Venue: Council Chamber - County Hall, Llandrindod Wells
Contact: Stephen Boyd 01597 826374
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Apologies To receive apologies for absence. Minutes: Apologies for absence were received from County Councillors J Charlton, S Davies, MJ Jones, K Laurie-Parry, S Lewis, J Pugh and T Van-Rees.
Members and officers stood as a mark of respect for Peter Scott, a long-serving member of Highway Grounds and Street Scene team based at Llangammarch depot, who had died following a road accident. |
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To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the last meeting as a correct record. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the last Council meeting held on 19th October 2018 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: County Councillors David Evans, Emyr Jones, Gary Price and Gareth Pugh declared personal and prejudicial interests in 15.2 Notion of Motion on Empty Property Management Orders.
County Councillors Mark Barnes, Beverley Baynham, Graham Breeze, Linda Corfield, Kelvyn Curry, Bryn Davies, Matthew Dorrance, Emily Durrant, James Gibson-Watt, Heulwen Hulme, Arwel Jones, David Jones, Joy Jones, Diane Jones-Poston, Karl Lewis, Peter Lewis, Maureen Mackenzie, Susan McNicholas, David Meredith, Claire Mills, Gareth Morgan, John Morris, William Powell, David Price, Gary Price, Gareth Ratcliffe, Pete Roberts, Kath Roberts-Jones, Kathryn Silk, Elwyn Vaughan, Angelique Williams, Jon Williams, Michael Williams, Roger Williams and Sarah Williams declared personal non prejudicial interests in 15.4 Notion of Motion on the Powys Pension Fund as members of the Fund. |
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Public Questions |
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Question to the Portfolio Holder for Property and Waste from Phil Bettley PDF 58 KB For decades I have been a good citizen, keeping our own home and environment tidy by taking often bulky items to a recycling facility. Frequently, I have helped family, neighbours and friends to do the same sometimes by hiring a van.
For the first time in my life this ability has been removed by Powys County Council forcing me to register one specific vehicle that can be permitted to enter the recycling facility.
I have a small van for domestic use only; my wife has a trailer; sometimes we hire a larger van when projects arise.
Your policy of enforcing Trade waste to pay for disposal is understandable, but your process for achieving this is diabolical. Me, and anyone else from my address, should be able to take non trade waste to the recycling facility as many times as may be necessary, in whatever vehicle, van or trailer we choose.
Your job is to enforce the trade waste issue, and in doing so not prevent domestic users from fulfilling their civic duty.
The current permit system was hastily conceived and is not fit for purpose. Please will you rethink this process?
Minutes: For decades I have been a good citizen, keeping our own home and environment tidy by taking often bulky items to a recycling facility. Frequently, I have helped family, neighbours and friends to do the same sometimes by hiring a van.
For the first time in my life this ability has been removed by Powys County Council forcing me to register one specific vehicle that can be permitted to enter the recycling facility. I have a small van for domestic use only; my wife has a trailer; sometimes we hire a larger van when projects arise.
Your policy of enforcing Trade waste to pay for disposal is understandable, but your process for achieving this is diabolical. Me, and anyone else from my address, should be able to take non trade waste to the recycling facility as many times as may be necessary, in whatever vehicle, van or trailer we choose.
Your job is to enforce the trade waste issue, and in doing so not prevent domestic users from fulfilling their civic duty.
The current permit system was hastily conceived and is not fit for purpose. Please will you rethink this process?
Answer The Household Waste Recycling Centres are provided for residents to dispose of their own household waste. They are not provided for commercial use as under the legislation businesses must make their own arrangements for their waste and recycling and are required to pay for this service ensuring that all relevant documentation is held to prove that they have disposed of their waste legally.
Unfortunately many businesses do try to circumvent the system and illegally use the Household Waste Recycling Centres. It is of course impossible to prevent all such use, but having controls in place for commercial vehicles and trailers does make it more difficult. We do appreciate that this may inconvenience householders who do use a commercial vehicle as their private mode of transport, but unfortunately it is very difficult for a site attendant to identify what is and what isn’t commercial waste as it may look identical. An example of this would be waste produced through the operation of a holiday let. Any waste produced by the holiday tenants, any cleaning materials, or garden waste from maintaining the grounds of these premises, is classed as commercial waste but could easily be mistaken for domestic waste. Similarly, if any waste is produced from a business operating from a domestic address, the waste is classed as commercial and should not be taken to a Household Waste Recycling Centre.
There is a considerable cost to running these sites and processing the waste, which includes garden waste. In order to make savings, the previous Cabinet reduced the opening days at each site to three days and prohibited all commercial vehicles and trailers. This was following a consultation where the public responded overwhelmingly to not close facilities but instead restrict days and access to commercial vehicles. These changes still proved very unpopular with the public and on this basis one of ... view the full minutes text for item 4.1 |
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Question to the Leader from Michael McCarthy PDF 53 KB Powys Council commissioned a major external review of children’s services during 2015/16. This was tasked with service development, meeting its duties under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act and establishing if efficiencies to the value of £2.7m were deliverable and sustainable. Do you accept that not prioritising safeguarding was a serious omission which contributed to the failings in children’s services which were identified in the recent CSSIW report?
Minutes: Powys Council commissioned a major external review of children’s services during 2015/16. This was tasked with service development, meeting its duties under the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act and establishing if efficiencies to the value of £2.7m were deliverable and sustainable. Do you accept that not prioritising safeguarding was a serious omission which contributed to the failings in children’s services which were identified in the recent CSSIW report?
Answer The Council has fully accepted the findings of the CSSIW Report issued in October 2017. As a result the Council has produced an improvement plan and is working closely with the independent chair of the externally appointed Improvement Board. As the new Leader of a new Cabinet, I am committed to delivering the level of care and service that the children and young people of Powys deserve and expect. It is important that we learn from the report’s findings and we are already starting to see early signs of improvement.
It is important that I stress that safeguarding has always been a priority for the Council and that we all have a role ensuring children in need of care and support receive the right help at the right time to improve their well-being and protect them from harm.
In response to Mr McCarthy’s supplementary question as to why CSSIW had referred to safeguarding not being a priority and whether too much emphasis had been placed on savings, the Leader reiterated that safeguarding was a priority for the Council and she outlined the steps that were being taken in response to the CSSIW report including the establishment of a Corporate Safeguarding Board and investment of over £4m in Children’s Services.
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Question to the Leader from Elizabeth Hunter PDF 53 KB Following the highly critical report of CSSIW, what assurances can the leader give that the apparent lack of clear understanding of priorities on Children’s Social Services between senior council staff and the political leadership Powys Council have been addresses effectively to ensure that the needs of vulnerable children are now being met, and given the coming inspection of adult services, how confident is the leader that the cabinet are sufficiently aware of all the issues facing that service?
Minutes: Following the highly critical report of CSSIW, what assurances can the leader give that the apparent lack of clear understanding of priorities on Children’s Social Services between senior council staff and the political leadership Powys Council have been addresses effectively to ensure that the needs of vulnerable children are now being met, and given the coming inspection of adult services, how confident is the leader that the cabinet are sufficiently aware of all the issues facing that service?
Answer Following the inspection we quickly put an improvement plan in place, we worked with the WLGA and took their advice on how to approach the significant issues facing Children's Services and the Council. We put in place an independent Improvement Board as was required by the Welsh Government and it has met on 3 occasions and its membership is independent of the Council and appointed by the WLGA / WG.
