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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council Chamber - Guildhall, Swansea. View directions

Contact: Democratic Services - Tel (01792) 636923 

Items
No. Item

5.

Disclosures of Personal & Prejudicial Interest.

Minutes:

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

6.

Prohibition of Whipped Votes and Declaration of Party Whips.

Minutes:

In accordance with the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, no declarations of Whipped Votes or Party Whips were declared.

7.

Minutes. pdf icon PDF 136 KB

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

 

Minutes:

Resolved that the Minutes of the Scrutiny Programme Committee held on 8 April 2019 be approved and signed as a correct record.

8.

Public Question Time.

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.

 

Minutes:

There were no public questions.

9.

Cabinet Member Question Session: pdf icon PDF 140 KB

a)         Cabinet Member for Delivery (Councillor David Hopkins).

b)         Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism (Councillor Robert Francis-Davies).

Additional documents:

Minutes:

A)        Cabinet Member for Delivery (Councillor David Hopkins)

 

The Cabinet Member for Delivery presented a report on the key headlines of his portfolio. It was noted that his portfolio now included responsibility for biodiversity.

 

Questions and discussions with the Cabinet Member focussed on the following: -

·                Impact of Students and Houses of Multiple Occupation on Swansea

·                Licensing and Planning controls for Houses of Multiple Occupation

·                Quality of housing for refugees and asylum seekers

·                Quality of private rented accommodation – difficulties in tackling the issues within the private sector

·                Integration of the new council objective ‘Maintaining and enhancing Swansea’s natural resources and biodiversity’ on planning policy and resources available for enforcement

·                Progress on use of the Mansion House for Commercial activities

·                City Deal fianances

·                Concern about possible removal of trees in the City Centre for the purpose of the installation of 5G infrastructure

 

B)        Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism (Councillor Robert Francis-Davies)

 

The Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration & Tourism presented a report on the key headlines of his portfolio.

 

Questions and Discussions with the Cabinet Member focussed on the following:-

·                Relationsip with Universities, Focus & Promotion of Swansea as a student city and impact of new student accommodation developments

·                Update on River Corridor development - river walk and river strategy

·                Works on the Bascule bridge – timescales and projected costs

·                Marina – current berthing occupancy levels, costs, future plans and relationship with the Swansea Yacht & Sub Aqua Club regarding pontoons and moorings on the riverside

·                Update on Skyline project on Kilvey Hill

·                New local and regional business opportunities

·                Potential investment opportunities and Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme

·                Long Term Plans for Civic Centre and options around the relocation of archives

·                Civic Centre valuation

·                The aim for an International Sport Village ar King George V playing fields – most facilities in place, key issue of branding

·                The development of a draft licence agreement to formally engage Friends of Parks Groups in order to improve the governance and arrangements between the Council and various groups and increase opportunities to obtain grants

·                Success and development of Santander Bike Scheme and possible expansion

·                50 Year Anniversary of the City

·                Prior Information Notices in respect of Swansea Bay seafront developments – potential for scrutiny on any possible options derived from the responses at the earliest opportunity, prior to any decisions

 

The Chair thanked both Cabinet Members

 

Resolved that the Chair of the Scrutiny Programme Committee write to the Cabinet Members reflecting the discussions and sharing the views of the Committee. 

10.

Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups. pdf icon PDF 112 KB

Minutes:

The Chair presented a report on the Membership of Scrutiny Panels and Working Groups.

 

The Chair invited the Committee to consider whether established Scrutiny Performance Panels should be asked to appoint their convener for the 2019/20 municipal year. The Committee supported this practice, with expectation this would be done each year (other than in a council election year), and it was further clarified that should there be interest from more than one councillor, in the event of a tie the sitting Convener would have the casting vote.

 

It was noted that the newly appointed Cabinet Members, Councillors Sam Pritchard, Alyson Pugh, and Andrew Stevens, would now need to be removed from any active Scrutiny Panels / Working Groups.

 

Resolved that:-

1)        Councillor Mo Sykes be removed from the Schools Performance Panel;

2)        A new Convener be appointed for the Schools Performance Panel;

3)        Performance Panels appoint their convener; and

4)        The Conveners of all Scrutiny Performance Panels continue to be non-voting members of the Scrutiny Programme Committee.

11.

Scrutiny Letters. pdf icon PDF 133 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Letters Report was noted.

 

Councillor Terry Hennegan, Convener of the Anti-Social Behaviour Working Group, provided a brief overview of his letter to the Cabinet Member for Better Communities.

12.

Scrutiny Dispatches - Quarterly Impact Report. pdf icon PDF 118 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Scrutiny Dispatches – Quarterly Impact Report was noted. The Report would be submitted to Council for discussion.

13.

Annual Scrutiny Work Programme Review 2018/19. pdf icon PDF 200 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Annual Work Programme Review 2018/19 was noted.

 

The Chair referred to a workshop that had been arranged for committee members and took place on 2 May 2019. Amongst the issues arising from the workshop, the Chair highlighted the desire of members to have a Performance Panel that would focus on the Natural Environment, which is one of the Council’s priorities.

 

It was agreed to establish a Performance Panel on Natural Environment.  This would be considered in full at the Work Planning Conference alongside other programme considerations. Expressions of interest would be sought from councillors.

 

14.

Date and Time of Upcoming Panel / Working Group Meetings. pdf icon PDF 49 KB

Minutes:

The dates and times of upcoming Panel / Working Group meetings were provided for information.

Letter to Cabinet Member - Delivery - Q&A Session pdf icon PDF 244 KB

Letter to Cabinet Member - Investment, Regeneration & Tourism - Q & A Session pdf icon PDF 257 KB