Venue: Committee Room A - County Hall, Llandrindod Wells, Powys. View directions
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Apologies To receive apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were accepted from Councillors and. J Gibson-Watt and C Mills.
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Minutes of Previous Meeting PDF 90 KB To receive the minutes of the previous meeting held on Wednesday 20th November 2017. Minutes: The Chairman was authorised to sign the minutes of the previous meeting of the Committee held on Wednesday 20th November 2017 as a correct record.
a. Aveling Roller and Living Van EP3339
During discussion particular reference was made to the lack of progress over many years with regard to an arrangement for the long term storage and maintenance of the Aveling Roller and Living Van. It was the view of the shire that it would be important to secure a longer term position. Members would support a Trust arrangement being introduced and/or, the siting of the vehicle in a prominent location within Radnorshire to showcase it. Members were reminded that Councillor Kelvyn Curry had agreed to take the lead. Councillor Curry referred to the minutes of the previous meeting and was disappointed to learn that the lead legal officer had been unable to attend today’s meeting. It was agreed, in an attempt to move matters on that the legal representative should be asked to arrange regular meetings with Councillor Curry to keep track and update on progress. Councillor Curry would report back to meetings as appropriate.
b. Tourism Presentation – it was agreed to provide the tourism presentation delivered to the last meeting so that members could reference it.
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Chairman's Announcements To receive announcements from the Chairman. Minutes: The Chairman reported that she had been invited to attend the opening of the co-op in Llanelwedd, however, there had been a number of postponements. The Chair also reported that she would arrange for a Chairman’s lunch next month. |
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Declarations of Interest To receive declarations of interest from members in respect of items to be discussed on the agenda. Minutes: There were no declarations of interest from members in respect of items to be discussed on the agenda.
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Radnorshire YFC (9.40 - 10.10) To receive an update in relation to the Radnorshire YFC. Minutes: Members welcomed representatives from YFC to the meeting to update on activities. During discussion and update particular reference was made to:
a. Radnorshire YFC – there are 500 members who belong to 13 Radnorshire clubs. There’s a full calendar of activities. YFC also fund raise to support a number of community services/projects/issues b. Rural Youth Services – the YFC contributes greatly to providing a youth service, especially in rural areas c. Memberships – membership numbers across the YFC in Powys are increasing. Although membership numbers in Radnorshire dipped a decade ago they are steadily rising. Despite assumptions, membership is very much open to those from non-rural settings and without ties to agriculture (town memberships from non-farming young people in Knighton and Presteigne have increased) d. Powys County Council Funding – the YFC receive Council funding to support organiser positions. Without those positions (2 part-time staff for Radnorshire) the movement would find it very difficult to operate. The value for money of the provision per member is very good, across the movement £1 of funding provided by the Local Authority delivers 2 hours of YFC for each member e. Welsh Government/County Council – the Portfolio Holder for Youth Services (Councillor Rachel Powell, also a Radnorshire member) reported that she had been pursuing the Welsh Government with regard to recognising the YFC movement and its role in supporting the delivery of youth services in rural areas f. Evolving YFC – the YFC movement accept that public funding is limited and likely to be reviewed year-on-year in the light of budget cuts from central government. There are efforts to become more sustainable and to seek contributions to running costs from other agencies and through subscriptions and contributions
It was reported that the presentation in its entirety could not be e-mailed due to the size of the electronic file, however, members would welcome the detail in relation to statistics and cost.
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Road Safety and Traffic Management Schemes (10.10 - 10.20) PDF 69 KB To consider a Safe Routes to Trunk Road Schools – Side Road Orders Crossgates and Trefonnen report. Additional documents:
Minutes: Having considered a ‘Safe Routes to Trunk Road Schools – Side Road Orders Crossgates and Trefonnen’ report members RESOLVED:
i. To initiate the Traffic Regulation Order consultation procedure in accordance with The Local Authorities’ Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 ii. That the consultation procedures be initiated and if no substantive objections are received the proposal be implemented
a. Moratorium – Traffic Regulation Orders
The Portfolio Holder had removed the moratorium which had been introduced by a previous Portfolio Holder. Members were urged to link with their communities in order to identify local traffic issues and to report back to Tony Caine who would consider suggestions/requests for actions to be taken.
b. Llanbister C P School – Waiting Area
During discussion the local member for Beguildy (Councillor Rachel Powell) reported on-going community concerns from Llanbister Community Council in relation to an area where school children wait which is close to the trunk road. The community feel that there’s significant risk. There had been repeated attempts by the community to engage with the Welsh Government in order to address the concerns (the Welsh Government being responsible for trunk roads). Tony Caine would purse the trunk road in relation to the matter.
c. Rhayader Traffic Management
The local member for Rhayader (Councillor Kelvyn Curry) reported that there had been a monitoring exercise at a 30mph zone near the primary school site which had evidence significant over-speeding. The member would urge traffic calming measures and the introduction of a 20 mph limit during school times. Tony Caine would consider the matter and report back.