We meet regularly to receive briefings about progress and issues facing children's services and we have developed an Improvement plan and a risk log to help keep a focus on progress.
We have invested in the service both in terms of finance and in support from senior officers and County Councillor engagement. We have increased the staffing numbers in the workforce as well as bringing in specialist consultants (advisors) to support improvements to practice. This will allow us to make further progress in our working with families.
We have made data about activities in Children's services available to Members and have increased the volume and quality of management information to all of our front line managers. We have held roadshows with the staff to ensure they are informed about steps we are taking and progress we are making.
In December Inspectors from CSSIW came to the authority for 3 days to review children's files and assured themselves of the current levels of practice and management. They reported they have seen positive, albeit early, signs of improvement but noted there is still much to do. We have taken their advice and ensured that we incorporate their findings into our action / improvement plan and our staff's learning.
In response to the supplementary question as to what specific measures had been taken to ensure that the Council’s political leaders and senior officers were working together prioritising Children’s Services and not the budget, the Leader explained that this was a new Cabinet and new Council who were looking at the service afresh. The membership of the Corporate Parenting Group had been widened to include all members of Cabinet, Scrutiny Chairs and opposition group leaders. Cabinet and Scrutiny members were receiving training to ensure that they provided the right level of challenge.
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Question to the Portfolio Holder for Property and Waste from Francesca Garman PDF 52 KB Given the restricted options for the disposal of plastics in particular in this part of Powys and the fact local authorities can no longer legally dump their general waste on China, where does Powys general waste go and what investment is planned to deal with recycling?
Minutes: Given the restricted options for the disposal of plastics in particular in this part of Powys and the fact local authorities can no longer legally dump their general waste on China, where does Powys general waste go and what investment is planned to deal with recycling?
Answer The issue of China introducing stringent restrictions on the quality of material that it accepts for recycling is a problem for the whole of the UK. The reason that Powys is only able to collect pots, tubs and trays and not plastic film is so that we have a quality product to sell to the market. Currently all of our plastic material collected at the kerbside is processed in the UK, which does mean that we will be less affected by the situation in China, although inevitably there will be a knock on effect on market prices. A weekly recycling collection is provided in Powys which if used correctly will leave a much reduced amount of general waste. This is why we are able to collect general or residual waste every three weeks. This is then currently taken for landfill, but as part of the existing waste disposal contract, from 2021 this material will be processed through an Energy From Waste plant. No general waste is sent to China. In terms of investment for recycling, the Council has strategic bulking facilities in Brecon and Rhayader and is currently purchasing a site in Montgomeryshire with help from the Welsh Government. Recyclables collected at the kerbside are bulked at these sites for onward transport to re-processors, maximising the efficiency of the collection rounds.
In response to Mrs Garman’s supplementary question as to why plastic and polystyrene would continue to go into landfill until 2021, the Portfolio Holder explained that the service could only collect material for which there was a market and that the current waste disposal contract ran until 2021.
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Chair's Announcements To receive any announcement’s from the Chair of Council. Minutes: The Chair of Council used his announcements to pay tribute to those Council staff who had worked through heavy snow in December to keep roads clear and provide care services to social care clients. Representatives from the Care and Reablement service and Highways were present in the Chamber and were thanked by Councillors. |
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Leader's Announcements To receive any announcements from the Leader. Minutes: The Leader briefed Council on the response to the CSSIW report on Children’s Services and the renewed warning notice issued by the Minister for Children and Social Care. She noted that the inspection of Adult Services was underway and that Estyn were inspecting the Schools Service. The Leader advised that the five new schools in the Gwernyfed catchment were nearing completion on time and in budget and that the new Archdeacon Griffiths Church in Wales School, Llyswen had opened its doors during the week. She also advised that Welsh Government had approved the Council’s Band B Schools programme and would be providing 50% funding for capital projects. So far £114m had been invested in the 21st Century Schools programme. The Leader noted that once again the Council had received amongst the lowest financial settlements in Wales. The Council faced a very challenging future and would have to transform the way it worked. She noted the success of Business Services in selling services to other local authorities and welcomed the appointments of Emma Palmer as Head of Policy and Performance and Karen Grave as interim Head of HR. Finally, she advised that work was continuing on a potential Mid Wales growth deal following a meeting with Welsh Office Minister Guto Bebb MP.
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Acting Chief Executive's Briefing To receive a briefing from the Acting Chief Executive. Minutes: The Acting Chief Executive also referred to the Council’s response to the CSSIW inspection of Children’s Services and to the inspection of Adult Services. He advised Council that the process of appointing a Director of Social Services was underway. He explained that Management Team would be working closely with Cabinet on the challenges of the 2019/20 budget. Finally he reminded members that the Urdd Eisteddfod would be hosted at Llanelwedd from 28 May to 2 June. |
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Capital Virements |
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To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance.
Minutes: Council considered requests for capital virements in respect of the Welsh Housing Quality Standards (WHQS) of £2,675k and work in respect of Older Persons Accommodation of £1,400k, transferring the budget into 2018/19 and 2019/20. It was moved by County Councillor Aled Davies and seconded by County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander and by 63 votes to 0 it was
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To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance.
Minutes: Council considered a request to roll monies forward from 2017/18 to 2018/19 for the following capital schemes within the Highways, Transport and Recycling Directorate; Talgarth Phase 2 Flood Alleviation Scheme £585K; Fleet replacement programme £4,800k and Fleet workshops £1,941k. In response to a Member’s question it was explained that the fleet replacement programme was required for highways vehicles and waste collection vehicles to ensure they were fit for purpose. It was proposed by County Councillor Aled Davies and seconded by County Councillor Liam Fitzpatrick and by 62 votes to 0 with 1 abstention it was
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Changes to the Minimum Revenue Provision PDF 90 KB To consider a report by County Councillor Aled Davies, Portfolio Holder for Finance. Minutes: Council debated recommendations from the Cabinet to change the Authority’s Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy in order to provide a more prudent approach whilst generating annual revenue savings and allowing for up to £4,624kto be used in 2017/18 to offset the deficit and provide one off savings for a further three years. The first adjustment to the Capital Financing Requirement would result in an annual saving of £48k which could be made over the next 50 years. A one off benefit of £624k could be taken by the Council in 2017/18 which equated to the annual reduction of £48k backdated over 13 years. The second adjustment involved revising the method of calculation of debt and applying it retrospectively from 2007/8 which would release non recurrent savings of £19.988m over a phased period: · 2017/18 £4m · 2018/19 £5m · 2019/20 £5m · 2020/21 £5m · 2021/22 £0.988m This would help rebalance the budget following the extra resources put into Children’s Services and would give the Council some time to redesign services to meet budget pressures in future years.
A number of members asked about the risks of deferring liability and it was explained that the decision to change the MRP calculation had been taken by Council two years earlier and that rather than defer liabilities it would shorten the period of repayments from 150 years to 50 years. Members also asked about potential loss of income from investments if interest rates rose and were advised that the loss would be minimal given current and forecast rates.
Council was advised that the Wales Audit Office had advised that adjustments to MRP policy was a matter for local determination and had raised no concerns over this approach which was being followed by several Welsh authorities.
In response to a question from a member, the Leader, who was absent when the Cabinet made the recommendation, confirmed that she supported it.
