Agenda and minutes

www.swansea.gov.uk/disclosuresofinterests

The Chief Legal Officer gave advice regarding the potential personal and prejudicial interests that Councillors and Officers may have on the agenda.

 

The Head of Democratic Services reminded Councillors and Officers that the “Disclosures of Personal and Prejudicial Interests” sheet should only be completed if the Councillor / Officer actually had an interest to declare.  Nil returns were not required.  Councillors and Officers were also informed that any declarable interest must be made orally and in writing on the sheet.

 

In accordance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea the following interests were declared:

 

1)              Councillor J E Burtonshaw declared a Personal & Prejudicial Interest in Minute 178 “Dispensation for Councillor Leave of Absence - Councillor S E Crouch” and withdrew from the meeting prior to its consideration;

 

2)              Councillor P Lloyd declared a Personal Interest in Minute 178 “Dispensation for Councillor Leave of Absence - Councillor S E Crouch”.

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

Resolved that the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Council held on 28 March 2019 be approved and signed as a correct record subject to Minute 159 “Announcements of the Presiding Member” and Minute 160 “Announcements of the Leader of the Council” being deleted and replaced with the following:

 

“159   Announcements of the Presiding Member.

 

1)              Webcasting of Meeting

 

The Presiding Member stated that as part of the ongoing works to enable Webcasting of Council, Cabinet, Planning Committee and the Scrutiny Programme Committee; this Meeting is being recorded for Webcasting purposes.  The meeting will not be streamed live as we are still in the testing period; however it will recorded. If the trial is successful, the meeting will be published online at a later date.

 

2)              Condolences

 

a)              Councillor William Frederick (Fred) Stuckey

 

The Presiding Member referred with sadness to the recent death of Councillor Fred Stuckey.  Councillor Stuckey represented the Townhill Electoral Ward from 1999-2004.

 

b)              Councillor Des W Davies (Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council)

 

The Presiding Member referred with sadness to the recent death of Councillor Des W Davies of Neath Port Talbot Borough Council.  Councillor Davies was a former West Glamorgan County Councillor first elected in 1981.  He was the former Vice Chair of the West Glamorgan Joint Archives Committee.

 

c)       Remembering those who died in the massacre at mosques in New Zealand

 

The Presiding Member referred with sadness to the recent massacre in New Zealand.  Fifty people died and dozens more were injured in the shootings at the Al Noor Mosque and the Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15 March 2019.  He stated that Politicians must help play a role in tackling intolerance in society.

 

All present stood as a mark of respect and sympathy.

 

3)              Councillor M C Child – Swimathon 2019

 

The Presiding Member stated that his Electoral Ward colleague, Councillor Mark Child would be participating in Swimathon 2019.  Councillor Child aims to swim 2.5km (1.55 miles) on Friday, 29 March 2019 as part of Swimathon 2019 raising money for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie.

 

He encouraged all to sponsor Councillor Child.

 

4)       Darran Kiley - St David Award for Bravery

 

The Presiding Member stated that he had great pleasure to announce that Darran Kiley had been shortlisted as a finalist for the St David Award for Bravery.  The St David Awards scheme recognises and celebrates the exceptional achievements of people from all walks of life in Wales.

 

Darran was working through an Agency in the Authority’s Parks and Cleansing Section and in October 2017 during the course of a day’s work in the City Centre, he was confronted by a man with a knife.  Darran contacted the Police and then followed the knifeman.  When this person threatened another member of the public, Darran intervened by restrained the knifeman until the Police arrived to make an arrest.  Darran has since been employed in Waste Management through their Trainee Programme.

 

The Presiding Member thanked Darran for his bravery and congratulated him for being a finalist at the St David Award for Bravery Awards.  Darran was present at the meeting.

 

5)       National Innovation Award in Health & Safety

 

The Presiding Member announced that the Authority’s Corporate Health, Safety & Emergency Management Service had recently been shortlisted for a National Innovation Award in Health & Safety after presenting their work on Managing Falls in Older People to a Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents (ROSPA) Board in December 2018.

 

In January 2019, Craig Gimblett and Tracy Dicataldo presented the work at the House of Lords and were awarded the Stevenson Shield for Innovation in Health & Safety finishing 3^rd in the UK.  This is testament to the work Tracy carried out in partnership with the Welsh Ambulance Service and Western Bay, which reduced falls and 999 calls by two thirds.

 

ROSPA has now approached the Authority, as it wants to use the innovative work as a benchmark across the UK.  This is fantastic recognition for Swansea on the UK stage.

 

Craig Gimblett and Tracy Dicataldo were present to receive the Award.