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Local Policing (10.20 - 10.50) To discuss local policing with Inspector Andrew Pitt the local lead officer. Minutes: Members welcomed Inspector Andy Pitt, Inspector – Dyfed Powys Police to the meeting. Andy informed members that he had been a police officer for 22 years and had recently taken over responsibility for operational policing across the Radnorshire area. During discussion and update particular reference was made to:
a. 2017 Royal Welsh Show (Fatality) – in the light of a fatality at this year’s show and the subsequent inquest a safety advisory group had been constituted. The group had identified areas for review in order to add additional safeguards and reduce future risks b. Llangammarch Wells (Fire Fatalities) – significant resource had been used to support investigations. There had been national media reports c. Substance Misuse – substance misuse in the UK is very common and prevalent in Radnorshire. The police are very aware and monitor situations. Local intelligence is very welcome and encouraged. A member felt that there should be due regard and support for those who are using substances and recognition of their positions and vulnerabilities (those who use are often in desperate situations). Andy reported that the most commonly used, and most damaging substance, across the UK was alcohol d. Close Circuit Television – the Police and Crime Commissioner had recently confirmed that he held the opposite view to the previous Commissioner in relation to the operation of CCTV. The Commissioner feels that CCTV is very valuable to policing and is very important in deterring anti-social behaviours. The Commissioner would be considering introducing a programme of CCTV roll out e. Knighton – it was reported that there had been increased vandalism and more recently the smashing of car windows. Andy welcomed the input and would advise the local policing team f. Parking on Double Yellow Lines (Enforcement) – since April 2011 the local authority had been responsible for parking enforcement action (including against those who park inconsiderately on double yellow lines). The police would act if there was an obstruction. Members were urged to contact Andy with any obstruction concerns so that he could arrange for officers to police areas. Tony Caine, Road and Traffic Manager would also like to be advised in order to ensure that the Local Authority act. The issue of fines/court summons would be a strong deterrent. In some situations the courts had been unhelpful in prosecuting because it had been deemed that routes were still passable albeit if partly blocked
Andy reported that he welcomed attending future meetings and on building good links with County Councillors (members agreed vice-versa). It was agreed to invite Andy to all future meetings given that the cycle of shire meetings was bi-monthly. Members were urged to link with Andy regarding any issues that arise. Contact details would circulated to members. |
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Major Trauma Network for South and West Wales and South Powys (10.50 - 11.20) To receive an update in relation to proposals to establish a Major Trauma Network – Adrian Osbourne – Powys teaching Health Board. Minutes: Members welcomed Dr. Karen Gully, Medical Director – Powys teaching Health Board to the meeting for this item of business. During discussion particular reference was made to:
a. Major Trauma Incidents – major trauma incidents per year are small in comparison to presentations to accident and emergency units, however, the need for treatment is often speedy and involves a range of medical disciplines in order to maximise chances of survival b. Trauma Centre – there’s no trauma centre in Wales c. Options for Consultation – prior to the consultation exercise there had been significant work in order to arrive at recommendations to consult on (work commenced in 2014). Pre-consultation discussions included engagement, and input from, medical staff, stakeholders and patients. Members were urged to help publicise the consultation and asked to encourage residents to respond d. Trauma Network (Recommended Option) – the recommended option would be to base the trauma centre at Cardiff District General Hospital. The network supporting Cardiff would be very important, there would be designated roles for other hospital sites in order to support the delivery of provision. The network would deliver a better outcome for the patient from the initial treatment through to rehabilitation and life thereafter e. Assessment – the initial medical assessment in order to determine treatment would be very important f. Cross Border / Nearest Treatment Site – members expressed concern regarding the absence of recognition in the consultation document in relation to the use of services in England. Residents in Radnorshire who need urgent medical treatment often use services at Herford District General Hospital. Travel time to hospital sites in Wales can be greater than travel times to medical sites in England. Members would welcome recognition in the consultation document. Speedy access to the nearest site in the event of need should be recognised and a factor to consider g. County Council – in the light of the importance of the matter to residents it was agreed to request that the matter be an issue for consideration by the County Council
Members thanked Karen for her update. Members were urged to respond to the consultation and to help in raising awareness in order to maximise input and response. The deadline for responding to the consultation being 5th February 2018.
