Agenda and minutes

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

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

RESOLVED that the Minutes of the Development Cabinet Advisory Committee held on 17 August 2016 be approved and signed as a correct record.

The City Centre Manager provided an update to enable the Committee to consider its position regarding the provision of public toilet facilities in Swansea Market.

The report followed on from the presentation and verbal report provided on 16 March 2016 and the site meeting that subsequently took place on 18 April 2016.

She went on to highlight that the number of visitors from footfall data to be entering the Market per week is approximately 90,000.  In recent months Markets across the UK are showing a declining pattern of footfall and this is reflected in the data returns for Swansea, however the Market had recently achieved “Best visitor experience” in the Swansea Life Awards.

She outlined the existing City Centre toilet facilities and the options regarding converting certain units within the Market, which had been viewed by Members during the site visit, however it was felt that none of the options provided a practical solution.  Therefore the recommendation was to discount these options and seek to develop toilet facilities as part of a wider master plan in relation to the Market Regeneration Strategy.

RESOLVED that:

1)       Preliminary options to install toilet facilities in the Market over the short term are discounted;

2)       The statistics in relation to footfall data across the UK be provided for the next meeting;

3)       Information regarding the public conveniences that are available in the City Centre and across Swansea be updated on the Council website;

4)       The Master Plan be presented and discussed at the next Development Cabinet Advisory Committee.

The City Centre Manager provided a verbal update to the Committee as follows:

She explained that informal consultation had previously been undertaken by Swansea Business Improvement District (BID) with their members in relation to the pedestrianisation of Wind Street, the results of which had proved generally supportive of the proposal.

The City Centre Manager had subsequently been asked to assist in engaging with the business community to seek formal consultation in relation to the proposal.

As a result a survey was devised and hand-delivered by the City Centre Rangers to 213 properties (actual 284 delivered, although 71 were duplicates or for premises which turned out to be vacant), which included both business and residential properties in the area.  The deadline for submission of completed questionnaires had been set for 5 September 2016, however due to a poor  return rate, this was extended to 16 September 2016 to enable the Rangers to return to  several outstanding businesses / properties in order to ‘chase up’ responses.

A total of 50 (23.5%) completed questionnaires were received, 41 from businesses and 9 from residents.  As the deadline had been extended, a full analysis of the responses had not yet been undertaken, however a cursory examination had been made and in terms of the question “Do you support the principal of pedestrianising of Wind Street?”, 66% had responded “Yes”, 20% said “No”, 10% answered “Don’t know” and 4% failed to answer the question.  Of the responses 68.2% of businesses were supportive of the proposal and of the residents who responded more were supportive than negative.

RESOLVED that:

1)       The verbal update is noted;

2)       A full analysis of the results be reported to the next meeting.

The Tree Services Manager provided an introduction to the tree policy from a Parks perspective.

The introduction outlined:

1.       What is a Tree Policy?

2.       What are the aims of a Tree Policy?

3.       Points to include within a policy within the Tree Services Unit remit.

A Tree Policy would require the input and agreement of all departments that have trees and woodlands on their land as well as other departments that are responsible for trees, woodlands, the environment and tree planting in order to have one policy to bring all of the information together.  The policy would also need to be restrictive in order to protect our tree stock and would also inform the public what could and could not be done in relation to trees.

The Officer reiterated that a regular inspection regime was in place, details of which would also be included in the policy. He confirmed that he was also liaising with the Landscape Assistant (Arboriculturist) in Planning in relation to the recommendations made by the Tree Preservation Scrutiny Working Group.

The Chair thanked the Officer for providing the revised introduction to the Policy.

RESOLVED that:

1)       The next meeting focus on the aims of the policy in more detail and they be expanded on;

2)       A list of which departments have trees on their land also be provided for the next meeting.

A list of monthly service request figures had been provided for the Committee by the Divisional Officer Waste Management and Team Leader Enforcement, Fly Tipping and Litter.

RESOLVED that:

1)       The statistics be noted;     

2)       The Chair to report back to the Cabinet Member for Environment & Transportation.

There were no items to report.

The Chair presented the Work Plan for 2016-2017.

RESOLVED that:

1)       The Work Plan be noted;

2)       Tree Policy, Swansea Market & Pedestrianisation of Wind Street be added to the agenda for the next meeting scheduled for 19 October 2016.

3)       The Democratic Services Officer liaise with the relevant officer in relation to Housing Estates containing unadopted streets to be included on an agenda for a future meeting.