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)            Councillors A Pugh and Mark Thomas declared a Personal Interest in Minute 72 “Local Authority Governor Appointments”.

2)            Councillors R Francis-Davies and D H Hopkins declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 72 “Local Authority Governor Appointments” and withdrew from the meeting prior to its consideration.

3)            Councillor R V Smith declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 72 “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.

4)            Councillors M C Child, R Francis-Davies, A S Lewis and R C Stewart declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 73 “Proposed Lease to Mumbles Community Council under the Community Asset Transfer Policy” and withdrew from the meeting prior to its consideration.

5)            Councillor Mark Thomas declared a Personal Interest in Minute 79 “Pre Decision Scrutiny Feedback – Update Management Report on Swansea Airport” and Minute 80 “Update Management Report on Swansea Airport”.

6)            Councillor A H Stevens declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 79 “Pre Decision Scrutiny Feedback – Update Management Report on Swansea Airport” and Minute 80 “Update Management Report on Swansea Airport” and withdrew 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 21 October 2021.

a)           Skate Park. Declaration of Interest

The Leader of the Council stated that following advice from the Monitoring Officer he would not be participating in the forthcoming item relating to the Mumbles Skate Park.

Questions must be submitted in writing to Democratic Services democracy@swansea.gov.uk 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.

Jason Williams asked a question in relation to Minute 73 “Proposed Lease to Mumbles Community Council under the Community Asset Transfer Policy”.

Councillor D H Hopkins responded.

Councillors L R Tyler-Lloyd and Will Thomas asked a question in relation to Minute 73 “Proposed Lease to Mumbles Community Council under the Community Asset Transfer Policy”.

Councillor D H Hopkins responded.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Service Transformation submitted a report that provided an update on progress following the “Climate Emergency Declaration – Policy Review and Proposed Action” Report to Cabinet in November 2020.

Resolved that:

1)              The proposal to expand work to include both Climate Change and Nature and subsequent changes to governance be approved.

2)              The 2021-2030 Climate Change & Nature Strategy (Appendix 2 of the report) be approved and authority be delegated to the Deputy Leader of Council (Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Service Transformation) along with the Director of Place to make further changes.

3)              The Supporting further work required in developing the longer term Strategy and striving towards net zero carbon by 2050 for Swansea be approved.

4)              The continuation of the emission reporting via the Council developed

methodology of calculating carbon emission with the associated implications set out in the report be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management submitted a report that sought approval for the Swansea Public Toilet Strategy and the progress on the action plan.

Resolved that:

1)              The Swansea Public Toilet Strategy be approved.

2)              The progress to date be noted and the future actions for delivery be approved and the Director of Place and Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management be delegated authority to amend or change the delivery plan.

The Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning & Skills submitted a report that sought approval for the legal agreement to establish a new regional education partnership.

Resolved that:

1)              The draft legal agreement (attached at Appendix A of the report) to establish a Joint Committee for a new regional education partnership known as Partneriaeth to support the delivery of school improvement be approved.

2)              The appointment of the Leader of the Council as a member of the Joint Committee be approved.

3)              Those functions necessary to support the delivery of school improvement within the Council’s area and the region, acknowledging and accepting that the Council and the other Local Authorities in the region, will each retain statutory responsibility for school performance, together with the responsibility for the exercise of statutory powers, of intervention and organisation of schools in their respective areas be delegated to the Joint Committee.

4)              The creation of a Joint Scrutiny Councillor Group on the basis of the terms of reference set out in the legal agreement as amended from time to time be approved.

5)              Authority be delegated to the Director of Education in consultation with the Chief Legal Officer and the Cabinet Member for Education Improvement, Learning and Skills to make any further necessary amendments to the legal agreement and authorises the Chief Legal Officer to enter into the agreement on behalf of the Council together with any ancillary legal documentation necessary to facilitate the creation and operation of the new partnership.

6)              The provision of services by the Partneriaeth to Councils who are not parties to the legal agreement be approved, namely Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, Ceredigion County Council and Powys County Council in accordance with the clause 14 of the legal agreement with authority delegated to the Partneriaeth Joint Committee to agree the terms upon which such services are to be provided.

The Local Authority Governor Appointment Group submitted a report that sought approval of the nominations submitted to fill Local Authority Governor vacancies in 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 Delivery & Operations submitted a report that sought approval to negotiate and agree Heads of Terms and enter into a lease with Mumbles Community Council for land at Llwynderw for the purpose of constructing and managing a new skate park on the site.

Resolved that:

1)              The outcome responses from the consultation process under the public open spaces legislation that was undertaken in respect of the land identified in Appendix A of the report (site plan) be noted. A full copy of the responses received, and each of those that Object, Support or provide a Neutral comment has been provided as Appendix F of the report, with a high level summary provided within the body of the report.

2)              The proposed disposal of the land to Mumbles Community Council at a level of undervalue being acceptable to Cabinet and based on advice of the Head of Property Services be approved. Authority be delegated to the Head of Property Services to negotiate and settle the terms of the proposed lease of the land identified in Appendix A of the report (Site Plan) and authority be delegated to the Chief Legal Officer to finalise the legal documentation.

3)              Improvements be made to the site in line with the associated planning permission reference 2019/2345/FUL granted on 13 February 2020 for a replacement Skate Park at West Cross Skate Park, Mumbles Road, Blackpill, Swansea.

The Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Service Transformation submitted a report that provided details of the Disabled Facilities & Improvement Grant Programme in 2021-22 and sought approval to vire budget from Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) to the Council’s Capital General Fund and Minor Adaptations Grant and from Valleys Taskforce Grant budget into Western Valleys Grant budget. To comply with Financial Procedure Rule 7 “Capital Programming and Appraisals”, to commit and authorise schemes as per the Capital Programme.

Resolved that:

1)              The transfer of £1,210,000 from the Disabled Facilities Grant budget to the Council’s Capital General Fund be approved.

2)              The transfer of £307,000 from the Disabled Facilities Grant to the Minor Adaptations Grant budget be approved.

3)              The transfer of £105,000 from the Valleys Taskforce Empty Property budget to the Western Valleys Taskforce Empty Property budget be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Business Improvement & Performance submitted an information report that presented the annual report of the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW).

The Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management submitted a report that sought to confirm the Road Safety grant allocation from Welsh Government and include the expenditure in the capital programme for 2021/22.

Resolved that:

1)              The Road Safety grant allocation of £219,100 be confirmed and the expenditure be included in the capital programme for 2021/22.

The Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management submitted a report that sought to confirm the Safe Routes in Communities grant allocation from Welsh Government and include the expenditure in the capital programme for 2021/22.

Resolved that:

1)              The Safe Routes in Communities grant allocation of £283,200 be confirmed and the expenditure be included in the capital programme for 2021/22.

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)

Councillor C A Holley provided the pre-decision feedback in relation to the Management Report on Swansea Airport.

Call In Procedure - Subject to Pre-Decision Scrutiny: This decision is exempt from the Authority’s Call In Procedure as “the decision has been subject to Pre-Decision Scrutiny and there is no material change in relevant information / evidence”.

The Cabinet Member for Delivery & Operations submitted a report that provided an update on the current estate management activities at Swansea Airport.

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

The Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management submitted a report that sought approval to award a medium term contract for the treatment and disposal of non-recyclable (black bagged) waste.

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