Agenda and minutes

To receive apologies for absence.

To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 27^th February 2024 as a correct record.

The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 27^th February 2024 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 of interest reported.

To consider a report by County Councillor Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys.

Cabinet considered responses to the consultation on the proposal to make a regulated alteration to alter the medium of instruction at Ysgol Bro Caereinion from dual-stream to Welsh-medium on a phased basis, year-by-year. The report included the consultation document, the consultation report which detailed the responses received and the Council’s response to them, minutes of meetings with staff, governors and pupils and updated impact assessments.

There had been a large response to the consultation with respondents supporting and opposing the proposal. Based on the findings of the consultation, the advice of officers was that the Council should proceed with the proposal to change Ysgol Bro Caereinion’s language category by publishing a Statutory Notice.

To address the concerns about the proposed implementation in the secondary phase, it was recommended that an amendment was made to the date that the secondary transition would start, from September 2025 to September 2026. This would provide a further year for arrangements to be made for pupils to access ‘Trochi’ provision, and it would also provide a further year for pupils and their families to consider their choices. This would mean that pupils currently in years 5 and 6 would not be affected by the change of language category and the first cohort that would be affected would be the current year 4.

To address concerns raised in the consultation regarding transport for those pupils whose chose alternative English-medium secondary education it was recommended that, as a temporary measure, free home-to-school transport to their nearest English-medium secondary school be offered to those pupils who were (a) currently in years 4 and below at Ysgol Bro Caereinion and Ysgol Rhiw Bechan and (b) who currently access English-medium primary provision at those schools, when they transfer from primary to secondary education from September 2026 onwards. Once those pupils in year 4 and below had transferred the offer of free home-to-school transport would end. Cabinet was advised that there may in future be a need to revise the Council’s Home to School Transport Policy to differentiate between a Welsh-medium secondary provider and a dual stream secondary provider, to ensure that pupils wishing to access designated Welsh-medium secondary provision are able to do so.

County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan spoke as the Chair of the WESP Partnership in favour of the proposal. He highlighted the importance of Trochi and for co-operation with Ysgol Bro Hydden.

County Councillor Gareth D Jones spoke as the local councillor. He acknowledged that while many in the community welcomed the proposal others strongly opposed it. He welcomed the proposed change to the recommendations to delay the start of the secondary transition to September 2026. He also welcomed the proposal for free home-to-school transport for year 4 and below but said that it was unacceptable for other pupils wishing to choose English medium education to pay for transport and he called for this to be looked at. He highlighted the request from the governors for a written commitment for additional funding to offset an anticipated fall in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider a report by County Councillor Pete Roberts, Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys.

The Director of Social Services and Wellbeing declared an interest in this item and left the meeting while it was being considered.

Cabinet was advised that no objections had been received during the statutory objection period and therefore it was recommended to proceed with implementation of the proposal to close Irfon Valley C.P. School from the 31^st August 2024.

The Director of Education placed on record her thanks to the staff and governors for the years of service that they had given to the school and the community.

                        RESOLVED

1.    To approve the proposal to close Irfon Valley C.P. School from 31^st August 2024, with pupils to transfer to their nearest alternative schools.

2.    In accordance with the Scheme for Financing Schools, to introduce the following restrictions on Irfon Valley C.P. School:

·         Spend at the school is restricted to that included in its approved budget plan and no virement of funds between budget headings is permitted unless approved by the Authority;

·         Any staffing changes are subject to approval by the Authority;

·         Any contracts awarded for the supply of goods or services are subject to approval by the Authority.

To consider a report by County Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys.

Cabinet considered the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Thirty Year Financial Business Plan Starting 2024-2025 as set out in the HRA Business Plan Narrative.

The HRA Thirty Year Business Plan starting 2024-25 for Powys:

·         Supports the outcomes of the Council’s Corporate and Strategic Equalities Plan: ‘Stronger, Fairer, Greener’.

·         Makes sure the HRA treasury management strategy is prudent and complies with the Council’s approach to borrowing.

·         Sets a balanced budget with minimum reserve of £1,000,000 (or 3% of expenditure).

