Agenda, decisions and minutes

To receive any declaration of interest from a 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 28 June 2022.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive held on 28 June, 2022 were presented for confirmation.

It was resolved that the minutes of the previous meeting of the Executive held on 28 June, 2022 be confirmed as correct. (Councillor Nicola Roberts abstained from voting because she was not present at the meeting)

To submit a report by the Interim Head of Democratic Services.

The report of the Interim Head of Democratic Services incorporating the Executive’s Forward Work Programme for the period August, 2022 to March, 2023 was presented for consideration and the following changes were noted –

·         New Items

·         Item 2 - Appointment of Assistants to the Executive for the Executive’s 27 September meeting.

·         Item 13 -  Peboc Site for the Executive’s 25 October, 2022 meeting

·         Item 14 – Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan for the Executive’s 25 October, 2022 meeting

·         Item 21-  Destination Management Plan for the Executive’s 29 November, 2022 meeting

·         Item 31- Corporate Scorecard Q3 2022/23 for the Executive’s 21 March, 2023 meeting

·         Item 32 – Social Services Improvement Programme Progress Report for the Executive’s 21 March, 2023 meeting.

·         Change to a previously reported item

The Policy Officer highlighted that it was reported to the Executive’s previous meeting in June that the Leader would be making a delegated decision on whether to continue to work collectively or to merge with the Gwynedd Public Services Board. She advised that having reviewed the documentation it has become clear that although there was a legal requirement that the arrangement be reviewed following the Local Government Election, the stipulation was that the two Boards should meet to come to a determination separately. The two Boards have since met and have decided to continue to collaborate meaning that a delegated decision by the Leader regarding future arrangements is not necessary as there has been no change to the current position.

In response to a question about the inclusion on the Work Programme for the Executive’s September, 2022 meeting of an item on Disabled Facilities Grant expenditure, the Chief Executive confirmed that the Housing Service had made the request and said that while he had no objection in principle to its being included he wished to discuss the matter further with the Head of Housing Services to ensure that the Service is in a position to report to the September meeting in view of the August recess.

It was agreed that the timing of the item on the Work Programme be left to the judgement of the Chief Executive in discussion with the Head of Housing Services.

It was resolved to confirm the Executive’s updated Forward Work Programme for the period from August, 2022 to March, 2022 as presented.

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

The report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer incorporating the draft Comprehensive Income and Expenditure Statement for 2021/22 and the draft Balance Sheet as at 31 March, 2022 was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The report also provided more detailed information on the Council’s general balances and earmarked reserves including the proposed use of reserves and balances in 2022/23 and subsequent years.

Councillor Robin Williams, Portfolio Member for Finance, Corporate Business and Customer Experience in presenting the report said that it sets out the draft main financial statements for the 2021/22 financial year and provides a summary of the Council’s general balances and earmarked reserves. In accordance with the regulations, the draft financial statements were signed by the Council’s Responsible Financial Officer on 17 June, 2022 well within the 31 August, 2022 requirement for the signing of the draft accounts (the accounts timetable having again been extended for 2021/22 in recognition that the pandemic may still have an impact on local authority staff resources) and the audit of the accounts has commenced. It is planned that the audit will be completed over the summer with the final audited accounts being approved by the 30 November, 2022 extended deadline.

Based on the draft accounts which may be subject to change once the audit and final accounts have been completed, the Council’s General Fund Balance as at 31 March, 2022 was £12.050m which equates to 8.2% of the net revenue budget for 2021/22. The Executive has set the minimum level of the General Fund Balance at 5% of the net revenue budget which would equate to £7.4m meaning that the General Fund Balance exceeds the minimum value by £4.650m. The Executive has approved £500k of the general reserve to be spent on highway improvements and £261k will be transferred to service reserves in line with the service reserve policy approved in 2019/20. The draft general reserve after these commitments is £11.289m

Councillor Robin Williams cautioned that the Council will not be sitting on its reserves; the Council’s  budgets are likely to come under increasing pressure in the current year as the  cost of living crisis affecting the nation similarly impacts the Council in rising service, fuel and material costs driven in part by the high rate of inflation. Addressing this as well as other challenges such as increased demand could mean the Council having to draw on its reserves which is why they are held in the first place – to provide contingency to meet financial challenges of this kind and ensure the Council’s financial position remains sound.  Councillor Robin Williams referred to the journey which the Council has been on financially over the past four years from when Audit Wales expressed concern about the level of its reserves to the far more robust position it finds itself in presently putting it in a good place to meet those challenges.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer highlighted that the draft Statement of the Accounts for 2021/22 is available on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

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

The report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer and the Head of Adults’ Services setting out proposed revised fees for residential and nursing homes for 2022/23 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Alun Roberts, Portfolio Member for Adults’ Services presented the report and said that since the fees for residential and nursing homes were originally set in March, 2022 the market and economic situation have changed making it necessary to revisit the current fee structure for 2022/23. The Council has received representation from individual care homes and from the sector generally that the fee level set in March, 2022 would not be sufficient to meet the true cost of care especially as inflation has since increased significantly particularly in respect of energy and food costs. The report refers to the factors considered in reassessing the fees for 2022/23 and confirms that the proposed option as set out in Table 2 recognises the increased costs faced by providers and maintains the link with the regional toolkit as the method of calculating the fees whilst also reflecting inflationary pressures and the vulnerability of the sector particularly in respect of EMI care.