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Commercialisation of Services (11.20 - 11.50) To receive an update in relation to the commercialisation of services – Mark Evans, Interim Strategic Director: Resource. Minutes: Members welcomed Mark Evans - Interim Strategic Director: Resources and Nicola Williams – Business Services Programme Delivery Manager attended the meeting for this item of business. During discussion particular reference was made to:
a. Business Service Functions – functions include, managing the pension fund (£550 million), billing and collecting for social care, billing and collecting Council and business tax, operating the payroll function, providing housing and other benefit functions. There are statutory requirements which the services complies with b. Delivering Improvement – the costs involved with invoicing and paying are significant, purchase to pay functions being drive by Business Services removes those costs. The cashless system for schools programme has removed the risks associated with cash handling and delivered a better system for managing school payments including increasing the update of Free School Meals by those entitled which, in turn, had increased the grant from the Welsh Government. Cabinet had supported the establishment of the Heart of Wales Business Solutions approach which would enable the Authority to work closer with local traders/businesses in order to maximise the local spend. The DBS function had been a success with Powys providing the service to a number of other local authorities at a cost. A members suggested publicising the DBS function to organisations in the voluntary sector (numbers may be small but most voluntary organisations require DBS checks on staff). It reported that the DBS function includes reminder to flag when re-checks on staff are due c. Income Generation – there would continue to be a focus on identifying service functions that could be offered to others in order to generate income for the Council d. Local Spend – when reviewing and considering service requirements there’s a strong focus on maximising the local spend e. Re-designing Services – savings had been achieved through business re-design which would continue f. Change and Improvement Team – in order to change it had been recognised by Management Team that additional resource is needed. Management Team had provided funding to support the Change and Programme Delivery Team (three full time staff for the Change and Improvement Team and two full time staff for Programme Delivery). To date the work of the team had delivered improvements to a number of areas g. Commerciality – in order to deliver change and to support the Council in re-shaping its work there would be a strong focus on moving to be a more commercial organisation h. Payments– members were informed that systems had improved and that payments to suppliers would be made quickly, where purchase cards are used it would be normal for payments to be made within three days i. Outsourcing – a member raised the issue of the outsourcing and requested details of those services which the Council buys in j. Cabinet – Cabinet support the approach being taken and the work of the Change and Programme Delivery Team which fits well with the spirit of the Cabinet Vision 2025
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Reports from and Questions to Cabinet Portfolio Holders (11.50 - 12.50) To receive reports from, and to put questions to, Cabinet Portfolio Holders:
a. Councillor Rachel Powell – Cabinet Portfolio Holder: Children’s Services, Youth, Libraries and Leisure b. Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson – Cabinet Portfolio Holder: Housing and Countryside Services Minutes: Members welcomed the opportunity to receive reports from, and to put questions to, Cabinet Portfolio Holders.
Councillor Rachel Powell – Cabinet Portfolio Holder: Children’s Services, Youth, Library and Leisure Services
a. Youth Service Review – the service is under review which includes reviewing the use of youth centre sites. Retaining services, as opposed to retaining sites, would be a priority for the Portfolio Holder. Communities had been encouraged to engage in order to consider options for youth services their areas b. Youth Justice Service – members were encouraged to contact the service in order to understand it better. The support provided is very valuable to those who access provision, however, members may be lacking in knowledge in terms of what is provided c. Leisure Services (Sports Wales) – the Welsh Government would be looking to re-shape provision and had been consulting with Local Authorities. It is likely that there would be a focus on child sexual exploitation, mental health (including body image) d. Leisure Services (Freedom Leisure) – there’s on-going dialogue between the Local Authority and Freedom Leisure (Freedom Leisure operates leisure centre sites under contract with the Authority). There would be a pilot to provided autistic focused provision at some sites e. Staylittle Outdoor Pursuits Centre – the Portfolio Holder confirmed that options were being considered in relation to the future operation of the site, Cabinet would seek to retain provisions through the award of a contract with an external body (the Council could not fund and operate the site) f. Library Services – library sites are evolving and have become community hubs. There’s often resistance from communities regarding proposed changes which, once implement, have enhanced sites and been welcome. There are very good examples of sites adapting and modernising which sometimes go unrecognised. The new library site for Knighton would open in the February school half term g. Children’s Services – there had been pleasing progress in relation to delivering actions arising from the recent CSSIW inspection. There would be a re-branding of the Powys People Direct services and there would be a strong focus on direct access to social workers. There had been recruitment of agency staff in order to act quickly. The Portfolio Holder is confident that improvements will be made/evident h. Bannau / Camlais – there are very specialised services provided from the site in order to support those children/young people with disabilities. Members were urged to visit the site with the Portfolio Holder in order to gain better understandings. The Portfolio Holder visits regularly (every 4-6 weeks). There had been an inspection, the inspection report would be provided in due course to the Local Authority for review and appropriate actions (if needed) i. Foster Carers – there’s a recognised shortage in Powys, however, nine foster carers had recently joined the Council. The package of support for foster carers would be reviewed and the service had been looking to make packages more attractive by providing additional benefits i.e. working with local businesses j. Corporate Parenting ... view the full minutes text for item 23. |
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Reports from and Questions to Members Serving on Outside Bodies To receive reports from, and to put questions to, members serving on outside bodies. Minutes: Members welcomed the opportunity to receive reports from, and to put questions to, members serving on outside bodies.
Police and Crime Commissioner Panel – the Commissioner would be considering a programme of CCTV installation. The Commissioner had recognised the importance of a helicopter in order to support operations in rural areas and would be seeking to obtain support to re-instate the resource
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Date of Next Meeting To note the date of the next meeting – Wednesday 14th March 2018. Minutes: The next meeting would be held on Wednesday 14th March 2018.
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