements. To reduce duplication and to ensure the Council’s resources are used as efficiently and effectively as possible, it is proposed that the two reports be merged under the title Annual Self-Assessment and Performance (Wellbeing) Report and the Constitution amended to reflect that the merged report shall be an Executive function. The merged report would remain subject to scrutiny by the Corporate Scrutiny Committee and oversight by the Governance and Audit Committee under its statutory terms of reference .

The Executive welcomed the proposal as a practical and positive step that supports the efficient use of resources while maintaining scrutiny and accountability and noted that the statutory guidance that accompanies the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 and The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 encourages integrated reporting where possible.

It was resolved to make the following recommendations to Full Council –

·      That it approves the constitutional changes required to reflect the merging of the Annual Self-Assessment Report and the Annual Performance (Wellbeing) Report into a single integrated document called the Annual Self-Assessment and Performance (Wellbeing) Report.

·      That it approves changes to the Constitution to reflect that the merged report   referred to above shall be a function of the Executive.

·      That it authorises the Monitoring Officer to make the constitutional changes required to implement paragraphs 1 and 2 above.

To submit the report of the Head of Profession - HR and Transformation.

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the draft Self-Assessment for 2024/25 was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The self-assessment is a statutory annual exercise that evaluates how well the Council has performed, its use of resources and its governance arrangements.

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience presented the report as the culmination of several months’ work, drawing on a broad evidence base to assess how effectively the Council is delivering services, utilising its   resources and maintaining sound governance. During 2024 the Council reviewed and refined  its self-assessment approach to further streamline and strengthen the process. Working collaboratively across services, the template was revised to focus on four key areas aligned with the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act – Service Planning and Performance, Workforce Planning, Financial Planning and Governance including Risk, Audit, Procurement and Contract Management. Each service was asked to evaluate its performance against updated criteria and was subsequently challenged on its findings through service review meetings. The resulting self-assessment summarises the Council’s overall performance for 2024/25 and highlights both strengths and areas identified as opportunities for improvement.

The Chair emphasised that self-assessment is an ongoing process in the Council with  portfolio members actively engaged within their respective  areas.  A statutory Panel Performance assessment, required once in each election cycle, is scheduled for the end of the year, with the self-assessment forming a significant part of that review. He noted that the  challenge process within the self-assessment has been rigorous and thorough and is used constructively to drive improvement.

It was also noted that external feedback from partners, stakeholders and regulators such as   Care Inspectorate Wales reports on social services, is an important element of the self-assessment providing clear and robust evidence to support the findings.

It was resolved to adopt the document presented as a “working draft” and to invite further consideration of its content by the Governance and Audit Committee at its meeting on 30 September 2025.

To submit the report of the Head of Profession, HR and Transformation.

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Scorecard report for Quarter 1 2025/26 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience presented the report which showed that 90% of the indicators with targets monitored during the quarter performed well against those targets and were rated Green or Yellow. The scorecard has been reviewed for 2025/26 with adjustments made including the introduction of new KPIs. He highlighted that Housing Indicator 03 – the average number of days taken to re-let units of accommodation (excluding DTLs) had been revised to exclude new properties, bringing it into line with other regional housing providers’ practice. The target has been adjusted to 51 days to ensure it remains realistic but still challenging. Councillor Carwyn Jones referred to the Corporate Scrutiny Committee’s meeting on 17 September where the scorecard report was extensively discussed and underperforming indicators challenged.

Councillor Jeff Evans, Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee reported back from the committee’s 17 September meeting confirming that the committee had welcomed the overall strong performance at the end of the first quarter. The committee had sought assurance regarding the five underperforming indicators relating to housing, domestic waste recycling and timeliness of FOI responses. Further clarification was requested on the  achievability of improvements in these areas. Particular attention was given to the ongoing underperformance in re-letting void properties and delivery of disabled facilities grants and pupil attendance in both primary and secondary sectors was discussed. Following assurances, the committee had resolved to note the Corporate Scorecard report for Q1 2025/26 including the areas which the Leadership Team is exploring and investigating to manage and secure further improvements into the future and to recommend it along with the proposed mitigating measures, to the Executive.

