Agenda and minutes

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Items
No. Item

1.

APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence.

2.

DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL INTEREST.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor / Officer

Minute No (s)

Nature of Interest

Cllr. Emlyn Dole

13 - Arfor Innovation Fund

Cllr. A. Vaughan Owen (applicant) is a member of the same political party.

Cllr. Glynog Davies

15 - Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) Programme 2018-2021

He is a Director of a company based in Llanelli town.  

Jake Morgan

9 - Variation of The Regional Consortia's Legal Agreement (ERW)

His wife works for ERW.

 

3.

TO SIGN AS A CORRECT RECORD THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD HELD ON THE 16TH NOVEMBER, 2020 pdf icon PDF 388 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Executive Board held on the 16th November, 2020 be signed as a correct record.

4.

QUESTIONS ON NOTICE BY MEMBERS

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair advised that no questions on notice had been submitted by members.

5.

PUBLIC QUESTIONS ON NOTICE

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

6.

REVENUE BUDGET OUTLOOK 2021/22 TO 2023/24 pdf icon PDF 318 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered the revenue budget outlook report which provided the current financial outlook and updated financial model for the next three financial years.  The report outlined the proposals for taking forward the budget preparation for the three-year period.

 

It was noted that, although the Authority had received a £14m increase in it’s Welsh Government settlement, a council tax increase of 4.89% and budget reductions totalling £5.1m was required to balance the budget.

 

The Executive Board was advised that Welsh Government would not be confirming the provisional settlement data until the 22nd December.  Consultations would commence in January however due to the late settlement the budget timetable would be compressed even more than usual.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to:

6.1       Receive the initial budget outlook and consider the level of Council Tax rises and the level of school efficiencies that it considers appropriate for developing the Medium Term Financial Plan;

6.2       Endorse the proposed approach to identifying the required savings;

6.3       Note the proposed approach to the budget consultation.

7.

OMBUDSMAN'S ANNUAL LETTER 2019/20 pdf icon PDF 349 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Board considered the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’ Annual Letter for 2019/20.  The letter was accompanied by a factsheet with accompanying data, which assists the Authority in reviewing performance.

 

It was noted that there had been a decrease of 2.4% in complaints received by the PSOW relating to local authorities nationally and the number of complaints received by the Ombudsman concerning Carmarthenshire had fallen in the past year from 49 to 42.  It was noted that most of the date related to the period prior to the escalation of Covid.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’ Annual Letter for 2019-20 be received.

8.

MID-YEAR TREASURY MANAGEMENT AND PRUDENTIAL INDICATOR REPORT 1ST APRIL 2020 TO 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020 pdf icon PDF 319 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered an update report on the treasury management activities and the prudential indicators for the period 1st April 2020 to 30th September 2020.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL that the Mid-Year Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report for 1st April 2020 to 30th September 2020 be adopted.

9.

VARIATION OF THE REGIONAL CONSORTIA'S LEGAL AGREEMENT (ERW) pdf icon PDF 412 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

[Note: Jake Morgan having earlier declared an interest in this item, left the meeting]

 

The Board considered the report detailing the Variation of the Legal Agreement to enable interim services to be provided to Neath Port Talbot schools, remaining Authorities withdrawal and for dissolution of ERW.

 

It was noted that Neath Port Talbot had left ERW on the 31st March, 2020; Ceredigion and Swansea Council had also given notice.  Powys and Pembrokeshire County Council had yet to give notice.  Carmarthenshire County Council were due to leave ERW at the end of the financial year.

 

The current proposal was that ERW should be dissolved at the end of the 2020/21 financial year but the timeline could change depending on the agreements reached.  The alternative implementation date suggested was the 31st August, 2021.

 

The Board acknowledged that the current ERW model had been deficient and asked that the transition to the new model would take place as soon as possible and also reflect Carmarthenshire’s bilingual learning vision.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to:

9.1       agree changes to the ERW Legal Agreement to facilitate provision of agreed services to Neath Port Talbot schools during 2020/21 as set out in the report.

9.2       agree changes are made to the Legal Agreement as set out in the report.

9.3       delegate authority to the Chief Legal Officer and Director of Education to make any necessary changes to the Legal Agreement (in consultation with the other ERW partners) and to enter into any documentation necessary to implement any of the recommendations in the report and to protect the Council’s interests.

10.

LOCAL DEVELOPMENT ORDER - CROSS HANDS EAST pdf icon PDF 517 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Executive Board considered a report regarding the potential for a Local Development Order to be made within Cross Hands East.

 

The report detailed that Cross Hands East Strategic Employment Site is a regionally significant employment location in Carmarthenshire and an important part of the Cross Hands Growth Zone.  Providing 19 acres of developable land, development of this scale would create in the region of 1,000 new jobs. Demand for industrial and business space in Cross Hands and the County is high with occupancy rates in the Council’s Industrial portfolio consistently over 90%.

