Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

·         None

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

·         None

To approve & sign the Notes of the previous meeting(s) as a correct record.

·         Approved

·         Martyn Evans - Head of Operations South West Wales                                  

All statutory members are asked to respond to the following questions in a roundtable discussion;

1. Do you believe the well-being plan reflects where the board decided partnership action was needed?
2. Do you believe the plan has objectives which maximise the advantage of partnership working?
3. Are there objectives missing or objectives which should not be included?
4. Are the objectives ambitious enough or too ambitious in relation to improving the well-being of people and place?
5. What timeframes and processes need to be in place to allow for effective reviewing of actions?
6. Are you concerned about the clarity of who exactly will be expected to deliver the actions leading to the achievement of an objective?
7. Are there areas of work which have been identified where you feel collective action is not beneficial? If so, what are they?
8. Is there anything else you would like to add or any area of work within PSB which you feel could benefit from the contribution of scrutiny?

• Yes it has sufficient content to steer action. The driver diagram sets out the four things needed to achieve wellbeing by working with nature: managing the environment, ensuring biodiversity, reducing our carbon footprint and increasing knowledge & understanding to underpin action, including community awareness.  We’ve added a fifth Objective since. ‘Sharing for Swansea’ to maximise benefits. We’ve really taken this to heart in Working with Nature eg by treating public land as one public sector.

• The Swansea PSB has legitimised / elevated the profile and status of Green Infrastructure with its ABMU, Council and NRW must work in partnership on green infrastructure
• The objectives set in the PSB WB Plan can only be delivered in partnership. They don’t necessarily require the PSB to be there and we haven’t included any of our respective organisations’ ‘day job’ eg improving water quality – they’re all things above and beyond what we all do separately but haven’t achieved to date.
• No missing objectives at this point. The existing ones, if we are to implement them meaningfully are plenty to be getting on with. Involving the private sector more, circular economies etc
• Need better linkage with WG regen and economy on the ‘Working with nature theme.’
• PSB aligns the work of all public bodies, NRW strategy regarding resilience beckons other public bodies to join together and add value
• Social and economic outcomes can only be achieved if ecosystems are resilient – they underpin everything
• Focus on getting momentum on Working with Nature but need to listen to what each other are doing
• Nothing is missing and Early Years and the preventative work is very encouraging e.g. NRW can contribute to education – immediate outcomes are not achievable, sustainability needs continuity
• The objectives are ambitious and if achieved the outcomes will be enormous
• Positive that people care about the environment (Penllergaer trees) but the sanctions need to be severe – the legislation is strong and need to ensure people are held to account
• Enforcement powers of Council and NRW need to be combined
• The drivers are for everyone to achieve
• The significance of what we are trying to do means success won’t occur overnight – example of Scandinavian countries given as good example. We do need however to check we are going in the right direction. The PSB Research Group did try to construct a monitoring review but the PSB didn’t think it was appropriate. This will be picked up in the review of the PSB’s governance.
• We have to report annually as a PSB to WG of steps we’ve taken to deliver.
• Future Generations Commissioner and Scrutiny are holding people to account
• There are no areas where collective action is not beneficial but there is a risk of no accountability
• This (are you clear about responsibilities?) is a really good one and often overlooked. We’re clear about what NRW is doing on ‘Working with Nature’ but less clear is how we contribute to other objectives – we’re not the only statutory member to struggle with this as it’s new territory for all of us. Eg AQ, community flooding, health outcomes, rec & access offer.
• The objective leads have not to date met regularly to compare notes, challenge one another and check progress/ensure no overlaps, add value. We recognised this at a recent PSB meeting and will begin to do this now we have work under our belts.
• It’s only by communicating and building these new relationships that these new opportunities and contributions can be identified. Eg tacking wildfires 

·         Our renewed focus on governance will ensure better joining up and commissioning/ attendance at other groups. We will be asking work area leads direct to report on their work instead of reporting through a co-ordinator.

• Need communication outside of PSB, profile of PSB not high enough, too formal and not inclusive of the public for meaningful involvement
• Should look at Circular economies e.g. waste produced which doesn’t have an end – Wales is a hotspot for waste crime but we do have a strong waste team in West Wales

·         Max Stokes - Senior Natural Resources Planning Officer

• NRW has contributed to lots of environmental data (especially at the Well Being Assessment stage), consultation and held workshops
• Want to get profile of environment up the agenda
• Green infrastructure really important in Swansea both in rural and urban environments (scored highly in Assessment consultation responses)
• Improving knowledge and understanding is a real collaborative effort
• Multi PSB green infrastructure project currently being undertaken – benefits to mental and physical health with green infrastructure
• If you don’t live within 5 minutes of a green space the likelihood of accessing one drops hugely
• Currently creating a tool to recognise what a ‘good’ green space is
• Initiatives where trees are being planted as a result of PSB work
• The Well-being plan is a strategic document for the whole area not just PSB
• Some grant bids being approved as a result of PSB
• Climate change awareness resources being developed
• Area statements will improve opportunities and actions for people in those areas linking to ecosystem services
• 6 Wales area statements plus a marine one due to be published Dec 2019 – Apr 2020. Trying to engage people now to get them right
• Needs to achieve streamline and synergy, all about relationships which could be monitored by scrutiny

·         Suzy Richards - Sustainable Policy Officer

• The PSB’s purpose to improve well-being in Swansea by contributing to the national goals
• 3 key phases – Year 1 assessment, Year 2 Well-being Plan, Year 3 Delivery ongoing PSB is about way of working and prioritising
• New Chair appointed October 2018 Andrew Davies ABMU
• Restrictive way of working e.g. agendas can be restraining
• The Local Well-being Objectives and steps underpinning them are what are legally bound to be delivered
• Split into short, medium and long term objectives
• Relationships have improved between organisations – Working With Nature came directly from consultation and Human Rights Cities was developed by the PSB.
• Public relations addressed as ‘poor’ and need to be dealt with via the governance review
• There is no budget for communications
• Need mechanisms in place to capture the added value – assessed under collaboration activity rather than outcome

·         Discussed