Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P.M. Hughes and J. Tremlett.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on the 13^th November, 2023 be signed as a correct record.

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

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received.

Cabinet was reminded that in April 2022 the Authority entered into an agreement with Pembrokeshire County Council and the City and County of Swansea Council for the establishment of a Joint Committee to support the delivery of educational improvements through Partneriaeth Addysg De Orllewin Cymru / South West Wales Education Partnership (“Partneriaeth”).

Partneriaeth’s Terms of Reference (Schedule 3 of the Joint Committee Agreement) provides that governance shall be via three voting members who shall be the Leaders of the three Councils. However, Leaders are inevitably involved in many meetings which can lead to clashing diary commitments. Consequently, at its meeting held on 6th October 2023 Partneriaeth agreed that it would be preferable to have some flexibility for the 3 Constituent Authorities to nominate their Cabinet Member with the Education Portfolio as their voting member instead of their Leader, should they so wish. 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the proposal to amend Schedule 3 of Partneriaeth’s Joint Committee Agreement be approved and the voting member for Carmarthenshire County Council shall be the Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language and the non-voting member shall be the Leader.

The Cabinet considered the Procurement Strategy 2023-28 the aim of which was to have a framework in place so that procurement and commissioning decisions play a key role in supporting the delivery of the aims of the Council’s Corporate Strategy and the Cabinet’s Vision Statement. The report detailed the Corporate Procurement Unit’s key priorities over the next 5 years.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Procurement Strategy 2023-28 be endorsed.

The Cabinet considered a report detailing the Council Tax Base calculations in respect of the financial year 2024-25.  Council on 8^th December, 2004 resolved that calculation of the Council Tax Base be designated an executive function.

The County Council is required each year to determine its Council Tax Base and the Council Tax Base of each community within its area for the purpose of setting the level of Council Tax for the forthcoming financial year.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED

8.1     that the Council Tax Base calculations for the financial year 2024-   25, as detailed within Appendix A to the report, be approved;

8.2     that a Council Tax Base of 76,460.40 in respect of the County      Council area, be confirmed;

8.3     that the relevant tax bases for the individual Community and Town     Council areas, as detailed in Table 2 to the report, be confirmed. 

Cabinet considered the mid-year Treasury Management and Prudcential Indicator Report which provided an update on the treasury management activities from 1st April to 30th September 2023.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be approved.

Cabinet considered a report on the revision of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy. 

During July and August 2023 the Wales Audit Office completed a review of the assurance and accountability arrangements of Carmarthenshire County Council in ensuring that safeguarding policies and procedures are in place and are being adhered to. The review examined what the Council itself has done to seek assurance that its arrangements to support safeguarding are effective by reviewing how the Council is discharging its safeguarding responsibilities at all levels: Cabinet, senior management team, Scrutiny and individual officers.

One of the recommendations emanating from the review was that a revision be undertaken of the Corporate Safeguarding Policy that covers all the Council’s service areas.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the revised Corporate Safeguarding Policy be endorsed.

Cabinet considered a report outlining a proposed new Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) to address alcohol and drug related crime, disorder and nuisance in the area identified in Llanelli.

PSPOs deal with a particular issue or issues in an identified area which is having a detrimental impact on the local community’s quality of life. Conditions are imposed, within the Order, to restrict specific behaviour which is evidenced and must be proportionate to the detrimental effect that the behaviour is causing or can cause and are necessary to prevent it from continuing, occurring or recurring. Following consideration of the impact of the previous Order and engagement with local stakeholders it was considered appropriate to propose a new Order for the area.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the making of a new PSPO for Llanelli Town Centre, as detailed in the report, be approved.

[NOTE:  Cllr A. Davies had earlier declared an interest in this item.]

Cabinet considered a report detailing the outcome of a Primary School Admissions Review (Rising 4s).

In 2018/19 the Education & Children Scrutiny Committee completed a Task & Finish Review of the current provision for early years education, childcare and play opportunities. One of the conclusions in the report identified that the Authority’s Rising 4s Policy is markedly different to other neighbouring Local Authorities’ and recommended that the Council undertake a formal review of its current admissions policy for full time education for 4 year olds (the Rising 4s Policy).  Cabinet has already considered a report into the rationale for this and requested an assessment of the implications of removal of the Rising 4s Policy in individual schools.

The assessment was undertaken in the form of a gap analysis of education provision for 3 and 4 year old children should the policy be amended. It highlighted where removal of the policy will have limited or no impact and those schools (all 4-11 schools) where removal will leave gaps in provision in some schools and geographical areas. Potential solutions are proposed where gaps in provision have been identified. However, any financial implications of changes resulting in increased expenditure would make them contingent upon the removal of the Rising 4s Policy.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that Carmarthenshire County Council, as the Admissions Authority for community and voluntary controlled primary school, consults on the removal of the Rising 4s Policy during the annual admissions consultation exercise in January 2024, for potential implementation in September 2025. 

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

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 CABINET  RESOLVES PURSUANT TO THE ACT TO CONSIDER THESE ITEMS IN PRIVATE, THE PUBLIC WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM THE MEETING DURING SUCH CONSIDERATION.

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.

Following the application of the public interest test it was UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED, pursuant to the Act referred to in Minute 14 above, to consider this matter in private, with the public excluded from the meeting as disclosure would be likely to cause financial harm to the Council by undermining its position in future negotiations regarding these projects

Cabinet considered a report providing an update on the UK Government Levelling Up Round 1 Funded Project, the Carmarthen Hwb Project.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED

15.1    that the revised proposals, as detailed in the report, be supported;

15.2    that Option B, as detailed in the report, be approved;

15.3    to approve that the additional funding required will be sourced as      detailed in the report;

15.4    that the changes to the original scheme be acknowledged and the      revised proposals supported.

NOTE:  The Chair had to leave the meeting prior to the commencement of this item.  The Vice-Chair presided for this item.]

Following the application of the public interest test it was UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED, pursuant to the Act referred to in Minute 14 above, to consider this matter in private, with the public excluded from the meeting as disclosure would be likely to place person and businesses named in the report at an unfair disadvantage in relation to their commercial competitors.

The Cabinet considered a report providing an overview of applications submitted under the Sustainable Communities Fund (Round 3) which is funded via the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the 11 applications be awarded funding within the available budget, as recommended by the Funding Panel and on the terms and conditions as detailed in Table 2 and Annexe A to the report.