The Chair thanked Councillor Jeff Evans for the feedback and the scrutiny committee’s comprehensive review.  He confirmed that the Executive is aware of the challenges in re-letting void properties and that a task and finish group had been commissioned to examine the issue. While the trend is improving, continued efforts will be made to meet the target. He also noted an upcoming meeting with the Welsh Government’s Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change to discuss recycling issues and targets, noting that few authorities in Wales have met Welsh Government’s 70% recycling goal. All members were encouraged to report any information regarding empty properties in their area to the  Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Housing for prompt investigation and action.

The Executive welcomed the report and positive overall performance. In noting that  KPI 10 under Social Care and Wellbeing relating to Leisure Centre visits was marginally below target, possibly due to good weather conditions at the time, Executive members highlighted that KPI 12 measuring the number of people participating in Môn Actif activities had exceeded its target and was considered a more accurate reflection of public engagement and participation in leisure activity. Councillor Neville Evans, Portfolio Member  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To submit the report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer.

The report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer which set out the financial performance of the Council’s services at the end of Quarter 1 to 30 June 2025 was presented for the Executive’s attention.

Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Housing and Finance presented the report which forecasted an end of year underspend on the revenue budget of £1,551k (0.79%). He cautioned that projecting the end of year outcome this early on is difficult as the position can change significantly as the year progresses due to factors such as demand for services, particularly children’s care placements, additional grant funding, unforeseen one-off expenditure, vacant posts, pay awards and the funding of increased NI contribution costs.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer confirmed that pay awards for both teaching and non-teaching staff are now known and will be reflected in Quarter 2 figures. Welsh Government has confirmed partial grant funding to support increased teachers’ pay costs which will be included in next year’s settlement. He highlighted that despite a £2m increase in the annual budget, overspending in Children’s services remains a concern and is a challenge across local authorities currently. On the income side, fees from planning and building regulation applications have fallen but are offset by higher than expected income levels in Leisure and Highways. Core Council Tax income is forecast to exceed the budget by £514k , though this may change during the year as exemptions are applied. The Council Tax premium budget is expected to produce a surplus of £333k following changes to  business rates eligibility rules for self-catering accommodation. This has led to a number of properties reverting to Council Tax and becoming liable for the second homes premium. Appeals against this reclassification are anticipated. The early financial outlook is  positive and if the forecast underspend is realised, it will strengthen the Council’s balances and provide more options in planning for the 2026/27 budget.

The Chair noted that the Executive is mindful of the factors that can affect the year end position. For example,  an earmarked reserve has been established to mitigate the risk of  Council Tax repayments due to successful appeals. While rising costs in children’s care placements are outside the Council’s control, the Cartrefi Clyd programme continues to expand allowing children to be cared for within their own communities, supporting their education and wellbeing while offering a more cost effective alternative to out of county placements.

It was resolved –

·      To note the position set out in Appendices A, B and C to the report in respect of the Authority’s financial performance to date and expected outturn for 2025/26.

• To note the summary of contingency budgets for 2025/26 detailed in Appendix CH.
• To note the monitoring of agency and consultancy costs for 2025/26 in Appendices D and DD.

To submit the report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer.

The report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer which set out the financial performance of the capital budget at the end of Quarter 1 of the 2025/26 financial year was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Housing and Finance presented the report noting that in March 2025, the Council approved a capital programme of £23.7m for non-housing services and £20.594m for the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for the 2025/26 financial year. In July 2025, the Executive approved £2.529m of capital  slippage to be brought forward from 2024/25 bringing the capital programme for non-housing services to £25.929m and £20.894m for the HRA. Since the budget setting process, additional schemes, primarily grant funded, have been added to the programme along with adjustments to funding totalling £9.363m.This brings the overall capital budget for 2025/26 to £56.186m. Councillor Robin Williams reported that as of 30 June 2025, £7.168m of the budget had been spent with a further £723k committed resulting in a total of £7.891m (14%). Quarter 1 is typically quiet with a number of capital schemes weighted towards the latter part of the financial year.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer confirmed that the underspent projects are funded by the Council, ensuring there is no risk of loss of funding.

It was resolved –

·      To note the progress of expenditure and receipts against the capital budget 2025/26 at Quarter 1.

