Over a Thousand Sunsets

OVER A THOUSAND SUNSETS
Over a thousand reasons and explanations have been flagged up, floated and furiously debated since the results of the Local Government elections on 1st May. Over a thousand sunsets will have occurred before we see these Council members weighed on the scales of democracy by the electorate.
In what has been the most radical election in years, 28 new members will have been elected to represent Gwynedd on the Council. That’s 37% of the Council are new members with between them, little or no experience of Local Government.
As I wrote in my previous blog, Llais Gwynedd shook the apathy out of the electorate. It’s interesting to put their results into perspective. In the Arfon area with 32 seats Llais Gwynedd won only 2. However one win was the toppling of the Colossus of Plaid Cymru – Dafydd Iwan, this may have profound implications both for Plaid and Cyngor Gwynedd.
Out of 20 seats in the Meirionnydd area, 3 fell to Llais Gwynedd. The most damage inflicted on Plaid Cymru was in the Dwyfor area. 7 seats for Llais Gwynedd, and amongst the casualties, the previous Leader of the Council, Richard Parry-Hughes.
What caused this electoral earthquake? The significant seismic event was without doubt, the radical proposal to re-organise the Junior Schools. This policy document reverberated through the electorate in general and caused unease amongst the voters. This unease developed further into a general antipathy towards the Council over various aspects of Local Government. Increased charges on Pay and Display, the Traffic Wardens, spreading their ‘goodwill message’ via parking tickets. The Unitary Development Plan, rate rises, and a general lack of vision from Cyngor Gwynedd.
This tidal wave of electoral antipathy has swept in some new Councillors into Gwynedd’s Council Chamber. As is customary, every candidate for election produces a pamphlet to distribute from door to door. What surprised me, when I was given some of these leaflets from other wards, Llais Gwynedd appeared to have no system in place to correct glaring mistakes or advice on these literary works. One example was:-
‘The voice of Gwynedd want to continue schooling of our primary schools’.
Another :- ‘Make sure the elderly is to have as much as possible knowledge of what is there for their needs, and looking after’.
Having served for 21 years (1987 – 2008) in Local Government, I believe that one of the major pre-requisites of a Councillor is to be able to speak and express oneself fluently in both Welsh and English, and be able to write correctly in either language.
The new Councillors will now face a mountain of reports, committee minutes and a veritable snowstorm of letters and e-mails. The ones with a flimsy grasp of the languages will find the going difficult. Will they all survive the 4 year term? Only time will tell. Next blog I’ll be looking at how the hurricane of the radical re-organisation of Junior Schools blew the solid majority Plaid Cymru had on Cyngor Gwynedd out of the Council Chamber.

MWY NA FIL MACHLUD HAUL
Mae ‘na dros fil o resymau ac esboniadau wedi eu hargymell, cynnig a thrafod ers canlyniadau’r etholiadau Llywodraeth Leol ar Mai 1af. Bydd yr haul wedi machlud dros 1,000 o weithiau cyn y gwelwn yr aelodau newydd yma’n cael eu pwyso a mesur ar glorian democratiaeth gan yr etholwyr.
Hwn oedd yr etholiad mwyaf radical ers nifer fawr o flynyddoedd, gyda 28 o aelodau newydd wedi eu hethol i gynrychioli Gwynedd ar y Cyngor. Mae hyn yn golygu 37% o’r Cyngor, a rhyngddynt fawr ddim o brofiad o Lywodraeth Leol.
Fel yr ysgrifennais yn y blog blaenorol, ysgydwodd Llais Gwynedd difaterwch allan o’r etholwyr. Mae’n ddiddorol gosod y canlyniadau yn eu cyd-destun. Yn ardal Arfon gyda 32 o seddi, enillodd Llais Gwynedd dim ond 2. Er hynny llwyddwyd i ddiorseddu Dafydd Iwan, Llywydd Plaid Cymru, mae’n debyg bydd canlyniadau pellgyrhaeddol i’r Blaid ac i Gyngor Gwynedd.
Allan o 20 sedd yn ardal Meirionnydd, cipiodd Llais Gwynedd 3. Bu’r difrod mwyaf i Blaid Cymru yn ardal Dwyfor. 7 sedd i Lais Gwynedd, ym mysg y colledion, cyn arweinydd Cyngor Gwynedd - Richard Parry-Hughes.
Beth achosodd y daeargryn etholiadol yma? Y digwyddiad a gynhyrfodd y dyfroedd, heb amheuaeth, oedd y ddogfen radical i ad-drefnu Ysgolion Cynradd. Bu’r ddogfen yma’n tanseinio trwy’r etholaeth yn gyffredinol ac yn achosi aflonyddwch ymysg yr etholwyr. Datblygwyd yr aflonyddwch yma yn adwaith negyddol yn erbyn y Cyngor ynglŷn â nifer o elfennau o Lywodraeth Leol. Costau ychwanegol gyda Thalu ac Arddangos, y Wardeniaid Traffic yn peledu eu ticedi yma a thraw. Y Cynllun Unedol, codiadau mewn trethi a diffyg gweledigaeth Cyngor Gwynedd.
Mae’r don o aflonyddwch yn erbyn Gwynedd wedi cario ambell i gymeriad i mewn i Siambr y Cyngor fel Cynghorydd. Fel rheol, mae bob ymgeisydd yn yr etholiad yn cynhyrchu taflen i ddosbarthu o ddrws i ddrws. Be ‘roedd yn peri syndod i fi, yn gweld pamffledi o rhai wardiau, ‘roedd gan Lais Gwynedd a rhai o’r lleill ddim trefn mewn bod i gywiro camgymeriadau amlwg na chyngor sut i drefnu’r llenyddiaeth. Un esiampl oedd:-
‘ Mae’n ymweld bod ...’ (ymddangos yw’r gair cywir)
Ar ôl 21 mlynedd yn Llywodraeth Leol (1987 - 2008), ‘rwyf yn credu mai un o ddoniau hanfodol i fod yn Gynghorydd yw medru mynegi barn yn gywir ac yn rhwydd ar lafar yn Gymraeg ac yn Saesneg. Hefyd y gallu i ysgrifennu’n gywir yn y ddwy iaith. Bydd y Cynghorwyr newydd yn wynebu mynydd o adroddiadau, cofnodion pwyllgorau a llond trol o lythyrau a e-bostiai. Bydd y rhai gyda gafael bregus o’r ieithoedd yn darganfod amser blin o’u blaenau. Bydd pawb yna mewn 4 mlynedd? Amser a ddengys. Yn y blog nesa byddaf yn edrych sut chwythodd y corwynt o ad-drefnu Ysgolion Cynradd mwyafrif cadarn Plaid Cymru ar Gyngor Gwynedd allan o’r Siambr.

