Agenda and minutes

There were no apologies for absence. 

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on the 29 April 2024 be signed as a correct record.

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

The Chair advised that one public question had been received.

"What steps are you taking to avoid a potential conflict of interest between Carmarthenshire’s pension fund investment in Bute Energy and the fact that aspects of Bute Energy’s pylons projects including the sub-station at Llandyfaelog which will be determined locally by County Councillors and officers with pensions dependent on the success of Bute Energy’s projects?”

"What steps are you taking to avoid a potential conflict of interest between Carmarthenshire’s pension fund investment in Bute Energy and the fact that aspects of Bute Energy’s pylons projects including the sub-station at Llandyfaelog which will be determined locally by County Councillors and officers with pensions dependent on the success of Bute Energy’s projects?”

Response by Councillor. Darren Price, Leader of the Council:-

Thank you Mr. Hughes for the question. Members, as you would expect, are well versed in the requirements of the Code of Conduct for declaring interests, where they have interests to declare that is, so I’m sure that any members who are members of the Local Government Pension Scheme – and not all members necessarily are – will seek advice from the Monitoring Officer as and when decisions associated with the GreenGEN Cymru proposal arise.  Certainly as Council Leader, I will be urging members to seek that advice.

You will also be aware that officers are similarly subject to a Code of Conduct.However, it is important to make a number of points here, which arise directly from your question.The first point surrounds your use of the term ‘Carmarthenshire Pension Fund investment’.  Let us be clear – there is no such thing as a Carmarthenshire Pension Fund.  I’m not sure whether use of the term ‘Carmarthenshire’ on your part is a misunderstanding or not, but whichever is the case, I will try and provide some context for the avoidance of doubt.  Officers and some councillors are in fact members of the Dyfed Pension Fund, which is a separate and autonomous body with responsibility for handling pension funds relevant to workers from around 50 organisations across Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and here in Carmarthenshire.These bodies include, among others, Ceredigion County Council, Coleg Ceredigion, Aberystwyth University, Coleg Sir Gar, Dyfed-Powys Police, Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service, Pembrokeshire College, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Pembrokeshire County Council, University of Wales Trinity St. David, as well as Carmarthenshire County Council and a whole host of Town and Community Councils and other organisations.

The Dyfed Pension Fund is then a member of the ‘Welsh Pension Partnership’ (WPP) which is a partnership between the eight Local Authority pension funds in Wales, and it is the WPP that has coordinated the investment in one or more of the Bute Group of Companies.

We now know that the Pension Fund commitment is to invest in Bute Energy windfarms, and it’s important to emphasise ‘windfarms’ here as the Dyfed Pension Fund has not invested directly in the proposed infrastructure in the Towy and Teifi Valleys.  We also know that the decision to invest in the windfarms predated the letters issued by Green Generation (GGENC)/Bute Energy in January 2023, which then provided of course widespread awareness of its infrastructure plans for the scheme known as the ‘Tywi-Usk’; so the Dyfed Pension Fund at the time when the commitment to invest was made were not aware at that time that GGENC/Bute infrastructure proposals would impact on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.1

The Cabinet considered the revenue budget monitoring report which provided the latest budgetary position as at 29 February 2024, in respect of 2023/24. 

Overall, the monitoring report forecast an overspend for the year at departmental level of £8,472k, with a forecast overspend on the Authority’s net revenue budget of £4,394k.

The Housing Revenue account set out at Appendix B to the report forecast an overspend of £46k for 2023/24. Cabinet noted that the situation would be reviewed as the significant issues identified become clearer from a financial perspective.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED:

Cabinet received a report providing an update on the latest budgetary position for the 2023/24 capital programme, as at the 29 February 2024 and detailed new projects and virements for noting and Cabinet approval.   Appendix A to the report indicated a forecast net spend of £80,059k compared with a working net budget of £140,625k, giving a -£60,482k variance.

The net budget included the original H.R.A. and General Fund capital programmes approved by Council on 1st March and slippage from 2022/23. Some of the budgets had also been amended to account for differences in actual grant allocations compared with the anticipated allocations at the time the programme was approved, and new grant awards received during the year to date. The project outturn for the year totalled £134m gross which is £32m more that the final outturn from 2022-23. This expenditure was attributable to significant spend on the HRA programme, and Pentre Awel.

Appendix B to the report detailed the main variances within each department.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED:

[NOTE:  Councillor H.A.L Evans, having earlier declared an interest in this item, left the meeting prior to the consideration and determination thereof.]

Cabinet considered a report which set out proposals for the Council to lease the former Newcastle Emlyn Courthouse to Newcastle Emlyn Town Council to enable the premises to be used for community regeneration purposes.

Cabinet was informed that the condition of the premises had deteriorated since the library service had vacated, and there was no viable alternative County Council use for the premises.  Furthermore, a public consultation exercise had identified a desire for its retention and refurbishment to a multi-use centre / community hub in line with the Town Council’s aim of safeguarding the future of the building for the benefit of the residents of the Town.

Cabinet was advised that the Town Council would seek to secure funding in the region of £25,000 from the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) to undertake the necessary refurbishment of the premises, with funding being conditional upon the Town Council having a lease of sufficient term in the premises.  Accordingly, it was proposed that the Council grant a lease for a term of 21 years at a peppercorn rent on the condition that the Town Council would be responsible for full repairs, maintenance, insurance and premises related outgoings under the lease.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED to agree to the County Council entering into a lease for 21 years at a peppercorn rent with Newcastle Emlyn Town Council.

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