CANOLFAN CAERNARFON CYF.

Recent communications to and from
Gwynedd Council.

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20 December, 1994.  Huw Vaughan Thomas Chief Executive Gwynedd Council, writes in support of our proposals and offers to help in persuading the Church in Wales to adopt a more realistic attitude.

13 June, 1994.  Jeff St Paul, Conservation Officer of Gwynedd Council, suggests that we should seek funding to buy site from AHF.

20th July 1995.  Elspeth Mitcheson.Director of Culture and Leisure, confirms that our contact with the authority must be through the Chief Executive's Office (Mr. Clive James. Development/Review Officer).

10 November, 1998.  We write to Geraint Jones, Chief Executive Gwynedd Council, requesting the support of the local authority as guarantor the the AHF loan offer that they suggest we sought.

21 November, 1998. We press the Council take action under the provisions of the Planning (listed buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, to ensure that this listed building is properly maintained.

24 November, 1998.  We sumarise the lack of reply to our letters, refer to the fact that the only response we have received is through Dafydd Wigley, and we respond to some of the issues he mentioned to us.

17 December, 1998. Geraint Jones, Chief Executive responds declining support, as this would create a precedent in which the Council would have to support other local conservation initiatives, that would bring additional funding into the area, also saying that our scheme is in opposition to other similar schemes. The Council refuse to implement their duties in the protection of listed buildings.

15 January, 1999. We write again to Chief Executive requesting a meeting to discuss outstanding matters.

25 February, 1999. We reply to Gwynedd Council stating that we do not need actual money, just a letter fo support to get the loan. We also point out that it was the Council that suggested that we sought an AHF loan in the first place.

March 10th, 1999   We meet Officers of Gwynedd Council. It was decided that there is a need to maintain on-going dialogue. There was no enthusiasm to find a way to support us, more a matter of searching for every reason why they should not do so.

March 28th, 1999. Glyn Dickinson writes to tahnk Mr Iwan Lewis for chairing the meeting, and explains some of the background of our situation to him, in which we have followed the guidance given to us in writing by Officers and the Chief Executive of Gwynedd County Council.

April 29th, 1999.  We meet Officers of Gwynedd Council a second time, together with Mr Roberts of Cwmni Tref and Sian Tomos of the Arts Council for Wales. Most of the meeting is taken up with the Gwynedd Officers attempting to force us to withdraw our interest from Christ Church, and pledge our wholehearted support to the Cwmni Tref scheme, in the face of our criticisms.

May 24th, 1999.  Glyn Dickinson informs the Council and Cwmni Tref that because of a conflict of interests with Cwmni Tref (through his work for the Town Festival), he has stepped down as chairman of Canolfan Caernarfon, and Ron Kirk is now our chairman.

May 27th, 1999.  We write to the Arts Council to remind them of our project, and ensure they are aware of the apparent conflict.

May 28th, 1999.  We ask Cwmni Tref to respond to our comparisons between the two schemes.

We respond in writing to the Officers of Gwynedd Council, detailing our concerns about the Cwmni Tref proposal that we are expected to support

We receive calls from several Gwynedd Council members, asking technical questions about our proposals.  We suspect that a report has been published, and circulaated without our knowledge.  We write to Mr Whittall June 21st asking for an explaination.

The Agenda for the meeting of the Executive Committee is published.

We circulate members of Executive Commitee responding to the misleading report submitted for discussion on 29th June, recommending that the authority should give its support to the Cwmni Tref scheme and reject ours.

June 25th, 1999.  Dafydd Whittall, Head of Department, Leisure, Culture and Education, writes to us saying that the provision of a Canolfan is a matter outside the remit of his department.

June 28th, 1999.  We reply to Dafydd Whittall complaining about the way we were being treated, and request a meeting to discuss how our needs should be met above interdepartmental level.

June 29th, 1999. Gwynedd Council Executive meet to respond to the Officer's report prepared by Gareth Haulfryn Williams,  The matter is defered to allow members to read information we circulated drawing attention to the inaccurate portrail of our project.

July 1st, 1999.   We meet Sian Tomos of the Arts Council, who tells us that the Lottery Unit in Cardiff has already made its decision to support the Cwmni Tref bid.

July 5th, 1999.    Ron Kirk wites to Geraint Jones, Chief Executive of Gwynedd Council, complaining about the inaccuracies in the report to the Executive Committee, and requesting a meeting.

July 5th, 1999.   We write to Cwmni Tref, seeking a commitment to open minded dialogue, to achieve a joint scheme for the public benefit.

July 7th, 1999.    We write to Mr Robert Edge, Director of the Lottery Unit, the Arts Council of Wales, drawing attention to our criticisms of the Cwmni Tref bid.

July 8th, 1999.    We meet the Chief Executive and Officers of Gwynedd Council, but they refuse to withdraw their report or their recommendations.  The Chief Executive listens to all that is said, but says remarkably little.

July 13th, 1999.   Gwynedd Council Executive Committee decide to give their support to the Cwmni Tref proposals and reject ours.  Three Council members speak giving their full support to the Cwmni Tref scheme, Brian Evans, Dafydd Iwan, and John Haycock.  None of them rise to speak against the recommendation of the officers.

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