Nearly 1,000 separate decisions have been made under delegated powers by Ceredigion County Council’s ‘Gold Command’ during the pandemic, data has revealed, including the set-up of a temporary mortuary and the reintroduction of parking fees.

Since March last year, during the coronavirus lockdown, temporary delegated powers have been given to the council’s chief executive and Gold Command leadership group – made up of senior officers and councillors – to make “urgent decisions relating to the authority’s response to the pandemic”.

Ceredigion council was praised during its early response to the pandemic as cases remained low in the county, with the Gold Command reacting to latest guidance, making decisions on school and care home closures, and instigating an initial tracing system.

The decisions were made without the usual oversight of councillors due to the “urgent situation”.

Many of the initial decisions related to stopping visits to care homes, closing day centres, entertainment sites and leisure centres, as well as work to identify and support vulnerable individuals.

Testing sites, temporary mortuaries and hospitals, town ‘safe zones’ as well as track and trace provision were also made.

A log, now available on the council’s website, includes 125 lists of decisions up to September, and a further 28 are recorded from 1 October to 30 November, with councillors to be updated as a “matter of routine” to ensure transparency, members of the overview and scrutiny co-ordinating committee were told on Wednesday, 20 January.

The Gold Command was formed and handed in powers in March 2020, with the new structure renewed in September.

It is due for a further review shortly, monitoring officer Elin Prysor told committee members.

The council said: “In light of the national emergency and urgent situation arising as a result of Covid-19, and in order to protect the council and the public’s interests, in circumstances where the decision is deemed urgent such that any delay would seriously prejudice the council’s or the public’s interests, the council leader granted temporary delegated powers to the council’s chief executive and leadership group to make decisions relating to the council’s Covid-19 response.”­

Decisions made during the pandemic

HERE are just some of the decisions made by Gold Command between 3 March and 30 November 2020.

24 April: Horeb Food Centre would be designated as a temporary mortuary and that refrigerated lorries should be hired.

18 May: To not paint rainbows on the highways of Ceredigion as firstly, this message only thanks one group of local staff, and secondly, contractors would have to be outsourced which increases the risk of infection.

21 May: To not waive the council tax on empty lets for landlords if they have been unable to fill their property due to Covid-19.

26 June: That school and social care transport services be paid 80 per cent of the contract while not running.

9 July: Agreed to the creation of safe zones within the town centres of Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Cardigan and New Quay.

23 July: That the preferred options for the Covid-19 testing site for the north of the county was the National Library car park and the former Carpetright building at Parc y Llyn.

31 July: To proceed with purchasing of the canteen screens in schools to reduce transmission during lunchtime, costing £130,000.

6 October: That no full Gold Command minutes will be shared in Freedom of Information enquiries. Only the specific information requested will be shared and Gold Command will reserve the right to redact any information deemed sensitive.

15 October: All school students who were present in a named pub on a particular night to self-isolate for 14 days based on Test Trace Protect advice.

16 October: To process the 1,400 council tax summonses as planned, despite the expected announcement regarding a circuit-breaker.

26 November: That the local authority should assist Hywel Dda with staffing at the mass testing centre in Cardigan where available.