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 Euryn Morris declared a personal interest in respect of Item 6 – North Wales Economic Ambition Board.

Councillor T Ll Hughes MBE declared a personal interest in respect of Item 4 – Gwynedd and Ynys Môn Community Safety Partnership – Annual Report : 2021/2022.

Councillor Dafydd R Thomas declared a personal interest in respect of Item 4 – Gwynedd and Ynys Môn Community Safety Partnership – Annual Report : 2021/2022.

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 18 October, 2022.

The minutes of the meeting held on 18 October, 2022 were confirmed as correct, subject to the name of Councillor Ken Taylor being included in the list of members present.

To present the report of the Chief Executive.

Submitted - the Gwynedd and Anglesey Community Safety Partnership Annual Report for 2021/2022. 

The Portfolio Member for Housing & Community Safety said that the Community Safety Partnership is required to formally report to this committee each year to present an overview of activities.  He noted that virtual meetings has improved the attendance at these meetings.

The Community Safety Senior Operational Officer for Gwynedd and Anglesey reported that there is a statutory duty on local authorities, in accordance with the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, and subsequent amendments due to the Police and Criminal Justice Act 2002 and 2006, to work in partnership with the Police, Health Service, Probation Service and the Fire and Rescue Service, to address the local community safety agenda.  There is also a requirement to formulate and implement a strategy to prevent and reduce serious violence following the amendments to the Crime and Disorder Act as a result of the new Serious Violence Duty expected next year.  She further referred that some of the main challenges the partnership has and currently faces is the loss of local grants – all the grants, which the partnership once received have now either ended, or have moved to a regional grant position, managed on a North Wales basis.  The Community Safety Senior Operational Officer referred to the recent crime data for Anglesey for November 2022 as noted within the report that is received from the Partnership Analyst within North Wales Police.  She further noted that due to the collaboration between the Police, Local Authority and the Holyhead Town Council, a successful bid for Holyhead was submitted in May under the Home Office’s Safer Streets 4 Fund. 

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main points:-

·           Whilst welcoming the successful bid for the Safer Streets 4 Fund in Holyhead, members raised that rural communities are unable to benefit from such a project and questions were raised to the availability of mobile CCTV cameras within rural communities.  The Community Safety Senior Operational Officer responded that the eligibility criteria of the Safer Streets 4 Fund is specific as to the level of crime cases reported within a specific area to qualify for funding.  She noted that discussions have taken place with the Police regarding funding from the Shared Prosperity Fund for rural communities.  With regards to mobile CCTV cameras she noted that the Town Councils have taken over the operation of CCTV cameras, however she assured the members that she would make enquiries as to possible availability of mobile CCTV cameras.  The Deputy Chief Executive noted that as Chair of the Partnership he would raise the matter at the next meeting of the Partnership. The Chief Executive said that rural crime concerns could be an appropriate issue to raise at the WLGA Rural Forum;

·           Reference was made to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and questions were raised as to how the partnership works in an effective and efficient manner in accordance with expectations of the Act.  The Community Safety Senior Operational  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To present the report of the Director of Social Services.

Submitted – the North Wales Regional Partnership Board Annual Report for 2021/2022. 

The Leader of the Council said that it is a requirement within the Part 9 of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 that each Regional Partnership Board prepares, publishes and submits its Annual Report to Welsh Government. The Act requires that local authorities make arrangements to promote co-operation with their relevant partners and others, in relation to adults with needs for care and support, carers and children. It also places a duty on relevant partners to co-operate with, and provide information to, the local authorities for the purposes of their social services function.

The Head of Regional Collaboration (North Wales Regional Partnership Board) reported that the role of the Regional Partnership Board is to bring together partner organisations i.e. Health, Social Services, Housing, the third sector and other partners to integrate services. The Regional Team manages and supports the foundation and resources available so as to allow the partner organisations to carry out the work.  The Regional Partnership Board meet on a monthly basis and sets out a clear direction to the partner organisations as regards to the remit of the Partnerships work that is expected as part of the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.  The Board has no dedicated funding streams and its activity currently funded from a mix of local authority pooling of funding and Welsh Government capital and revenue funding through the Integrated Care Fund (ICF) and the Transformation Programme Fund.  She highlighted the work undertaken by the Regional Partnership Board over the last twelve months which was included within the report.  She further said that there is a national social care recruitment and retention crisis at present and the Partnership Board is supporting a national recruitment package through its partner organisations.   The Head of Regional Collaboration said that a Children’s Sub-Group has been established so as to highlight the work of the Children’s Services across the region which was also highlighted within the report.   She further said that the Regional Partnership Board is now entering a new phase with the 5 year Health and Social Care Regional Integration Fund to drive change and transformation across the health and social care system, as well as a 4 year Housing and Care Capital Fund and a 3 year Integration and Rebalancing Capital Fund.  

The Committee considered the report and raised the following main points:-

·           Questions were raised as to what the key priorities that will be the focus of the Regional Partnership Board from 2022/2023 onwards.  The Head of Collaboration responded that the Partnership Board has been concentrating on the work involved with the Regional Integration Fund together with the other two capital funds received and establishing a work programme in consultation with the partner organisations.   A review of the population needs assessment has also been undertaken together with the market stability report.  The priorities of the Partnership Board from next year onwards will be addressing the principles of the Regional Integration  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

·            North Wales Economic Ambition Board – Annual Report : 2021/2022

 To submit a report by the Chief Executive.

·           North Wales Economic Ambition Board – Progress Report Q1 : 2022/2023

To submit a report by the Chief Executive.

Submitted – the following reports by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board:-

·           North Wales Economic Ambition Board – Annual Report : 2021/2022

·           North Wales Economic Ambition Board – Progress Report Q1 : 2022/2023

The Leader of the Council said that the Annual Report highlights the progress made over the last year by the North Wales Ambition Board.  The report also provides an overview of the Growth Deal and the progress made in delivering the projects together with other key milestones achieved during the year. She said that the Quarter 1 Progress Report provides an overview of progress on the Growth Deal programmes and projects.

The Head of Operations from the North Wales Economic Ambition Board gave a summary of the progress of the work of the Ambition Board to deliver the identified project within the Growth Deal.  He reported on the objectives of the Ambition Board to create up to 4,200 job opportunities and to generate up to £2.4 billion additional GVA.  The Land & Property Programme Manager and Digital Programme Manager from the North Wales Economic Ambition Board reported on the highlights from April 2021 to March 2022 as follows:-

April 2021 – A funding of £500k was secured from Welsh Government’s Whole System Business Research Innovation for Decarbonisation scheme to help farmers decarbonise;

May 2021 – A grant of £200k was secured through the OFGEM Green Recovery scheme to develop low carbon technologies for homes such as EV charging points and heating systems;

June 2021 – A focus group was conducted with the public and private sector to help identify the priorities for mobile connectivity across the region’s transport networks;

July 2021 – A visit was hosted from UK Government and Welsh Government Ministers;

August 2021– The Outline Business Case of the Glynllifon Rural Economy Hub project was approved;

September 2021– An Energy Strategy for North Wales was launched with Welsh Government, to transform how energy is used across the region;

October 2021 - £2,300 was raised for Mind, with donations being split across the North Wales braches;

November 2021 – A grant of £387,600 was secured from the Community Renewal Fund to conduct feasibility studies for Smart Local Energy Systems;

December 2021 – The first Full Business Case was approved for the Digital Signal Processing Centre at Bangor University;

January 2022 – An upgrade to the broadband services at 300 sites through the Local Full Fibre Network Scheme;

February 2022 – Support was given to three organisations to launch new agricultural systems that will help farmers decarbonise;

March 2022 – Morlais, the tidal energy stream project ran by Menter Môn, became ready to start construction.

The Head of Operations reported on the progress since April 2022 with the approval of the Outline Business Case for the Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre with Glyndwr University and an Optics Centre and Last Few % Project.  In July 2022 the Digital Signal Processing Centre (DSP) project was launched with representation from both UK and Welsh Governments.  He referred to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To present the report of the Scrutiny Manager.

The report of the Scrutiny Manager setting out the Partnership and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee’s indicative Forward Work Programme for 2022/23 was presented for consideration.

It was RESOLED:-

·      To agree the current version of the Forward Work Programme for 2022/23.

·      To note the progress thus far in implementing the Forward Work Programme.