Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall. View directions
Contact: Stephen Boyd 01597 826374
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Apologies To receive apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor James Evans. |
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To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the last meeting held as a correct record. Minutes: The Leader was authorised to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 10th October 2017 as a correct record. |
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Declarations of Interest To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda. Minutes: The Leader and Deputy Leader advised that they had both participated in the WLGA Council meeting when the Joint Council for Wales resolution on local government pay had been passed. |
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Welsh in Education Strategic Plan 2017 - 2020 PDF 83 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, Portfolio Holder for Education and Welsh Language. Additional documents:
Minutes: The Portfolio Holder for Education and the Welsh Language presented the draft Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) for 2017-2020 setting out the outcomes and objectives of the plan. She explained that the plan sought to address the current inequality to access to Welsh language education in the county by replicating the successful Ysgol Dafydd Llwyd model. The WESP included proposals for an all through Category 2A school in the north of the county, additional Welsh medium places in the Ystradgynlais area, the development of Welsh medium provision in the Llanidloes area and the establishment of Welsh medium provision in the Gwernyfed catchment.
County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan spoke in support of the WESP.
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21st Century Schools Programme - Capital Investment Band B (2019 - 2024) PDF 95 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, Portfolio Holder for Education and Welsh Language.
Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet considered the Strategic Outline Programme for £113.92m of capital investment in schools as part of the second wave of Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools Programme (known as Band B), 2019 – 2024. The Director of Education confirmed that business plans would be drawn up for each project looking at the demographics of communities, location, size and types of schools and that there would be engagement with local members and communities. Cabinet welcomed the substantial investment in the education infrastructure in the county and thanked the officers involved in drawing up the programme.
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Plans for Powys Schools Policy (draft) - Vision 2025 PDF 70 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander, Portfolio Holder for Education and Welsh Language.
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Minutes: Cabinet considered a new policy for the development and organisation of schools in Powys to replace the current Schools Organisation Policy 2015 and to reflect the proposed changes to the Welsh Government’s Schools Organisation Code 2013. The Welsh Government recently consulted upon revisions to the Code which included proposals to strengthen the presumption against closure of rural schools.
The new ‘Plans for Powys Schools Policy – Vision 2025’ was aligned with the revised Code and included a framework which enabled schools to strengthen school-to-school collaboration and to establish new models of governance, in order to achieve improved outcomes and opportunities for pupils, families whilst also generating potential efficiencies.
The Portfolio Holder for Education explained that an activity led review would be carried out which help establish the costs of delivering the service to ensure that it was sustainable.
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Powys County Council Affordable Housing Programme PDF 93 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Countryside Services.
Additional documents:
Minutes: Welsh Government was committed to providing 20,000 new affordable homes in Wales and had made capital resources available, with the Council securing £7.2m in social housing grant to build new affordable homes.
Cabinet considered proposals for the Housing Service: · to develop a phased five year programme for the development of new council rent homes and the development of low cost home ownership homes; · to create a project board to develop a Powys specific housing development framework within the next 12 months; and · to procure individual housing development schemes as pilot schemes whilst the framework is being developed.
Cabinet welcomed the proposals to build new council houses in Powys.
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Welsh Housing Quality Standards Programme PDF 106 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Countryside Services. Minutes: The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Countryside Services advised that the service aimed to maintain and improve its housing stock to at least Welsh Housing Quality Standards. Delays to letting some contracts meant that the deadline to meet WHQS standards needed to be extended.
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Evaluation of the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme in Powys PDF 102 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Countryside Services. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet received the evaluation report on the resettlement of 12 Syrian families in Ystradgynlais and Newtown noting that overall the scheme was viewed as a success by delivery partners, community groups and the families themselves. The review had highlighted some weaknesses relating to communication and English language support that the service would address. Members spoke in support of the scheme paying tribute to the communities in Ystradgynlais and Newtown and the local members for making the Syrian families welcome. Cabinet also considered the resettlement of a further 6 families in Llandrindod Wells.
County Councillor Emily Durrant spoke in favour of extending the scheme and urged the Cabinet to work with Hay, Brecon and Talgarth Sanctuary for Refugees to resettle further vulnerable Syrian families in that part of the county.
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Development of accommodation for Gypsies & Travellers PDF 81 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Countryside Services. Minutes: Cabinet received a progress report on the development of additional accommodation for Gypsies and Travellers. Four new pitches had been developed at the Kings Meadow site near Brecon, the Leighton Arches site in Welshpool was being extended and planning consent had been obtained for the site in Machynlleth and the council were currently in negotiation with the owner for the purchase of the site. The Leader suggested that the Cabinet visit the site when they were in Machynlleth.
