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 interests were declared:

1)              Councillor R V Smith declared a personal & prejudicial Interest in Minute 18 “Local Authority Governor Appointments” and withdrew from the meeting prior to its consideration.

2)              Councillors D H Hopkins declared a personal & prejudicial interest in Minute 18 “Local Authority Governor Appointments” and withdrew from the meeting prior to its consideration.

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 20 June 2024.

The Leader of Council made no announcements.

Questions can be submitted in writing to Democratic Services democracy@swansea.gov.uk up until noon on the working day prior to the meeting. Written questions take precedence.  Public may attend and ask questions in person if time allows. Questions must relate to items on the open part of the agenda and will be dealt within a 10 minute period.

No questions were asked.

Councillor C A Holley asked questions in relation to Minute 23 ‘Financial Procedure Rule 7 - Capital Projects, Traffic Management, ULEVTF, Road Safety, Capital and Revenue Grants 2024/25’, Minute 24 ‘Capital Programme Authorisation for the Commitment of Funding to Support the Development and Completion of the Remaining Works Required at Schools to Support the Roll Out of UFSM to All Primary Pupils’ and Minute 25 ‘Proposed New Model for Specialist Teaching Facilities (STFs) Across Swansea’.

The Leader of the Council responded.

Note: Councillor C A Holley indicated he would write to the Cabinet Member relating to Minute 23 ‘Financial Procedure Rule 7 - Capital Projects, Traffic Management, ULEVTF, Road Safety, Capital and Revenue Grants 2024/25’ to request the holding of a Member briefing session on the matter.

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 & Learning be approved:

The Director of Finance / Section 151 Officer submitted a report which detailed capital outturn and financing for the year ended 31 March 2024.

Resolved that:

1)             The net under spend of the increased capital budget of £39.362m be approved and carried forward to 2024/2025.

The Director of Finance / Section 151 Officer submitted a report on the detailed revenue financial outturn for 2023/24.

The Leader of Council outlined the following additional areas of expenditure to be funded from the underspend detailed in the report:

• £6m for social care pressures. 
• Doubling the community investment fund from £1m to £2m to support more projects.
• £1m to improve road surfaces to take total investment to £8.1m
• Doubling investment in skate parks from £1m to £2m
• £200,000 on top of £400,000 already committed to free bus travel during the summer holidays. 
• £200,000 for accessible paths in parks.
• £150,000 for summer holiday food support schemes.
• £60,000 for new equipment to maintain active travel routes.

The Director of Finance / S151 Officer advised various routes for progressing these matters in the current year accordingly following due processes under Financial Procedure Rules.  

Resolved that:

1)     The comments and variations in the report be noted and the proposed reserve transfers detailed in Section 8.4, 8.5 and 8.6 be approved.

The Director of Finance / Section 151 Officer submitted a report which detailed the City and County of Swansea’s HRA outturn compared with the approved revenue budget for 2023/24.

Resolved that:

1)             The comments and variations in the report be noted, and the proposed reserve transfers of £5.890m detailed in Section 2.1 be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Culture, Human Rights & Equalities submitted a report to inform discussion and sought approval from Cabinet as to the adoption of a formal Guildhall Illumination Policy.

Resolved that:

1)             The Policy be approved.

2)             Delegated authority be granted to the Cabinet Member, to make decisions, in consultation with the sub-group, on any matter relating to the implementation of the Policy including the approval of all applications made under the Policy. The Cabinet Member may authorise an officer of his choosing to exercise the delegated responsibility on his behalf, in consultation with the members of the sub-group.

3)             In relation to urgent requests approval be granted to the Cabinet Member who may act unilaterally or may authorise an officer to act unilaterally in his absence.

The Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure and the Cabinet Member for Service Transformation jointly submitted a report to approve the funding for Local Transport Fund (LTF), Ultra Low Emission Vehicle Transformation Fund (ULEVTF), Active Travel Fund (ATF), Road Safety Capital & Revenue, and 20MPH Fund; and seek delegated authority to Director and Cabinet Member for expenditure on the associated projects in 2024/25 detailed in the grant award letter and to comply with Financial Procedure Rule No. 7 (Capital Programming and Appraisals): to commit and authorise schemes in the Capital Programme.

Resolved that:

1)             Receipt of the grant funding be approved and delegated authority be granted to the Director of Finance in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, the Cabinet Member for Service Transformation and the Director of Place to accept grant funding awarded for the LTF, ULEVTF, ATF, Road Safety Capital & Revenue, and 20MPH Fund schemes.

2)             The above schemes be approved and added to the Council’s capital programme in line with FPR7.

The Cabinet Member for Education & Learning submitted a report to comply with Financial Procedure Rule No 7(Capital Programming and Appraisals) to commit and authorise the sum of £2,448,507 for the upgrade of school meal infrastructure to the capital programme.

Resolved that:

1)             The capital grant award for the upgrade of school meal infrastructure in the sum of £2,448,507 be approved and included in the capital programme, resulting in a total commitment of £4,331,993.

The Cabinet Member for Education & Learning submitted a report that sought approval to consult on the redesignation of 25 STFs, change of specialism in 3 STFs, the opening of 5 new STFs, the expansion of 4 STFs and the closure of 5 STFs in schools in Swansea with a phased implementation commencing in September 2025.

Resolved that:

1)              Approval is given to consult on:

-             the redesignation of 25 STFs

-             the change of specialism of 3 STFs

-             the opening of 5 new STFs

-             the expansion of 4 STFs

-             the closure of 5 STFs in schools in Swansea with a phased implementation commencing in September 2025.

2)              Cabinet considers any responses following the consultation.

The Cabinet Member for Community (Services) submitted a report which sought the approval of Cabinet to seek residents’ views on Swansea’s Draft Waste Strategy 2025-2030 through a public consultation process.

Resolved that:

1)             A public consultation exercise be approved to seek residents’ views on Swansea’s Draft Waste Strategy 2025-2030 and the documents attached at Appendix A and B be approved.

Cabinet were requested to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the item(s) of business identified in the recommendations to the report(s) on the grounds that it / they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out in the exclusion paragraph of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007 relevant to the items of business set out in the report(s).

Cabinet considered the Public Interest Test in deciding whether to exclude the public from the meeting for the item of business where the Public Interest Test was relevant as set out in the report.

Resolved that the public be excluded for the following item(s) of business.

(Closed Session)

Councillor C A Holley asked questions in relation to Minute 29 ‘Swansea Central Phase 1 Land Disposal’ and Minute 30 ‘Swansea Central and City Waterfront Update and Progression’.

The Leader of the Council and Chief Executive responded.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events and Tourism submitted a report that sought approval for the disposal of land within Swansea Central Phase 1 Copr Bay development to enable construction of a new Hotel Development and sought budget authorisation to add the project to Capital Programme in line with Financial Procedure Rules (FPR7).

Resolved that the recommendations outlined in the report be approved.

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events and Tourism submitted a report which provided an update on proposals for Swansea Central and the City Waterfront; sought approval for the delivery approaches outlined in the report; to commit the requested budgets in accordance with Financial Procedure Rule 7; and delegate requisite authority to the Director of Place, Chief Legal Officer, Director of Finance and Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events, and Tourism to progress the schemes.

Resolved that the recommendations outlined in the report be approved.