Agenda item

The Committee considered the Council’s Draft Annual Report for 2017/18 produced in accordance with the requirements of both the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2009 and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. It was noted that the report provided:-

­   An overview of the 2017/18 performance,

­   Two page progress reports for each of the 15 Well-being Objectives,

­   A link to track progress on every specific action and target set for each Well-being objective,

­   Within the appendices, other performance information on Out-turn data (September) and National Survey for Wales Results (June) which would be updated as results became available.

The following questions/issues were raised on the report:-

• Reference was made to well-being objective 8 – Eat and breathe healthily.  It was raised that with regard to the national attempt to reduce sugary drinks and in conjunction with the global efforts to eradicate single-use plastic, it was asked what the Leisure Centres across Carmarthenshire were doing to assist in these efforts? The Acting Head of Homes & Safer Communities stated that a new catering offer was currently being considered and would be implemented in all Leisure Centre’s in Carmarthenshire. 

Arising from the above and in light of the Council’s decision to reduce the use of single-use plastic where possible, it was requested that these issues be considered when drawing up the new catering offer.

• In relation to the commitment to monitor air quality (nitrogen dioxide) for the residents of and visitors to the County, it was asked if it was possible to provide real-time results by means of instant communication eg. text messages.  This method was currently used for those who subscribe to receive high UV and pollen updates.  The Acting Head of Homes & Safer Communities stated that whilst the Committee receive an annual update on the air quality monitoring which takes place in Carmarthen and Llandeilo he would consider the provision of real-time air quality information further and include in the update report. 
  
  

• A query was raised in relation to the Welsh Language and what processes the Council had in place to recruit Welsh speakers.  The Head of Waste and Environmental Services explained that with every job profile the standard of Welsh required for the post was identified and reviewed by the Policy and Resources team.  In order to gain a greater understanding of the process as a whole, it was suggested an outline of the process along with the levels of fluency be forwarded to Committee members by e-mail. 
  
  
• In response to a comment regarding links between the Local Development Plan and the private sector in order the encourage use of the Welsh Language in businesses, the Head of Planning explained that work was currently on-going with Pembrokeshire Council, Ceredigion Council and the private sector to collectively seek a common approach across Wales.
  
  
• Reference was made to Well-being Objective 12, Healthy and Safe Environment – look after the environment now and in the future.  Clarity was sought on the ambitious targets set in relation to the amount of energy generated from renewable technologies and how close the Council was to achieving these targets.  The Committee was informed that it was not possible to provide this information to members today, however an update would be provided at the next meeting.
  
  
• Reference was made to Well-being Objective 13 - Healthy and Safe Environment and the commitment to minimise the % of principal (A) roads and non-principal (B and C) roads.  It was asked if there was a way of targeting these roads to bring them up to the required standard.  The Highways and Transportation Manager stated that whilst the road conditions of the roads had improved, unfortunately investments don’t often keep pace with the deterioration rate of the roads and therefore it was necessary to prioritise investments accordingly. Furthermore, the Annual Statement and Options Report (ASOR) which was a supplement report to the Highway Asset Management Plan (HAMP) included regular updates on the current state of the highway assets and their performance over the preceding 12 months.
  
  
• A concern was raised regarding the increase of Welsh house names being changed to an English name which risked losing the Welsh history associated to the property/area.  The Head of Planning stated that legally the Council was unable to stop householders changing the name of their property, however, when requests were received a dialogue with the householders was carried out encouraging them to reconsider their request order to preserve the Welsh Language and its heritage.  The Head of Planning stated that she would raise this matter with the LDP regional group.
  
  

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO EXECUTIVE BOARD that the Draft Carmarthenshire County Council’s Annual Report for 2017/18 be endorsed.