 

It was noted that a LDO provided a Local Planning Authority with an opportunity to streamline the planning process by removing the need for developers/applicants to make a planning application to the Authority and for development proposals to be submitted as an LDO application, allowing an authority to act proactively in response to locally specific circumstances within its geographical area.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the proposed Local Development Order be considered through the democratic reporting process.

11.

ANY OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS THAT BY REASONS OF SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THE CHAIR DECIDES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AS A MATTER OF URGENCY PURSUANT TO SECTION 100B(4)(B) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1972.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Chair advised that there were no items of urgent business.

12.

EXCLUSION OF THE PUBLIC

THE REPORTS RELATING TO THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE NOT FOR PUBLICATION AS THEY CONTAIN EXEMPT INFORMATION AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH 14 OF PART 4 OF SCHEDULE 12A TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 AS AMENDED BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT (ACCESS TO INFORMATION) (VARIATION) (WALES) ORDER 2007. IF, FOLLOWING THE APPLICATION OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST TEST, THE BOARD RESOLVES PURSUANT TO THE ACT TO CONSIDER THESE ITEMS IN PRIVATE, THE PUBLIC WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM THE MEETING DURING SUCH CONSIDERATION.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED, pursuant to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007, that the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items as the reports contained exempt information as defined in paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

13.

ARFOR INNOVATION FUND

Minutes:

[Note: The Leader left the meeting for this item and the Deputy Leader assumed the Chair. The item was considered as the last agenda item] 

 

Following the application of the public interest test it was RESOLVED pursuant to the Act referred to in minute no. 12 above not to publicise the content of the report as it contained exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) (Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act).

 

The public interest test in this matter related to the fact that the report contained detailed information about the business and financial affairs and ambitions of the applicants. In this case, the public interest in maintaining the above exemption under the 1972 Act in respect of this report outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information contained therein, as disclosure would likely place the person and business name in the report at an unfair disadvantage in relation to their commercial competitors. 

 

The Executive Board considered an application for assistance from the Arfor Innovation Fund. The priority of the fund was to support business growth in areas with a high proportion of Welsh speakers and to generate more and better paid jobs to retain local people in those areas.

 

This application, which would normally have been determined at an Executive Board Decisions Meeting for the Leader had been referred to the Executive Board as the application had been submitted by a company owned by Councillor Aled Vaughan Owen who was also a fellow member of the Plaid Cymru Group.  Cllr. Dole had referred it to the Executive Board for determination although he had no specific interest in the matter.

 

UNANAMOUSLY RESOLVED that the application for assistance from the Arfor Innovation Fund by Ynni Da for the sum of £1,535.04 be approved, subject to the usual terms and conditions and those specified in the report.

14.

CROSS HANDS REGENERATION INITIATIVES

Minutes:

Following the application of the public interest test it was RESOLVED pursuant to the Act referred to in minute no. 12 above not to publicise the content of the report as it contained exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) (Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act).

 

The public interest test in respect of this report outweighed the public interest as disclosing the contents of the report would weaken the position of the authority in any subsequent tender exercise and potentially result in greater cost to public finances than would otherwise be the case.

 

The Executive Board considered a report providing an update on the ongoing regeneration initiatives at Cross Hands including the endorsement of the extension to the existing Joint Venture agreement (between Carmarthenshire County council and Welsh Government) to 31st March, 2024.  Also the endorsement of development and delivery of a self-build mixed use employment development on Cross Hands East Employment Site Plot 3. 

 

For accuracy it was noted that the within the consultation section of the report, it should read that Cllr. A. Vaughan-Owen had been consulted and not Cllr. A. Scourfield.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to:

14.1    Extend the agreement to the existing Cross Hands Joint Venture (CHJV) Agreement to 31st March 2024 (2 years from March 2022).

14.2    Grant delegate authority to the Head of Regeneration in consultation with Executive Board Member, to progress the delivery of the Plot 3 project through each stage of development / implementation through to completion as detailed in the report.  Including authority to proceed with the project with or without the involvement of ABC (Active Building Centre), subject to the ongoing legal discussions with ABC and their legal representatives.

14.3    Grant delegated authority to the Head of Regeneration, in consultation with the Head of Legal Services, to undertake disposals of plots within the CHJV in accordance with the disposal strategy and in agreement with Welsh Government as joint venture partner.

15.

TARGETED REGENERATION INVESTMENT (TRI) PROGRAMME 2018-2021

Minutes:

[Note: Cllr. Glynog Davies having earlier declared an interest in this item left the meeting during discussions regarding Llanelli town centre / Crown Buildings]

 

Following the application of the public interest test it was RESOLVED pursuant to the Act referred to in minute no. 12 above not to publicise the content of the report as it contained exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) (Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act).

 

The Executive Board considered a report noting the current position and progress on the Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme (TRI) programme.

 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to:

15.1    Support the proposals for the Regional Delivery of the Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme (TRI) year 4 projects (2021 – 2022).

15.2    Approve that the project team progress the applications with third party applicants on the Crown Building and Y Linc projects.

 

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