Toggle mobile menu visibility

Bank holiday information - Easter

Bank holiday information for our services, including opening times and emergency contacts. All recycling collections will take place on the usual days.

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Room 3A, Guildhall, Swansea

Contact: Democratic Services - Tel (01792) 636923 

Items
No. Item

134.

Disclosures of Personal & Prejudicial Interest.

Minutes:

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

135.

Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, no declarations of Whipped Votes or Party Whips were declared.

136.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 130 KB

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

 

Minutes:

Resolved that the Minutes of the Scrutiny Programme Committee held on 9 April 2018 be approved and signed as a correct record.

137.

Public Question Time.

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

 

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

138.

Cabinet Member Question Session: Cabinet Member for Commercial Opportunities & Innovation. (Councillor David Hopkins) pdf icon PDF 129 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Commercial Opportunities & Innovation presented a report on the key headlines for the Commercial Opportunities & Innovation Portfolio. He provided a verbal address further to the written report circulated which highlighted activities around the following: -

 

·                Business promotion

·                Commercial Services

·                Commissioning Reviews

·                Economic twinning

·                Generating new investment / commercial opportunities

 

Questions and discussions with the Cabinet Member focussed on the following: -

 

·                The possibility, benefits and costs of commercial use of the Mansion House;

·                Likely effect and scale of loss of European funding post Brexit;

·                Possible location of Factories for the Future and whether any would be located in Swansea;

·                The Factory of the Future City Deal project and how it will attract £10 million of funding as part of the overall City Deal;

·                Progress of the Local & Regional Investment Strategy;

·                Local business engagement, including Federation of Small Businesses and Swansea Bay Business Club;

·                Funding strategies and anticipated capital investment to support the City Deal; 

·                The cross cutting review looking at ‘Services in the Community’ and work on a Pilot Hub;

·                Proposal for dedicated resources to support economic twinning and partnership arrangements;

·                Possibility of achieving the projected 35,000 new regional jobs as a result of the City Deal given the recent announcement by Virgin Media and the relegation of Swansea City Football Club; and

·                The implication of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, on Planning process and decision-making.

 

Resolved that

1)        The Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee write to the Cabinet Member, reflecting the discussion and sharing the views of the Committee.

2)        A written response be supplied on the following: -

·         Likely effect and scale of loss of European funding post Brexit;

·         The Factory of the Future project and potential site location;

·         Progress of the Local & Regional Investment Strategy; and

·         Possible figures in relation to anticipated capital investment to support the City Deal.

139.

Scrutiny Performance Panel Progress Report. pdf icon PDF 121 KB

Public Services Board (Councillor Mary Jones, Convener)

Additional documents:

Minutes:

As Convener of the Panel, the Chair presented a report on the progress of the Public Services Board Performance Panel. She referred to various Panel meetings held over the past year which have focussed on the development of the Public Services Board’s Wellbeing Plan and performance in relation to Public Services Board priorities, including early years, ageing well and domestic violence.

 

She highlighted that the first meeting of the next municipal year will focus on the governance arrangements of the Public Services Board and the Chair of the Public Service Board would be invited to provide feedback.

 

The Chair also highlighted the correspondence with the Chair of the Public Services Board attached to the report.

 

Resolved that the update be noted.

140.

Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups. pdf icon PDF 116 KB

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Team Leader presented a report on the Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups. In addition, the Committee noted the appointment of the following statutory education scrutiny representatives and welcomed them as new co-opted members to the Committee: -

 

Primary School Representative – Alexander Roberts (Bishopston School)

Secondary School Representative – Dave Anderson-Thomas (Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr)

Church in Wales Representative – John Meredith (Director of Education for the Diocese of Swansea & Brecon).

 

It was highlighted that more Members were required for the Digital Inclusion Working Group before it could go ahead and further expressions of interest would be sought. Councillor Peter Black expressed interest in joining the group.

 

Resolved that the following amendments to membership, be approved: -

 

1)            Add Councillor Louise Gibbard and Councillor Peter Black to the Digital Inclusion Working Group;

2)           Remove Councillor Lesley Walton from the Natural Environment Inquiry Panel; and

3)            Add Councillor Peter Jones and Councillor Paxton Hood-Williams to the Development & Regeneration Performance Panel.

