Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors P. Cooper, B. Davies,
J. Hart, P.M. Hughes, G. Jones, K. Madge and J. Tremlett.

·       The Chair stated that she had visited Mrs Dilys Rees, mother of former Councillor Mair Stephens, on her 100 birthday, she was a true inspiration.

·       The Chair announced that she had attended the Loud Applause Rising Stars (LARS) at the Furnace, Llanelli which was a wonderful evening spent with the youth of Carmarthenshire.

·       At the Chairs invite the following Councillors addressed the Council:-

-   Councillor Ann Davies, called on Members to reflect upon those who had been caught up in the unfolding events in Israel over the last few days.  The County’s commitment to peace and equality which led towards speaking out against injustice and acts of violence.  It was hoped that a swift solution would be found to allow future peace.  In respect of all the families involved and impacted upon in the injustice, Council stood in reflection.

-   Councillor Sean Rees, on behalf of the Members for Glan-y-mor Ward, expressed congratulations to the Havelock Bowls Club in Morfa who achieved a total of 6 trophies during what had been a very successful season.  The Club had been crowned Premier League Champions, Howard Griffiths and Phil Nicolas being Festival Pairs Champions.  Rob Hughes, Leigh Moses and Chris Spriggs being Triples Champions.  In addition, Mr Spriggs represented team Wales in the Para Lawn Bowls at the Commonwealth Games last year.  Mr Spriggs is an inspiration to all in promoting disability sport within our community.

The Leader provided an update on the developments at Stradey Park Hotel.  Reference was made to yesterday’s statement issued by the UK Government of their intention to withdraw the use of the Stradey Park Hotel to be used by Asylum Seekers.  This was warmly welcomed as it was felt that the site was inappropriate.

The Leader highlighted that letter of representations had been forwarded to the UK Government on this matter since the May 2023.  It was reported that last week the Chief Executive and the Leader had written to both civil servants and the Minister at the Home Office, expressing severe concern with regard to the community tensions which had been escalating over the recent weeks.

Whilst it was recognised that the proposed model would not be suitable or appropriate for the site, it was disappointing that it had taken 6 months for the UK Government to reach the conclusion to withdraw the use of the Stradey Park Hotel.  This matter had significantly impacted the community of Llanelli over the last 6 months with the loss of 95 jobs in July of this year, together with a key tourism asset in the form of a 4* hotel.

The Leader conveyed his thanks to this Council, led by the Chief Executive, supported by the Corporate Management Team and Officers from Planning, Legal, Regeneration, Enforcement and many other Officers who had worked tirelessly and had worked above and beyond the call of duty in order to find a resolution which supported the wishes of the people of Furnace and Llanelli.

In addition, gratitude was expressed in regard to the support received from Welsh Government who had backed the Council’s stance.  The Leader reported that he had been in contact with the Minister of Social Justice many times throughout the duration of this matter and however, wished to note that he had not been had the opportunity to discuss the matter with the UK Government Minister responsible for proposing the action.  Consistent objections from this Council and the Welsh Government were made to the UK Government.

In conclusion, the Leader emphasised that this Council had a proud record in welcoming and supporting refugees and asylum seekers to Carmarthenshire over the years and would continue to do so.

The Chair by exception allowed the local members to speak in on the Leaders' announcement.

Cllr Palfreman echoed the Leaders statement and the welcoming news which would be a relief to the community.  He wished to convey his thanks to the Leader and the many Council Officers who had consistently made a case against the proposals and had helped local members in providing information and practical support to the affected residents.  Furthermore, Cllr Palfreman conveyed his personal thanks to Nia Griffiths MP and Lee Waters MS who had firmly stood their ground in support of and for the people of Llanelli.

Cllr Skinner in reflecting upon the welcoming news, wished to express thanks to the Chief Executive and the Officers of Carmarthenshire County Council, Dyfed  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of Council held on the 13^th September 2023 be signed as a correct record.

Council received a report on the Estyn Inspection of Carmarthenshire’s Local Government Education Services and the areas identified for development.

The report provided information in relation to the Estyn Inspection and appended the final report from Estyn. The preliminary visit took place on the 22^nd and 23^rd  June 2023.  Interviews took place with a range of stakeholders including headteacher representatives for primary, secondary and special schools; representatives of Chairs of Governors across primary, secondary and special schools; the regional education partnership, Partneriaeth; trade union representatives; diocese; the local health board, parents and officers from other Directorates of the Local Authority.

The report was published on 27^th September 2023 and had identified many strengths and notable features.  Council noted the following three recommendations made:

·       R1 Improve pupils’ attendance in the authority’s schools;

·       R2 Strengthen school improvement processes, particularly for secondary schools;

·       R3 Refine approaches to self-evaluation and improvement planning.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Welsh Language in presenting the report to Council expressed that he was pleased to present the excellent report and was proud of the commendable work of Carmarthenshire's Education Services and grateful for the efforts of all staff, schools and pupils recognised in this thorough report by Estyn. It was reported that the vision and strategic leadership in Carmarthenshire was clear and distinct, to enable the best possible education for our children and young people. 