All votes are not what they seem'

Llais Gwynedd has rattled the cage of electoral complacency. Their campaign has had the effect of creating a significant number of elections in Local Government here in Gwynedd.
As I predicted previously, the Junior Schools issue has prodded a generally apathetic electorate into taking interest in local issues. Some sitting members of Cyngor Gwynedd have never had to fight an election. Getting a ‘free ticket’ every time can lead to complacency and an element of detachment from the day to day issues of local politics. This election has certainly shaken some of them out of a rather long hibernation. I was right, by the way, in forecasting that I would be amongst the Councillors fighting for re-election.
It’s interesting to make comparisons, in 2004:-
Arfon: 31 electoral areas, 19 contested (i.e. an election) 12 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 61% of the areas contested)
Dwyfor:- 20 electoral areas, 10 contested (i.e. an election) 10 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 50% of the areas contested)
Meirionnydd. : 20 electoral areas, 6 contested (i.e. an election) 14 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 30% of the areas contested).
The above shows that Gwynedd in the election of 2004 had 35 elections in a total of 71 areas. i.e. 49% of the areas contested
This time in 2008:-
Arfon: 31 electoral areas, 23 contested (i.e. an election) 8 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 74% of the areas contested)
Dwyfor:- 20 electoral areas, 18 contested (i.e. an election) 2 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 90% of the areas contested)
Meirionnydd. : 20 electoral areas, 12 contested (i.e. an election) 8 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 60% of the areas contested).
The above shows that Gwynedd in the election of 2008 has 53 elections in a total of 71 areas. i.e. 75% of the areas contested
This is a 25% increase on 2004 and to be welcomed.
An interesting part of any election is when we contestants have a discussion around the ballot box with the returning officer as to how we deal with unconventional voting practices. The rule was (still is?) that if one can reasonably deduce the intention of the voter, a vote for a particular candidate can be counted in their favour. I’ve seen instances where ticks have been used instead of crosses, the box has been shaded in, or the name underlined. Sometimes however the voter gets carried away and votes for both candidates (null and void). I recollect a time when ‘Duw a’n helpo ni’ was written across my name and that of my opponent. Another time, ‘ None of these f****rs’ was the response of one anonymous voter.
However you vote, or ‘express’ an opinion, remember to get out there and vote, it is important.

Mae Llais Gwynedd wedi ysgwyd y bocs difaterwch etholiadol. Mae eu hymgyrch wedi cael yr effaith o greu nifer o etholiadau lywodraeth leol yma yng Ngwynedd.
Fel ‘roeddwn yn rhagweld eisoes, mae’r pwnc o ad-drefnu Ysgolion Cynradd wedi sbarduno’r etholwyr i gymryd diddordeb mewn materion lleol. Mae rhai o Aelodau Cyngor Gwynedd ‘roed wedi ymladd etholiad! Mae cael ‘ticed am ddim’ bob tro’n tueddu i arwain at agwedd hunanfodlon a chymryd yr etholaeth yn ganiataol. Mae’r etholiad yma’n sicr o ysgwyd rhai ohonynt allan o drwmgwsg! ‘Roeddwn yn gywir gyda’r llaw yn rhagweld fy mod i’n gorfod ymladd am fy lle yn y Cyngor.
Mae’n ddiddorol cymharu rhwng 2004 a 2008.
Yn 2004 ‘roedd y sefyllfa fel a ganlyn:-
Arfon: 31 ardal etholiad, 19 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 12 heb etholiad (h.y. aelod presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 61% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad)
Dwyfor:- : 20 ardal etholiad, 10 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 10 heb etholiad (h.y. aelod presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 50% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad)
Meirionnydd. : 20 ardal etholiad, 6 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 14 heb etholiad (h.y. aelod presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 30% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad).
Mae’r uchod yn dangos bod Gwynedd yn yr etholiad 2004 wedi cael, allan o gyfanswm o 71 ardal, 35 etholiad. H.y. 49% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad.
Y tro yma yn 2008:-
Arfon: 31 ardal etholiad, 23 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 8 heb etholiad (h.y.rhai aelodau presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 74% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad)
Dwyfor:- : 20 ardal etholiad, 18 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 2 heb etholiad (h.y. aelod presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 90% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad)
Meirionnydd. : 20 ardal etholiad, 12 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 8 heb etholiad (h.y. rhai aelodau presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 60% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad).
Mae’r uchod yn dangos bod Gwynedd yn yr etholiad 2008 am gael, allan o gyfanswm o 71 ardal, 53 etholiad. H.y. 75% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad.
Mae hyn yn 25% fwy o etholiadau y tro yma, rhywbeth i’w groesawu.
Rhan ddiddorol o unrhyw etholiad yw pan ‘rydym ni'r cystadleuwyr yn cael trafodaeth o gwmpas y blwch pleidleisio gyda’r swyddog canlyniadau ar sut i ddelio gyda phleidleisiau anghonfensiynol. Y rheol oedd (dal i fod?) os medrwch yn rhesymol ddehongli bwriad y pleidleisiwr, mae’r bleidlais yna yn cyfri ar gyfer yr ymgeisydd priodol. ‘Rwyf wedi gweld ticiau yn cael eu defnyddio yn lle croes, y bocs croes yn cael ei liwio i mewn, yr enw’n cael ei danlinellu. Weithiau, mae’r pleidleisiwr yn or-ymateb, yn pleidleisio dros y ddau ymgeisydd, (dim yn cyfri). ‘Rwyf yn cofio’r tro lle ysgrifennwyd dros enw fi a’m gwrthwynebwr ‘Duw a’n helpo’. Tro arall ‘None of these f****rs’ oedd ymateb un etholwr
di-enw.
Sut bynnag y pleidleisiwch, neu ‘datgan’ eich barn, cofiwch fynd allan i bleidleisio, mae’n bwysig.

LLYGAD LLYN 8 Y Byd / Schools

What in the world has happened to ‘Y Byd’. The imminent demise of a proposed daily Welsh language newspaper has had a lot of coverage in the Welsh media but scant attention in the English newsprint.
‘Y Byd’ has promised on at least 2 occasions, a launch of their ground breaking venture. Lift off was supposed to take place on 3rd March, but nothing transpired. The whole enterprise relies heavily on a public subsidy/grant, if the grant is not sufficient the publication will not go ahead.
Last August I set off to the ‘Y Byd’ stand at the Eisteddfod, clutching my chequebook as a prospective subscriber, and full of good intentions. Having had the experience as a managing director responsible for business plans, I wanted to know who/what was their target market, how they were going to reach it and what were the revenue streams.
In any business, knowing what to aim for and how many ‘hits’ you get, the target market is very important. ‘Y Byd’ was not looking to poach ‘Sun’ readers or any equivalent red top newspaper. The main thrust of its effort would have to be to persuade existing readers of quality newspapers to either give up on them or more probably buy Y Byd as an extra daily newspaper. I suspect finding readers who buy no newspaper at all and entice them into buying Y Byd, would not conjure up many extra sales.
Income is the life-blood of any business, most newspapers and magazines rely on 2 income streams, sales and advertising. In very many cases the latter is more important than the former. Numerous Welsh language publications rely on a 3rd stream, a grant or subsidy. This is where Y Byd’’s business plan fell apart. With only 700 subscribers instead of the anticipated 5000, the level of subsidy would need to be in the region of £600,000 to £1million a year. The Welsh Assembly Government refused to countenance such a subsidy.
Are newspapers yesterday’s technology? The very name ‘newspaper’ is itself a miss-nomer, most are by now ‘viewspapers’. News is readily available 24/7 from various radio stations, TV channels and several internet sources. Virtually every newspaper is suffering from a year on year loss of circulation. If Y Byd became a reality with a high level of subsidy, sucking in much needed advertising revenues from other Welsh language publications, would it become a cuckoo in the nest? Is the future of Y Byd as an internet newspaper a more viable alternative?
At the beginning of the month I, together with about 250 others from several parts of Gwynedd attended a meeting at Pwllheli, titled ‘Tynged yr Ysgolion’ (Destiny of the Schools). The meeting was in essence a protest about the strategy adopted by Cyngor Gwynedd for the re-organisation of Junior Schools and was addressed by eight speakers.
Nearly every speaker admitted that keeping the status quo was not an option. However for some of the speakers the status quo was the only option! One speaker intimated that the statistics for births used by Gwynedd were inaccurate (without providing evidence to prove his point) – but even if the birth rate in Gwynedd is increasing there is no reason to believe that these babies will be evenly ‘distributed’ throughout the County. Calls by many of the speakers for more money from the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), by Gwynedd and other councils, have already fallen on deaf ears and I suspect that similar entreaties will receive the same reply. A thread running through the each of the speeches was a mistrust of the system of federalisation of 2 or more schools. Several of the speakers envisaged it as a convenient back-door method of closing the smaller schools. A number admitted that appropriate, responsible federalisation with the agreement of those concerned was an option. Several references were made to the excellence of the teaching in small schools. I’ve no doubt that this is true, but one would expect it to be so with some of smaller schools costing 4 to 5 times as much per pupil to run as compared to a school of say 150 pupils.
Frequent references were made to the ‘consultation process’ carried out by Cyngor Gwynedd, this process was felt to be miss-leading or at best un-helpful. No reference was made to falling school numbers and the disturbing scenario that without re-organisation, before long, Gwynedd will have teachers ‘teaching’ 2400 empty desks.

