Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, the following interests were declared:

1)             Councillor R V Smith declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 38 “Local Authority Governor Appointments” and stated that he had dispensation from the Standards Committee to stay, speak but not vote on matters relating to the Appointment of Local Authority Governors.

2)             Councillors L S Gibbard, A S Lewis & R C Stewart declared a Personal Interest in Minute 42 “Shared Cost AVC Pension Arrangements for LGPS Members”.

3)             Ben Smith declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 42 “Shared Cost AVC Pension Arrangements for LGPS Members” and withdraw from the meeting prior to its consideration.

To approve & sign the Minutes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

Resolved that the Minutes of the meeting(s) listed below be approved and signed as a correct record:

1)             Cabinet held on 20 July 2023.

The Leader of Council made no announcements.

Questions can be submitted in writing to Democratic Services democracy@swansea.gov.uk up until noon on the working day prior to the meeting. Written questions take precedence.  Public may attend and ask questions in person if time allows. Questions must relate to items on the open part of the agenda and will be dealt within a 10 minute period.

No questions were asked.

No questions were asked.

The Local Authority Governors Appointment Group submitted a report, which sought approval of the nominations submitted to fill Local Authority (LA) Governor vacancies on School Governing Bodies.

Resolved that:

1)             The following nominations recommended by the Director of Education in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Education & Learning be approved:

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Performance submitted a report which detailed the corporate performance for Quarter 1 2023/24.

Resolved that:

1)             The Council’s performance achieving the Council’s wellbeing objectives in Q1 2023/24 be noted.

2)             The use of this information to inform executive decisions on resource allocation and, where relevant, corrective actions to manage and improve performance and efficiency in delivering national and local priorities be endorsed.

The Director of Finance/Section 151 Officer presented a report which detailed capital outturn and financing for the year ended 31 March 2023.

Resolved that:

1)             The net underspend of the increased capital budget of £28.8m is carried forward to 2023/2024.

The Cabinet Member for Service Transformation presented a report which detailed the Disabled Facilities & Improvement Grant Programme in 2023-24 and sought approval to return unused funding from Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) and Homefix loans budgets to the Corporate Centre.

Resolved that:

1)             The transfer of £460,519 from DFG budget and £712,556 from Homefix loans budget to the Corporate Centre be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Performance presented a report which sought approval to introduce a shared cost AVC pension arrangement to LGPS members.

Resolved that:

1)             The introduction of a shared cost AVC pension arrangement for LGPS members be approved.

2)             Earnings related payments such as overtime, pay increases, contractual allowances, occupational maternity pay, occupational sickness pay and redundancy are calculated on the notional salary before applying the salary sacrifice reduction be approved.

3)             The inclusion of a new discretion in the Council's LGPS Employer’s Pension Discretionary Policy to permit LGPS members to participate in a Shared Cost AVC scheme be approved.

4)             Partnering with an external provider to deliver a fully managed service covering Shared Cost AVCs be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Education & Learning submitted a report which sought approval to consult on amalgamating Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn and Ysgol Crug Glas into one special school in September 2025 and relocate to a new purpose-built school whilst increasing capacity from April 2028.

Resolved that:

1)             Approval is given to consult on amalgamating Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn and Ysgol Crug Glas into one special school in September 2025 and relocate to a new purpose-built school whilst increasing capacity from April 2028.

2)             Responses following the consultation period be considered by Cabinet.

The Cabinet Member for Education & Learning submitted an update report on the progression of Band B of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Outline Programme, the financial and inflationary pressures impacting the remainder of the programme and endorse an uplift to the programme envelope.

Resolved that:

1)             The remaining capital investment priorities for Band B of the QEd / Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme are noted.

2)             The local funding contribution is increased by £9m to £46.7m, based on a solely capital contribution.

3)             Either a change request is submitted to Welsh Government seeking an uplift in the Band B programme envelope to £176m or depending upon the timing and progression of business cases, this will form part of the revised Strategic Outline Programme submission.

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure presented a report which sought approval, in retrospect, of the Council entering into Welsh Government Bus Transition Fund agreements and the entering into agreements with multiple bus operators in the region.

Resolved that:

1)             The decision of the Leader of the Council on 24 July 2023 authorising the Council to enter into the Welsh Government’s Bus Transition Fund (BTF) agreements be endorsed and approved.

2)             The Council as regional lead authority has entered into BTF agreements with relevant bus operators, to secure (conditional) financial support for the bus sector and to establish a relationship with their constituent local authorities that ensures that the ongoing funding meets those authorities’ priorities and is delivered on their behalf.

The Cabinet Members for Corporate Services & Performance and Investment, Regeneration, Events & Tourism presented a joint report which provided several landowner options to Cabinet regarding 254 – 260 Oxford Street to facilitate the redevelopment of the block, including the refurbishment of ground commercial units and repurposing of upper floor accommodation into residential units.

Resolved that:

1)             The Council deviate from the current policy of retaining freehold interests in the city centre and the disposal of the freehold interest be approved.

2)             The Section 151 Officer be authorised to make an appropriate amendment to the revenue budget to offset the loss of annual income with this pressure reflected as part of the budget process in 2024/25.

3)             A further report be prepared for Cabinet consideration on the policy of freehold retentions / disposals in the City Centre.

4)             No further freehold disposals will be considered until the policy review is presented in line with recommendation 5 alongside a future report on a review of the City Centre Strategy.

Cabinet were requested to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the item(s) of business identified in the recommendations to the report(s) on the grounds that it / they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out in the exclusion paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007 relevant to the items of business set out in the report(s).

Cabinet considered the Public Interest Test in deciding whether to exclude the public from the meeting for the item of business where the Public Interest Test was relevant as set out in the report.

Resolved that the public be excluded for the following item(s) of business.

(Closed Session)

No questions were asked.

The Cabinet Members for Corporate Services & Performance and Investment, Regeneration, Events & Tourism presented a joint ‘for information’ report which provided a number of landowner options to Cabinet regarding 254 – 260 Oxford Street in order to facilitate the redevelopment of the block, including the refurbishment of ground commercial units and repurposing of upper floor accommodation into residential units.

This item was withdrawn.