Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors L.R. Bowen, G. Davies, E. Dole, J. Edmunds, P.M. Edwards, D.C. Evans, A. James, R. James, C. Jones, M.J.A. Lewis, S. Matthews, S. Najmi, D. Nicholas, H.B. Shepardson, J. Tremlett and D.E. Williams.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on the10th July 2019 be signed as a correct record.

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

“It has been announced recently by Lee Water Deputy Secretary of State that £30m has been allocated via the Active Travel Fund, to create high quality walking and cycling routes. Can you tell me whether this money will assist CCC to complete the Carmarthen- Llandeilo Cycle Track?”

“It has been announced recently by Lee Water Deputy Secretary of State that £30m has been allocated via the Active Travel Fund, to create high quality walking and cycling routes. Can you tell me whether this money will assist CCC to complete the Carmarthen- Llandeilo Cycle Track?”

Response by Councillor Hazel Evans, Executive Board Member for Environment:-

“The simple answer is, unfortunately, no. The funds noted by Lee Waters, Deputy Secretary of State was for Active Travel. The Deputy Minister does not consider the Tywi Valley Cycleway to be Active Travel but Leisure Travel. The £30m fund has been mainly distributedtourban areas. £19m of that was for urban areas, of which Bridgend, Cardiff, RCT and Swansea have received £10m.  Our proportion of the grant was £316k mainly for feasibility work.I would like to congratulate our officers in the past who have been successful in drawing down Grant funding under the Active Travel section of nearly £9M over the last 5 years which has enabled many schemes in the County to be completed, the latest being the Llangennechto Llanelli route which is having considerable use.  I would like to assure Members that we will continue to look for funding to continue the much needed path as a means of getting people to work and School, and to attract tourists to the area which boosts the economy.  I am sure that if anyone has cycled to work or school on the A40 which is a very busy arterial road, they would know that they would be taking their life in their hands. I strongly believe that this is an active travel route and there is no alternative. It was pleasing to note that Lee Waters himself admitted to taking up cycling after a holiday to Cornwall where he went cycling on a Leisure route. In order to become a proficient cyclist it is important to have off-road routes to gain confidence. I can assure you that we have set aside funding in the Capital Programme and we will continue to explore match funding, which will ensure that the Cycle way does get completed and the stretch that is already open  between Abergwili and Nantgaredig is already receiving a lot of use.” 

There was no supplementary question.

“Firstly I would like to thank Cllr Campbell for attending Llanelli Pride, I think all who attended will agree it was a great success for equality within Carmarthenshire.  In light of the this can I ask Cllr Campbell when we will see the flag policy changed so we know that events are marked eg Breast Cancer awareness month though the use of a flag being flown.  Cllr Campbell indicated that he had put together a time table of flags and after discussions I agreed it was a good idea.  Again can I ask when this will be implemented. I hope this will be ratified soon as it has been going on for a time, thank you again.”

“Firstly I would like to thank Cllr Campbell for attending Llanelli Pride, I think all who attended will agree it was a great success for equality within Carmarthenshire. In light of the this can I ask Cllr Campbell when we will see the flag policy changed so we know that events are marked e.g. Breast Cancer awareness month though the use of a flag being flown.  Cllr Campbell indicated that he had put together a time table of flags and after discussions I agreed it was a good idea.  Again can I ask when this will be implemented? I hope this will be ratified soon as it has been going on for a time, thank you again.”

Response by Councillor Cefin Campbell, Executive Board Member for Communities and Rural Affairs:-

“In answer to the question I have a draft calendar of events that I have been working on with officers. My aim is to get this through the democratic process – that is to Executive Board by next month – and if I can just share some of the highlights with you, some of the events that we have noted that we will celebrate as part of the protected characteristic groups e.g. there is the 50+ Forum that is happening tomorrow –happy as a local authority to support that and just picking up one or two examples for you to see the kind of range of events and if I can just add as well it’s not only about flag-waving and it’s not only about illuminating our municipal buildings as well it’s more than that – that is symbolic in many ways – but we are actually including here a list of positive activities that we are hoping to arrange to raise awareness of protected characteristics and flag-waving and lighting buildings is part of that but it’s not uniquely the way that we are going to respond. So just very quickly we’ve got World Mental Health Day in October, Black History Month again in October, in November our celebrated White Ribbon Day which is growing every year, World Aids Day in December, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, LGBT, History Month in February, Holocaust Memorial Day in January and so on and so forth, we’ve got the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, the Idaho Day in May as well. So we’ve spent a long time looking at the calendar of events that are celebrated not only in Wales but UK and worldwide as well and we want to be part of that message to society that we want to be a tolerant and diverse society. So this, hopefully, will go to Executive Board in October and I’m quite confident that it will be passed and will become a part of our calendar of events moving forward. It will be a fluid calendar so if any members want to include any extra events and if the finances permit that then we will be quite happy to include them as well.”     