The Head of Adults’ Services said that the sustainability of the care home sector is an important consideration for the Council. It is therefore hoped that the revised fees will sustain provision and encourage more specialist provision which will contribute towards the Council’s aim of protecting and securing placements on Anglesey for Anglesey residents.

It was resolved –

·                     To approve the increase in fees for residential and nursing care as set out below:

(*do not include the health contribution towards nursing care which is currently £179.97)

·         That the change in fee becomes effective from the week commencing 17 July, 2022 to allow time to notify clients and homes of the change and to ensure the change fits in with the invoicing pattern.

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

The report of the of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development with regard to the future of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Planning Policy Unit was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Nicola Roberts, Portfolio Member for Planning, Public Protection and Climate Change presented the report which set out the intention to end the current collaboration arrangement with Gwynedd Council for the provision of the Joint Planning Policy Unit in March, 2023. Councillor Nicola Roberts reported that ending the collaboration agreement means that a new Planning Policy Service and Team for Anglesey will have to be created. The current joint working arrangement has been successful leading to the creation of Wales’s first Joint Local Development Plan for the Anglesey and Gwynedd local planning authority areas. Councillor Nicola Roberts confirmed that the same report would also be presented for approval to today’s meeting of Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet.

The Head of Regulation and Economic Development said that the Joint Planning Policy Unit (JPPU) was established by Anglesey and Gwynedd Councils on 1 May, 2011 and, following a review in 2017, the arrangement was renewed until 31 July 2022 with both Councils’ agreement.  As the collaboration agreement expires at the end of this month there have been high level discussions between Officers of the two authorities about the future of the JPPU. A joint conclusion has been reached that it be recommended to Anglesey’s Executive and the Cabinet for Gwynedd Council that the current joint working agreement be wound down. The planning context nationally, regionally and locally has changed considerably since 2011 as have the aspirations, priorities and needs of the two authorities. Also, the establishment of the regional Corporate Joint Committee which is statutorily required to prepare a Strategic Development Plan for North Wales adds a new layer of planning policy that did not exist when the JPPU was created in 2011.  It is recommended that the joint working agreement be extended until 31 March, 2023 in order to ensure an orderly disengagement and that the Executive agrees in principle to establish a new Planning Policy Team for Anglesey. The Planning Service is considering a staffing structure and recruitment process, resource requirements and a work programme with it being the intention that a further report on cost implications be brought to the Executive in due course. It should also be noted that it is a requirement that the Joint Local Development Plan should continue to be monitored until 2026.

Councillor Robin Williams, Portfolio Member for Finance commenting as a member of the Joint Planning Policy Committee said that while it had been a pleasure to serve on the Joint-Committee recent meetings had shown the two councils to have diverging views in terms of future planning policy direction, needs and operational arrangements.

The Chair proposed with regard to recommendation 5 of the report that the Planning Portfolio Member be also consulted in relation to agreeing collaboration arrangements with Gwynedd Council with regard to the ongoing statutory monitoring of the Joint Local Development  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

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

The report of the Head of Regulation and Economic Development seeking the Executive’s approval to further develop the Shared Prosperity Fund programme within Anglesey, and regionally was presented for consideration.

Councillor Carwyn Jones, Portfolio Member for Economic Development, Leisure and Tourism provided background information and context to the Shared Prosperity Fund which has been launched by the UK Government as a domestically funded replacement to the European funding programmes. The Shared Prosperity Fund will deliver £2.5b of investment until March, 2025 across the UK with the aim being to build pride in place and increase life chances. The UK Government has set three investment priorities under the themes pf Community and Place; Supporting Local Business and People and Skills. The programme is to be managed by local government across the UK with funding being allocated to local government via formula rather than by competition. An Investment Plan setting out the approach to delivering the programme is expected in order to release the funding and this will need to be received by UK Government by 1 August, 2022. Local Government in Wales has been asked to collaborate to produce one Investment Plan for each region and to nominate a single Lead Body to submit the Plan and act as accountable body. It is currently proposed that Gwynedd Council be asked to act as North Wales regional lead authority for the programme. Local Government is also expected in developing the programme, to engage with stakeholders including from the third sector and business community. Anglesey’s core financial allocation for the period to March, 2025 is £13.304m with a further £2.77m allocated to the Multiply programme which is a UK Government initiative to boost adult numeracy.

Councillor Carwyn Jones outlined the progress to date in terms of consulting with stakeholders and developing the Investment Plan for submission by 1 August, 2022 and confirmed that structures have been established regionally to lead this process, workshops and meetings have been held regionally to engage stakeholders, and locally the Council has also engaged with external partners and has undertaken an open process to request the submission of initial high-level ideas and projects. It is proposed that the Council concentrates its resources into a smaller number of priorities in order to maximise impact; these should be informed by the Regional Economic Framework, the Council Plan and Well-being Plan and the outcome of the engagement events with stakeholders. The Council will work with regional and local partners to ensure the Investment Plan is submitted to UK Government by the 1 August deadline.