Gratitude was conveyed to the education staff present and all officers involved for their continuous work that had led to the positive outcome. 

RESOLVED that:

6.1     the report on the Estyn Inspection of Carmarthenshire’s Local Government Education Services be received;

6.2     the current position and arrangements in place to address the recommendations and minor areas for improvement be noted.

Council, at its meeting on 8 March 2023 (Minute 7 refers), approved the commencement of a Community Review to examine existing Town and Community governance arrangements and make Final Recommendations for any appropriate change.

The Council had a duty under s22 of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 (“the Act”) to report every ten years on a community review having regard to the Local and Democracy and Boundary Commission for Wales (LDBCW) timetable for conducting the reviews of principal areas’ electoral arrangements required by section 29 (1) of the Act.  The last electoral review was carried out by LDBCW was conducted in 2021.

The formal consultation period was published on the Council’s website, but a more targeted engagement was also undertaken.   Representations were invited from Monday 13 March to Monday 24 April 2023. Twenty-four representations were received during the consultation period, and these have been reviewed and proposals for Draft Recommendations have been prepared. Appended to the report as Appendix 1 provided a summary of the responses received and proposals for Draft Recommendations arising from these.

As part of this review, it was identified that there were anomalies with community boundaries which were appended to the report at Appendix B.

RESOLVED that:

7.1     That the proposals set out in Annex 1 to the report as Final Recommendations for the purposes of the Community Review be adopted.

7.2     a further review under Section 25 of the Local Government (Democracy) (Wales) Act 2013 for the following be agreed:

          a) Llangyndeyrn Community Council and Llanelli Rural Council

          b) Llangyndeyrn Community Council and Trimsaran Community Council

          c) Llangyndeyrn Community Council and Pontyberem Community Council

Council received a report on the Polling District and Polling Places Review 2023.  The report sought Council’s approval of plans for a statutory review of polling districts and polling places within the County of Carmarthenshire.

The Council, under the Representation of the People Act 1983 and the Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places (Parliamentary Elections) Regulations 2006 is required to conduct a compulsory review every 5 years.  The next review must be held within a 16- month period commencing 1 October 2023.  The report proposed that the compulsory polling district and places review commences on Thursday 12 October 2023.

The report included a proposed timetable for the review which was recommended for approval.

In addition, the report provided information and proposals in respect of implementing parliamentary boundary changes and implementing polling district changes.

RESOLVED that:

The Council was informed that the Cabinet, at its meeting held on the 18 September 2023 (minute 6 thereof refers), had considered the Council's Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report for the 2021-22.

RESOLVED that the following recommendation of the Cabinet be adopted:

“that the Annual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicator Report for 2022-23 be adopted.” 

RESOLVED that the report of the meeting of Cabinet held on the 18^th September, 2023 be received.

“Council notes that the fflecsi Bwcabus service has been operating for 14 years providing a vital opportunity to travel by public transport in some of the most rural areas of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Council expresses its disappointment with the Welsh Government announcement that the service will end on the 31st October 2023, which will be a significant blow to our rural communities.

Council is dismayed that Welsh Government secured replacement buses for these services as recently as July 2023.

Council recognises the unique challenges faced by rural communities in accessing public transport and reaffirms its commitment to work to improve public and community transport services across the county.

Council calls on the Welsh Government to review its decision, to work with local authorities in West Wales, and provide funding in order to develop a sustainable public and community transport system which can support and connect our rural communities.  In the meantime we call on Welsh Government to continue with the Flexi Bwcabus until an alternative service is in operation for our rural areas.”

[Note: Councillor S. Davies, having earlier declared an interest in this item, re-declared her interest and that she could speak but not vote on this item in accordance with the dispensation].

Council considered the following Notice of Motion submitted by Councillors Linda Evans and Edward Thomas:-

“Council notes that the fflecsi Bwcabus service has been operating for 14 years providing a vital opportunity to travel by public transport in some of the most rural areas of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.  Council expresses its disappointment with the Welsh Government announcement that the service will end on the 31st October 2023, which will be a significant blow to our rural communities.  Council is dismayed that Welsh Government secured replacement buses for these services as recently as July 2023.Council recognises the unique challenges faced by rural communities in accessing public transport and reaffirms its commitment to work to improve public and community transport services across the County.

Council calls on the Welsh Government to review its decision, to work with local authorities in West Wales, and provide funding in order to develop a sustainable public and community transport system which can support and connect our rural communities.  In the meantime, we call on Welsh Government to continue with the Flexi Bwcabus until an alternative service is in operation for our rural areas.”

The motion was duly seconded.

The proposers 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.

RESOLVED that the Motion be supported.

The Chair advised that no public questions had been received. 

“Could you please advise me of the progress being made towards decarbonising our housing stock in light of the climate emergency declaration of 2019 and this council’s commitment to a better future for our children. Specifically what are your major obstacles to achieving ‘net zero’ in relation to the council housing stock which will ultimately help reduce bills for residents given the ongoing cost of living crisis?”