141.

Scrutiny Letters. pdf icon PDF 130 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair presented a report on Scrutiny Letters.  The correspondence related to recent Cabinet Member Q & A sessions and the annual Local Flood Risk Management Working Group, and Readiness for School Inquiry Follow Up.

 

Councillor Peter Jones, Convenor of the Local Flood Risk Management Working Group provided a verbal address on the views of the Working Group on the Authority’s Local Flood Risk Management Plan.

 

Councillor Peter Jones specifically highlighted the actions identified as a result of concerns / issues raised with the Cabinet Member for Environmental Services.  He emphasised the role of the natural environment in controlling flood risk and the use of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS).

 

An additional meeting was requested (around October 2018) in order to monitor the recommendations and response from the Cabinet Member.

 

Resolved that the update and correspondence be noted.

142.

Annual Work Programme Review 2017/18. pdf icon PDF 188 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Team Leader presented the Annual Work Programme Review 2017/18.

 

The Scrutiny Team Leader highlighted that the report outlined the work carried out by scrutiny over the municipal year and encouraged the Committee to:- 

 

·                Look back at the work completed;

·                Reflect on the scrutiny experience; and

·                Think about the Work Programme for 2018/19

 

He noted that an Improvement & Development Workshop had been recently held with Committee Members on 3 May to consider the results of the Annual Councillor Scrutiny Survey and to look at ways of improving scrutiny. Amongst the issues that it was felt merited attention were: Councillor involvement; reports to scrutiny, Cabinet engagement / response to scrutiny, visibility of impact, and public engagement. 

 

The Committee was informed that the Annual Scrutiny Work Planning Conference would take place on 11 June 2018.

 

In relation the new work programme Paragraph 7.2 of the report listed items to be carried over, Paragraph 7.3 listed recurring activities. Subject to any changes that may be made by the Committee to Performance Panels the Chair informed the Committee that the existing Performance Panels would be asked to confirm their convener by election at the first meeting of the new municipal year. Having recommended continuity in May 2017 for the first year she stated that it would be up to each Panel to re-confirm the existing convener to determine any charge. 

 

Paragraph 7.5 outlined a Councillor request for Scrutiny. It was agreed that the Councillor Request for Scrutiny on the new electronic residents parking issuing system be noted and decision deferred pending outcome of the work planning conference and any competing demands for scrutiny. 

 

On discussing the Committee members experience of scrutiny it was generally felt that scrutiny was operating very well and the Chair, Councillors and Officers should be congratulated for that. Amongst issues it was felt that there could be improvement in tracking Cabinet Member responses.

 

The Chair thanked all those involved in Scrutiny for their attendance and contribution.

 

It was noted that a report would be presented to the Committee on draft scrutiny improvement objectives and possible actions for agreement.

 

RESOLVED that the report and comments be noted.

143.

Date and Time of Upcoming Panel / Working Group Meetings. pdf icon PDF 47 KB

Minutes:

The dates and times of upcoming Panel / Working Group meetings were noted.

144.

Exclusion of the Public. pdf icon PDF 123 KB

Minutes:

The Committee was requested to exclude the public from the meeting during the consideration of the item of business identified in the recommendations to the report on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out in the exclusion paragraph 14 of 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information)(Variation)(Wales) Order 2007, relevant to the item of business as set out in the report.

 

The Committee considered the Public Interest Test in deciding to exclude the public from the meeting for the items of business where the Public Interest Test was relevant, as set out in the report.

 

It was Resolved that the public be excluded for the following item of business.

145.

Scrutiny Letters.

Committee Letter to / from Health & Safety Executive (Oceana Building Demolition).

Minutes:

The Committee considered the letters to / from the Health & Safety Executive in respect of the demolition of the Oceana Building, and any further action necessary.

 

Resolved that an update be provided to the Committee in due course on the conclusion of any legal matters concerning the demolition project.  

Letter to Cabinet Member pdf icon PDF 198 KB

Cabinet Member Response pdf icon PDF 380 KB