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 interest(s) were declared:

1)            Councillor J A Raynor declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 83 “Local Authority Governor Appointments” and stated that she had dispensation from the Standards Committee to Stay, Speak but Not Vote on matters relating to the Appointment of Local Authority Governors.

2)            Councillor E T King declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 86 “Cultural Services Covid-19 External Funding Paper” and withdrew from the Meeting prior to its consideration.

3)            Councillor A H Stevens declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 87 “Recommendation for the Treatment of Rents at Swansea Market for Application from the End of the Last Concession Period (16 November 2020) to the End of the 2020/21 Financial Year” and withdrew from the Meeting prior to its consideration.

4)            The Head of Democratic Services, Huw Evans declared a Personal Interest in Minute 87 “Recommendation for the Treatment of Rents at Swansea Market for Application from the End of the Last Concession Period (16 November 2020) to the End of the 2020/21 Financial Year”.

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 January 2021.

1)            Race Council Cymru “Zero Racism Campaign”

The Leader of Council stated that he, the Joint Deputy Leaders of his Political Group and the other Political Group Leaders along with Councillor L S Gibbard had signed the Race Council Cymru Pledge as part of their “Zero Racism Campaign”.

Questions must be submitted in writing, 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.

Questions were received from Dame Jean Thomas and Steve Green in relation to Minute 78 “Revenue Budget 2021-2022”.

The relevant Cabinet Member(s) responded.

No questions were asked.

Councillor C A Holley provided the Pre-decision Scrutiny feedback.

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 Economy & Strategy submitted a report which outlined the financial monitoring of the 2020-2021 revenue and capital budgets.

Resolved that:

1)            The comments and variations in the report,and the actions in hand to address them be noted.

2)            The virements outlined in Paragraph 2.7 of the report be approved.

3)            The level of permitted, in extremis, in year overspending be reduced to £4m, to be fully financed from draws from earmarked reserves, well within the sums approved at Council on 4 November 2020, to ensure the overall budget remains balanced for the year. To also note the Section 151 Officers verbal update 3 but additionally notes that the S151 Officers verbal updated stating that it would improve by at least £10m on sums already advised since the drafting of the report.

4)            Cabinet continues to endorse that no Officer may consider any material further spending commitments and must wherever possible continue to defer and delay spending to contain and reduce the likely modest forecast overspend by year end as far as is practicable, whilst delivering agreed Council priorities set out in the approved budget.

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 Section 151 Officer submitted a report, which set out the rationale and purpose of the Medium Term Financial Plan and detailed the major funding assumptions for the period and proposed a strategy to maintain a balanced budget.

Resolved that:

1)       The Medium Term Financial Plan 2022-2023 to 2025-2026 be recommended to Council as the basis for future service financial planning.

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 Section 151 Officer submitted a report, which set out the current position with regard to the Revenue Budget for 2021-2022. It detailed:

·                 Financial Monitoring 2020-2021;

·                 The Local Government Finance Settlement 2021-2022;

·                 Budget Forecast 2021-2022;

·                 Specific Saving Proposals;

·                 Outcome of Budget Consultation;

·                 Staffing Implications;

·                 Reserves and Contingency Fund Requirements;

·                 The Budget Requirement and Council Tax 2021-2022;

·                 Summary of funding proposals;

·                 Risks and uncertainties.

Resolved that:

1)       The outcome of the formal consultation exercise be noted and, changes to the Budget Proposals in Appendix D of the report be agreed, together with the position regarding delegated budgets as set out in Sections 4.10 and 4.11 of the report.

2)       The current Total Funding Requirement identified in Section 4.6 of the report be noted and, in line with the potential actions identified in Sections 9 and 10 of the report agreed a course of action to achieve a balanced Revenue Budget for 2021-2022.

3)       In addition to a review of current savings proposals Cabinet:

a)       Reviewed and Approved the Reserve Transfers recommended in the report;

b)       Agreed a level of Council Tax for 2021-2022 to be recommended to Council.

4)       Subject to the changes identified and listed above, Cabinet recommends to Council for approval:

a)       A Revenue Budget for 2021-2022;

b)       A Budget Requirement and Council Tax levy for 2021-2022.

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 Section 151 Officer submitted a report, which proposed a revised Capital Budget for 2020-2021 and a Capital Budget for 2021-2022 to 2026-2027.

Resolved that:

1)       The revised Capital Budget for 2020-2021 and a Capital Budget for 2021-2022 – 2026-2027 as detailed in Appendices A, B, C, D, E and F of the report be approved.

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 Section 151 Officer submitted a report which proposed a Revenue Budget for 2021-2022 and a rent increase for properties within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA).

Resolved that the following budget proposals be recommended to Council for approval:

1)       Rents be increased in line with the new Welsh Government policy as detailed in Section 3 of the report;

2)       Fees, charges and allowances be approved as outlined in Section 4 of the report;

3)       The Revenue Budget Proposals as detailed in Section 4 of the report.

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 Section 151 Officer submitted a report which proposed a revised Capital Budget for 2020-2021 and a Capital Budget for 2021-2022 – 2024-2025.