No attempt was made to put forward a more equitable formula for the distribution of Gwynedd’s Education budget
It seemed to me that schools are perceived in 3 different ways. As a ‘service’, this in essence is Cyngor Gwynedd’s view, it has 15 major services, education is important and one of them. Schools are also viewed as an ‘establishment’, this is where it plays a greater part in the community than merely an educational outlet, such as an ‘after hours’ meeting place and a social resource. There is also the school viewed as a ‘tradition’. Many’s the argument that begins ‘ Mum,dad and my grandparents went to…therefore it must be kept open’. Tradition has a tendency to be ruled from beyond the grave., where the service to the community is sacrificed to ‘tradition’ One only needs to look around Gwynedd to see how much ‘tradition’ keeps open some chapels and churches with very little benefit from their service to their communities.
However shrill the calls were from the stage, no attempt will be made to revise any decisions prior to the Election on 1st May. After that we will get into the world of realpolitik, where realistic negotiations should hopefully lead to a balance between aspiration and reality.

Beth ar wyneb y ddaear sydd wedi digwydd i’r ‘Y Byd’? Mae ‘angladd’ honedig y papur newydd arfaethedig dyddiol cyntaf yn yr iaith Gymraeg wedi cael llawer o gyhoeddusrwydd yn y cyfryngau Cymraeg ond fawr ddim o sylw yn y Saesneg.
Mae ‘Y Byd’ wedi addo o leiaf dwywaith, lansio’r fenter arloesol yma. ‘Roeddd ‘lift off’ i fod ar 3ydd o Fawrth, ond ni ddigwyddodd. Mae’r fenter yn dibynnu’n drwm ar gymhorthdal neu grant sylweddol, os nad yw’r pres yma ar gael, ni fydd y cyhoeddiad yn mynd ymlaen.
Galwais i mewn ar stondin ‘Y Byd’ yn yr Eisteddfod mis Awst, gyda’r llyfr siec ac yn bwriadu ei chefnogi. Fel cyn rheolwr cyfarwyddwr ‘roeddwn yn gyfarwydd â chynlluniau busnes ac yn awyddus i glywed pwy oedd y farchnad targed, sut oedd dal nhw a beth oedd y ffrydiau ariannol.
Mewn unrhyw fusnes, mae gwybod beth i anelu at, a faint o ‘hits’ sy’n debygol yn y farchnad benodol yn bwysig iawn. Yn sicr nid oedd Y Byd yn disgwyl dwyn darllenwyr Sun na unrhyw bapur cyffelyb. Y prif darged yn debygol oedd darllenwyr presennol o bapurau newydd o safon a’u perswadio nhw i ollwng eu papur dyddiol (gweithred anodd), neu brynu’r Byd fel papur ychwanegol. ‘Rwyf yn amau’n gref bod perswadio darllenwyr sydd ddim yn darllen papur newydd o gwbl i brynu’r Byd yn dasg anodd iawn.
Incwm yw’r ‘petrol’ sy’n gyrru unrhyw fusnes, mae mwyafrif o bapurau newydd a chylchgronau’n ddibynnol ar ddwy ffrwd o arian, gwerthiant a hysbysebion. Yn aml iawn, mae’r olaf yn fwy pwysig na’r cyntaf. Mae nifer o gyhoeddiadau yn yr iaith Gymraeg yn dibynnu ar 3ydd ffrwd, sef grant neu gymhorthdal. Dyma le bu cynllun busnes Y Byd yn cwympo. Gyda dim ond 700 o danysgrifwyr yn lle’r 5,000 a ddisgwylir, ‘roedd lefel y cymhorthdal yn gorfod bod o gwmpas £600,000 i £1miliwn y flwyddyn. Nid oedd y Cynulliad yn barod i ystyried ffasiwn gymhorthdal.
Ydi papurau newydd yn dechnoleg ddoe? Mae’r enw ‘papur newyddion’ yn ei hun yn gamddehongliad, gan fod rhan fwyaf ‘nawr yn bapur barn/arolwg. Mae newyddion ‘nawr ar gael 24/7 ar y radio, teledu a nifer o ffynonellau ar y rhyngrwyd. Mae bron bob papur newydd dyddiol yn colli cylchrediad o flwyddyn i flwyddyn. Os gwireddwyd breuddwyd Y Byd, gyda lefel uchel o gymhorthdal, yn sugno pres hysbysebu o gyhoeddiadau eraill yn yr iaith Gymraeg, efallai mai creu cwcw yn y nyth buasai hyn. Ydi dyfodol Y Byd fel papur rhyngrwyd yn fwy credadwy?
Ar ddechrau’r mis, mynychais, gyda thua 250 eraill o wahanol rannau o Wynedd, gyfarfod yma ym Mhwllheli, gyda’r teitl ‘Tynged yr Ysgolion’. Cymerwyd 8 siaradwr rhan yn y cyfarfod ‘roedd yn ei hanfod yn brotest yn erbyn strategaeth Cyngor Gwynedd i ad-drefnu Ysgolion Cynradd.
Roedd bron pob siaradwr yn cytuno nad oedd cadw’r status quo yn opsiwn. Serch hynny cadw’r status quo oedd yr unig opsiwn i rai siaradwyr! Bu un siaradwr yn honni bod ystadegau genedigaethau Gwynedd ‘lled cae’ allan ohoni- ond heb dystiolaeth i brofi ei bwynt. Hyd yn oed os yw cyfradd genedigaethau yng Ngwynedd yn cynyddu nid oes rheswm i gredu bod y babanod yma am gael eu ‘gwasgaru’n’ gytbwys trwy’r Sir. Galwodd nifer o siaradwyr am fwy o bres o’r Cynulliad, ond mae galwadau niferus gan Wynedd a chynghorau eraill yn barod wedi cael eu gwrthod, ‘rwyf yn amau mae’r un ymateb y ceir y tro ‘yma.
Fel edau yn rhedeg trwy bob araith oedd drwgdybiaeth o’r drefn ‘ffederaleiddio’. Bu nifer o siaradwyr yn dehongli ffederaleiddio fel cynllun ‘drws cefn’ i gau ysgolion bach. Serch hynny gan rhai ar y llwyfan, ‘roedd ffederaleiddio cytbwys cyfrifol gyda chytundeb y rhai sy’n cael eu heffeithio yn opsiwn y dylid ystyried. Cyfeiriwyd nifer o weithiau i safon uchel y dysgu yn ysgolion bach. Nid wyf yn amau bod hyn yn wir, ond dylid disgwyl hyn gyda rhai o’r ysgolion bach yn costio 4 neu 5 gwaith y disgybl i redeg i gymharu ag ysgol o tua 150 o blant.
Cyfeiriwyd nifer o weithiau i’r broses o ‘ymgynghori’ a drefnwyd gan Gyngor Gwynedd, a mynegwyd y teimlad bod y weithred wedi bod yn gamarweiniol neu ar ei orau ddim o gymorth. Ni chyfeiriwyd at y scenario pryderys bod niferoedd y plant sy’n mynd i’r ysgolion cynradd yn lleihau. Cyn bo hir heb ad-drefnu bydd gan Wynedd athrawon yn ‘dysgu’ tua 2400 o ddesgiau gwag. Ni chynigwyd ffordd fwy teg i ddosbarthu cyllideb Addysg Cyngor Gwynedd.