Question by Cllr. Sparkes:

“Could you please advise me of the progress being made towards decarbonising our housing stock in light of the climate emergency declaration of 2019 and this Council’s commitment to a better future for our children. Specifically, what are your major obstacles to achieving ‘net zero’ in relation to the council housing stock which will ultimately help reduce bills for residents given the ongoing cost of living crisis?”

Response by Cllr. Evans:

“I will just explain where we stand at the moment.  As you are aware and as is stated in our business plan for 2023/24, our aim as a department is to make our homes as efficient as possible in relation to energy and achieving at least energy performance certificate of Band C as soon as possible.  Decarbonising our stock of homes and reducing our carbon emissions will be a strategic focus for us for the years to come. 3,000 of our homes are in EPC Band C or higher already with almost 5,800 homes in Band D with a SAP level of 66 which is slightly higher than the standard set in the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and I think that is 65 at the moment.  In order to reach the aim, to begin with improving the fabric of our homes is essential, also we need to have low carbon heating and renewable technology. 

The challenge is huge but we have to do everything we can to decarbonise our stock of homes which will be beneficial for the environment and for our tenants.  As you know, our new build programme has pushed the boundaries for social housing by providing homes which are low in carbon and effective in relation to energy and as we continue to build we will be continuing to push those boundaries.  We are using the same method when we provide new homes for people by redeveloping current commercial buildings in effective and modern homes, using the fabric first approach and using renewable technologies to provide an affordable and comfortable living environment for our tenants.  Of course, we have to make sure that we use the same method when doing a retrofit on our current housing stock.  We have already made a full retrofit on some of our homes which pushes the standard of the home to the same as our new homes.  We place monitoring equipment in the homes in order to enable us to measure the impact of performance.  This is essential in order to make sure that the work we are doing to our homes meets the expectations of our data model and more importantly, that our tenants benefit. 

This year we are continuing with the work.  We are at the moment taking the opportunity to do a retrofit on a percentage of our voids and for the first time we are working on homes where tenants are living in them at the moment which of course presents additional challenges. This is important as we plan for the future  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.1

“Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology that is being used throughout the Private and Public Sectors nationally and globally and is playing an improving and progressive role. My question comes in two parts:

Firstly: What steps are Carmarthenshire County Council currently taking regarding Artificial Intelligence to ensure that this Council keeps up with key trends and developments and that it draws on the best practice other Local Authorities and Public Sector Organisations in the U.K. are implementing and innovating on.

Secondly: Looking to the future; how is this Council aiming to maximise the benefits of Artificial Intelligence so that viable opportunities and practices can be engaged, whilst also recognising, and dealing with the challenges this technology will undoubtedly raise as it progresses.”

Question by Cllr. James:

“Artificial Intelligence is a transformative technology that is being used throughout the Private and Public Sectors nationally and globally and is playing an improving and progressive role. My question comes in two parts:

Firstly: What steps are Carmarthenshire County Council currently taking regarding Artificial Intelligence to ensure that this Council keeps up with key trends and developments and that it draws on the best practice of other Local Authorities and Public Sector Organisations in the U.K. are implementing and innovating on.

Secondly: Looking to the future; how is this Council aiming to maximise the benefits of Artificial Intelligence so that viable opportunities and practices can be engaged, whilst also recognising, and dealing with the challenges this technology will undoubtedly raise as it progresses.”

Response by Cllr. Price:

“In response to the first question, we have been following developments within AI for some time and our officers are aware of the latest developments and are in constant contact with industry experts, private sector partners and suppliers.  We are also involved with a variety of public sector forums and work streams, working with the WLGA, the Centre for Digital Public Services and the Welsh Government    to make sure that we are well placed to apply the best practices of Local Authorities and other public sector organisations in relation to AI. 

The connections we have already made and our presence in these Forums helps us to share learning and note the most beneficial opportunities for Carmarthenshire.  They also provide vital information about the possible risks and challenges with AI, allowing us to prepare with that in mind.  For us to truly embrace AI we need to understand the business case, the cost, the benefits etc case by case.  It is also essential that we understand the likely impact of this technology on our public services, on residents and of course our workforce in order to make sure that our adoption of this is moral and safe.

We will continue to take the necessary steps and our relationships with public and private sector partners to make sure that Carmarthenshire keeps up with key trends and developments in AI.  We are already trialling the use of AI in relation to two HR processes and our Digital Transformation Board is looking at other departments where we can use and learn through use of AI.  For example, one of the processes, we have a bot within the HR Department which was introduced recently, and the bot is able to process information 24 hours a day and is more effective than the previous process. 

There are savings obviously as well as better process effectiveness.  We are monitoring this so that the monitoring people are working with our department to use AI to similes’ our contract managing processes in HR.  This will reduce our use of occasional staff and will provide improvements for services including accelerating processes.  There is of course a core issue in terms of AI, is it replacing jobs and shrinking the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.2

The Chair stated that the minutes outlined on the agenda under 14.1 – 14.5 were available for information on the Council website.