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 E J King declared a Personal Interest in Minute 241 “Annual Equality Review 2019/2020”.

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 30 July 2020.

1)              Covid-19 Pandemic

The Leader of Council referred to the recent lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic at Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taff and the rise of cases in Merthyr Tydfil and Newport.  He urged everyone to follow the rules, wear masks as required and to socially distance.

Questions must be submitted in writing, no later than noon on the working day prior to the meeting.  Questions must relate to items on the agenda. Questions will be dealt with in a 10 minute period.

No questions were asked.

Questions must be submitted in writing, no later than noon on the working day prior to the meeting.  Questions must relate to items on the agenda.

No questions were asked.

The Education and Skills Policy Development Committee submitted a report which sought consideration of the implications and preparation undertaken for the new curriculum in Wales.

Resolved that:

1)              Swansea identifies and continually reviews its school support needs as the new curriculum evolves. It will deliver information, assistance and influence via various methods, including regional partnerships, where appropriate.

2)              A Swansea-wide Professional Learning Community (PLC) is further developed to share effective practice, ideas and learning.  The PLC will continue to harness opportunities to work with external partners, as appropriate, including both Universities.

3)        Swansea schools and officers maintain mechanisms to systematically share good practice on-line by sustaining and building on existing platforms.

4)              Meaningful pupil progress and achievement indicators are developed locally and in collaboration with Welsh Government.

5)              Robust systems of moderation, based on the cluster model, to ensure consistency of assessment practice across Swansea to support rigorous and reliable teacher assessment are sustained.

6)              School leadership capacity, at all levels, to deliver curriculum reform is supported, including partnership with the National Academy, where appropriate.

7)              Ensure the workforce skills needed to deliver the new curriculum by maintaining systems to identify and meet continual professional development needs for all school practitioners.

8)              Ensure skills learning for current and future occupations, including digital learning, is embedded into the curriculum in all Swansea schools in collaboration with Swansea’s Skills Partnership / Partneriaeth Sgiliau Abertawe (PSA).

9)              Swansea’s curriculum implementation guidance moves into planning phases 3 and 4 following the successful milestones reached in phases 1 and 2 (Appendix A of the report).

The Cabinet Member for Business Improvement and Performance submitted a report which outlined the corporate performance for 2019-2020.

Resolved that:

1)              The performance results be noted and reviewed to help inform executive decisions on resource allocation and, where relevant, corrective actions to manage and improve performance and efficiency in delivering national and local priorities.

The Cabinet Member for Better Communities submitted a report which sought to publish the Council’s Annual Equality Review for 2019-2020 in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty and reporting regulations for Wales.

Resolved that:

1)              The report content be approved for publication.

The Cabinet Member for Delivery and Operations submitted a report which sought approval to accept a 100% grant from Welsh Government for specified projects totalling £135,000 in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 5.7.

Resolved that:

1)              Approval is given to accept a 100% grant of £135,000 from Welsh Government to enable the projects to be developed and delivered within 2020-2021.

The Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement and Infrastructure Management submitted a report which detailed the Welsh Government Circular Economy Capital Fund FY 2020-2021 to support the setting up of a Wood Reuse and Recycling Centre.

Resolved that:

1)              Approval is given to accept any grant offer following the submission of a funding bid to the Welsh Government Circular Economy Capital Fund FY 2020-21 to support the setting up of a Wood Reuse and Recycling Centre.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism submitted a report which sought approval of the additional £1m to the Councillor’s Community Budgets and to comply with Financial Procedure Rule 7 “Capital Programming & Appraisals) – to commit and authorise schemes to the Capital Programme or to include new schemes in the Capital Programme.

Resolved that:

1)              The addition of £1m capital monies to the Councillor’s Community Budget be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Homes, Energy and Service Transformation submitted a report which sought approval of the capital investment required for the development of a 3MW ground mounted Solar PV farm and benefits of such an approach.

Resolved that:

1)              The scheme and its financial implications be approved and committed to the capital programme.

2)              The scope of the project to enable Officers to commence detailed discussions / negotiations be approved and the Director of Place be authorised to agree final terms of the third party agreements, as considered appropriate in line with these recommendations.

3)              The Chief Legal Officer be authorised to prepare any legal documentation required to conclude the agreement and to execute the documentation on behalf of the Council.

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)

The Cabinet Member for Homes, Energy and Service Transformation submitted an information report detailing the capital investment required for the development of a 3MW ground mounted Solar PV farm and benefits of such an approach.