Agenda item

Cwestiwn i'r Arweinydd oddi wrth y Cynghorydd Sir Gareth Ratcliffe

Gyda’rCyngor Sir yn wynebu toriadau pellach i swyddogaethau anstatudol a dirprwyedig, mae’n edrych fwy fwy i gymunedau redeg y gwasanaethau hyn lle bynnag y bo hynny’n bosibl. Mae cymunedau megis Y Gelli Gandryll wedi bod yn ceisio cytuno am dros 3 blynedd i drosglwyddo asedau gyda’r Cyngor Sir ac i ysgwyddo’r swyddogaethau, ond nid ydynt wedi gallu gwneud hyn, oherwydd ffactorau sy’n cynnwys penderfyniad unochrog gan y Cabinet presennol i newid y cytundeb a wnaed gyda Chabinet blaenorol y Cyngor Sir. Mae hyn wedi arwain at Gyngor Tref Y Gelli Gandryll yn cyllidebu’r archebiant ac yn gwneud ymrwymiadau, na fydd yn gallu eu gweithredu yn awr o bosibl, i gadw’r gwasanaethau o fewn y gymuned. Nid dyma’r unig gymuned sydd wedi cael anhawster yn gweithio gyda’r Cyngor Sir ar drosglwyddo asedau. Mae pryderon parhaus yn cael eu mynegi gan nifer o gymunedau am ddiffyg hyblygrwydd ac mae’r Cyngor Sir yn bod yn gyfyngedig yn enwtegwch i bawb”.

 

A all yr Arweinydd gyflwyno briff i’r Cyngor llawn ar sut mae’r Cabinet yn cynllunio i weithio gyda chynghorau a chymunedau lleol dros y rownd nesaf o doriadau, gyda’r disgwyliadau pellach oddi wrth Lywodraethau'r DU a Chymru y bydd angen i gymunedau redeg mwy o wasanaethau o fewn y gymuned gan ddefnyddio gwirfoddolwyr?

 

Cofnodion:

With the County Council facing further cuts to non-statutory and delegated functions it is more and more looking to communities to run these services where possible. Communities such as Hay-on-Wye have been trying for over 3 years to agree a transfer of assets with the County Council and take on functions, but has been unable to do so, due to factors that include the recent unilateral decision by the current Cabinet to change the agreement made with the previous County Council Cabinet. This has resulted in Hay Town Council budgeting the precept and making commitments, which it may not now be able to implement, to keep the services within the community. This is not the only community to have had difficulty in working with the County Council on the transfers of assets. There are ongoing concerns being raised from many communities about the lack of flexibility and the County Council being restrictive in the name of “fairness to all”.

 

Can the Leader brief the full Council on how the Cabinet is planning to work with local councils and communities over the next round of cuts, with the further expectations from UK and Welsh Governments that communities will need to run more services within the community using volunteers?

 

Response

Powys has always sought to work with key partners such as Town and Community Councils and we can point to some success when it comes to transferring assets and services.  Members will be aware from recent Budget Seminars that the Council faces continuing financial pressure as service pressures exceed our funding. This means it is likely that some services valued by communities may instead be run by local groups or Town and Community Councils. The Council remains open to discussing such changes with any group that comes forward with a proposal. This can be done in a number of ways and for example the Community Interest Company in Llanfyllin was the first such arrangement in Wales demonstrating we will be open to any model proposed.

 

Councillor Ratcliffe noted that the Community Interest Company in Llanfyllin had now ceased.  Community Councils are losing faith due to the ever-changing vision of the Council and Community Councils are unable to budget. His supplementary question was to ask the Leader how is the Council was going to work with communities and reassure communities that any agreements made are not changed by future Cabinets.  The Leader responded that the Council was looking at ways of working with communities and using volunteers, but no Cabinet could promise that previous agreements are met.

 

 

In response to a question, the Solicitor to the Council advised that there was no update regarding ECO3 which had been referred to in an email to Members the previous day.

 

Concerns were raised that Council meetings were the only opportunity for Members to question Portfolio Holders and with so many being absent today the process was meaningless.  The Solicitor advised that the format of Council meetings could be considered by the Democratic Services Committee.

 

 

Dogfennau ategol: