Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P M Black, N S Bradley, W J F Davies, J A Hale, C E Lloyd, K E Marsh, H M Morris, C L Philpott, C Thomas, D W W Thomas, L G Thomas, L J Tyler-Lloyd and G D Walker.

The Head of Legal, Democratic Services and Procurement gave advice regarding the potential personal and prejudicial interests that Councillors and / Officers may have on the agenda.

 

The Head of Democratic Services reminded Councillors and Officers that the “Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests” sheet should only be completed if the Councillor / Officer actually had an interest to declare.  Nil returns were not required.  Councillors and Officers were also informed that any declarable interest must be made orally and in writing on the sheet.

 

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

 

1)       Councillors J C Bayliss and C Richards declared a Personal Interest in Minute 28 “Public Questions”;

 

2)       Councillors R V Smith declared a Personal Interest in Minute 31 “Membership of Committees”;

 

3)       Councillors M C Child, D W Cole, J P Curtice, J E C Harris, R Francis-Davies, P R Hood-Williams, R D Lewis and C Richards declared a Personal Interest in Minute 32 “Amendments to the Council Constitution - Gower Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) Partnership”;

 

4)       Councillors P Downing, R Francis-Davies, P R Hood-Williams, L James, J W Jones, P M Meara, G Owens, J A Raynor, R V Smith & L V Walton declared a Personal Interest in Minute 33 “Amendments to the Constitution - Audit Committee”;

 

5)       Councillor J A Raynor declared a Personal Interest in Minute 36 “Scrutiny Dispatches”;

 

6)       Councillor R C Stewart declared a Personal Interest in Minute 36 “Notice of Motion”.

To approve and sign as a correct record the minutes of the

1) Annual Meeting of Council held on 8 May 2014.

2) Ceremonial Meeting of Council held on 9 May 2014.

 

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the:

 

1)       Annual Meeting of Council held on 8 May 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record;

 

2)       Ceremonial Meeting of Council held on 9 May 2014 be approved and signed as a correct record subject to Councillor D W W Thomas being deleted and replaced by Councillor R J Stanton (Lord Mayor) as the person that Chaired the early part of the meeting.

1)       Condolences

 

a)       Eileen Newbury (Deputy Lady Mayoress), Wife of Councillor John Newbury (Deputy Lord Mayor)

 

The Deputy Presiding Member referred with sadness to the recent death of Eileen Newbury (Deputy Lady Mayoress), wife of Councillor John Newbury (Deputy Lord Mayor);

 

b)       Former Councillor Joan T G Peters

 

The Deputy Presiding Member referred with sadness to the recent death of former Councillor Joan T G Peters.  She had represented the Oystermouth Electoral Division on Swansea City Council between 1983 and 1988 and the City and County of Swansea between 1995 and 2008.

 

Former Councillor Joan T G Peters had served as the Regeneration Cabinet Member and had also been the Conservative Political Group Leader.

 

All present stood in silence as a mark of sympathy and respect.

 

2)       Time to Change Wales Champions

 

The Deputy Presiding Member stated that the Time to Change Wales Champions were volunteers who had experience of mental health problems and are at the heart of the Time to Change Wales campaign, challenging stigma in their own communities, campaigning in the media and sharing their experiences of living with mental health problems.

 

These Champions were recently given an award for their huge achievements over the past year at the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) Wales Volunteer of the Year Awards.

 

The Deputy Presiding Member congratulated the Time to Change Wales Champions on their award.

 

3)       Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014

 

The Deputy Presiding Member congratulated the following citizens and former citizens of the City and County of Swansea on their recent awards in the New Year Honours.  He stated that the Lord Mayor would be writing to each of the citizens congratulating them on their awards.

 

a)       Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

 

i)        Robert Owen Humphreys.

Director, Open University Wales.

For services to Education and voluntary public service in Wales.

 

b)       Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

 

i)        Councillor Christopher Ashleigh Holley.

Councillor, City and County of Swansea Council.

For political service and service to the community in Swansea.

 

Councillor M H Jones (Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Political Group) paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of Councillor C A Holley.

 

c)       Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

 

i)        Gwilym Gwesyn Joseph.

Director, Swansea City Football Club.

For services to Football and the Economy in Swansea.

 

d)       British Empire Medal (BEM)

 

i)        Vivienne Caroline Sterling Lewis.

For services to the community particularly Young People in Sketty, Swansea.

 

ii)       Denys Howell Jenkins (Denny Twp).

For voluntary and charitable services to the community in South Wales.

1)       Councillor C A Holley (OBE)

 

The Leader of the Council congratulated Councillor C A Holley on being awarded an OBE under the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2014.

 

2)       Jen Wilson, Volunteer of the Year Award

 

The Leader of the Council congratulated Jen Wilson of Swansea on winning the Adult Category of the Wales Volunteer of the Year Awards 2014.

 

He stated that Pianist Jen Wilson has created a unique archive on the history of Welsh and British women in jazz, the value of which is recognised worldwide.  Jen Wilson founded Jazz Heritage Wales, formally known as The Women's Jazz Archive nearly 30 years ago.

 

3)       Elba Estate, Gowerton – Ground Rent Review

 

The Leader of the Council stated that he sympathised and understood the plight of the residents of the Elba Estate, Gowerton and called upon the Chief Executive, Jack Straw to give a statement.

 

The Chief Executive stated that:

 

i)        Officers of the City and County of Swansea are duty bound to enact the rent review as contained within the lease agreement, and have done so.

ii)       Doing so is in line with the legal duty for the City and County of Swansea to obtain best value and to follow Council Policy that also covers this.

iii)       Officers of the City and County of Swansea have no discretion to waive the law or best value.

 

The Chief Executive then stated that there was a self evident and formal process:

 

i)        The rent review notice has been issued and now rents have to be agreed.

ii)       Tenants should consider taking independent advice, as the City and County of Swansea is not allowed to advise.

iii)       Tenants should respond to the City and County of Swansea by either agreeing the rent, or more likely not agreeing it.

iv)      There is an opportunity at that stage to enter into negotiation, but any discretion has to be exercised by Cabinet in line with its legal duties and the broader greater good.

v)       The matter can then go to formal binding arbitration.

vi)      The new level of rents do not become due until the process is complete.

Questions must relate to matters on the open part of the Agenda of the meeting and will be dealt within a 10 minute period.

 

A number of questions were asked by members of the public.  The relevant Cabinet Member responded accordingly.  Those questions requiring a written response are listed below:

 

1)       Tony Beddow asked the Leader of the Council (in the absence of the Regeneration Cabinet Member) a question in relation to Minute 34 “Written Responses to Questions asked at the Last Ordinary Meeting of Council”.

 

a)       “Page 57, Response to Question 2.  The likely profit of Swansea Stadium Management Company (SSMC) would appear to be circa £160,000 at the end of 2014-2015.

 

What is the estimated share of that profit due to the City and County of Swansea under the current agreement?”

 

The Leader of the Council stated that a written response would be provided.

Anthony Metcalfe, Programme Manager for Time to Change Wales gave a presentation to Council on the work of the Time to Change campaign.  Time to Change Wales is the first national campaign to end the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems.

 

The campaign is needed because although mental health problems are very common, they can still be a taboo subject.  People who experience mental illness often face stigma and discrimination in the workplace, socially and within families.  This can make life with a mental health problem more difficult than the symptoms themselves.

 

Time to Change Wales want to improve knowledge and understanding about mental illness and, most importantly of all, get people talking about mental health.

 

Further information may be found at http://www.timetochangewales.org.uk/en/

 

The Wellbeing Cabinet Member (Councillor M C Child) thanked him for the presentation.

“This Council wishes to recognise the work of the Time to Change Wales campaign as the first national campaign to encourage people to talk openly about their mental health.  It is hoped that this will assist in bringing an end to the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems. 

 

This Council acknowledges the fact that within their lifetime 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental illness and whilst mental health issues can be classed from mild to severe, the impact for most sufferers, and their families and friends, can be absolutely devastating. 

 

This Council supports and signs the Time to Change Wales Organisational Pledge. This Council will do all it is able to support both the public and its staff in regards to mental health and the aims of the Time to Change Wales campaign.”

 

The Deputy Presiding Member moved that the following Notice of Motion be brought forward in the agenda.  This was seconded by Councillor M C Child.

 

The following motion was proposed by Councillor M C Child and seconded by Councillor D Phillips.

 

“This Council wishes to recognise the work of the Time to Change Wales campaign as the first national campaign to encourage people to talk openly about their mental health.  It is hoped that this will assist in bringing an end to the stigma and discrimination faced by people with mental health problems.

 

This Council acknowledges the fact that within their lifetime 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental illness and whilst mental health issues can be classed from mild to severe, the impact for most sufferers, and their families and friends, can be absolutely devastating.

 

This Council supports and signs the Time to Change Wales Organisational Pledge. This Council will do all it is able to support both the public and its staff in regards to mental health and the aims of the Time to Change Wales campaign.”

 

RESOLVED that the Notice of Motion as shown above be approved.

The Citizen, Community Engagement and Democracy Cabinet Member referred to the report stating that the Leader of the Council had removed the following organisations from the Outside Bodies list as they had either been disbanded, subsumed into the Swansea Bay City Region or it was no longer relevant to send representatives from the Authority:

 

·                 Arts Council of Wales – (Mid and West Wales Area Committee);

·                 City Centre Partnership;

·                 Coleg Harlech;

·                 Community Cohesion Fund Grants Panel;

·                 Industrial Common Ownership Fund – Decision Making Panel;

·                 Institute of Welsh Affairs;

·                 Oystermouth Castle Management Board;

·                 Shoreline Management Plan;

·                 South Wales Economic Forum;

·                 South West Wales Regional Waste Consortium;

·                 Swansea Bay Partnership;

·                 Wales Council for the Blind;

·                 Welsh Centre for International Affairs;

·                 Wales Home Safety Council.

 

She also reported that the Leader of the Council had made amendments to the membership of the following Outside Bodies:

 

1)       Swansea Bay Regional Equality Council (Formerly known as the Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council)

 

Remove Councillors Y V Jardine and P Sangha.

Add Councillors J E C Harris and M Theaker.

 

2)       Swansea Council for Voluntary Service

 

Remove Councillor N M Ronconi-Woollard.

Add Councillor A M Cook.

 

RESOLVED that the membership of the Council Bodies listed below be amended as follows:

 

1)       Local Development Plan (LDP) Advisory Group

Remove Councillor G D Walker.

Add Councillor E W Fitzgerald.

The Presiding Member, Monitoring Officer and Head of Democratic Services jointly submitted a report which sought to make amendments in order to simplify, improve and / or add to the Council Constitution in relation to the following area:

 

1)       Parts 3 - Terms of Reference of the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership.

 

RESOLVED that:

 

1)       The amended terms of reference for the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership as outlined in the report be adopted;

 

2)       Any relevant reports being presented to the AONB Partnership at its annual meeting should also be presented to the Development and Control Committee for information.

The Presiding Member, Monitoring Officer and Head of Democratic Services jointly submitted a report which sought to make amendments in order to simplify, improve and / or add to the Council Constitution in relation to the following area:

 

1)       Parts 3 - Terms of Reference of the Audit Committee.

 

RESOLVED that the amended terms of reference for the Audit Committee as outlined in Appendix 2 of the report be adopted.

1)       Part A ‘Supplementary Questions’

 

Four (4) Part A ‘Supplementary Questions’ were submitted.  The relevant Cabinet Member(s) responded by way of written answers contained in the Council Summons.

 

No supplementary question s required a written response:

 

2)       Part B ‘Questions not requiring Supplementary Questions’

 

No Part B ‘Questions not requiring Supplementary Questions’ were submitted.

The Head of Legal, Democratic Services and Procurement submitted an information report setting out the written responses to questions asked at the last Ordinary Meeting of Council.

The Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee submitted an information report which provided Council with a progress report on various scrutiny activities.