Mae’n edrych i mi bod 3 gwahanol agwedd i ysgolion. Fel ‘gwasanaeth’, yn ei hanfod dyma beth yw barn Cyngor Gwynedd. Mae gan Wynedd 15 prif wasanaeth, mae addysg yn bwysig ac yn un ohonynt. Mae ysgolion hefyd yn cael eu gweld fel ‘sefydliad’ dyma le mae’r ysgol yn fwy nag adeilad addysg ond yn chwarae lle yn y gymuned fel adnodd cymdeithasol. Mae rhai ysgolion yn cael eu hadnabod fel ‘traddodiad’. Mae llawer o ddadleuon am gadw ysgol yn cychwyn ‘Mam, Dad, Nain a Taid wedi bod yn ysgol ……. felly mae rhaid ei gadw’n agored’. Mae traddodiad yn tueddu i gael ei lywio o du hwnt i’r bedd, ble mae gwasanaeth i’r gymuned yn cael ei aberthu ar allor ‘traddodiad’. Dim ond angen edrych o gwmpas Gwynedd i weld faint o ‘draddodiad’ sy’n cadw rhai o gapeli ac eglwysi ar agor gyda fawr ddim o fudd i’r gymuned.
Serch y galw o’r llwyfan, ni fydd unrhyw ymdrech i ail-edrych ar benderfyniad Cyngor Gwynedd cyn yr Etholiad ar 1af o Fai. Ar ôl yr Etholiad bydd angen agor y drws i realpolitik gyda thrafodaethau adeiladol sy’n arwain yn obeithiol tuag at gydbwysedd rhwng dyheadau a’r sefyllfa ar lawr gwlad.

LLYGAD LLYN 7
There’s been a great deal in the newspapers recently about MP’s wages and expenses. Similarly in the local press, attention’s been drawn via the letters pages and occasional reports to County Councillors’ payments. One letter suggested that their Councillor was an indispensable and important member of society. Other letters offered the opinion that Councillors were as much a waste of space as the Millennium Dome and just about as expensive. Is the truth somewhere in the middle?

I’ll attempt to put a bit of financial flesh on this expenses skeleton and bring it out of the cupboard and into the light of day. The basic current allowance for a Councillor on Gwynedd, of £11,842 did not arrive in a blinding flash from on high, but was the result of an independent body who researched the work of Councillors in Wales.
The research found that a Councillor of a Unitary Authority i.e. Gwynedd, does on average about 90 hours of Council work a month.
A third of this should be unpaid voluntary work, in the form of representing the Council and community on the board of governors of the local schools, community health council and various other bodies, both local and national. That left 60 hours per month for Council work. That’s 15 hours per week on average for attending meetings, reading the reports and preparing for them. Dealing with the various queries and problems of the electors and meeting with Council officials. The committee meetings represent a small percentage of the time spent in Council work. Is 90 hours per month about right? I can only speak from experience; I’d say it’s slightly conservative as an estimate, but in the right area. This assessment is for a Councillor who is not a Chairman of a committee or portfolio leader or Council Leader. Their workload is significantly higher.
So what does all this amount to? In Gwynedd it costs the rate payer around £1 million a year in Councillors’ wages and expenses. One million a year sounds a lot! Remember however, everything’s relative, the Council costs/spends £200 million a year or thereabouts, so the Councillors’ costs are one half of a percent of expenditure.
What does the rate payer get for their hard earned cash? Is the Council just a talking shop and a cosy club for its pampered members? I’m surprised by a comment sometimes heard that County Councillors have no influence in local government. Yet they decide and participate in formulating policy. Who takes decisions on whether to close your local school, swimming pool, run a road through the field next door or locate a housing estate or new rubbish dump next to your home – it’s the Council. Local Government decisions by your Council can affect your personal way of life to a much larger extent than national government. If Alistair Darling (Chancellor of the Exchequer) decides to increase Income Tax, VAT or nationalise Northern Rock, it’s a Lands End to John o’Groats pronouncement affecting everyone. Not so a decision by Council on a local issue.
Electoral apathy tends to rule in local elections, last time round in 2004 the results were as follows:-
Arfon: 31 electoral areas, 19 contested (i.e. an election) 12 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 61% of the areas contested)
Dwyfor:- 20 electoral areas, 10 contested (i.e. an election) 10 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 50% of the areas contested)
Meirionnydd. : 20 electoral areas, 6 contested (i.e. an election) 14 uncontested (i.e. sitting member gets a free ticket) (i.e. 30% of the areas contested).
The above shows that Gwynedd in the election of 2004 had 35 elections in a total of 71 areas. i.e. 49% of the areas contested

This time in May 2008 it will be different, I suspect a lot fewer ‘free tickets’, due to several factors, the main one being the Council’s policy on junior schools. Elections this time will be much more interesting.
If the question to me is how many ‘free tickets’ have you had? The answer is none. This is my sixth election and I don’t expect one this time either, what with junior schools, the marina and supermarkets opening in Pwllheli, the writing’s on the wall for an election in Pwllheli North Ward.
Are there too many Councillors on Gwynedd, in my opinion undoubtedly, yes. Is there a solution? There are several, one is to halve the number of Councillors and double their allowance. This would be cheaper for the Council and ratepayers. It would also create an opportunity to enable more, better and younger candidates to try for the position. Their work would be more strategic, and would in my opinion, create a more agile Council responding quickly to changing circumstances and thus be more effective with its spending.
So get out your votes, dust them off and remember to cast them on the 1st of May. If you don’t, you may get the Councillors you deserve!

Mae nifer o papurau newydd wedi bod yn son am daliadau i Aelodau Seneddol. Yn dilyn y drefn yma mae’r cyfryngau lleol wedi bod yn cyhoeddi erthyglau a llythyrau ar gostau eich Cynghorwyr lleol. Darllenais un llythyr yn awgrymu bod y Cynghorydd Sir yn gonglfaen ei gymdeithas ac yn gymorth amhrisiadwy i’r ardal. Mae llythyrau eraill yn honni mae gwastraff arian a lle yw Cynghorydd Sirol. Yn bur debyg mae’r ateb rhywle rhwng y ddau begwn.
Ymdrechaf i osod ychydig o gnawd ar y sgerbwd cyllidol o daliadau i Gynghorwyr a’i denu o allan o’r cwpwrdd. Nid yw taliad sylfaenol o £11,842 i Gynghorydd yng Ngwynedd wedi ei ddarganfod fel ysbrydoliaeth oruwch naturiol, ond trwy gorff annibynnol a ymchwiliwyd gwaith Cynghorwyr yng Nghymru.
‘Roedd ymchwil yn dangos bod Cynghorydd ar Gyngor Unedol, fel Gwynedd yn gweithio ar gyfartaledd am tua 90 awr y mis. Ystyriwyd dylai 30 awr fod yn waith gwirfoddol, sef cynrychioli’r gymuned ar lywodraethwyr ysgolion, cyngor iechyd lleol a chyrff a mudiadau eraill. Mae hyn yn gadael 60 awr y mis i waith Cyngor, sy’n gyfystyr a tua 15 awr yr wythnos i ddarllen adroddiadau, paratoi am gyfarfodydd a delio gyda chwynion yr etholwyr. Mae cyfarfodydd y Cyngor yn ffurfio canran bach o’r uchod. Pa mor gywir yw’r amcangyfrif o 90 awr y mis? O brofiad, mae’r ffigwr braidd yn geidwadol ond yn yr ardal gywir. Cofiwch mai amcangyfrif o 90 awr yw’r ffigwr ar gyfer Cynghorydd sydd ddim yn Gadeirydd pwyllgor, Arweinydd Portffolio nag Arweinydd y Cyngor. Mae llwyth gwaith nhw’n llawer uwch.
Wel faint mae hyn yn costio’r trethdalwyr? Yng Ngwynedd mae’r bil tua £1 miliwn am gyflogau a threuliau’r Cynghorwyr. Faint! , ond cofiwch mai’r cyngor yn costio/gwario tua £200 miliwn y flwyddyn. Felly hanner o un y cant o wariant y Cyngor yw costau’r Cynghorwyr.
Be mae’r trethdalwyr yn cael am eu harian prin? Ydi’r Cyngor yn siop siarad â chlwb moethus i’w haelodau? ‘Rwyf yn aml wedi clywed nad oes gan Gynghorwyr Sir unrhyw ddylanwad mewn llywodraeth leol. Ond, Cynghorwyr sy’n cymryd rhan mewn llunio polisi a phenderfyniadau. Pwy sy’n penderfynu cau ysgol leol, pwll nofio, rhedeg lôn newydd trwy’r cae drws nesa’, neu leoli stad newydd o dai neu domen sbwriel drws nesa’ i’ch tŷ chi? Y Cyngor. Mae penderfyniadau gan eich Cyngor lleol yn medru dylanwadu ar eich bywyd personol mewn modd llawer mwy na llywodraeth ganolog. Os yw Alistair Darling (y Canghellor) yn penderfynu codi Treth Incwm, VAT, neu wladoli Northern Rock, mae’n effeithio ar bawb o John o’Groats i Lands End. Effaith lleol sydd gan y Cyngor.
Mae difaterwch etholiadol yn effeithio ar etholiadau lleol, tro'r blaen yn 2004 y canlyniadau oedd :-
Arfon: 31 ardal etholiad, 19 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 12 heb etholiad (h.y. aelod presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 61% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad)
Dwyfor:- : 20 ardal etholiad, 10 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 10 heb etholiad (h.y. aelod presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 50% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad)
Meirionnydd. : 20 ardal etholiad, 6 ymgyrch (h.y. etholiad) 14 heb etholiad (h.y. aelod presennol yn cael ‘ticed am ddim’) (h.y. 30% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad).
Mae’r uchod yn dangos bod Gwynedd yn yr etholiad 2004 wedi cael, allan o gyfanswm o 71 ardal, 35 etholiad. H.y. 49% o’r ardaloedd yn cael etholiad.
Tro yma bydd pethe’n wahanol mis Mai 2008. ‘Rwyf yn credu bydd llawr llai o ‘dicedi am ddim’ ar gael. Bydd hyn yn deillio o nifer o ffactorau, y prif un yw ysgolion cynradd. Bydd etholiadau tro ‘ma’ lawer mwy diddorol.
Os yw’r cwestiwn, Faint o ‘dicedi am ddim’ mae Michael Sol Owen wedi cael? Yr ateb yw - dim. Hwn yw’r chweched etholiad i fi. Mae’r harbwr, ysgolion ac archfarchnadoedd yn sicr o greu sefyllfa etholiad yng Ngogledd Pwllheli.
Oes ‘na ormod o Gynghorwyr ar Gyngor Gwynedd? Yn fy marn i, oes. Beth yw’r ateb? Mae sawl ateb, un yw haneru’r nifer o Gynghorwyr a dyblu eu henillion. Mae’r ateb yma’n rhatach i’r Cyngor a’r trethdalwyr. Mae hefyd yn creu cyfle i annog mwy a gwell ymgeiswyr i sefyll yn yr etholiadau. Budd angen i’r gwaith fod yn fwy strategol, ac yn fy marn i greu Cyngor sy’n fwy ystwyth yn ymateb yn gyflymach i newidiadau ac yn fwy effeithiol gyda gwariant.
Felly, cofiwch am eich pleidleisiau, chwythwch y llwch oddi arnynt i bleidleisio ar y 1af o Fai. Os nad ydych yn pleidleisio, efallai cewch Gynghorwyr ‘rydych yn haeddu!

LLYGAD LLŶN 6
‘For everything to remain as it is, everything must change’ so said Tancredi to his uncle the Prince in Lampedusa’s novel ‘The Leopard’. Is this quote a slogan for our times and appropriate for the recent Inspector’s Report on Cyngor Gwynedd’s Unitary Development Plan?
Gwynedd is a Unitary Authority, there are 22 of them in Wales, in 1995/6 with the re-organisation of Local Government in Wales all the County, District, Town/Borough and City Councils disappeared and were re-established as Unitary Authorities. Each Authority has to produce a Unitary Development Plan (UDP) or equivalent, giving in this area, the citizens of Gwynedd, businesses and all interested bodies a framework as to how the Council will deal with a myriad of situations, from planning to population demographics until at least 2016.
As expected it’s been a long complicated and arduous process. It started in about 2001. By 2004 a Draft Deposit of the UDP was ‘road showed’ around the County for a period of about six weeks in the Summer. The result of this was another weighty document, the ‘Gwynedd UDP Pre-inquiry Proposed Changes’, it landed on our desks in September 2005. The next step was to present all this work, (see photos) together with about 2,800 written comments/objections to the Plan to the Welsh Assembly Government Inspectors.

Some of what went to the Inspector.

They began their work in Caernarfon at the beginning of 2006 and had by August that year listened to or noted each and every policy, comment, proposal and aspect of the UDP. The next stage was for the Inspectors to write up the recommendations in the Inspector’s Report. This report, in the form of a CD, containing 1,307 pages was received by the Council last month.
The report’s official title :– Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan – Inspector’s Report, will have far reaching implications for many aspects of our lives here in Gwynedd. After skim reading the 1,307 pages I got the gist of where the Inspector’s Report is going and what’s recommended. The report is in the form of ‘recommendations’. What’s the meaning of ‘recommendation’, is it advice, suggestion or counsel? I suspect that although Gwynedd could in theory ignore the Report’s recommendations, the sheer weight of the Inspector’s authority will mean that the Council will accept most of these.
So what’s he flagging up in these recommendations? One of these on the ‘no, no’ list is Policy CH4 – New Dwellings in Rural Villages. This was inserted by Gwynedd to try and meet the demand by locals to build new dwellings in the vicinity of a Rural Village provided they met strict criteria. This recommendation to get rid of this policy means that it will severely restrict developments in the countryside.
Another blow to rural developments is the recommendation to re-draw more tightly the Development Boundaries, again fewer opportunities to build outside the main designated development areas.

What does all this mean? Disappointment and disillusionment for the aspiring local home owners, and the finger of blame unfairly pointed at the Council.
Another item which caught my eye, on pages 539 and 540 a reference to Policy D17 – ‘ Static Caravan and Holiday Chalet Sites – Extending the Season’. The Council wants this ‘Season’ to be ten and a half months. The obvious reason is to stop all year round occupation of holiday lets and the consequent ‘knock on’ effects in parts of the County both socially and economically. The Inspector’s recommendation – ‘ Year Round Occupation’ !

Bed-time reading for the UDP about 1ft of it!

The general ethos of the Report is metro-centric; virtually all new housing to be confined to established urban areas with development in the countryside to a large extent ignored.
I’ve only touched the top of the tip of the iceberg as far as this Inspector’s Report is concerned. I’m sure to re-visit it at some later date.

‘Os yw popeth am aros ‘run fath, mae rhaid i bopeth newid’ dyna be ddywedodd Tancredi wrth ei ewythr y Tywysog yn y llyfr gan Lampedusa ‘Y Llewpard’. A yw’r dywediad yma’n slogan ar gyfer y presennol a hefyd i Adroddiad yr Arolygydd - Cynllun Datblygu Unedol Gwynedd?
Mae Gwynedd yn Awdurdod Unedol, mae 22 ohonynt yma yng Nghymru. Yn 1995/6 gydag adrefnu Llywodraeth Leol diddymwyd bob Cyngor Dosbarth, Sir, Tref/Dinas a Bwrdeistref a lluniwyd yr Awdurdodau Unedol newydd. Mae rhaid i bob Awdurdod creu Cynllun Datblygu Unedol (CDU) neu drefn gyffelyb. Yn achos Gwynedd mae’r CDU i fod i ddangos i’r cyhoedd , busnesau a chyrff eraill, polisïau sydd am arwain y Cyngor i gymryd penderfyniadau ar nifer helaeth o bynciau, o gynllunio i newidiadau yn y boblogaeth tan o leaf 2016.
Fel y disgwylir mai wedi bod yn broses hir a chymhleth. Yn cychwyn yn 2001, ac erbyn 2004 ‘roedd ddogfen drafft ar gael o’r CDU, dangoswyd hwn hyd a lled Gwynedd mewn arddangosfa am gyfnod o tua 6 wythnos yn yr Haf.
Canlyniad hwn oedd ddogfen arall swmpus gyda’r teitl – ‘CDU Gwynedd Newidiadau Arfaethedig Cyn Ymchwiliad’, a chyhoeddwyd yn Medi 2005.
Y cam nesaf oedd cyflwyno’r oll ddogfennau, gyda thua 2800 sylwadau a gwrthwynebiadau i’r Arolygwyr Llywodraeth y Cynulliad. Cychwynnodd yr Arolygwyr ar eu gwaith yng Nghaernarfon tua dechrau 2006 ac erbyn Awst 2006 ‘roedd bob polisi, sylw a gwrthwynebiad i’r CDU wedi cael sylw. Wedyn ‘roedd angen i’r Arolygwyr ysgrifennu adroddiad ac awgrymu argymhellion (sef newidiadau) i’r Cynllun. Derbyniwyd yr adroddiad yma ar ffurf CD mis Rhagfyr. Mae 1,307 o dudalennau yn yr Adroddiad yma.
Teitl swyddogol yr adroddiad yw ‘Cynllun Datblygu Unedol Gwynedd - Adroddiad yr Arolygwr’ - bydd gan y ddogfen yma dylanwad pellgyrhaeddol ar fywyd yng Ngwynedd. Ar ôl bras-ddarllen y 1,307 o dudalennau cefais flas o le ‘roedd Adroddiad yr Arolygwr yn mynd a beth ‘roedd yr argymhellion. Mae’r adroddiad mewn ffurf ‘Argymhellion’. Ond beth yw ystyr ‘Argymell’; cenadwri, cyngor neu awgrym? Mae gan Gyngor Gwynedd yr hawl i anwybyddu bob ‘Argymhelliad’ gan yr Arolygydd, ond gydag oll bwysa’r Cynulliad tu ôl i awdurdod yr Arolygwr, ‘rwyf yn tybio mai derbyn rhan helaeth o’i Argymhellion bydd Cyngor Gwynedd.
Felly, beth sydd ar gael yn y ddogfen? Ar y rhestr ‘Dim Diolch’ yw Polisi CH4 - ‘Tai Newydd mewn Pentrefi Gwledig’. Crëwyd y polisi yma gan Wynedd i geisio ymateb i’r galw gan bobl leol am dai mewn ardaloedd gwledig. Mae’r Adroddiad am fynnu diddymu’r polisi yma, y canlyniad yw fydd hi’n llawer anoddach adeiladu yn y wlad.
Ergyd arall i ddatblygiadau yn yr ardaloedd gwledig yw‘r argymhelliad i dynhau ar y Ffiniau Datblygu, eto llai o gyfle i adeiladu tu allan i’r prif ardaloedd datblygu.
Beth yw canlyniad yr uchod? Yn fy marn i, siom a dadrithiad i’r bobl leol sydd am ymgeisio ac yn methu adeiladu yn eu ardaloedd gwledig, a’r bys wedi ei bwyntio’n annheg tuag at Gyngor Gwynedd am y penderfyniad.
Polisi arall a ddaliodd fy sylw oedd D17 - ‘Safleoedd Carafannau Sefydlog a Siales Gwyliau - Ymestyn y Tymor’ Mae’r Cyngor yn awyddus i weld y ‘Tymor’ yn cael ei ddehongli fel deg mis a hanner. Y rheswm, i atal defnydd trwy’r flwyddyn i osgoi’r canlyniadau strategol a chymdeithasol fydd yn dilyn yn rhai rhannau o’r Cyngor. Argymhelliad yr Arolygydd - Agor trwy’r flwyddyn!
Ethos cyffredinol yr Adroddiad yw ei fod yn ‘ddinesig’ ei arddull, gyda’r mwyafrif helaeth o ddatblygiadau’n cael eu cyfeirio tuag at yr aneddleoedd trefol a datblygiadau cefn gwlad yn cael eu hanwybyddu.
Dim ond crafu’r wyneb mae’r blog yma o’r Adroddiad yr Arolygwr, ‘rwyf yn sicr o ail-edrych ar hwn yn y dyfodol.

LLYGAD LLYN 5
I make no apologies for returning to the subject of the Re-organisation of Primary Schools. This contentious issue has been given a considerable airing in the newspapers, TV and radio over the last two months. The discussion has been both heated and emotional. I’ve been receiving between 5 and 10 emails/letters a day, some expressing their opposition to changes logically and articulately, others lambasting both myself and the Council as being in league with the Devil himself.
The whole issue came to a head in the full Council meeting on 13th December. A colourful, noisy animated protest of about 600 people turned up outside the Council offices in the morning. Some children attended, shouldn’t they be in school? I’m quite relaxed about this, demonstrations should be part of their education.
As expected the debate was intense and took about two and a half hours to reach a vote. Out of the 70 Councillors present; 43 voted for the Document, 22 against and 5 abstained, a majority of 21 is significant there’s no possibility of this being construed as a ‘scraped through’ vote. This document now moves on to the next stage where consultations begin with the seven schools in the firing line to be shut.
There’s no doubt that this Re-organisation of Primary Schools is the most important strategic decision that Gwynedd has taken since its inception in 1995.
I believe, sitting there in the Council Chamber that an accumulation of factors, figures and circumstances played their part in the Council coming to their decision.
The fact of falling pupil numbers, leading eventually to teachers ‘teaching’ 2,400 empty desks in the County is not a sustainable situation, this played a part. Expenditure per pupil is also a very relevant point. It costs us, the Council Tax payer, about £10,500 per pupil if there are 10 or less in a school, even with up to 20 pupils per school it’s over £6,000 per pupil. Contrast this with a school of say 150 pupils the cost is around £2,500 per pupil. The Council, at the end of the day, has a democratic duty to see that the Educational resources are more equitably spent.
If the Council decided to do nothing in the vain hope that the situation will ‘self rectify’ we would be in dire straits. A ‘do nothing’ strategy would eventually; I believe result in the Welsh Assembly Government stepping in with a far more rigorous agenda resulting in all probability with more school closures.
‘Llais y Bobl’ has played an active and significant role in the last 2 months, galvanising and prodding those of the electorate, threatened with school closures or re-organisation, into action. The Council vote was a significant defeat for ‘Llais y Bobl’, it will be interesting to see how they will react.
In Local Government the elector has the opportunity to elect a representative every four years. Cyngor Gwynedd Council runs 15 major services ranging from Highways to Social Services. Education is one of these fifteen, any ‘single issue’ candidates such as Llais by Bobl will need to declare what they will cut from these services if they are to keep 106 primary schools open.
Will Llais y Bobl choose to fight every Councillor who voted for the re-organisation document in the May 2008 elections? Will they have enough candidates? Or will they decide to try and ‘negotiate’ the best deal possible for the schools in question?
As I said previously, in Local Government, politics has just got very interesting.


Nid wyf yn ymddiheuro am ail-ymweld ar y pwnc o Ad-drefnu Ysgolion Cynradd. Mae’r mater dadleuol yma wedi cael sylw trylwyr ar y cyfryngau yn ystod y ddeufis diwethaf. Mae’r trafodaethau wedi bod yn emosiynol a thanllyd. ‘Rwyf wedi bod yn derbyn tua 5 - 10 llythyr/e-bost y diwrnod yn ddiweddar, rhai ohonynt yn dadlau eu hachos yn feddylgar a chlir, rhai’n ymfflamychol ac yn cyhuddo fi a’r Cyngor o fod mewn perthynas a’r Diafol ei hun.
Penllanw’r trafodaethau oedd y Cyngor llawn dydd Iau’r 13eg o Ragfyr. Tu allan i’r Siambr ‘roedd tua 600 o bobl yn cymryd rhan mewn protest lliwgar, swnllyd a blymus. ‘Roedd plant ysgol ymysg y protestwyr, ‘rwyf yn bersonol ddim yn feirniadol ohonynt, mae protestio yn rhan o fywyd.
Fel roeddwn yn dychmygu, ‘roedd y trafodaethau’n ddwys iawn a chymerodd dwy awr a hanner cyn symud at bleidlais. Allan o’r 70 o Gynghorwyr ‘roedd yn bresennol, pleidleisiodd 43 dros y Ddogfen, 22 yn erbyn a bu 5 yn ymatal eu pleidlais. Mae mwyafrif o 21 yn arwyddocaol, nid oes modd dehongli’r canlyniad yma fel un sydd yn crafu fuddigoliaeth. Mae’r Ddogfen ‘nawr yn symud ymlaen i’r cam nesa’ gyda thrafodaethau efo’r saith ysgol gyntaf sydd ar y rhestr cau.
‘Rwyf o’r farn mae’r penderfyniad yma yw’r penderfyniad mwyaf strategol mae’r Cyngor wedi cymryd ers cychwyn yn 1995.
‘Rwyf yn credu, bod nifer o ffactorau wedi dylanwadu arnom ni’r Cynghorwyr i bleidleisio dros y ddogfen. Yn eu mysg oedd y ffaith bod niferoedd plant ysgolion cynradd yn disgyn, sy’n arwain yn y pen draw i athrawon yn ‘dysgu’ tua 2,400 o ddesgiau gwag, nid yw’r sefyllfa yma yn gynnaladwy. Mae gwariant y disgybl ym mater perthnasol. Mae’n costio ni, y Trethdalwr, tua £10,500 y plentyn os oes 10 neu lai o blant mewn ysgol, hyd yn oed gyda 20 yn yr ysgol mae’r gost dros £6,000 y disgybl. Cyferbynnwch y gost yma gyda thua 150 o blant yn yr ysgol ac mae’r ffigwr tua £2,500 y disgybl. Mae gan y Cyngor dyletswydd ddemocrataidd i sicrhau bod gwariant ar Addysg yn cael ei wario’n fwy cytbwys.
Os yw’r Cyngor yn penderfynu ‘neud dim yn y gobaith bod y sefyllfa am gywiro ei hun byddem mewn sefyllfa o argyfwng. Yn fy marn i, bydd strategaeth ‘neud dim’ yn golygu bod y Cynulliad yn camu i mewn gydag agenda llawer mwy llym gyda’r canlyniad bod mwy o ysgolion yn cau.
Mae ‘Llais y Bobl’ wedi chwarae rhan flaenllaw ac arwyddocaol yn y ddeufis dwytha, yn annog a phrocio’r etholwyr sydd mewn ardal lle mae bygythiad i’r ysgolion i ymateb i’r her. ‘Roedd 13 o Ragfyr felly yn gam yn ôl sylweddol iddynt. Sut maen nhw am ymateb?
Yn Llywodraeth Leol mae gan yr etholwr y cyfle i ethol Cynghorwr bob pedair blynedd. Mae Cyngor Gwynedd yn rhedeg 15 gwasanaeth o sylwedd, o Briffyrdd i Wasanaethau Cymdeithasol. Addysg yw un o’r gwasanaethau yma. Bydd angen felly i unrhyw ymgeiswyr ‘un neges’, fel aelodau ‘Llais y Bobl’ ddatgan pa wasanaethau maen nhw am dorri i dalu am gadw 106 o ysgolion cynradd ar agor.
Beth yw cynllun ‘Llais y Bobl’? Gwrthwynebu mewn etholiad mis Mai 2008 bob Cynghorydd sydd wedi pleidleisio dros y Ddogfen Ad-drefnu? Oes ‘na ddigon ohonynt? Neu geisio negodi'r gorau y medrant i’r ysgolion dan fygythiad?
Fel y dywedais o’r blaen, yn Llywodraeth Leol, mae gwleidyddiaeth wedi troi’n ddiddorol.

