New council leader pledges to ‘stand with the victims’ of paedophile Neil Foden

Dale Spridgeon – Local democracy reporter

The new leader of Cyngor Gwynedd said she wanted the local authority to “do the right thing for the victims” of paedophile headteacher Neil Foden.

Cllr Nia Jeffreys was voted in as the council’s new leader at a full council meeting last week, and with her deputy Cllr Menna Trenholme, she took up her new duties from Monday, December 9.

The mum-of-two is one of just three female leaders in the top role of the 22 councils across Wales.

She now takes on a challenging role, with the usual work faced by an already cash-strapped council trying to provide vital services while also navigating the fallout from the Foden case.

Crimes

Foden was one of the most influential teachers in Wales before his depraved abuse of girls came to light.

He was the former headteacher at Ysgol Friars in Bangor and strategic head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle secondary school in Penygroes, both in Gwynedd.

Earlier this year, he was jailed for 17 years for his crimes against four girls in North Wales.

Cllr Jeffreys’ forerunner, the former leader Cllr Dyfrig Siencyn, stepped down back in October amid a row over initially not apologising to victims.

He later did apologise, but not before four members of his cabinet had resigned over the matter.

Barrister

Following Foden’s criminal court case, the North Wales Safeguarding Board launched its Child Practice Review (CPR), with Jan Pickles OBE commissioned to be the independent chair.

The council has also employed a barrister to undertake its own systemic internal investigation.

Meanwhile some local politicians had been vocal in calling for the council to be subject to a public inquiry.

The BBC recently reported the Welsh Government had said it was waiting for the conclusion of the Children’s Practice Review, before deciding on any further action.

Speaking at the council headquarters in Caernarfon on Friday, Cllr Jeffreys told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she was was “deeply sorry” for what had happened to Foden’s victims.

“I just want us to do the right thing for the victims and survivors of Neil Foden,” she said.

“As the new leader, yes, I do feel a heavy weight on my shoulders, the weight of responsibility to get this right.

“And it is not just for those directly affected, but everyone who has been impacted by what happened.

“I want to reiterate, as a council, we are fully co-operating with the CPR, we are eager to learn from what has happened, and we are very sorry.

“I stand with the victims and the survivors, as does everyone in the council chamber.

“I feel so sorry for what has happened to the victims, I think about them a great deal.

“It is a hugely challenging situation, but I hope we are able to learn lessons from what has happened and do everything in our power to try and make sure that something like this can’t happen again.

“This has had a huge impact on our community, for the pupils at Ysgol Friars, it has been a very unsettling time for them.

“We are absolutely committed to trying to make things better, we’ve been going into schools to provide help, such as helping to provide services such as counselling.”

Challenges

Despite the difficulties ahead, Cllr Jeffreys is looking forward to her new role, and confident she will be able bring new qualities to meet the challenges.

“It is a point of great pride for me that this is the first time that the two most senior posts on the Cabinet will be held by women,” she said.

“And it is the first time we have actually had all women in the key areas within the chamber.

“Not only do we have a female deputy and leader, but we also have a female chair, Cllr Beca Roberts, and even the leader of the opposition is a woman, Cllr Angela Russell.

“With more women coming into local politics, I think we can bring something different, a new perspective.

“Hopefully we can help break down some barriers and encourage more girls and women to go into local politics.

“I am looking forward to working with Menna but also with the opposition, Angela, to see what we can all achieve together.”

Among her ambitions is “building on foundations already laid”.

She said: “I want to continue to develop the good work that has gone before, particularly in the areas of social care, the importance of which I have experienced first hand, with my own family.

“I am local, I am from Gwynedd, I understand local issues and I have been someone who has needed and used council services all my life.

“I grew up in a council house, I had school dinners, I loved to use the libraries, I know just how important council service are to people.”

She is also hoping to bring more “new and innovative” ideas to the table, for example making more use of new technology such as AI and social media.

Welsh language

She also wants to build on the “commitment” to the language and bilingualism.

She said: “I want to look outwards, beyond the council chamber, to learn from other parts of the world with linguistic experiences, such as Spain and South America.

“As we move into the second half of this decade, and face the challenges that are on the horizon, I am confident that my new team will be ready to ensure that Cyngor Gwynedd continues to strive for our county’s people and communities.”

She was also “very proud” to announce the members of her new cabinet, a team which included “a combination of experienced councillors and new talent, representing a range of diverse backgrounds”.

She added: “I am also going to allow myself a little pride for becoming the leader – it is a privilege to be elected by so many of my fellow councillors.”