Resolved that the following be recommended to Council for approval:

1)         The transfers between schemes and the revised budgets for schemes in 2020-2021 be approved.

2)         The budget proposals for 2021-2022 – 2024-2025 be approved.

3)         Where individual schemes as shown in Appendix B are programmed over the 4 year period described in the report, then these be committed and approved and their financial implications for funding over the 4 years also be approved.

4)         The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) compliance levels and deadline extension be noted.

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 Section 151 Officer submitted a report, which sought approval of the Capital Strategy which informs the seven year Capital Programme.

Resolved that:

1)       The Capital Strategy 2020-2021 – 2067-2027 be forwarded to Council for approval.

The Local Authority Governors Appointment Group submitted a report, which sought approval of the nominations submitted to fill Local Authority (LA) Governor vacancies on 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, which sought approval and adoption of the Swansea Central Area – Regenerating Our City for Wellbeing and Wildlife Strategy.

Resolved that:

1)            The Strategy be approved for adoption.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism submitted a report, which sought approval of a first stage feasibility and concept study for the regeneration of Castle Square. The report also sought budget authorisation to progress to the next stages of detailed design, planning and consultation in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule “Capital Programming and Appraisals”, to commit and authorise the addition of new schemes to the Capital Programme.

Resolved that:

1)            Fees of £782k for the Castle Square Regeneration scheme be added to the capital programme in line with Financial Procurement Rule 7 to progress to detailed design, planning and public consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism submitted a report, which sought retrospective agreement for external grant funding received by Cultural Services in connection with Welsh Government’s Cultural Sector COVID-19 recovery funding.

Resolved that:

1)              The efforts to access external / government funding for the Cultural Sector resulting in applications being made with little notice be noted.

2)              Retrospective approval for the acceptance and utilisation of the funding received, and to authorise the acceptance of amounts pending, subject to criteria being fulfilled as outlined in Paragraph 4.3 of the report be confirmed.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism submitted a report, which sought approval of an approach to the treatment of rents at Swansea Market to be implemented from the end date of the initial agreed COVID-19 related rent concession period (16 November 2020) to the end of the 2020/2021 financial year.

Resolved that:

1)              During periods of COVID lockdown (i.e. at times when non-essential retail is not permitted to trade), all traders receive a 70% reduction in rent.

2)              At all other periods until the end of the COVID pandemic, a rent concession is granted to individual traders who demonstrate a 40% fall in turnover during a defined period compared to the same period last year. Traders not eligible for Welsh Government grants to date would receive a slightly higher discount upon demonstration of a 30% fall in turnover.

3)              In the event that lockdown is lifted but not all non-essential retailers can resume business (e.g. close contact services such as beauty salons must remain closed), these individual businesses would be treated as a unique case and would continue to receive the 70% reduction in rent until such a time when they are legally permitted to re-open.

4)              Swansea Market rents are calculated and due every 4 weeks. The concessions would cover the following rental periods:

16 November 2020 to 13 December 2020.

14 December 2020 to 10 January 2021.

11 January 2021 to 7 February 2021.

8 February 2021 to 7 March 2021.

8 March 2021 to 4 April 2021.

For the purposes of ease of administration and simpler communication to Swansea Market Traders, it is proposed that the concessions apply to 4 April 2021 instead of 31 March 2021.

The Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Economy, Finance & Strategy submitted a report, which noted the terms and conditions attached to the award of government funding. It also sought to approve the funding agreements necessary to secure the release of the city deal funding.

Resolved that:

1)              The terms and conditions attached to the offer of government funding contained within the Funding Award letter dated 16 December 2020 be noted.

2)              The content of the principal funding agreement between the Accountable Body and Swansea Council in relation to the Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District Project at Appendix A of the report be approved and the Chief Legal Officer be authorised to make any necessary amendments and to enter into the agreement on behalf of the Council to enable the Council to receive City Deal funding.

3)              The Director of Place together with the Chief Finance Officer be authorised to exercise delegated authority to finalise the terms of any funding agreement between the Accountable Body and Swansea Council in relation to any other City Deal projects where the Council is acting as a Project Authority Lead and authorises the Chief Legal Officer to enter into those agreements on behalf of the Council.

4)              The content of the template secondary funding agreement that the Council will enter into with a Recipient of City Deal Government funding at Appendix B of the report be noted and the Director of Place together with the Chief Finance Officer be authorised to negotiate and agree final terms with any relevant Recipient within any City Deal project involving the Council and the Chief Legal Officer be authorised to enter into those agreements on behalf of the Council.

The Cabinet Member for Environment Enhancement & Infrastructure Management submitted a report, which confirmed the updated Flood and Coastal Risk Management (Capital) grant from Welsh Government and include the expenditure in the capital programme for 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 to comply with Financial Procedure Rule 7 “to commit and authorise a scheme to the Capital Programme”.

Resolved that:

1)              The Flood and Coastal Risk Management (Capital) grant of £1,114,461.00 is confirmed, being 100% total funding for the design stage of this scheme and that this is included in the capital programme for years 2020/2021 through to 2021/2022. The total cost for the initial phase of the scheme is £1,114,461.00.