CCBC costs and cutting

[SteveH]

Great Orme gritting proposal hits the skids despite 'chaos' fears
Conwy Council's cabinet said the plan would cost too much

Conwy Council's cabinet threw out a call from Llandudno councillors to grit the Great Orme as a first-priority route during cold weather, despite fears elderly people could be stranded. Two weeks ago, councillors Louise Emery, Mandy Hawkins and Harry Saville signed a petition calling for the cash-strapped council to grit the Orme?s Ty Gwyn Road.

The petition was discussed at a scrutiny committee meeting at Bodlondeb and was debated again this week by Conwy?s cabinet who threw out the idea as a "waste of taxpayers? money". According to councillors Emery, Hawkins and Saville, the steep Ty Gwyn Road becomes hazardous in icy conditions and residents are left isolated.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/great-orme-gritting-proposal-hits-28969214?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Hugo]

That could be a grave mistake if the CCBC does not grit the Great Orme and it's on a bus route too.    In the photo I've attached the single storey property on the right has been hit by cars a number of times during Winter conditions.    The last time it was hit by a car there was a big crack down the front of the building and the tenant had to be evacuated as the building was deemed unsafe.
At that point in Ty Gwyn Road the slope in the road means that in icy conditions the vehicles would slide in that direction towards that building and to Old Road.   Bollards have since been placed in front of that property to stop any cars crashing in to it in the future

[Cambrian]

Hugo, if we still had Llandudno UDC, it would be done.  You can see the arguments - because we can't do all the rural lanes (don't many folk have tractors ?) we won't do Llandudno!!  I seem to remember one of the criteria for gritting was whether or not the road was served by a bus route.  That seems to have been quietly dropped - the route of the 26 (same bus) in residential areas is not gritted.

[Hugo]

You are quite right Cambrian about the Llandudno UDC but now the CCBC Councillors seem to work in cliques but why don't the Llandudno Councillors speak up and look after the town's interests.
Prevention is better than damage or injury to a person or property.     I'll give one very tragic incident as an example and that was on the road from Abergele to Rhuddlan some years ago.   Cyclists from Rhyl set out for a ride one Winter's day and the road was not gritted and a car skidded on the ice and killed four of the cyclists.    No one ever wants a repeat of that tragic day

I've just attached an old link of the Llandudno floods to show the section of road that is dangerous if ungritted in Winter.   Water finds its natural way and in this case it's down Old Road

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlIJ3vmlcP4

[SteveH]

Cash-strapped Conwy County Council is seeking to cut costs and close its town regeneration programmes whilst streamlining staff hours.

After increasing council tax by 9.9% and slashing front-line service budgets, including 5% from schools, Conwy is now planning to cut its town regeneration programmes.

The council committed to transforming Llandudno, Abergele, and Llanrwst town centres in July 2021 following COVID after hailing the BayLife Initiative regeneration project as a success.

The BayLife scheme was later renamed Colwyn Bay Town Centre Regeneration Programme, in line with the other three towns? schemes.

But Conwy will now seek to merge and streamline the work of the four programmes as part of local area forums, reducing the number of meetings and the duplication of work and making ?more effective use of staff resources?

The various regeneration programmes have focused on housing regeneration schemes, tourism and culture-led regeneration projects, and attracting businesses and workers.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24261408.conwy-council-close-town-regeneration-programmes-cut-costs/?ref=rss&IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Decision to use ?540k to plug school project funding gap to be questioned
Conwy Council's leader has been asked to explain what 'governance' there was around the decision

Conwy Council's leader will be questioned on a decision to use ?540k to plug a school building project's funding shortfall. Old Colwyn councillor Cheryl Carlisle has tabled a question to leader Cllr Charlie McCoubrey about the decision process which took place before the payment was agreed for the project at Ysgol Y Creuddyn in Penrhyn Bay

In an agenda ahead of next week's finance and resources scrutiny committee, Cllr Carlisle said: "Can you please explain what scrutiny, democratic and constitutional approval processes were given and complied with to arrive at the decision to remove ?540,823.45 from the Capital Repair and Maintenance Grant and use it to plug the funding shortfall in order to commission and build a new Welsh Immersion Unit at Ysgol Y Creuddyn?"

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/decision-use-540k-plug-school-29126530?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Walking past the Triangle on Abbey Rd. this morning, I noticed a new bench an been installed there....... new expensive looking seat, on a
new concrete base.......this has been situated next to a low wall approx. fifty feet long, this wall has a flat top at seat height, need I go on?

[SteveH]

The date when council tax bills in Wales will change massively revealed
Changes could have been brought in as soon as next year but won't happen until 2028

Plans to dramatically change council tax in Wales will be introduced in April 2028. The Welsh Government has revealed its timetable for its major overhaul over council tax, which will see all properties revalued and more expensive homes asked to pay more.

It will be the first time in more than 20 years that properties have been revalued for the purposes of council tax in Wales. And as part of the work, the Welsh Government plans to increase the burden on the the 450,000 people who pay council tax at above Band D

In a statement to the Senedd, finance minister Rebecca Evans said that the Welsh Government was going to listen to the results of its consultation exercise and would bring in the changes over a slower timeline than first planned. She said that most people supported change but wanted it at the less drastic end of the spectrum.

cont https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/date-council-tax-bills-wales-29175820?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Council leader quizzed over decision to use £540k to plug school project funding gap
The cabinet usually must consult full council before spending over £500,000

Conwy Council's leader has been questioned over a decision to use £540K to "plug a school building project’s funding shortfall". Old Colwyn councillor Cheryl Carlisle tabled a question at May’s finance and resources scrutiny committee at Bodlondeb.