It was moved by County Councillor Aled Davies and seconded by County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander and by 42 votes to 22 it was
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Children's Services Improvement Plan To consider the Children’s Services Improvement Plan. Additional documents:
Minutes: Council received the latest iteration of the Children’s Services Improvement Plan and the Portfolio Holder and the Director of Social Services gave an update on the response to the CSSIW report.
Members were advised that work had been carried out to differentiate between one off and base budget pressures which would be reflected in the budget for 2018/19. There was some frustration that members did not have access to the full dashboard of performance indictors and the Director of Social Services agreed to raise this with the Improvement Board. Members also spoke of the need to consult service users on their experiences and for them to have a voice on the Improvement Board. Members also discussed staffing levels and the contribution of both permanent and agency staff was acknowledged.
The Leader noted two small amendments that needed to be made to the Improvement Plan, that Scrutiny Chairs and opposition group leaders had been invited to join the Corporate Parenting Group and that she had weekly rather than fortnightly briefings.
Council adjourned 13.15 – 14.00
PRESENT
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Healthy Schools Awards To receive presentations from pupils of Crickhowell High School, Ysgol Penmaes and Mount Street CP School who are recipients of the Welsh Network of Healthy Schools National Quality Award. Minutes: Catie Gilbert from Crickhowell High School, Head teacher Julie Kay and Head Boy Ethan Long and Head Girl Abbie Townsend from Ysgol Penmaes and Shan Kenchington (Head) Vicci Holloway (Co-ordinator) and pupils Martha Dunne Rees and Ollie Edwards gave a presentation on the work undertaken by the schools to receive the Healthy Schools Award.
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Report from the Democratic Services Committee PDF 63 KB To consider recommendations from the Democratic Services Committee. Additional documents:
Minutes: County Councillor Matthew Dorrance, Chair of the Democratic Services Committee, moved the recommendations from the meeting held on 15 January seconded by County Councillor Linda Corfield, Vice-Chair of the Committee in respect of Shire Committees:
RECOMMENDED to the County Council that the Area (Shire) Committees be retained with their current functions, that meetings be held quarterly, with the Chair able to call additional meetings in cases of urgency.
County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan moved an amendment, seconded by County Councillor Phyl Davies
“The Council realises the immense financial pressure placed on residents, communities and schools and thus accepts the need to change its structures to save precious resources. It therefore agrees to cease the practice of having shire committees as from the Council AGM in 2018 and to enable members to work within their localities as part of the local forums. Thus saving circa 175k during the lifetime of this Council.”
Council debated the amendment and on being put to the vote it was passed by 34 votes to 22 with 2 abstentions. Council voted on the substantive motion and by 32 votes to 19 with 3 abstentions
RESOLVED that the Council realises the immense financial pressure placed on residents, communities and schools and thus accepts the need to change its structures to save precious resources. It therefore agrees to cease the practice of having shire committees as from the Council AGM in 2018 and to enable members to work within their localities as part of the local forums. Thus saving circa 175k during the lifetime of this Council.
County Councillor Matthew Dorrance moved the recommendations from the meeting held on 15 January seconded by County Councillor Roger Williams in respect of changes to Sections 4, 6, 7, 9 16, 18 & 19 of the Constitution.
The Monitoring Officer drew Council’s attention to the amendment proposed to 6.14 requiring the Leader to appoint a Deputy Leader and he advised that it should be at the Leader’s discretion. The Chair of the Democratic Services Committee explained that the reason for the Committee’s recommendation was to ensure that there was political leadership if the Leader was incapacitated for an extended length of time. Having considered the Monitoring Officer’s advice and the Chair of the Committee’s explanation by 50 votes to 3 with 4 abstentions it was
RESOLVED that the revised sections of the Constitution be approved.
County Councillor Matthew Dorrance moved the recommendation from the meeting held on 15 January seconded by County Councillor Roger Williams that the development programme linked to the Council’s improvement programme be made mandatory. The sanction for any member failing to undertake the mandatory training would be referral to the Standards Committee. By 48 votes to 5 with 4 abstentions it was
RESOLVED that the development programme linked to the Council’s improvement programme be made mandatory.
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To consider the recommendation of the Planning, Taxi Licensing and Rights of Way Committee.
Additional documents:
Minutes: Council considered a proposal to delegate decision making for a definitive map modification order to add a bridleway route from Bankshead, Shropshire to Shepherdswhim, Powys to the definitive map to Shropshire County Council. The proposal had been considered and supported by the Planning, Rights of Way and Taxi Licensing Committee. It was moved by County Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson and seconded by County Councillor Myfanwy Alexander and by 50 votes to 0 with 1 abstention it was
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Appointment of Independent (Lay) Member on the Standards Committee PDF 67 KB To consider a report by the Solicitor to the Council. Minutes: Council considered the recommendation of the Standards Committee Appointments Panel on the appointment of an Independent (Lay) member of the committee following interviews. It was proposed by County Councillor Martin Weale and seconded by County Councillor James Gibson-Watt and by 56 votes to 0 it was
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Council Forward Work Programme PDF 52 KB To receive for information the Council forward work programme for 2018. Minutes: Council received details of its forward work programme for 2018. An extra meeting had been arranged for 20 April to consider the Corporate Improvement Plan and Well-Being Plan. A member advised that the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority was due to meet on that day. |
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Notices of Motion |
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Notice of Motion - Youth Services Council recognises that:
1: Youth services do a vital job in our communities. The benefits they provide for young people are real and long-lasting.
2: While many other public services step in when problems occur, youth services prevent so many of those difficulties from occurring in the first place.
3: Youth services help young people to lead positive lives as members of society.
4: Youth Centres in strategic locations across Powys play a vital role in the delivery of the statutory Youth Service.
5: Youth Centre buildings are often at the centre of the community and key to the delivery of other valued local services.
This Council resolves:
1: To note its concern at the closure of Youth Centres across Powys;
2: Cabinet should engage with young people in Powys using the mediums, forums and tools that young people can access to develop a plan to invest in opportunities for young people
3: Cabinet should review the impact of the closure of youth centres on young people with protected characteristics and poorer communities within 12 months of the date of closure;
Proposer: County Councillor Matthew Dorrance Seconder: County Councillor Huw Williams
Minutes: Council debated the motion on Youth Centres proposed by County Councillor Matthew Dorrance and seconded by County Councillor Huw Williams:
1: Youth services do a vital job in our communities. The benefits they provide for young people are real and long-lasting.
2: While many other public services step in when problems occur, youth services prevent so many of those difficulties from occurring in the first place.
3: Youth services help young people to lead positive lives as members of society.
4: Youth Centres in strategic locations across Powys play a vital role in the delivery of the statutory Youth Service.
5: Youth Centre buildings are often at the centre of the community and key to the delivery of other valued local services.
This Council resolves:
1: To note its concern at the closure of Youth Centres across Powys;
2: Cabinet should engage with young people in Powys using the mediums, forums and tools that young people can access to develop a plan to invest in opportunities for young people
3: Cabinet should review the impact of the closure of youth centres on young people with protected characteristics and poorer communities within 12 months of the date of closure.
County Councillor Amanda Jenner proposed an amendment to point 3 seconded by County Councillor Graham Breeze:
“That Cabinet review the quality and accessibility of Youth Services for people with protected characteristics and in poorer communities throughout Powys within 12 months of the date of closure.”
Council voted on the amendment and it was passed by 30 votes to 20 with 5 abstentions. Council voted on the substantive motion and by 46 votes to 4 with 7 abstentions
RESOLVED
1: To note its concern at the closure of Youth Centres across Powys;
2: Cabinet should engage with young people in Powys using the mediums, forums and tools that young people can access to develop a plan to invest in opportunities for young people.
3. That Cabinet review the quality and accessibility of Youth Services for people with protected characteristics and in poorer communities throughout Powys within 12 months of the date of closure.
County Councillor William Powell left at 15.37. County Councillor K Lewis left K Lewis left at 16.30.
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Notice of Motion - Powys Pension Fund In April, the Powys Pension Fund will join the Wales Pension Partnership (WPP), a pool of eight separate Funds from across Wales. Once this process has taken place, work will commence on the environmental and social governance (ESG) of the WPP. Each individual Fund in the partnership has the opportunity to contribute to this process by identifying priority ESG areas and lobbying for their inclusion in the WPP. It is timely then for Members to take not only the social, but also the financial risks of climate change seriously by moving to limit Powys Pension Fund members’ exposure to investment in fossil fuels [1], which is not only a dying market but also a high risk one. Experts agree that the majority (around 75%) of what fossil fuels remain in the ground will have to stay there if we are to avoid catastrophic effects of climate change [2] and even the Governor of the Bank of England has warned that coal and oil assets are at risk and that decarbonisation is a major opportunity for investors [3]. Thus, the interests of our pensioners will be served best by forward-looking investments in growing green industries, such as green energy which could be key to Wales’ own economic future.
In joining the WPP, we have an opportunity to influence the investment of approximately £16billion instead of £620million – for many of us, a once in a lifetime chance to have a truly significant impact on the well-being of our future generations and those the world over.
This action would not only support the Well-being of Future Generations Act but also Powys’ own draft Well-being plan, which looks to “develop a carbon positive strategy that maximises green energy production”.
I therefore call on the Council to publicly support the principle of divestment from fossil fuels and to begin lobbying the Wales Pension Partnership to include divestment from fossil fuels in its ESG priorities. Specifically, I ask; 1. The Leader to write to the Powys Pension Fund, calling for it to: a. Support divestment in principle b. Lobby the WPP for a strategy to reduce to zero its investments in fossil fuels over the next 5 years, including plans to diversify into renewables, energy efficiency and storage technologies. 2. The Council and PPF to work with other local authorities served by the Wales Pension Partnership to work together on divestment and diversification. 3. To work with trades union representatives and the workforce to involve them in plans for divestment and diversification.
Whilst the Pensions and Investment Committee cannot be mandated to implement actions 1.a and 1.b, it is critical that they are considered for adoption in the early stages of the WPP.
Proposer: County Councillor Emily Durrant Seconder: County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/apr/19/carbon-bubble-financial-crash-crisis
[2]Leading experts have warned that approximately 75% of the current fossil fuel reserves must stay in the ground if we are to avoid the worst effects of climate change: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/apr/22/earth-day-scientists-warning-fossil-fuels-
Minutes: Council debated the following motion proposed by County Councillor Emily Durrant and seconded by County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan.
In April, the Powys Pension Fund will join the Wales Pension Partnership (WPP), a pool of eight separate Funds from across Wales. Once this process has taken place, work will commence on the environmental and social governance (ESG) of the WPP. Each individual Fund in the partnership has the opportunity to contribute to this process by identifying priority ESG areas and lobbying for their inclusion in the WPP.
It is timely then for Members to take not only the social, but also the financial risks of climate change seriously by moving to limit Powys Pension Fund members’ exposure to investment in fossil fuels, which is not only a dying market but also a high risk one. Experts agree that the majority (around 75%) of what fossil fuels remain in the ground will have to stay there if we are to avoid catastrophic effects of climate changeand even the Governor of the Bank of England has warned that coal and oil assets are at risk and that decarbonisation is a major opportunity for investor. Thus, the interests of our pensioners will be served best by forward-looking investments in growing green industries, such as green energy which could be key to Wales’ own economic future.
In joining the WPP, we have an opportunity to influence the investment of approximately £16billion instead of £620million – for many of us, a once in a lifetime chance to have a truly significant impact on the well-being of our future generations and those the world over.
This action would not only support the Well-being of Future Generations Act but also Powys’ own draft Well-being plan, which looks to “develop a carbon positive strategy that maximises green energy production”.
I therefore call on the Council to publicly support the principle of divestment from fossil fuels and to begin lobbying the Wales Pension Partnership to include divestment from fossil fuels in its ESG priorities. Specifically, I ask;
1. The Leader to write to the Powys Pension Fund, calling for it to: a. Support divestment in principle b. Lobby the WPP for a strategy to reduce to zero its investments in fossil fuels over the next 5 years, including plans to diversify into renewables, energy efficiency and storage technologies. 2. The Council and PPF to work with other local authorities served by the Wales Pension Partnership to work together on divestment and diversification. 3. To work with trades union representatives and the workforce to involve them in plans for divestment and diversification.
The vote on the motion was tied on 24 votes for and against with 5 abstentions and lost on the Chair’s casting vote.
County Councillors N Morrison and D Rowlands left at 16.44. |
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Notice of Motion - Empty Dwelling Management Orders Only three Local Authorities in Wales have made use of Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO), powers used by Local Authorities to take over properties that have been empty for at least two years. Powys is not one of them. The Liberal Democrats in England submitted a Freedom of Information Request to the UK Government to provide empty dwelling figures by local authority area across the UK. The attached spreadsheet provided in response shows the empty dwelling figures for each local authority in the UK and whether they have used the above powers. Powys County Council recorded 1810 empty dwellings and 25 bought into use by the Council in 2016/17, although the Council did not provide figures for how long these homes have been empty. It is one of only a few councils notregistering these statistics at present. Out of the 279 local authorities on the list only 65 authorities across the UK have more than 1000 empty dwellings. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mrO1Aj9jQa1tzkG02kI-Xz82dA08l-yrTI4bFre67lI/edit#gid=0
Motion The Welsh Liberal Democrat Group urges Council to demand that Cabinet provides an analysis of why there are 1810 empty dwellings in Powys and to provide figures for the length of time these homes have been empty; and further demands that, with immediate effect, Powys County Council starts to use Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) to assist in relieving local housing demand pressure and the national housing crisis. Proposer: County Councillor James Gibson-Watt Seconder: County Councillor John Morris
Minutes: County Councillors David Evans, Emyr Jones, Gary Price and Gareth Pugh left the Chamber whist this matter was being considered having declared personal and prejudicial interests.
Council debated the following motion proposed by County Councillor James Gibson-Watt and seconded by County Councillor John Morris: “Only three Local Authorities in Wales have made use of Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMO), powers used by Local Authorities to take over properties that have been empty for at least two years. Powys is not one of them. The Liberal Democrats in England submitted a Freedom of Information Request to the UK Government to provide empty dwelling figures by local authority area across the UK. The attached spreadsheet provided in response shows the empty dwelling figures for each local authority in the UK and whether they have used the above powers. Powys County Council recorded 1810 empty dwellings and 25 bought into use by the Council in 2016/17, although the Council did not provide figures for how long these homes have been empty. It is one of only a few councils notregistering these statistics at present. Out of the 279 local authorities on the list only 65 authorities across the UK have more than 1000 empty dwellings. Motion The Welsh Liberal Democrat Group urges Council to demand that Cabinet provides an analysis of why there are 1810 empty dwellings in Powys and to provide figures for the length of time these homes have been empty; and further demands that, with immediate effect, Powys County Council starts to use Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) to assist in relieving local housing demand pressure and the national housing crisis.” The motion was lost by 18 votes to 21 with 4 abstentions. County Councillor Claire Mills left at 17.00.
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Notice of Motion - St David's Day That the Council supports the cross-party call for St David’s Day to become a national bank holiday. In the meantime, that the Council recognises this by raising the flag of St David on the Council’s sites together with the Welsh flag during the week around the 1st of March, and also to raise the Glynd?r flag during the week which includes the 16th of September.
Proposer: County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan Seconder: County Councillor Bryn Davies Minutes: Council debated the following motion moved by County Councillor Elwyn Vaughan and seconded by County Councillor Bryn Davies:
“That the Council supports the cross-party call for St David’s Day to become a national bank holiday. In the meantime, that the Council recognises this by raising the flag of St David on the Council’s sites together with the Welsh flag during the week around the 1st of March, and also to raise the Glyndwr flag during the week which includes the 16th of September.”
Council agreed to take the motion on two parts, the first dealing with making St David’s Day a bank holiday and the second on the flying of flags.
The first part of the motion “That the Council supports the cross-party call for St David’s Day to become a national bank holiday” was put to the vote and lost by 12 votes to 25 with 1 abstention.
The second part of the motion “that the Council recognises this by raising the flag of St David on the Council’s sites together with the Welsh flag during the week around the 1st of March, and also to raise the Glyndwr flag during the week which includes the 16th of September” was passed by 36 votes to 1.
RESOLVED that the Council raises the flag of St David on the Council’s sites together with the Welsh flag during the week around the 1st of March, and also to raise the Glyndwr flag during the week which includes the 16th of September.
County Councillors Amanda Jenner, Gary Price and Lucy Roberts left the meeting at 17.28. |
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Notice of Motion - Reduction of Plastic Use The horrors of our addiction to plastic are now common-knowledge. Plastic has an important place in our technological development and is in many ways an ingenious and revolutionary product. Nonetheless, it is time for another plastic revolution. It is time to ditch single-use plastic. On being elected to the Council in May, I was horrified by the number of single use plastic cups and single use composite cups that are used by Members, staff and visitors on a daily basis. The response to the recent ‘Plastic-free Powys’ campaign indicates that residents would likely be just as disappointed. Will Members demonstrate leadership by asking that Council; A) Promote Powys as a major plastic reducer B) Develop a strategy to: 1. Encourage staff and residents to: a. Carry refillable water bottles and, longer term, consider a water fountain in town centres where they can be refilled.
Proposer: County Councillor Emily Durrant Seconder: County Councillor Bryn Davies
Minutes: In the absence of the proposer and with the agreement of the seconder it was agreed to defer consideration of this notice of motion to the next meeting.
County Councillor Gwynfor Thomas left the meeting at 17.30.
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Questions in Accordance with the Constitution |
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What was the original total cost of the development of ‘Y Gaer’ in Brecon and what is the total cost by now? How was it financed and how is it being financed now?
Minutes: What was the original total cost of the development of ‘Y Gaer’ in Brecon and what is the total cost by now? How was it financed and how is it being financed now? Answer
In answer to Councillor Vaughan’s supplementary question the Portfolio Holder gave an assurance that there would not be another £5m overspend on the project. County Councillor Linda Corfield and Gareth Jones left at 17.31. |
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Question to the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration from County Councillor Kathryn Silk PDF 66 KB What percentage of householders and businesses in Powys has access to broadband speeds of 10Mbs or greater; what is the Cabinet doing to ensure that all households and businesses have such access; and what assessment has the Cabinet made of the economic disadvantage suffered by households and businesses that do not have such access? Minutes: What percentage of householders and businesses in Powys has access to broadband speeds of 10Mbs or greater? Answer The availability of broadband services across Powys varies according to the type of infrastructure that has been installed or is being accessed. The expanse of the county and rural nature requires a variety of approaches. The latest figures available from Think Broadband.com (June 2017) indicate that the following levels of coverage have been achieved in Powys: · Just over 80% of premises have access to broadband speeds of 10MBs and above. · In terms of UK standard Superfast Broadband (minimum download speed 24MBs) approximately 77% of premises in Powys are able to access services. · In terms of Openreach Full Fibre availability (the highest available speed) Powys has 15.93% of premises connected. What is the Cabinet doing to ensure that all households and businesses have such access? Answer · The Council has supported Welsh Government in delivering the roll out of broadband infrastructure across Powys during Phase 1 of its implementation programme up to the end of December 2017.
· This support will continue in the next phase of the programme from January 2018-2023 which will aim to address the hard to reach locations not covered in the first phase of the programme.
· The Council is working with Welsh Government to encourage the take up of the new service by businesses and domestic users across Powys.
· In July 2017, the Council provided a consultation response to the Welsh Government Consultation on Next Generation Access Broadband. The response highlighted potential geographic areas within Powys that should be prioritised for Phase 2 of the programme and emphasised the importance of supporting alternative solutions for connecting isolated communities and businesses.
· Supporting the delivery of improved digital connectivity and take up across the County has also been included as is a prioritised action within the Council’s Vision 2025 Economy Programme. What assessment has the Cabinet made of the economic disadvantage suffered by households and businesses that do not have such access? Answer · The Council has assessed the impact of broadband provision in Powys through the evidence base gathered for the Powys Well Being of Future Generations Action Plan. An analysis undertaken of internet speeds at 131 Powys village hall postcode locations in September 2016 confirmed that outside of the main urban centres connectivity was a significant issue in rural communities.
· Evidence of the economic impact on businesses has been obtained through Superfast Broadband Workshop events hosted across Powys since 2015.
Councillor Silk’s supplementary question was what support can individual members give to the Portfolio Holder to put pressure on government to improve broadband speeds. The Portfolio Holder who was absent would be asked to provide a response. |
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Question to the Leader from County Councillor Matthew Dorrance PDF 52 KB Will the Leader publish a progress report on the delivery of her administration’s Vision 2025 document?
Minutes: Will the Leader publish a progress report on the delivery of her administration’s Vision 2025 document? Answer I had not planned to publish a “Progress Report” on the Vision but I could do that – possibly annually. I had intended, and we have started, holding regular seminars for the whole Council because I would like all Councillors involved in any discussions. Officers are also in the process of setting up the discussion groups which will support the small Programme Boards dedicated to each area of work. When they are set up, all Councillors will have the opportunity to make an input into any area of work on the Vision. To date, work is ongoing towards achieving an Economic Growth Deal for Mid Wales, especially since the announcement contained with the UK Government Budget. The Cabinet have also met and discussed the way forward with Guto Bebb MP who at the time was the Under Secretary of State for Wales and we are in the process of setting up political meetings between us and Ceredigion County Council and Ministers. There are a number of positive reports on different aspects of the work within the Vision and these will be reported at a Council Seminar.
In response to Councillor Dorrance’s request for more detail on progress on the 4 key pillars of the Vision the Leader confirmed that work was being progressed on all 4 and that there would be a further seminar for members. |
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What assessment has the Cabinet made of the impact of its planned closure of Brecon’s Tourist Information Centre on the local economy?
Minutes: What assessment has the Cabinet made of the impact of its planned closure of Brecon’s Tourist Information Centre on the local economy?
Answer The overall budget reduction strategy was agreed by full Council in February 2014 as part of the budget setting process, and the current plan to achieve the saving by March 2018 was confirmed by the then Head of Service for Regeneration and Regulatory Services and myself as the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration and Planning in July 2017. The way in which visitors’ access information has changed dramatically in recent years and it is anticipated that developments in new technology and changes in consumer behaviour will continue to shape the future of visitor information services. To reflect this trend and to meet the expectations of the visitor, the Tourism Service is placing a greater emphasis on digital information provision through website development, mobile technology, app development and expanding the scope of social media through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, and working with partners such as Visit Wales, neighbouring local authorities and local destinations to make information more readily accessible to our visitors. In the longer term it is anticipated that digital information provision will far exceed any other form of information provision and developments in this area will be a priority to meet the needs of the majority of visitors who currently do not use information centres at all An assessment of the impact of the planned closure was not undertaken at the time of the original decision but has been subsequently undertaken and has been reviewed by the Cabinet Sub-Group. A copy of the impact assessment can be made available, should it be required.
Councillor Dorrance’s supplementary question was to ask what the Cabinet had to hide by not publishing the impact assessment. The question would be forwarded to the Portfolio Holder for a response. |
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What are the priorities for policing our deep rural communities in Powys? Minutes: What are the priorities for policing our deep rural communities in Powys?
Answer Thank you for the question. Rural Crime across the Dyfed-Powys Police Force area is a priority for the Police and for the Police and Crime Commissioner. The Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn includes rural and wildlife crime as part of his First Priority of the Police and Crime Plan 2017-2021: Keeping Communities Safe (see below). ‘Together with the police and partners, I will better understand rural and wildlife crime, the impact of this on rural communities and how we can work together to protect our natural environment’. The Commissioner also has a joint Rural Crime Strategy with Dyfed-Powys Police in which the Commissioner reiterates his Police and Crime Plan Priorities (see below). · Keep our communities safe · Safeguard the vulnerable · Protect our communities from serious threats · Connect with communities The Rural Crime Strategy includes the Main Challenges for Dyfed-Powys with rural crime (see below). · Protecting vulnerable people · Farm and agricultural crime · Heritage crime · Rural isolation · Tourism · Business and food crime · Road Safety · Serious and organised crime · Wildlife crime
Dyfed-Powys Police plans regarding rural crime will be enforced across the Force area.
I am embedding a link to the Rural Crime Strategy 2017 for your information. https://www.dyfed-powys.police.uk/en/advice/rural-policing/ My Police and Crime Panel colleagues, Cllr David Evans, Cllr Les George and I can seek an update from the Commissioner to any further questions you may have at the forthcoming Police and Crime Panel meeting on the 26th January at Ceredigion County Hall in Aberaeron.
Councillor Vaughan’s supplementary question was to ask the Dyfed Powys Police and Crime Commissioner to come and speak to Council.
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Question to the Portfolio Holder for Education from County Councillor Sandra Davies PDF 55 KB The Fair Funding Formula is usually circulated for consultation around the Christmas season – to my knowledge this has not yet been out for consultation: when will this be circulated?
Minutes: The Fair Funding Formula – this document is usually circulated for consultation around the Christmas season – to my knowledge this has not yet been out for consultation: when will this be circulated?
Answer Under the Schools Forum (Wales) Regulations 2003 every local authority must have a local schools budget forum (known as a schools forum). Schools forums are key to developing informed and confident dialogue between authorities and their schools on budgetary issues including schools' funding levels for the coming years, pressures on future years' budgets, changes to local funding formula and reviewing contracts/service level agreements for services to schools. Local authorities are required to consult their schools forum annually on matters relating to their Schools Budget and changes to their Scheme for Financing Schools. Authorities can also consult their forums on other matters concerning the funding of schools, for example the financial implications of arrangements for free school meals, arrangements for insurance and arrangements for the use of pupil referral units and the education of children otherwise than at school. The most recent meeting of the Schools Forum was on 23rd January and their advice will be formally presented to Councillors as part of the budget setting for 2018-19. In addition, the Local Authority is undertaking a full activity-led review of the School Funding Formula. Doing this does not generate new funding for the Local Authority or schools, but will ensure that we continue to make the fairest possible distribution of available funding between schools. Given reductions in specific grants this year and the continuing pressure on public service budgets it continues to be a challenging time for School Governing Bodies to meet their statutory responsibilities not to develop a budget deficit and maintain high quality learning opportunities for our children and young people. We remain grateful for all of their voluntary efforts to fulfil their statutory governance responsibilities. We also all remain committed to prioritising school funding in these challenging times.
There was no supplementary question.
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Much has been mentioned of late of the increasing elderly population and the associated pressures on front line services. There is an increase in dementia, people who have mobility issues and more demand on carers / care providers. Powys no longer provides a list of dates for refuse collection which can cause confusion for people and their carers. Not everyone has access to a computer to access information. It was unfortunate that just before Christmas the weather resulted in disruption to the collection service. It was unclear when refuse was to be collected. Added to this confusion was a change to normal collection day over Christmas and yet a different collection day for the New Year?
What plan does the portfolio holder for refuse/recycling have to ensure that members of the public know when to put out their rubbish for collection: both black bins (purple sacks) and coloured boxes? Are the two portfolio holders working together to communicate this effectively?
Minutes: Much has been mentioned of late of the increasing elderly population and the associated pressures on front line services. There is an increase in dementia, people who have mobility issues and more demand on carers / care providers. Powys no longer provides a list of dates for refuse collection which can cause confusion for people and their carers. Not everyone has access to a computer to access information. It was unfortunate that just before Christmas the weather resulted in disruption to the collection service. It was unclear when refuse was to be collected. Added to this confusion was a change to normal collection day over Christmas and yet a different collection day for the New Year?
Question: What plan does the portfolio holder for refuse/recycling have to ensure that members of the public know when to put out their rubbish for collection: both black bins (purple sacks) and coloured boxes? Are the two portfolio holders working together to communicate this effectively?
Answer
We have been going through a process of optimising all the waste and recycling collection routes in order to maximise the efficiency of our crews and vehicles. This will result in a change in collection day for most households. This will be clearly communicated by letter prior to the change taking place. With the letter will be a new guide to recycling along with the upcoming dates for the three weekly residual collections.
When the three weekly residual collections were introduced a list of dates was issued for the following year. A postcode checking facility was then introduced on our website where residents can type in their postcode to receive the next five collection dates. This is not only very convenient for the majority of residents who use such technology but is also invaluable for our customer services staff as when residents call in, they can enter the postcode and then tell the caller the dates. This system has worked very well and also saves the significant cost of sending out a calendar to all residents.
Unfortunately inclement weather, such as experienced before Christmas, does impact on the service we provide. It is of course essential that we only take the vehicles on roads on which it is safe to do so and we must also consider the safety of our staff when handling waste and recycling at the kerbside. We did try to get the message regarding disruptions to collections out as widely as possible using the website, social media and via customer services. However, by the very nature of the changing weather conditions, it is difficult to instantly communicate such changes.
Collections over Christmas are an issue for all local authorities as they try to balance providing a service with allowing staff to enjoy the festive season and spend time with their families. This was again communicated wherever possible including in all the local papers and media websites. Again, a mail drop to all households is very expensive when we are trying to minimise our ... view the full minutes text for item 17.7 |
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Question to the Portfolio Holder for Education from County Councillor David Meredith PDF 54 KB I understand that two consultants have been engaged to assist with the drafting of a revised Authority Fair Funding School Policy. As these appointments are on top of having engaged a permanent Director of Education can the Cabinet Member for Education make a statement on the Department’s use of consultants?
Minutes: I understand that two consultants have been engaged to assist with the drafting of a revised Authority Fair Funding School Policy. As these appointments are on top of having engaged a permanent Director of Education can the Cabinet Member for Education make a statement on the Department’s use of consultants?
Answer The consultant being used in support of the Formula Review is Susan Fielden. She is working on a commission from the Resources Directorate team. Susan is recognised as an expert in her field- having advised the UK government on funding policy and having worked closely also with ASCL- the Association of School and College Leaders in analysing education funding. Susan’s engagement was a one day visit to undertake a “Health Check” and offer an opinion on the current Schools Funding Formula. The Education Directorate or Schools Service has made comparatively little use of consultants. At the moment there is one highly experienced part time short term consultant supporting key school improvement and ALN/ Inclusion strategy changes. He has been secured on short term funding which has enabled the Director to fulfil a key leadership role in development of the Corporate Leadership and Governance Plan in response to regulatory concerns. The other main situation in which the Education Directorate or Schools Service has used consultancy over recent times has been in the technical development of business cases to secure Welsh Government capital funding for major projects of benefit to local communities. The use of consultancy within the Directorate is therefore very limited and in each case has allowed a legacy of increased skills and experience amongst our local workforce. The Resources Directorate - Finance are currently looking to engage some interim support to fill the Schools Finance Manager vacancy. This may be filled by either agency or a consultant depending on what is available.
In response to Councillor Meredith’s supplementary question as to whether a member of staff had the expertise to draft a fair funding formula for schools, the Portfolio Holder explained that staff did not currently have the skills to balance the curriculum which was why the consultant had been brought in. |
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What assessment has the Cabinet made of (a) the financial and (b) the operational performance of The Heart of Wales Property Services Ltd?
Minutes: What assessment has the Cabinet made of (a) the financial and (b) the operational performance of The Heart of Wales Property Services Ltd?
Answer The Heart of Wales Property Services Ltd is a company established in 2017, jointly owned by Powys County Council and Kier Ltd, which delivers responsive maintenance services to council homes, corporate properties (including schools) and building design services. a) It is too premature to make a full assessment of the financial position as HOWPS has only been trading since 3 July 2017 and we are not yet at Powys CC’s year end. Finances are reported at the monthly Board meeting.
b) There is a monthly Contract Management Forum which is attended by key officers from HOWPS and Powys CC in which HOWPS operational performance is measured against Key Performance Indicators and Operational Reports. The Key Performance Indicators are also discussed in a monthly Board Meeting which is attended by the Board Members (4 from Kier and 4 from Powys County Council). Where issues are identified, these are raised and progress is tracked on a weekly basis.
The Portfolio Holder for Housing and Countryside Services agreed to Councillor Williams supplementary question asking for regular financial updates from the company. |
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Question to the Portfolio Holder for Highways from County Councillor Roger Williams PDF 73 KB What assessment has the Cabinet made of the condition of unclassified roads in Powys?
Minutes: What assessment has the Cabinet made of the condition of unclassified roads in Powys?
Answer The condition of our unclassified roads is monitored through routine inspections of the road network. The frequency of inspections is set on a hierarchical basis and will take place typically on 6 or 12 monthly cycles. Roads in urban areas serving residential areas or with significant usage will be inspected more frequently whilst those in rural areas providing access to a limited number of properties will be on 12 monthly inspections. The purpose of these inspections is to identify work that is required in the short term as well as to assess overall condition and programme more major work such as surface dressing. SCANNER surveys are currently a requirement of Welsh Government only for assessing the condition of classified roads across Wales. These more detailed technical surveys using computer analysis are not considered to represent value for money on the unclassified network. It is however proposed as part of the Highways Asset Management Plan (HAMP) development to introduce a new inspection regime that will also include a coarse visual assessment of condition at each inspection. Whilst not comprehensive or scientifically based it should provide a broad measure of condition.
For information, the last recorded SCANNER surveys on unclassified roads were undertaken in 2011/2012 and based on SCANNER principles for surveying. The survey records a range of factors including profile along the road (ride quality); across the road (rutting); cracking and texture depth (skidding) and these are combined to produce an overall factor which is reported on the traffic light basis (Red/Amber/Green). See http://www.ukroadsliaisongroup.org/en/asset-condition/road-condition-information/data-collection/scanner/ for more detail.
The condition of the unclassified roads recorded in 2011/2012 is shown in the table below with 30.2% in the red category (in need of further investigation) which amounts to 640km. Comparisons are included for C and A roads in the same year and the current year 2016/2017.
In 2011/2012 the percentage of U roads in the red category was double that of C roads although the total in the Amber and Red categories was broadly comparable. Looking at C roads for 2016/2017 the condition has deteriorated compared with 2011/2012, and the unclassified condition is therefore likely that the percentage of roads in the Red category has also increased beyond 30.2%.
Based on the 2011/2012 data of 30.2% of unclassified roads in the red category, if for example the 640km were treated with surface dressing (minimum treatment) the cost would be c£8.5M, if the treatment was resurfacing then it would be c£30M. This would not reduce the ... view the full minutes text for item 17.10 |
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Question to the Portfolio Holder for Adult Services from County Councillor Huw Williams PDF 53 KB Can the Portfolio holder for Adult Social Care clarify which specific, Service led need, prompted the successful request to Cabinet, in late 2017, for additional financial support?
Minutes: Can the Portfolio holder for Adult Social Care clarify which specific, Service led need, prompted the successful request to Cabinet, in late 2017, for additional financial support?
Answer No request has been made to Cabinet for additional financial support within the current financial year. Further, no call has so far been made upon the Adult Social Care Reserve of £2.75m established to provide additional support against business case within this financial year, although a case is now being prepared for accessing £321k of this reserve in year, against the cost of preparing for and responding to the CIW inspection of Adult Social Services. As part of formulating the Cabinet’s recommendation to Council in respect of the 2018-19 budget, Cabinet has considered pressures totalling £9.4m which the service will face in the coming year, and as members will already be aware, the budget to be recommended includes an uplift of £6.8m to manage a part of those pressures; the balance being addressed by the service within existing resource. Additionally, the service is being asked to make efficiency savings of £1.4m within the financial year. It is acknowledged that this approach carries some risk. A major part of the proposed uplift will again be held as a reserve, released only against business case.
In response to Councillor Williams’ supplementary question as to whether he expected an adverse inspection report into Adult Services, the Portfolio Holder said he was not going to speculate but that service was well prepared for the inspection.
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In the light of the recently advertised Review of the BBNPA Local Development Plan (2007 – 2022), how will National Park Members ensure that the Authority engages proactively with its constituent communities and their County, Town and Community Council representatives, to enhance the effectiveness and transparency of the process?