 

6)       Gower College Swansea - Apprenticeship Awards 2019

 

The Presiding Member announced that a number of Council employees won awards at the recent Gower College Swansea Apprenticeship Awards 2019.  Congratulations to all.  The College works with 2,500 apprentices all of whom will contribute to the future of the economy.

 

The following employees received Awards:

 

a)              Bricklaying Apprentice of the Year - Aaron Redden;

b)              Childcare Apprentice of the Year - Ingrid Parker (St Thomas Community School);

c)              Information, Advice and Guidance Apprentice of the Year - Iestyn Thomas (Unavailable due to College commitments);

d)              IT Apprentice of the Year - Cameron Lewis;

e)              Leadership and Management Apprentice of the Year - Elizabeth Jarvis;

f)                Apprentice of the Year - Luke Evans.

 

The Authority also won Apprenticeship Employer of the Year (250+ Employers).  Adrian Chard (HR), Helen Beddow and Lee Wyndham (Beyond Bricks and Mortar) are present to receive the Award on behalf of the Authority.

 

7)              Councillor M H Jones

 

The Presiding Member stated that Councillor M H Jones was hopeful to be returning to meetings next week following her surgery and thanked everyone that sent her messages of support and best wishes.

 

8)              Amendments / Corrections to the Council Summons

 

The Presiding Member outlined the amendments / corrections to the Council Summons.

 

a)              Item 12 “Council Bodies Diary 2019-2020”.

 

Delete reference to the Annual Meeting of Council on 21 May 2020.

Rearrange for 28 May 2020.

 

b)              Item 13 “Pay Policy Statement 2019-2020”

 

An Amended Page 123 “Annex B: Chief Officers Pay 2019-2020” has been circulated.  Please disregard the printed version within the Council Summons.

 

160         Announcements of the Leader of the Council.

 

1)              Dawnus

 

The Leader of the Council provided an update on the city centre work following the Construction Company Dawnus going into administration.  He stated that the Authority’s thoughts with all people affected by the demise of Dawnus.

 

He also thanked Martin Nicholls and his Team for the hard work that they had done following the announcement and stated that they were in process of seeking a contractor to take over the city centre work.

 

2)              MIPIM Conference - 12-15 March 2019

 

The Leader of the Council provided an update following his recent attendance at the MIPIM Conference, Cannes, France.  He stated that MIPIM was the World’s largest property market and an ideal opportunity to meet the most influential players from all sectors of the international real estate industry.

 

3)              Swansea Bay Region City Deal

 

The Leader of the Council provided an update relating to the Swansea Bay Region City Deal.

 

4)              Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon

 

The Leader of the Council provided an update on the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

 

5)              Wales - 6 Nations Grand Slam Champions 2019

 

The Leader of the Council congratulated Wales on becoming the 6 Nations Grand Slam Champions 2019.  He stated that Council on 25 April 2019 would be considering bestowing Honorary Freedom of the City on the Swansea born and bred, Welsh Captain Alun Wyn Jones.”

The Chief Legal Officer submitted an information report setting out the written responses to questions asked at the last Ordinary Meeting of Council.

1)              Webcasting of Meeting

 

The Presiding Member stated that as part of the ongoing works to enable Webcasting of Council, Cabinet, Planning Committee and the Scrutiny Programme Committee; the Meeting is being recorded.

 

2)              Condolences

 

a)       Councillor Paul James (Ceredigion County Council)

 

The Presiding Member referred with sadness to the recent death of Councillor Paul James of Ceredigion County Council.  He was the longest serving member of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority, serving since 2004.

 

Councillor James was killed while riding his bike during training for a fundraising ride from Aberystwyth to Swansea, which was due to take place in May 2019.

 

b)       Easter Sunday Attacks in Sri Lanka.

 

The Presiding Member referred with sadness to the Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka.  321 people died and hundreds more were injured following a wave of bombings targeting Churches and luxury Hotels.

 

All present stood as a mark of respect and sympathy.

 

3)              Bonymaen RFC - WRU National Plate Final

 

The Presiding Member congratulated Bonymaen RFC for reaching the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) National Plate Final.  Bonymaen RFC displayed their true fighting spirit to hit back from a 14 point interval deficit beat Treorchy 28-19 for a place in the WRU National Plate Final.

 

Bonymaen face Brecon RFC in the WRU National Plate Final at the Principality Stadium at 15.15 on Sunday, 28 April 2019.  This is a huge achievement for the Eastside club.

 

On behalf of the Council, he wished Bonymaen RFC the best of luck in the final.