Cllr Carlisle asked Charlie McCoubrey about the decision process which took place before a payment was agreed for the project at Ysgol Y Creuddyn in Penrhyn Bay. She said she had been contacted by several headteachers about the payment.

Cllr Carlisle said: "Can you please explain what scrutiny, democratic, and constitutional approval processes were given and complied with to arrive at the decision to remove £540,823.45 from the Capital Repair and Maintenance Grant and use it to plug the funding shortfall in order to commission and build a new Welsh Immersion Unit at Ysgol Y Creuddyn?"

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/council-leader-quizzed-over-decision-29225652

[SteveH]

Conwy Council has ditched the deep-fat fryers and installed state of the art kitchen equipment to help with capacity and efficiency as part of the Welsh Government’s Universal Primary Free School Meals (UPFSM) programme.

A UPFSM grant has been used to implement technological advancements in the kitchens including state-of-the-art programmable ovens and solar panels in three primary schools. The Conwy Education Catering Team has also been prioritising serving up locally sourced ingredients to ensure learners are eating quality and nutritious meals.

Dafydd Aled Williams, senior information technology analyst at Conwy Council, said: "I am really proud of the achievements made by Conwy Education Catering with the UPFSM grant. We have upgraded kitchens to increase cooking capacity. We have removed all the deep-fat fryers, installed programmable combination ovens, and replaced gas cooking equipment with electric so that we can take advantage of renewable energy.”

cont https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/conwy-schools-celebrate-local-produce-and-introduce-state-of-the-art-kitchen-kit-in-free-school-meals-boost/

[SteveH]

Update.

CONWY Council’s leader has been questioned over a decision to use £540K to “plug a school building project’s funding shortfall”.

Old Colwyn councillor Cheryl Carlisle tabled a question at May’s finance and resources scrutiny committee at Bodlondeb.

Cllr Carlisle asked Charlie McCoubrey about the decision process which took place before a payment was agreed for the project at Ysgol Y Creuddyn in Penrhyn Bay.

She said she had been contacted by several headteachers about the payment.

“What governance was there around the cabinet approval and virement of a spend in excess of £500,000 (£540,823.45) and whether that should have come to council for approval?”

The cabinet usually must consult full council before spending over £500,000.                 Too many zeros on that figure


But reading from a sheet, Cllr McCoubrey said all the processes had been above board and approved by the Welsh Government, adding the money had simply been reallocated.

“The spend on the Welsh language unit has been funded from grant monies, and therefore there is no call on council resources.

“Grant-funded capital schemes are routinely added to the capital programme, and amendments are reflected and approved as part of the net changes in the quarterly monitoring reports.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24352703.conwys-leader-hot-seat-school-project-funding-gap-plug/

[SteveH]

Sale of Conwy Council's historic base inches closer
The Bodlondeb headquarters has been listed on Rightmove.... https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/148570160#/?channel=COM_BUY

Article cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/sale-conwy-councils-historic-base-29292204?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[SteveH]

Redundancy for dozens of school staff as cash-strapped council makes cuts
Conwy Council cut its school budget by 5% amid a major financial black hole

Dozens of school staff have taken redundancy in Conwy as the cash-strapped local authority slashes costs. A total of 34 members of school staff have left via either voluntary or compulsory redundancy since slashing education budgets.

The authority raised council tax by 9.67% for the current financial year, while slashing front-line service budgets by 10%. Schools were made to cut costs by 5% for the second year running. Of the 34 redundancies, five were compulsory. The cost of the redundancies is not known.

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/redundancy-dozens-school-staff-cash-29453379

[SteveH]

People asked to have say on major changes to council tax in North Wales county
Changes aimed at freeing up Conwy properties are due from April 2025

Owners of second homes and long-term empty homes are being quizzed on the effects of a planned increase in council tax. Conwy County Borough Council is set to impose the premiums on these properties from 2025-2026.

The changes are aimed at "encouraging" owners to bring empty properties into use and support the increase of affordable housing for purchase or let in local communities, says the authority. The council says that levying of the premium could raise revenue to support its housing and homeless budget "which as a result of demand has increased from £2.15 million in 2020/21 to £5.36 million in 2024/25".

cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/people-asked-say-major-changes-29566960?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


PS
'Russian roulette' claim over second homes plan
Cabinet members at Cyngor Gwynedd approved a proposal on Tuesday to enforce the controversial move.

The local authority said it has a "huge housing crisis", fuelled largely by second homes, and has become the first county in Wales to issue a so-called Article 4 direction, forcing people to obtain planning permission for a second home or short-term holiday let.
cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6p2qe073v7o

[SteveH]

Dozens of teachers made redundant as cash-strapped council cuts budget
The council said the redundancies would create a saving of more than £2m annually

Dozens of teachers in a North Wales county have been made redundant as a cash-strapped council makes budget cuts. Conwy Council has confirmed 51 members of staff have been lost - at a one-off cost of £883k.

Conwy Council cut school budgets by 5% earlier this year for the second year running. The council said the redundancies would save more than £2m annually.
cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/dozens-teachers-made-redundant-cash-29587000?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589


Cash-strapped secondary schools borrow combined £550k to help balance books
A meeting heard headteachers were losing sleep over the financial position of their schools

Two cash-strapped secondary schools will loan a combined sum of over half a million pounds from Conwy Council after members slashed education budgets. At a meeting at Bodlondeb, Conwy’s cabinet member for education admitted headteachers were losing sleep due to schools’ precarious financial position.

Ysgol Aberconwy in Conwy will now borrow £200,000 from Conwy County Council whilst Ysgol Eirias in Colwyn Bay will borrow £351,000. Both loans will be paid back over a five-year period.
cont https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/cash-strapped-secondary-schools-borrow-29588346?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589