There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.2

“Remembering Aberfan and the Price of Coal - That Carmarthenshire County Council invites our schools to observe a minute’s silence on the morning of October 21 annually in remembrance of the 144 children, teachers and others killed on that date at Aberfan in 1966, as well as the countless thousands who died in the coal industry in this county and many other parts of Wales. We also invite the other Welsh counties and their schools to consider holding a similar act of remembrance.” 

Council considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor
Alun Lenny:-

“Remembering Aberfan and the Price of Coal - That Carmarthenshire County Council invites our schools to observe a minute’s silence on the morning of October 21 annually in remembrance of the 144 children, teachers and others killed on that date at Aberfan in 1966, as well as the countless thousands who died in the coal industry in this county and many other parts of Wales. We also invite the other Welsh counties and their schools to consider holding a similar act of remembrance.”

The motion was duly seconded.

The proposer and seconder of the Motion were afforded the opportunity of speaking in support thereof and outlined the reasons for its submission, as set out in the Motion.

A number of statements were made in support of the Motion. Members were advised that if the motion was supported the matter would be referred to the Executive Board.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Motion be supported.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to approve the recommendation of the Audit Committee that Mrs Julie James’ period of appointment as the External Voting Member of the Audit Committee be extended for a further period of 3 years up to the date of the Local Government Elections in 2022.

In line with the requirements of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and the Local Government (Committees and Political Groups) regulations 1990, as amended, consideration was given to a report detailing the outcome of a review of the composition of the Council’s Scrutiny, Regulatory and other Committees following the resignation of a Member of the Labour Group who had subsequently joined the Plaid Cymru Group. 

RESOLVED that as a result of changes to the overall political composition of the Council:

9.1        to adopt the changes to the number of seats held by the Labour Group, and Plaid Cymru Group as detailed within Tables 1, 2 and 3 of the report;

9.2        in accordance with Corporate Procedure Rule CPR 2 (2) (n) to approve changes in Committee membership as a result of recommendation 1 above (as detailed within the report);

9.3        to note that there are no changes to the number of seats held by the Independent Group, New Independent Group and the unaffiliated member;

9.4     in accordance with Part 6 of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 to note that the existing arrangements for the allocation of the 5 Scrutiny Chairs remains unchanged.

Council was informed that the Executive Board, at its meeting held on the 1^st July, 2019 (minute 9 refers), had considered a report by the Carmarthenshire Rural Affairs Task Group which, following a review on the key issues facing Carmarthenshire’s rural communities going forward, had included a number of recommendations.

Members welcomed the report and thanked all who had contributed to the work of the Group.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the following recommendations of the Executive Board be accepted:

“10.1.1 the Task Group’s final report and recommendations be approved;

  10.1.2 that a Rural Affairs Advisory Panel to follow on from the work of the  Task Group be established;

   10.1.3 an action plan to ensure progress on all of the recommendations with progress to be monitored through the Advisory Panel be prepared.“

Council was informed that the Executive Board, at its meeting held on the 29^th  July, 2019 (minute 6 refers), had considered a report which set out a plan to deliver over 900 new Council homes over the next 10 years. The report outlined when and where the new homes would be built, the resources available and the delivery models that would be used. It also outlined how the plan would support regeneration priorities across the County.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the following recommendations of the Executive Board be accepted:

“10.2.1 to re-affirm the key delivery principles for the Council new build programme, aligning with our successful Affordable Homes Delivery Plan;

10.2.2 to agree the range of delivery models that will be used to build over 900 new Council homes, enabling us to offer a variety of housing options in different areas of the County;

  10.2.3  to confirm that the new Council homes will be delivered using the affordable housing action areas developed as part of the Affordable Homes Delivery Plan;

  10.2.4  to agree the priority phasing structure to be used to determine when the new build sites will be developed;

  10.2.5  to confirm the criteria to be used to move developments from Phase B and Phase C into Phase A;

  10.2.6  to agree the first three year delivery programme for building new Council homes in the county, investing over £53m and creating over 300 new Council homes.”

Council was informed that the Executive Board, at its meeting held on the 29^th July, 2019 (Minute 12 refers), had considered the Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report 2018/19, which had been produced in order to comply with the CIPFA Code of Practice on Treasury Management in the Public Sector.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the following recommendation of the Executive Board be adopted:

“that the Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report 2018/19 be received.”

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report of the meeting of the Executive Board held on the 1^st July, 2019 be received.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report of the meeting of the Executive Board held on the 29^th July, 2019 be received.

In accordance with Corporate Procedure Rule CPR 2(2)(n) the following nomination had been received from the Labour Group and it was:

RESOLVED to note that Councillor Dot Jones would take the Labour Group’s vacant seat on the Appeals Committee.