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 WT Jones and from County Councillor JG Morris, Chair of the Audit Committee. |
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To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the meetings held on 20 December 2016 (attached) and 10 January 2017 (to follow) as correct records. Additional documents: Minutes: Subject to the inclusion of text confirming that an impact assessment had been carried out for the report on car parking traffic order and had been looked in detail, the Leader was authorised to sign the minutes of the meeting held on 20th December 2016, adjourned and reconvened on 10th January 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: There were no declarations of interest reported. |
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Approval of the Gypsy Traveller Accommodation Assessment 2016 PDF 116 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Rosemarie Harris, Portfolio Holder for Property, Buildings and Housing and County Councillor Wynne Jones, Portfolio Holder for Finance. Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader advised that he was changing the running order of the agenda to take the two items from the Housing service first as the Portfolio Holder had to leave to attend another meeting.
Cabinet received the results of the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment. The assessment had identified a need for a new five pitch site in Machynlleth, the provision of two additional pitches on the Leighton Arches site in Welshpool and the development of three un-serviced pitches on the Kings Meadow site in Brecon. Welsh Government funding had been secured for the Brecon site but the Council would have to apply for funding for the other schemes. Cabinet was advised that Welsh Government would only offer a grant if the Council owned the land and planning permission had been granted. Work was continuing to identify a site in Machynlleth. Cabinet noted that the capital programme allocation for this scheme was £2.280m in 2017/18 based on a £1.5m Welsh Government (WG) grant but there was a risk about whether WG would continue to fund sites at the level. There was no capital allocation for any development in Welshpool in 2018/19 and once the costs had been determined these would be put forward in a capital pressures list for 2018/19. Additional revenue costs of prudential borrowing for future years would have to be included in the Financial Resources Model for consideration at budget setting.
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Home Grown Homes Project and the adoption of a Wood Encouragement Policy PDF 101 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Rosemarie Harris, Portfolio Holder for Property, Buildings and Housing. Minutes: Cabinet received details of a Wood Encouragement Policy aimed at promoting the use of locally grown timber in the construction of residential accommodation. The promotion of local and home grown timber, locally processed timber products and the local manufacture of timber framed homes in Powys would contribute to the aim of the Home Grown Homes project by helping to maximise the impact of housing expenditure on the economy of Powys.
It was confirmed that the project would advocate the growth of both hardwoods and softwoods on land not suitable for food production. The Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability advised that the County Farms Estate had identified some parcels of land that would be suitable.
County Councillor Harris left the meeting.
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To consider a report by County Councillor Tony Thomas, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Planning. Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet received representations and comments, organised by ‘issue’, on the Powys LDP’s Further Focussed Changes (FFCs). 741 representations had been received from 593 representors, with the majority related to the proposed FFC79 and the proposed inclusion of Local Search Areas for wind and solar energy. The appendix to the report set out proposed Council response to the representations received. The draft responses had been considered and agreed by the LDP Working Group at its meeting on 9th January. The Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Planning placed on record his thanks to the officers dealing with the LDP.
Cabinet was reminded that the inclusion of Local Search Areas was in response to Welsh Government and Ministerial advice to incorporate spatial representation of renewable energy policy in the LDP. These areas were informed by a high level desk-top exercise which did not consider site specific development. Any proposals would be subject to the normal development control process. The Professional Lead – Planning Policy recommended that additional work should be carried out on the Renewable Energy Assessment including grid connections and associated infrastructure which would further refine and may reduce the Local Search Areas. Members expressed frustration that the intervention of Welsh Government had put the Council in this position, but noted that without the inclusion of Local Search Areas the Welsh Government would be unlikely to support the LDP through the examination process. That would put the Council in the position of not having a development plan in place and the consequent risk of unmanaged development.
In response to criticism that full Council was not being allowed to have an input, Members were reminded that Council had delegated authority to the Cabinet to agree the Council’s response. It was also pointed out that the LDP Working Group had representation from each of the three Shire Committees and that it had been open to any Member to attend the Cabinet and make representations. It was confirmed that the LDP would come back to full Council for approval.
In response to concerns about the 0% target contribution for affordable housing in the south-west of the county, the Professional Lead – Planning Policy explained that the Viability Assessment update had concluded that it would not be realistic to introduce an affordable housing contribution on housing developments in that area. In response to concerns that there had not been enough consideration to hydropower schemes, it was explained that the low impact sites had already been developed, leaving only high impact sites.
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Welshpool Town Primary Education PDF 86 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Arwel Jones, Portfolio Holder for Education. Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet had visited the schools on 10th January. Cabinet was advised that one objection had been received to the proposals for primary education in Welshpool. The issues raised were addressed in the report. Members welcomed the proposals, particularly the establishment of a new Welsh-medium school in the town.
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To consider a report by County Councillor Arwel Jones, Portfolio Holder for Education. Minutes: This item was deferred to the next meeting on 7th February. |
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Update from the Anti-Poverty Working Group To receive an update from the Anti-Poverty Champion County Councillor Joy Jones. Minutes: County Councillor Joy Jones, the Council’s Anti-Poverty Champion, gave an update on the work of the Anti-Poverty Group. She welcomed the input of Business Continuity & Risk Management Officer and the Anti-Poverty Corporate Project Support Assistant who had provided great support to the group. She reported that the roll out of universal credit was causing great concern and was contributing to an increased use of foodbanks. Councillor Jones also reported that she had successfully lobbied to have an 01 number introduced for the Council’s out of hours telephone number which was cheaper for mobile users than an 0845 number. She asked that the Communications Team publicise this as a good news story for the Council.
The Anti-Poverty Corporate Project Support Assistant gave a presentation on some of the findings he had made since his appointment. He reported that after housing costs, 21.47% of children in Powys were considered to be in poverty against the Welsh average of 27.33%. There was a wide variation between electoral divisions ranging from 1.67% in Yscir to 39.88% in Newtown East which was a greater number of children (as a percentage) in poverty than in Birmingham City Council (37.47%). Cabinet noted that the roll out of the cashless system had greatly increased the take up of free school meals and that the system would be introduced in the Welsh medium high schools in February and March.
The Anti-Poverty Champion closed the presentation by inviting Members to a Tackling Poverty workshop on 17th February. The presentation would be sent to Members.
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Joint Partnership Board Minutes PDF 67 KB To receive for information the minutes of the meetings of the Joint Partnership Board held on 7 November and 5 December 2016. Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet received the minutes of the meetings of the Joint Partnership Board held on 7th November and 5th December 2016. |
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Correspondence To receive such correspondence as in the opinion of the Leader is of such urgency as to warrant consideration. Minutes: There were no items of correspondence reported. |
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Delegated Decisions Taken Since the Last Meeting PDF 37 KB To note the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting. Minutes: Cabinet received details of the delegated decisions taken by Portfolio Holders since the last meeting. |
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Forward Work Programme PDF 68 KB To consider the Cabinet forward work programme. Minutes: The Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care advised that the Health and Care Strategy would be reported to Cabinet either in March or after the local government elections. The forward work programme was virtually unpopulated after March and Portfolio Holders were asked to get their Heads of Service to update it.
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