·      To approve the additional schemes, amounting to £9.363m to the capital programme and amendments to funding as per Appendix C to the report, which will result in a revised capital budget of £56.186m for 2025/26.

To submit the report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer.

The report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer which set out the financial performance of the Housing Revenue Account for the period from 1 April to 30 June 2025 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Housing and Finance presented the report noting that he revenue budget was set with a budgeted surplus of £6,291k.The gross capital budget for 2025/26 is £23,029k. Grant funding of £6,990k reduces the net budget to £16,038k. The combination of both the revenue budget and adjusted capital budget gave a planned budget deficit of £9,747k, of which £6,820k is to be funded from the HRA reserve, with the balance of £2,927k to be funded by external borrowing. The HRA revenue budget at the end of the first quarter has underachieved by £177k compared to the profiled budget. Capital expenditure is forecasted to be on budget at the year-end as is grant income. The forecast deficit combing both revenue and capital is now £9,558k which is £189k less than the budget.

Councillor Alun Roberts, Portfolio Member for Adult Services and Community Safety highlighted the collaborative efforts between Housing and Social Services in developing accommodation for vulnerable individuals, particularly adults with special/learning needs. This initiative forms part of the broader strategy to modernise services for adults with learning disabilities and to promote opportunities to enable them lead full, independent lives within their own communities.

It was resolved to note the following –

·      The position set out in respect of the financial performance of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for Quarter 1 2025/26.

·      The forecast outturn for 2025/26.

To submit the report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer.

The report of the Director of Function(Resources)/Section 151 Officer incorporating the Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) for 2026/27 to 2028/29 was  presented for the Executive’s consideration. The Plan sets out the Council’s budget strategy over the next three year period including the assumptions which will be taken forward to the annual budget setting process.

Councillor Robin Williams, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Member for Finance and Housing presented the Plan which sets out the Council’s likely resource requirements for the next three financial years and outlines how the Council plans to balance the resource requirements  with the funding available. The MTFP takes account of all known changes that are required to be built into the 2026/27 base budget and makes assumptions on the main factors that impact the Council’s revenue budget – pay costs, pensions, general inflation, Welsh Government funding, demographic and demand pressures.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer provided context on the wider UK economic outlook noting that although the Council’s central funding comes from the Welsh Government, the UK government provides Welsh Government with its entire funding. Consequently, the state of the UK economy and budgetary decisions have a direct impact  on both Welsh Government and local government funding. The timing of the Senedd elections is also impacting on the local government settlement. Welsh Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Finance has announced that the 2026/27 budget will be based on the 2025/26 allocation adjusted for inflation estimated at around 2%. A reserve of £400m will be held back for allocation by the new Government. However the actual funding which the Council eventually receives may be lower depending on the distribution formula.

The Section 151 Officer expanded on the national and local budget pressures facing the Council over the term of the Plan as detailed in section 5 of the report. By considering all these issues alongside the Council’s income prospects (section 6) and applying the  assumptions set out in appendix 2 to the report, it is possible to estimate the revenue budget for the three years to 2028/29 (Table 8 refers). The estimated net revenue budget reflects a 11.2% increase over this period. Under the most likely scenario, an additional £12.63m will be required in 2026/27 to address the inflationary pressures of providing the current service and to meet demand pressures. Assuming a 2% increase in AEF of £4.98m and a 5% rise in Council Tax (2.853m), a budget gap of £4.796m remains. When factoring in the £2.46m of reserves used to balance the previous year’s budget, the shortfall increases to £7.256m. Services are reviewing their budgets to identify potential savings and political pressure is being applied to the Welsh Government through the WLGA to reconsider its proposed 2% only funding increase.

The Council retains the option to use general balances and reserves to help address the projected shortfall in 2026/27.However, this is a short-term measure and does not eliminate the need to resolve the funding gap in the long-term. The MTFP highlights the fact that the Council  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

To submit the report of the Head of Democratic Services.

