Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor James Evans.

To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 28 November 2018 as a correct record.

The Leader was authorised to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 28^th November 2018 as a correct record.

To receive any declarations of interest from Members relating to items to be considered on the agenda.

There were no declarations reported.

To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Countryside and Transport.

Cabinet considered an update for Quarter 2 of 2018-19 on the top 20 Performance Indicators, the Corporate Improvement Plan and the 2017-18 end of year data for the 26 Public Accountability Measures. The report set out remedial actions for those indicators which were red or amber. Cabinet was provided with an explanation for the decline in the percentage of municipal waste recycled. In order to achieve the 64% recycling target for 2019/20, further measures would need to be implemented to get more recycling material from the kerbside. The opening of the new household waste recycling centre in Newtown would also help in this regard.

Cabinet noted that although the proportion of spend with Powys based suppliers had not increased in percentage terms due to the large capital spends on new schools, an additional £10m had been spent with Powys suppliers. The Portfolio Holder for Young People advised that there had been a significant improvement in the performance in Children’s Services and she thanked the staff.

To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Countryside and Transport.

Cabinet considered a new method for co-ordinating and reporting quality assurance reflecting the Signs of Safety approach adopted by Children’s Services. 

County Councillor Phyl Davies joined the meeting at 10.46 a.m.

To consider a report by the Leader, County Councillor Rosemarie Harris.

Cabinet was advised that following a review of the risk register by the Leader and the Acting Corporate Policy, Assurance and Inspection officer it was proposed to de-escalate a number of risks to service level and re-brand the corporate risk register as the ‘strategic risk register’.  This should provide greater clarity, and ensure that only risks which will have a strategic impact, or which require strategic input to mitigate, would be escalated to the strategic risk register.

To consider a report by County Councillor Phyl Davies, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Recycling and Assets.

Cabinet considered proposals in respect of the Toilets at Oxford Road and the Clock Tower, Broad Street, Hay Recreation ground and sports pavilion and the Rural District Council offices in Broad Street. Cabinet also considered the letter received from Hay-on-Wye Town Council.

The Portfolio Holder for Highways, Recycling and Assets thanked the officers involved.

To receive the minutes of the Improvement and Assurance Board meeting held on 31 October 2018.

Cabinet received the minutes of the Improvement and Assurance Board meeting held on 31^st October 2018.

To receive such correspondence as in the opinion of the Leader is of such urgency as to warrant consideration.

There were no items of correspondence.

To note the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting.

Cabinet noted details of delegated decisions taken since the last meeting.

To consider the Cabinet forward work programme.

The forward work programme was noted.

The Monitoring Officer has determined that category 3 of the Access to Information Procedure Rules applies to the following items. 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 information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).

These factors in his view outweigh the public interest in disclosing this 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.

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 3 of The Local Authorities (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007).

To consider a report by County Councillor Phyl Davies, Portfolio Holder for Highways, Recycling and Assets.

Cabinet considered proposals for the relocation of services currently located at Neuadd Maldwyn to premises in Newtown. The proposals followed consultation with managers of services with significant numbers of staff based in Neuadd Maldwyn, and would be subject to formal consultation with affected staff. Proposals in respect of the co-location of the library and museum would be coming forward in a separate report once the responses to the public consultation had been analysed.

County Councillor Graham Breeze and Phil Pritchard spoke as local members. The Portfolio Holder for Young People and Culture agreed to arrange for Councillors Breeze and Pritchard to be briefed on staffing issues regarding the co-location.

Officers were thanked for their work on this project.