·         Allows the Council to maintain the current WHQS for current homes but within current income projects is not able to cover in full the predicted additional costs arising from WHQS-2023.

·         Supports the development of at least 350 new homes by 2031.

·         Balances the need to keep rents affordable with making sure that homes are maintained and kept in good condition.

·         Maximises revenue and expenditure efficiencies.

·         Complies with the Prudential Code.

A new build housing programme was underway which would deliver at least 350 new council homes by 2031. Further schemes were being developed to expand this programme. The development of new homes by the Council was supported by the acquisition of existing homes to increase the availability of affordable, secure housing.

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys confirmed that there were no plans to sell off the Council’s social housing stock. He thanked the Tenants Scrutiny Panel and its Chair Mr Dave O’Connor and the Head of Housing and his team for their work.

RESOLVED to approve the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Thirty Year Business Plan 2024-2025, as set out in the HRA Business Plan Narrative (attached to the report as Appendix A).

County Councillor David Thomas joined the meeting at 10.53.

To consider a report by the Leader, County Councillor James Gibson-Watt.

Cabinet considered the report for quarter 3 which set out performance against the objectives in the Corporate and Strategic Equality Plan.  The report also set out a number of proposed amendments to measures.

The Cabinet also considered comments and recommendations from the Scrutiny Committees. A formal response would be provided by the due date.

                        RESOLVED that Cabinet

1.    Confirm they are assured that performance is progressing well, or that mitigating actions have been identified and reflected in updates to service Integrated Business Plans.

2.    Confirm they are satisfied that any remedial actions will effectively improve performance in line with outcomes set out in the Corporate and Strategic Equality Plan.

3.    Note the following amendments to measures:

·                Measure 13: ‘The percentage of people accessing leisure facilities who report positive well-being (a high number is better)’ has been removed from the reporting, as the data is not available from the provider.

·                Measure 16: ‘Number of learners enrolled in local authority community learning per 1,000 population (a high number is better)’ has been removed from the reporting.  It is considered that this measure does not adequately reflect adult learning in the county, and relevant data are not available to report accurate enrolment figures nor meaningful updates.

·                Measure 34: ‘Number of households who are living in temporary accommodation (a low number is better)’ has been updated to add clarifying information in brackets.  It now reads: ‘Number of households who are living in temporary accommodation (those owed S68 interim duty who are/may be homeless and in priority need) (a low number is better)’.

·                Measure 35: ‘A reduction in the child poverty rate’ has been amended to ‘The child absolute poverty rate’; this clarifies that the measure is monitoring the actual rate and not calculating a reduction.  The aim is to enable readers of the report to understand the actual rate of child poverty over time.

·                Measure 37: ‘Number of households who are homeless (a low number is better)’ has been updated to add clarifying information in brackets.  It now reads: ‘Number of households who are homeless (those owed S73 duty to relieve homelessness and final S75 duty to help secure accommodation for those in priority need) (a low number is better)’.

To consider the recommendations of the Joint Scrutiny Working Group on the leisure review.

County Councillor Gareth E Jones presented the comments and recommendations of the Joint Scrutiny Working Group on the effectiveness and impact of the Officer Working Group processes for the Leisure Review. The Working Group had concluded that each element of the review had been considered and conducted thoroughly for the best outcome for the residents of Powys and the Council as a whole. Councillor Jones asked that each of the Scrutiny Committees be given the opportunity to scrutinise the Leisure Review proposals.

The Cabinet Member for a More Prosperous Powys thanked the Working Group and said he accepted or partially accepted their recommendations. He confirmed that officers would provide as much information as possible whilst being mindful of the commercial sensitivity of some of the information.

To consider a report by County Councillor David Thomas, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Transformation.

Cabinet considered the Treasury Management report for Quarter 3. The report set out the Council’s borrowing and investment strategy.

To note the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting.

Cabinet noted the delegated decisions taken by Cabinet members since the last meeting.

To consider the Cabinet forward work programme.

Cabinet noted the forward work programme.

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.

The resolution to exclude the press and public was not passed as the exempt report had been withdrawn.

To consider a report by County Councillor Sandra Davies, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Future Generations.

This item was withdrawn.