Venue: Hybrid meeting - Zoom - County Hall. View directions
Contact: Stephen Boyd 01597 826374
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Apologies To receive apologies for absence. Additional documents: |
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To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the last meeting held as a correct record. Additional documents: Minutes: The Leader was authorised to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 27 September 2022 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. Additional documents: Minutes: There were no declarations of interest reported. |
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Transforming Education Programme - Ysgol Bro Hyddgen Capital Project PDF 163 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet was asked to approve the submission of a new Strategic Outline Case/Outline Business Case (SOC/OBC) to develop a new all-age school building for Ysgol Bro Hyddgen, Machynlleth. This replaced the previous version that was approved by Cabinet in September 2020, and no longer included leisure facilities which would continue to be provided from Bro Ddyfi Leisure Centre.
The total cost of the project was £49,120,375 to be funded with a 65% contribution by Welsh Government and 35% by the County Council.
The Cabinet Member welcomed the comments of the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee.
County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan spoke as the Chair of Governors of Ysgol Bro Hyddgen. He said that whilst there was disappointment that leisure facilities were included in the new option, there was recognition of the need to be pragmatic and to quickly replace the current building.
County Councillor Aled Davies spoke as leader of the opposition. He noted that there would be significant costs at the leisure centre over the next 10 years and he urged the Cabinet to adopt a phased approach so that wet side facilities could be added later. He also sought an assurance that there would be no downgrading or mothballing of leisure centre facilities.
The Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys reminded colleagues that the focus had to be to deliver a new school for Machynlleth and that any delay would push up costs. The Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys noted that the leisure centres had been underfunded for years and that there was a huge maintenance backlog.
RESOLVED
a) To approve the new SOC/OBC for submission to the Welsh Government based on a new preferred option to build a 540-place all-age school in Machynlleth to replace the current Ysgol Bro Hyddgen primary and secondary phase buildings. It will also incorporate early years facilities, a community room that is available after hours, and an additional learning needs centre, along with wellbeing areas throughout the school, external areas and a 3G pitch. The design could also include a space for a public library, if that is required. The reasons for this are as follows:
· This scheme is affordable within the Council’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme Band B funding envelope, and frees up further funding to be utilised on other school projects. · The estimated costs are lower than the original costs of the community campus, and significantly lower than the updated projected costs of that model · If approved by the Welsh Government, the Council can then commence the procurement process to appoint a ... view the full minutes text for item 4. |
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Adoption of ECO4 Flex in Powys PDF 112 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet considered the adoption of ECO4 Flex in Powys to expand the range of households who could benefit from help to improve energy efficiency and reduce fuel costs. In Powys ECO4 Flex would be delivered by Warm Wales, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company specialising in tackling fuel poverty
In response to a question from County Councillor Iain McIntosh, the Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys advised that the scheme would be introduced and publicised immediately. He confirmed that contracts would be between householders and Warm Wales and that the Council would not have any liability for the delivery of the scheme.
RESOLVED to support Option Two and adopt the revised Statement of Intent, attached to the report as Appendix B, for the delivery of ECO4 Flex in Powys by Warm Wales.
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Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 - Tenancy Terms for New Tenants PDF 107 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys.
Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet considered a report proposing to discontinue the use of Introductory Tenancies for new tenants with all current Introductory tenancies automatically converting to secure tenancies. A review by a Working Group on the use and effectiveness of Introductory Tenancies had found that there is no practical or operational reason to continue their use. The Cabinet Member noted that it was a punitive system that added costs and bureaucracy to the Housing service. He confirmed that the service was committed to filling voids as quickly as possible.
RESOLVED
1. That with effect from the date of the report, that the Council no longer issues Introductory Tenancies for new tenants of the Council.
2. That the Council does not offer Introductory Standard Contracts for new tenants, after the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 comes into force.
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Asset Management Strategy PDF 94 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Jake Berriman, Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys. Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet considered the Asset Management Strategy which set out a framework within which all the council’s land and property assets (excluding assets managed by the Housing Service) would be appraised, managed, and released to ensure that they continue to contribute to and deliver the Council’s objectives. In response to comments by the leader of the opposition, the Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys advised that it was not the purpose of the strategy to recommend which properties to dispose of. The strategy required each asset or group of assets to be reviewed by Strategic Property every five years.
The Executive Director Economy and Environment advised that the council was bidding for funding to support its work in managing its property portfolio and that £175,000 had been received from the Welsh Government agency Ystadau Cymru.
RESOLVED that the Asset Management Strategy is adopted by Cabinet with immediate effect.
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To consider a report by County Councillor Jake Berriman, Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys.
Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet was asked to approve the Powys Local Development Plan Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022 (AMR 2022) in readiness for its publication and submission to the Welsh Government no later than 31stOctober 2022. The AMR assesses the extent to which the plan’s strategy and key policies, sites and infrastructure requirements were being delivered.
The AMR 2022 demonstrated that the adopted LDP was largely delivering and meeting the monitoring targets, pointing to successful policy implementation. Of the 62 monitoring indicators, 42 were “Green” where the monitoring is on target or completed and the action required was for monitoring to continue. Six were “Yellow” identifying that further investigation/research was required; four were “Amber” suggesting that a Policy Review was required; and four were “Red” indicating that a Plan Review was required as they related to the delivery of the strategy.
The growth strategy of the adopted LDP was primarily led by housing growth and the AMR identified under-performance against the anticipated housing completions target rate. The cumulative number of net additional dwellings delivered since 2011 was 2,470 dwellings against the anticipated 3,036 dwellings. Of the 80 Housing Allocation (HA) sites in the LDP, 54 (68%) still did not have any form of planning permission.
RESOLVED to approve AMR 2022 with Annex 1 and Annex 2 in order for the AMR to be submitted to the Welsh Government by 31st October 2022 in accordance with the relevant legislation.
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Annual Information Governance Report 2021-2022 PDF 281 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Jake Berriman, Cabinet Member for a Connected Powys. Additional documents: Minutes: This report was deferred to give time for Scrutiny to look at it.
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Forward Work Programme PDF 412 KB To consider the Cabinet forward work programme. Additional documents: Minutes: Cabinet noted the forward work programme. |
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Exempt Items 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.
Additional documents: 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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Children's Placements To consider a report by County Councillors Sandra Davies and Susan McNicholas, Cabinet Members for Future Generations. Additional documents:
Minutes: Cabinet considered a confidential report and Children’s Placement Strategy. The report informed Cabinet of the challenges in Children’s Services in securing appropriate, regulated placements for Children in Powys Local Authority Care and informed Cabinet of the future Strategy and Plans to ensure a sufficient supply of quality placements across Powys.
Cabinet was advised that considerable activity was underway to take forward Welsh Government’s commitment to eliminate private profit from the care of looked after children. The aim was to ensure that public money invested in accommodation for care experienced children did not lead to profit, but instead any surpluses were reinvested into children’s services to deliver better outcomes, service improvement and further professional development. This meant that the care of looked after children in Wales would be provided by public sector, charitable or not for profit organisations.
Cabinet asked that any parts of the report that might lead to children being identified be redacted so that it could be made publicly available.
RESOLVED to endorse the Children’s Placement Strategy set out in the report and Appendix A to increase in County placement capacity and reduce the reliance on profit making providers ensuring Powys has a range of flexible placement, accommodation and support options in Powys.
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