 

4)              Swansea Schools Rugby Union (SSRU) (Under 15s) - Dewar Shield Final

 

The Presiding Member congratulated Swansea Schools RU (Under 15s) for reaching the Dewar Shield Final.  The Dewar Shield Competition began in 1905 and is the oldest Schools competition in World Rugby.  The current format of the Dewar Shield includes 29 District Teams representing all areas of Wales.

 

Swansea Schools face Cardiff Schools in the Dewar Shield Final at the Principality Stadium at 18.15 on Thursday, 2 May 2019.

 

On behalf of the Council, he wished Swansea Schools the best of luck in the final.

 

5)              Huw, Evans, Head of Democratic Services - Eastern European Cader Man Cycling Adventure

 

I’d like to wish Huw Evans, Head of Democratic Services all the best for his forthcoming Eastern European Cycling Adventure.  Huw and his 9 colleagues will be flying to Vilnius, Lithuania on 17 May 2019 and cycling from there through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia and Finland.  At the end of the adventure, they’ll have a couple of days rest in St. Petersburg, Russia.  They will be cycling just short of 800 miles over 6 days (more if they get lost).  They will be unsupported and required to carry all of their gear for the duration.

 

The purpose of the trip is to raise money for Bloodwise, a charity dedicated to beating blood cancer.  Please feel free to donate directly to Huw or via the Cader Man Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/caderman2019

 

6)              Annual Meeting of Council - Rearranged to 16 May 2019

 

The Annual Meeting of Council was scheduled for 23 May 2019; however this date now clashes with the planned European Parliamentary Elections.  The Meeting has therefore been re-arranged for 16.00 on Thursday, 16 May 2019.

 

7)              Corrections / Amendments to the Council Summons

 

Minutes 159 and 160 of the Council Meeting held on 28 March 2019, as outlined earlier.

1)              Swansea Bay Region City Deal

 

The Leader of the Council provided an update relating to the Swansea Bay Region City Deal.

 

2)              Home Farm

 

The Leader of the Council provided an update relating to the decision about Home Farm.  He stated that the Cabinet decision was seeking interest for the use of the site and did not commit the Authority to anything.

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.

No questions were asked.

No Public Presentations were received.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report, which sought approval for the proposed changes and to agree a further investigation into the possible movement of a number of Polling Station venues.

 

He corrected a few errors within the report and asked that the information printed in relation to the following Electoral Divisions be amended to read:

 

Penllergaer Electoral Division

Polling Station(s): Proposed change to Llewellyn Hall from Old School Village Hall.

 

Sketty Electoral Division

Representation Received: No change.

 

Uplands Electoral Division

Representation Received: See Appendix 2 of the report.

 

He stated that since writing the report, the European Parliamentary Elections had been called and this led to Hill Chapel School Room, North Hill Road within the Castle Electoral Division being deemed unsuitable.  As such, he liaised with the Castle Electoral Ward Members and agreed to use Elim Chapel School Room instead.

 

Resolved that:

 

1)              The responses received in relation to the Polling Districts and Polling Places Review summarised at Appendix 2 of the report be noted;

 

2)              The final proposals to the Polling Districts and Polling Places as amended and outlined at Appendix 1 of the report be noted subject to the use of Elim Chapel School Room instead of the Hill Chapel School Room be approved;

 

3)              The Returning Officer continue to monitor Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations where no suitable alternative venue is available at the present time.

The Leader of the Council submitted a report, which considered conferring Honorary Freedom of the City& County of Swansea on Alun Wyn Jones.

 

Alun Wyn Jones was born in Swansea and played his first rugby for Bonymaen RFC.  He is the current captain of the Wales National Team.  He currently plays for the Ospreys and is the World most-capped lock forward, Wales’ most-capped player.  He is the first player to play nine consecutive British Lions Tests in the professional era and has appeared for the Ospreys more times than any other player.

 

Resolved that:

 

1)              Honorary Freedom of the City & County of Swansea be granted to Alun Wyn Jones;

 

2)              A Ceremonial Council meeting be held on 12 June 2019 to confer the title of Honorary Freedom.

The Head of Democratic Services submitted a report, which sought dispensation for Councillor S E Crouch to be granted leave of absence due to illness in accordance with Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972.

 

Resolved that:

 

1)              Councillor S E Crouch be granted dispensation not to attend meetings for the period up to 31 May 2020 in accordance with Section 85 of the Local Government Act 1972.

1)              Part A ‘Supplementary Questions’

 

Five (5) Part A ‘Supplementary Questions’ were submitted.  The relevant Cabinet Member(s) responded by way of written answers contained in the Council Summons.

 

No supplementary question(s) required a written response.

 

2)       Part B ‘Questions not requiring Supplementary Questions’

 

One (1) Part B ‘Questions not requiring Supplementary Questions’ were submitted.