Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

In accordance with the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea, no following interests were declared:

Councillors E J King & R V Smith declared a Personal Interest in Minute 10 “Local Authority Governor Appointments”.

Councillors M C Child, A H Stevens and M Thomas declared a Personal Interest in Minute 13 “Sustainable Landscapes, Sustainable Places (SLSP) and Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) – Gower AONB - Offer of Additional Welsh Government Funding”.

Councillors M C Child, R Francis-Davies and R V Smith declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute Nos 14 & 16 “Leisure Partnerships - Financial Support 2021/2022” and withdrew from the meeting prior to its consideration.

Councillors D H Hopkins and E J King declared a Personal Interest in Minute 19 “Capital Programme Authorisation for Flying Start Capital Grant 2021/22”.

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, subject to the date in Minute 127 being amended from 2020 to 2021.

1)           Cabinet held on 20 May 2021.

The Leader of Council made no announcements.

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.

No questions were asked.

The Education & Skills Policy Development Committee submitted a report that sought approval for their recommendations in relation to Supporting Education Recovery.

Resolved that:

1)            All schools be supported and monitored to maintain and improve blended learning approaches developed during the last year.

2)            A whole school approach to emotional health and wellbeing be developed.

3)            The systematic dissemination of good practice in blended learning and supporting emotional health and wellbeing be accelerated

The Section 151 Officer submitted a report that detailed Revenue financial outturn for 2020/21.

Resolved that:

1)            The comments and variations in the report be noted.

2)            The proposed reserve transfers detailed in Section 7.3 and Section 7.4 of the report be approved.

The Section 151 Officer submitted a report that detailed the City & County of Swansea’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) outturn compared with the approved revenue budget for 2020/21.

Resolved that:

1)            The comments and variations in the report be noted.

2)            The proposed reserve transfers of £903k detailed in Section 2.1 of the report be approved.

The Section 151 Officer submitted a report that detailed capital outturn and financing for the year ended 31 March 2021.

Resolved that:

1)            The increased biggest ever capital budget of £251m be noted.

2)            The net underspend of the increased capital budget of £46.954m be carried forward to 2021/22.

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 Improvement, Learning & Skills be approved:

The Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning & Skills submitted a report that sought approval to commit £254,000 to the capital programme that included funding as follows:

£200,000 from Swansea Council.

£30,000 from Swansea Council Play Fund.

£15,000 from Swansea Council Members Capital Fund.

£9,000 Ward Members Community Budget.

The scheme being the remodelling of a hardstanding area and installation of a 2G all-weather surface facility on the existing land at Pontarddulais Comprehensive School.

Resolved that:

1)              £254,000 be committed to the capital programme for the remodelling of a hard-surface play area (old tennis courts) and the installation of a 2G all-weather surface facility following confirmation of funding totalling £254,000 from Swansea Council as detailed above.

The Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning & Skills submitted a report that detailed the result of consultation and sought approval for the publication of a statutory notice on the proposal to increase the planned places at Ysgol Pen y Bryn from January 2022.

Resolved that:

1)              A statutory notice to increase the planned places at Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn from January 2022 be published.

2)              Cabinet considers any objections received during the statutory notice period and determines the outcomes of the proposal at their meeting in September 2021.

The Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management submitted a report that sought approval to accept two offers of funding from Welsh Government for specified projects totalling £325,000 in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 5.7. The funding is offered at 100% of project costs with no match funding required.

Resolved that:

1)              Both offers of funding (totalling £325,000) be accepted from Welsh Government, to enable the projects to be developed and delivered within 2021/22.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism submitted a report that sought approval for the levels of financial support needed for the period April 2021 to March 2022 for the Leisure Partnerships (Freedom Leisure, Parkwood Leisure and Wales National Pool Swansea Ltd) due to losses sustained and associated financial recovery plan related to the Cpvid-19 pandemic.

Resolved that:

1)              The extension of financial relief to Freedom Leisure until 31 March 2022 to include the Council underwriting an operating deficit of up to £2M be approved, in addition to the payment of the contractual monthly management fee for the financial year 2021/2022, all relief payments to be reconciled under an open book approach.

2)              The extension of financial relief to Parkwood Leisure until 31 March 2022 to include the Council underwriting an operating deficit of up to £44k be approved, in addition to the payment of the contractual monthly management fee for the financial year 2021/2022, all relief payments to be reconciled under an open book approach.

3)              The extension of financial relief to Wales National Pool Swansea (WNPS) to include Council underwriting of an additional deficit of up to £300k for the financial year 2021/2022 be approved.

4)              The Director of Place be delegated authority to agree any changes to service specification, the terms and conditions attached to any offer of underwriting or other support measures including authority to vary the level and period of financial relief providing that the total of all such variations are within the scope of the combined budget approvals for financial relief within recommendations 1–3.

5)              The Chief Legal Officer be delegated authority to enter into any documentation necessary to implement any of the recommendations in this report and to protect the Council’s interests.

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 Investment, Regeneration & Tourism submitted a report that sought approval for the levels of financial support needed for the period April 2021 to March 2022 for the Leisure Partnership (JR Events & Catering) due to losses sustained and associated financial recovery plan related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Resolved that the recommendations as detailed in the report be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism submitted a report that sought approval for the disposal of land at Swansea Vale to facilitate the development of a new car showroom in line with the Council Constitution for asset disposals.

Resolved that the recommendations as detailed in the report be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Delivery & Operations submitted a report that sought approval to grant a new lease for the Palace Theatre as the proposed yearly rent is above delegated authority limits.

Resolved that the recommendations as detailed in the report be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning & Skills submitted a report that outlined the capital proposal included in the Capital Funding Application submitted to Welsh Government in respect of the Flying Start Programme 2021/22 and to commit the scheme to the capital programme in accordance with Finance Procedure Rule 7.

Resolved that the recommendations as detailed in the report be approved.