In particular, how will BBNPA members ensure that the LDP review is based on sustainable development principles and takes account both of deliverability of housing allocations and the adequacy of employment allocations and mixed use sites, to meet the aspirations and needs of the local community, as well as the overarching policy priorities of Welsh Government?
Minutes: In the light of the recently advertised Review of the BBNPA Local Development Plan (2007 – 2022), how will National Park Members ensure that the Authority engages proactively with its constituent communities and their County, Town and Community Council representatives, to enhance the effectiveness and transparency of the process? In particular, how will BBNPA members ensure that the LDP review is based on sustainable development principles and takes account both of deliverability of housing allocations and the adequacy of employment allocations and mixed use sites, to meet the aspirations and needs of the local community, as well as the overarching policy priorities of Welsh Government?
Answer Many thanks for this question and for giving me the opportunity to bring the consultation process to the attention of Members and the public. The Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is currently in the early stages of developing its Review Report therefore questions pertaining to the detail of any replacement plan are premature at this stage. Once the Authority has drafted its Report, it will be consulted on publicly for a period of 8 weeks. The Authority will be required to consult with its stakeholders and communities at various stages through the Review process and, like any other Local Planning Authority, will have to meet the ‘tests of soundness’ set out in Planning Policy Wales and the Welsh Government’s LDP Manual. For ease of reference, these are: • Test 1: Does the plan fit? (i.e. is it consistent with other plans?) • Test 2: Is the plan appropriate? (is the plan appropriate for the area in light of the evidence?) • Test 3: Will the plan deliver? (is it likely to be effective?) I am happy to update Members as the consultation progresses if that is their wish.
There was no supplementary question. |
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The recent decision of Cabinet to close Staylittle Outdoor Education Centre has caused considerable concern across Powys. Can the portfolio holder confirm that a full public consultation (including with schools in Powys) and a full Impact Assessment were undertaken before the item came before Cabinet for decision, in line with the requirements of the Well-Being of Future Generations Act?
Minutes: The recent decision of Cabinet to close Staylittle Outdoor Education Centre has caused considerable concern across Powys. Can the portfolio holder confirm that a full public consultation (including with schools in Powys) and a full Impact Assessment were undertaken before the item came before Cabinet for decision, in line with the requirements of the Well-Being of Future Generations Act?
Answer
At the time of the options being considered to make the necessary savings from the Leisure Service in the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the previous Cabinet agreed that full public consultation for Staylittle was not necessary. The central Schools Service was kept fully informed and was part of the project board discussions and developments throughout the whole process. The schools were also kept updated of developments, however it is unfortunate that only a small number of schools in Powys utilise the Staylittle facility (which has been a similar picture for a number of years, with many regularly using out of county provision), therefore the impact was considered small to moderate. A full impact assessment was undertaken prior to the report going to Cabinet with comments from a variety of services included
There was no supplementary question. |
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With the imminent completion of the new area Ysgol y Mynydd Du with library/community facilities on Hay Road, Talgarth, the current Bronllys and Talgarth school sites will shortly become redundant, as will Talgarth Branch Library. While understanding the importance of Powys County Council observing protocol, and avoiding any precipitate action, it is important to make comprehensive plans to consult on the future use of these sites, taking account not only of County Council policy, but also community sensibility and local aspirations.
This is especially the case in the context of the Talgarth assets, as they are more extensive and fall within the Brecon Beacons National Park planning regime, comprising: the former Youth and Community Centre, the Current Primary School, Army Cadet Hut, Library and the locally cherished School Field.
Given the level of interest and concern felt locally about these key sites, will the Cabinet Member liaise with his relevant portfolio colleagues and me as Local Member to initiate a scoping meeting to discuss, openly and transparently, the future of these assets at the heart of the town?
Given the historic experience locally of the dereliction of the former Mid Wales Hospital site, and the short comings surrounding the disposal of that site, it is imperative that we adopt an open and proactive approach, involving Talgarth Town Council, local stakeholders and BBNPA.
Minutes: With the imminent completion of the new area Ysgol y Mynydd Du with library/community facilities on Hay Road, Talgarth, the current Bronllys and Talgarth school sites will shortly become redundant, as will Talgarth Branch Library. While understanding the importance of Powys County Council observing protocol, and avoiding any precipitate action, it is important to make comprehensive plans to consult on the future use of these sites, taking account not only of County Council policy, but also community sensibility and local aspirations. This is especially the case in the context of the Talgarth assets, as they are more extensive and fall within the Brecon Beacons National Park planning regime, comprising: the former Youth and Community Centre, the Current Primary School, Army Cadet Hut, Library and the locally cherished School Field. Given the level of interest and concern felt locally about these key sites, will the Cabinet Member liaise with his relevant portfolio colleagues and me as Local Member to initiate a scoping meeting to discuss, openly and transparently, the future of these assets at the heart of the town? Given the historic experience locally of the dereliction of the former Mid Wales Hospital site, and the short comings surrounding the disposal of that site, it is imperative that we adopt an open and proactive approach, involving Talgarth Town Council, local stakeholders and BBNPA.
Answer I would be happy to meet with you and take on board any feedback you may have regarding the future of the assets in Talgarth. Any final decisions will of course need to be made in line with professional advice and in line with our policies and with the objectives of the Council.
There was no supplementary question. |
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Question to the Leader from County Councillor James Gibson-Watt In the light of the recent events connected with the collapse of Carillion, can the Leader reassure us that all outsourced contracts let by the County Council are worded such that where local subcontractors are used by the principal contractor the payment terms to such sub-contractors is no more than 30 days; and can she outline what measures Powys County Council has in place to ensure such payments are made in a timely manner? Can she further reassure us that the County Council will not be suffering any direct losses, either in terms of delayed contracts or actual financial loss, as a result of Carillion being placed in to administration?
Additional documents: Minutes: In the light of the recent events connected with the collapse of Carillion, can the Leader reassure us that all outsourced contracts let by the County Council are worded such that where local subcontractors are used by the principal contractor the payment terms to such sub-contractors is no more than 30 days; and can she outline what measures Powys County Council has in place to ensure such payments are made in a timely manner? Can she further reassure us that the County Council will not be suffering any direct losses, either in terms of delayed contracts or actual financial loss, as a result of Carillion being placed in to administration?
Answer
The Council has recently adopted nationally recommended fair payment clauses within construction contracts now being entered into by the Council and will mandate this across the whole Council for all appropriate contracts as part of the Local Sourcing Strategy (Vision 2025). This includes payments terms within 30-days.
Clearly the collapse of Carillion has had a major detrimental impact on many contractors and sub-contractors, and the Council’s Commissioning and Procurement unit will closely monitor the advice and guidance that comes out of lessons learned from the collapse and ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to protect sub-contractors in the future.
It would not be practicable, without significant additional resource, to undertake monitoring and checking of all payments made to sub-contractors by main contractors, and this is not currently planned for. However, where sub-contractors raise concerns with the County Council about late payments, these are followed up. All services have been asked to review their contracts and any exposure to risk as a result of the collapse of Carillion. Assessments to date indicate that the Council has a very low level of risk of exposure and it is not expected that the County Council will suffer any direct losses as a result of the Carillion collapse.
There was no supplementary question.
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Presentation from Sport Powys To receive a presentation from Sport Powys who have successfully gained the Disability Sport Wales 'insport' Bronze accreditation. Minutes: This item was deferred to a future meeting. |