The Head of Regulation and Economic Development advised that all six North Wales local authorities are being presented with a similar report on the Shared Prosperity Fund. The Regional Investment Plan has to be developed and submitted by 1 August and the report seeks the Executive’s support to develop Anglesey’s priorities locally within the programme. A further report on project specifics will be presented to the Executive in due course.

It was resolved –

·         To approve the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

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

The report of the Head of Profession (HR) and Transformation incorporating the Corporate Self-Assessment 2021/2022 was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Robin Williams, Portfolio Member for Finance, Corporate Business and Customer Satisfaction presented the report, saying that the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act requires each council in Wales to keep its performance under review, that is the extent to which it is exercising its functions effectively; it is using its resources economically, efficiently and effectively and its governance is effective for securing the first two matters. Each council is expected to undertake this duty through self-assessment and must publish a report on the outcome of the self-assessment. In keeping with this requirement the Council’s first self- assessment for 2021/22 has been prepared. The report reflects the output of the corporate planning and performance management framework and provides an evidential basis of how the Council has performed using its available resources whilst managing and mitigating associated risks during a challenging and uncertain period for local government in its response to the pandemic. 

Councillor Robin Williams said that each of the Council’s nine services was asked to complete a self-evaluation scoring their performance on identified areas deemed important as “Excellent”, “Good”, “Adequate” or “Unsatisfactory.” To complement the evaluation of performance each of the Services were also asked to highlight where they believed the service to be in terms of the prospects for improvement into the future using the same criteria. Together the evaluation of performance in addition to the realisation of prospects for improvements provide a current and accurate picture of where services see themselves and provides part of the evidence for the corporate self-assessment. The Council has been continuously improving and maturing its evolvement of the performance management framework throughout the last nine years. The self-assessment by way of a Position Statement summarises the conclusion of that work for 2021/22 and finds that the Council’s Performance management; its overall use of resources and its risk management are “Good” and the narrative provides the rationale and reasoning for this conclusion. The self-assessment has also identified areas where performance might be improved and these are highlighted under each individual section and are brought together in a programme of improvement at the end of the report which also shows the source of assurance for each area of improvement.

The Chief Executive said that the report as well as providing assurance about the Council’s performance should be seen as a source of pride. The Self-assessment has been informed by service performance reviews; performance reports; the Annual Governance Statement, external reviews; staff survey and stakeholder engagement which are all ongoing processes within the Council’s working life  which support continuous improvement. He agreed that there is always room for further improvement and aspects of performance that can be bettered are highlighted and set out within the self-assessment. Resources and resource management are closely linked to performance and these are likely to prove challenging over the next year; risk management is an integral part of the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

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 considered and 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 Paragraph 14 of Schedule 12A of the said Act and in the Public Interest Test presented.

To submit a report by the Deputy Chief Executive.

The report of the Deputy Chief Executive was presented for the Executive’s consideration.

Councillor Ieuan Williams, Portfolio Member for Education and the Welsh Language presented the report which sought the Executive’s approval to increase the Council’s investment towards extending Ysgol y Graig by building a new Foundation Phase block. This was as a result of increased costs within the construction industry due to a number of factors outside the control of the Council and the developer.

The report further sought the Executive’s agreement to fund a share of the cost of building a childcare unit on the site of the extended Ysgol y Graig; this was as a result of confirmation being received that the Council’s application for 100% grant funding from Welsh Government’s Welsh Medium Capital grant had not been prioritised at this time, the grant being significantly oversubscribed. As the childcare unit on the site of Ysgol y Graig is part of the new Foundation Phase building if it is to be included as part of the development it will need to be built at the same time as the rest of the Foundation Phase Unit – building it later would be inefficient and create disruption for pupils and staff at Ysgol y Graig as well as the local community.

The report set out how the Council has responded to these challenges to date including by going out to re-tender for the work. A new price was received from the preferred developer on 23 June, 2022 which includes the childcare unit; the price stands until 28 July, 2022. Also included in the report is an analysis of how the costs have changed as well as the benefits of having an onsite child care unit.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer advised that Council Officers have submitted a “Request for Change” to seek an additional grant contribution from the Welsh Government through the Sustainable Learning  Communities programme towards the additional construction costs for the school and towards the costs of the childcare unit. If successful, the Welsh Government will fund up to 65% of these costs. The Council will need to commit to funding the remaining 35% costs (The Welsh Medium Capital Grant Programme which had a 100% intervention rate being now fully committed). This additional commitment on the part of the Council will entail a higher annual cost through the Minimum Revenue Provision; the increased costs of the project also means that the remainder of the Isle of Anglesey County Council’s Band B funding envelope is reduced. The Section 151 Officer further advised that notwithstanding the changed circumstances, the opportunity remains one that is too good to miss both from an educational and a financial perspective.

The Chair proposed that the Portfolio Members for Education, Finance and Children and Young People be consulted with regard to determining the best option for running the childcare unit whether that be directly by the Council or by commissioning an external partner.

It was resolved –

·         To increase the Council’s investment  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.