The report of the Head of Democracy in response to a petition request for a community review of Pentraeth Community Council was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Corporate Business and Customer Experience presented the report noting that on 28 July, 2025 members of the electorate in the Pentraeth community submitted a valid petition request calling for the Council to initiate a section 31 community governance review of their community council. The petition cited a loss of confidence in the council due to alleged persistent failings, poor judgement and lack of transparency in local governance and representation. The petition also called for the suspension of any co-option or electoral appointments to the community council until the review had taken place. In response, Officers wrote back to the petition organiser to clarify that election and co-option procedures had been properly followed and that the County Council had no lawful authority to intervene in the matter. Despite two recent opportunities to call for an election, no requests were received, and therefore four vacancies have been  processed through co-option and a further three vacancies will also be processed this way.

Councillor Carwyn Jones explained that the purpose of a community review is to assess whether current community ward boundaries remain suitable in light of population changes or any other developments. Ideally such a review should precede an electoral review by the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales. Such a review by the Commission will be undertaken in Anglesey between September 2027 and July 2028. The Council plans  to conduct an island wide section 31 community review before the next local government elections in May 2027, beginning the process by the end of 2025. To ensure efficient use of public funds and staffing resources, it is recommended that the Pentraeth review is conducted as part of the wider island review.

In response to a request by the Executive, the Head of Democracy clarified that a section 31 community review considers the arrangements for representation on community councils including the number of council members. The review may also examine how wards are arranged, including the number of wards and their boundaries. These reviews are conducted to ensure that electoral arrangements remain appropriate ahead of a local government election and to account for any other changes within the community. Regarding the  timescale, the Head of Democracy explained that the process involves four main stages  – initial publicity, initial investigations and consultation, draft proposals and consultation on those proposals and final recommendations. The first two stages are scheduled to take place between December 2025 and April, 2026 with the remaining stages planned between June 2026 and December 2026.The process will be paused for the Senedd elections in May 2026 and input from the Boundary Commission will also be sought.

Responding to a  request for assurance that a community wide review is considered a routine event, and that due to the specific request, the Pentraeth review will be prioritised as part of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

To consider adopting the following: -

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

To submit the report of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The report of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development setting out the key factors in relation to the proposed purchase of the former Peboc site in Llangefni was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The report detailed the rationale for the proposed acquisition, the approach to acquisition and the cost and funding implications.

Councillor Gary Pritchard, Leader and Portfolio Member for Economic Development presented the report noting that the proposal is that the Council use capital funding provided by Anglesey Freeport to acquire the former Peboc site and carry out site clearance, preparation and access provision. The objective is that undertaking these pre-development works, combined with  Freeport Tax incentives, will serve to attract private sector investment.

The Head of Regulation and Economic Development reported that local, regional and national policy is consistent that there is a need to facilitate provision of high quality business space to foster growth, aid innovation and provide high quality jobs. Anglesey and Llangefni in particular, needs jobs and investment. Peboc is designated as a safeguarded employment site and has been recognised by Welsh Government as an Enterprise Zone. The Council’s policy is to bring brownfield land back into economic use; the redevelopment of Peboc is in line with policy and reduces the need for the Council to release greenfield land for development. Peboc is also part of the Central Anglesey Tax site which means it benefits from both seed capital funding and Freeport Tax incentives which improves the viability of the site to the private sector. There is a clear rationale for its acquisition to address site issues, leverage investment in an area in need, and meet an evidenced and growing need for business floorspace to complement significant upcoming economic development opportunities. The report outlines work undertaken to date to facilitate site development including planning consent, the strategy for acquiring the site, subject to Executive approval, and the considerations involved.

The Executive expressed support for the proposal, recognising it as a valuable opportunity to  bring a long disused site back into productive use to provide much needed employment in this part of Anglesey. It was noted that the proposal aligns with one of the Council’s primary strategic objectives to stimulate economic and community regeneration and support the economy and local businesses to grow and prosper.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer confirmed the receipt of a report by the Council’s insurers and provided members with a summary of its main findings.

It was resolved –

• To approve the principle of the purchase of the former Peboc site using seed capital funding provided by Anglesey Freeport.
• To delegate the authority to the Chief Executive alongside the Section 151 Officer to execute the purchase of the Peboc site once negotiation has concluded. (The current owners have provisionally accepted an offer).
• To delegate the authority to the Chief Executive alongside the Section 151 Officer to negotiate and pay the compensation payments to existing users.