Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

To receive apologies for absence.

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from the Corporate Director (Economy and Environment) and the Strategic Lead for Education.

2.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 320 KB

To authorise the Chair to sign the minutes of the meetings held in 18th and 25th May as correct records.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Leader was authorised to sign the minutes of the meetings held on 18th and 25th May 2021 as correct records.

3.

Declarations of Interest

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

Minutes:

County Councillors Aled Davies and Phyl Davies and the Head of Finance declared interests in item 9 as directors of Heart of Wales Property Services.

4.

Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems duty, Section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 pdf icon PDF 137 KB

To consider a report by County Councillor Heulwen Hulme, Portfolio Holder for Environment.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Under section 6 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, the Council must seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity in the exercise of its functions, and in so doing promote the resilience of ecosystems, so far as is consistent with the proper exercise of those functions. To demonstrate compliance with these duties, the Council must publish:

-       A plan, setting out what the Council proposes to do to comply with these duties (the ‘Section 6 plan’); and

-       A report, setting out what the Council has done to comply with the duties under section 6 (the ‘Section 6 report.’)

 

The Section 6 report was completed by the end of December 2019 and must be updated and republished every three years thereafter. The section 6 plan would be incorporated into existing Corporate reporting mechanisms. Cabinet noted that funding for the Biodiversity Officer ended in March 2022 and that consideration would have to be given how this role could be funded after this.

 

RESOLVED

 

1.    The contents of the Section 6 report (appendix A), be accepted as reflecting the position at that time (December 2019) in terms of the actions taken to maintain or enhance biodiversity; and

 

2.    The Section 6 plan be incorporated into the Council’s Corporate Improvement Plan. This would be achieved by compiling a list of the activities being carried out by individual Services to maintain or enhance biodiversity. These would be captured as measures for 2022-23 and onwards, linked to an overarching biodiversity objective in the Corporate reporting programme.

 

3.    The Section 6 report be reviewed in 2022.

 

5.

Covid Recovery Fund Proposals pdf icon PDF 643 KB

To consider a report by County Councillor Iain Macintosh, Portfolio Holder for Housing, Planning & Economic Regeneration.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Cabinet considered the allocation and criteria for the Council’s Covid Recovery Fund. The proposed allocation was

 

Theme 1 Community – Year 1 (2021/22) £400k

Covid Community Recovery Grant Fund £300k

Public Convenience Support £100k

 

Theme 2 Economy and Environment – Year 1 (2021/22) £600k

Business Recovery Support – 3 Officers grade 7  £120k                    

Highways Recovery Fund £340k

Financial Recovery Support £40k

Council Services and Project Specific Support £100k

 

County Councillor Matthew Dorrance, the Chair of the Economy, Residents and Communities Scrutiny Committee presented the Committee’s recommendations which had been accepted or partially accepted. 

 

The Portfolio Holder for Environment advised that Welsh Government had confirmed that they would continue to fund the five public conveniences on trunk roads and therefore the funding from the Covid Recovery Fund for the remaining 51 toilets could be increased to £1,886 each.

 

RESOLVED that Cabinet approves the proposals for the Covid Recovery Fund as set out in the report.

6.

Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 424 KB

To consider the Cabinet forward work programme.

Minutes:

Cabinet received the forward work programme.

7.

Delegated Decisions Taken Since the Last Meeting pdf icon PDF 140 KB

To note the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting.

Minutes:

Cabinet noted the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting.

8.

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.

 

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

 

9.

Heart of Wales Property Services

To consider the confidential report.

Minutes:

County Councillors Aled Davies and Phyl Davies and the Head of Finance declared interests as directors of Heart of Wales Property Services and left the meeting.

 

Cabinet considered the confidential report and the recommendations of the Economy, Residents and Communities Scrutiny Committee presented by the Chair, County Councillor Matthew Dorrance.

 

                        RESOLVED to approve the recommendations in the report.