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Financial Overview and Forecast as at 30th September 2017 and Deficit Recovery Plan PDF 219 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance.
Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet considered the budget outturn report for the period ended 30 September and the options contained in the deficit recovery plan to reduce the level of the projected deficit.
The Portfolio Holder for Finance reported that the financial position had deteriorated since the last meeting and that the delivery of savings had slowed down. If not addressed this would not only increase the deficit at the year end but impact on the base revenue budget going forward. He drew Cabinet’s attention to the email sent on behalf of the Audit Committee calling for Portfolio Holders to take responsibility for spending within their departments and immediately identify savings. The Portfolio Holder for Finance advised Portfolio Holders to work with their Heads of service to focus on delivering savings and delaying filling vacancies.
The Acting Chief Executive advised that the Management Team had looked in detail at the deficit recovery plan. Budget managers would be encouraged to limit expenditure and take a balanced approach to filling vacancies.
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Capital Programme Update for September 2017 PDF 107 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance. Minutes: Cabinet was advised that the revised Capital Programme after accounting for approved virements was £101,309m, of which committed expenditure was £50.028m (49%) of the budget. The actual spend to the end of September was £24.0m.
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Treasury Management Quarter 2 Report PDF 196 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet considered the Treasury Management report for the second quarter of 2017.
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Correspondence |
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Joint Council for Wales PDF 28 KB The Trade Union side have requested that Cabinet support the attached motion passed by the WLGA Joint Council for Wales.
Minutes: The Trade Union side has asked Cabinet to support a motion passed at the WLGA Joint Council for Wales supporting the NJC pay claim for 2018, submitted by UNISON, GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers and calling for an immediate end of public sector pay restraint. Cabinet was advised that allowance had been made for a 2% rise in the budget projections. The Leader and Deputy Leader advised that they had been present when the WLGA had voted on this and therefore abstained from voting.
RESOLVED to support the Joint Council for Wales motion calling on the government to fund the NJC claim and the pay spine review. |
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Delegated Decisions Taken Since the Last Meeting PDF 35 KB To note the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting. Minutes: Cabinet received details of delegated decisions taken by portfolio holders since the last meeting. |
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Forward Work Programme PDF 85 KB To consider the Cabinet forward work programme. Minutes: Cabinet received the forward work programme.
The Leader advised that she was taking the next report as an urgent item in view of the need to submit the improvement plan for Children’s Services.
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Children's Services Improvement Plan PDF 790 KB Minutes: Cabinet considered the draft improvement plan for Children’s Services which was due to be considered by the Improvement Board later in the day.
The Interim Director of Social Services explained that the plan focused on the immediate actions that needed to be taken in response to the issues highlighted in the CSSIW inspection and the warning letter sent by the Minister. The Interim Director gave a commitment to delivering safe services to the children in Powys and advised that if the plan was delivered Council could be confident that there would be a far greater degree of safety for children and families. He acknowledged that the plan needed further work to the sections on corporate responsibility in relation to resourcing, HR and performance management.
The Acting Chief Executive gave Cabinet an assurance that Management Team accepted that this was a key corporate issue and was giving this matter its full attention. An improvement plan for corporate services supporting Children’s Services was being developed to run alongside the improvement plan for Children’s Services.
The Interim Director of Social Services gave a commitment to developing the longer term capacity of the service, recruiting staff and developing those staff in post with proper career progression.
RESOLVED to approve the improvement plan for Children’s Services subject to any amendments made by the improvement Board. |
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Exempt Items The Monitoring Officer has determined that category 1 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules applies to the following item. His view on the public interest test (having taken account of the provisions of Rule 14.8 of the Council’s Access to Information Rules) was that to make this information public would disclose personal data relating to an individual in contravention of the principles of the Data Protection Act. Because of this and since there did not appear to be an overwhelming public interest requiring the disclosure of personal data he felt that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. Members are asked to consider these factors when determining the public interest test, which they must decide when considering excluding the public from this part of the meeting.
Minutes: RESOLVED to exclude the public for the following item of business on the grounds that there would be disclosure to them of exempt information under category 1 of The Local Authorities (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007).
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Youth Service Redesign To consider a report by County Councillor Rachel Powell, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Services, Youth, Libraries and Leisure Services. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet considered a report on redesigning the Youth Service to deliver the £220k savings target for 2018/19. The proposal was meet the savings target through a mix of direct and contracted out services. The Portfolio Holder thanked the Scrutiny Working Group for their input into the report.
County Councillor Laurie-Parry spoke in support of the work carried out by the Youth Service.
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