LLYGAD LLŶN 4
Earlier than I predicted in Llygad Llyn 1 the issue of the Reorganisation of Primary Schools has returned with far reaching implications for the children, parents and the Council. A draft of the proposed strategy has now been released and in at least one instance prematurely ‘escaped’ into the public domain.
Briefly it proposes a reduction from 106 primary schools to 48 schools located on 85 different sites. It’s a combination of Federal Schools, Area Schools and Schools with no change envisaged. If this plan is adopted in its entirety, 29 schools will close, the majority of those in Dwyfor and Meirionnydd. Councillors generally don’t like politically turbulent waters, especially before an election. With Local Government elections in May 2008 this radical document will without doubt create a rush to the lifejackets for some members of the Council.
I believe that the Council will divide into 2 broadly based ‘factions’, those that will act parochially, either because a school or schools in their electoral area is/are threatened with closure or federalization or they oppose any closures on principal. The others will be more strategic and foresee that a ‘no vote’ on this may result in the smaller schools gradually losing their pupils and the possibility of the Welsh Assembly Government coming in with a ‘slash and burn’ policy to rationalise the educational situation.
The reaction by Members has already begun. Councillor Penri Jones the Portfolio Leader for Schools and Language has resigned has he feels that he cannot in conscience support all the recommendations, he will however remain within the ruling group, Plaid Cymru on the Council.
Councillor Simon Glyn has decided that his opposition to the proposals are such that he has resigned from the ruling group and also called for the Leader of the Council (Richard Parry Hughes) to resign. I did however hear one member of the ruling group remark on hearing of Simon Glyn’s resignation ‘Ah well every cloud has a silver lining’.
There’s no doubt that the meetings between the Council, parents and the junior school governors over the last 12 months has not been a resounding success. This is for a number of reasons, but in the main that a miss-understanding of what was meant by ‘consultation’. For the parents this meant – ‘listen to what we have to say and carry out our wishes’, for the Council – ‘we’ll take soundings and come up with an appropriate strategy’.
Thursday 25th October was the 1st opportunity for those affected by this new proposal to air their views. Some 300 to 500 (depending on which paper you read) turned out to express their anger and opposition to the proposed strategy. It won’t be the last protest, there will be many more to follow. When the dust has settled, when all the verbal shots have been fired, how much of the original strategy will be left intact, who is going to lose their bottle and blink 1st? To the lay-person, local government has suddenly got interesting.









Yn gynharach na’r disgwyl, mae’r pwnc o Ad-drefnu Ysgolion Cynradd Gwynedd wedi dychwelyd, gydag oblygiadau pellgyrhaeddol i’n plant, rhieni a’r Cyngor. Mae dogfen drafft o’r strategaeth wedi ei rhuddai ac mewn o leiaf un achlysur wedi ‘dianc’ yn gynamserol i’r byd mawr.
Yn gryno mae’r cynllun yn argymell gostyngiad o 106 o ysgolion cynradd i 48 o ysgolion wedi eu lleoli ar 85 wahanol safle. Cyfuniad o Ysgolion Federal, Ysgolion Ardal ac Ysgolion sydd ddim am newid. Os yw’r strategaeth yn cael ei fabwysiadu yn ei gyfanrwydd mae 29 o ysgolion am gau, y mwyafrif yn Dwyfor a Meirionnydd. Nid yw Cynghorwyr ar y cyfan yn hoffi dyfroedd dryslyd, yn enwedig cyn etholiad. Gydag etholiadau Llywodraeth Leol ar y gorwel, mis Mai 2008 bydd y ddogfen ddadleuol yma’n sicr o annog rhai o’r Cynghorwyr i redeg am loches o’r storm.
‘Rwyf yn credu y bydd y Cynghorwyr yn rhannu’n ddwy garfan. Y rhai sydd am weithredu’n blwyfol, naill ai am fod ysgol neu ysgolion yn yr etholaeth dan fygythiad cau neu ei ffederaleiddio, neu eu bod yn gwrthwynebu mewn egwyddor cau ysgolion. Bydd y garfan arall yn fwy strategol ac yn rhagweld bod pleidleisio ‘na’ ar y cynllun yn efallai golygu bod yr ysgolion lleiaf yn colli eu disgyblion, gyda’r posibilrwydd o’r Cynulliad dod i mewn yn y dyfodol ac yn gweithredu polisi llawer mwy llym i resymoli’r sefyllfa addysg gynradd.
Mae ymateb gan yr Aelodau wedi cychwyn. Mae Cynghorydd Penri Jones Arweinydd Portffolio ar Ysgolion a’r Iaith wedi ymddiswyddo oherwydd na fedrith yn gydwybodol, cefnogi bob argymhelliad sydd yn y ddogfen, serch hynny mae o am aros yn y grŵp llywodraethu’r Cyngor, Grŵp Plaid Cymru.
Mae Cynghorydd Simon Glyn wedi ymddiswyddo o’r grŵp llywodraethu am ei fod yn gwrthwynebu cymaint o’r argymhellion, mae o hefyd wedi galw ar Arweinydd y Cyngor (Richard Parry Hughes) i ymddiswyddo. Sut bynnag, clywais un aelod o’r grŵp llywodraethu, o glywed bod Cynghorydd Simon Glyn yn ymddiswyddo, yn deud ‘Mae rhaid diolch am bob bendith’
Mae’n amlwg nad yw’r cyfarfodydd rhwng y Cyngor, y rhieni a llywodraethwyr yr ysgolion cynradd yn ystod y 12 mis diwethaf, wedi bod yn llwyddiant ysgubol. Mae nifer o resymau am hyn, ond un o’r prif resymau yw beth oedd dehongliad y gair ‘ymgynghori’; i’r rhieni golygai hyn - ‘gwrandewch beth sydd gennym i ddweud a gweithredwch ar ein dymuniadau’. I’r Cyngor yr ystyr oedd - ‘nodwn eich sylwadau a ddod yn ôl gyda strategaeth berthnasol’
Dydd Iau 25ain o Hydref ‘roedd y cyfle 1af i’r rhai oedd am gael eu heffeithio a’r cynllun newydd dangos eu gwrthwynebiad. Bu 300 i 500 (dibynnu ar ba bapur ‘rydych yn ei ddarllen) o brotestwyr yng Nghaernarfon i ddangos eu gwrthwynebiad i’r strategaeth drafft newydd. ‘Rwyf yn rhagweld llawer mwy o brotestio. Wedi’r llwch setlo, ar ddiwedd y dydd, faint o’r strategaeth wreiddiol fydd ar ôl, pwy sydd am sefyll i lawr? I’r person yn y stryd mae llywodraeth leol yn sydyn wedi troi’n ddiddorol.