Agenda and minutes

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that Councillor F. Akhtar be appointed Chair of the Committee for the remainder of the 2018/19 municipal year.

There were no declarations of prohibited party whips.

The following declarations of interest were made:-

An apology for absence was received from Councillor H. Shepardson.

No public questions had been received.

(NOTE: Councillors Ann Davies, Arwel Davies and Gareth Thomas declared an interest in this item)

The Committee received for consideration the updated Corporate Strategy 2018-23 - Draft Update June 2019 in relation to the following Well-Being Delivery Plans which fell within its remit:-

·       WBO 2. - Help Children live healthy lifestyles

·       WBO 6 – Creating more jobs and growth throughout the County;

·       WBO 7 – Increase the availability of rented and affordable homes;

·       WBO 8 – Help people live healthy lives (tackling risky behaviour and obesity;

·       WBO 14 – Promoting Welsh Language and culture

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

·       Reference was made to WBO 2 and to how the Council proposed to work with Town and Community Councils to invest in upgrading local leisure provisions.

The Business and Projects Manager advised that would be undertaken by officers providing advice and assistance to those authorities on how to promote activities within their parks and to help make best use of their facilities. That could also include signposting various grant streams and providing assistance with submitting grant applications.

·       Clarification was sought on how the Council would review and implement an improved pathway of aquatics provision to enable participants to reach their full potential (WBO 2 refers)

The Committee was advised that would involve a degree of restructuring within the Leisure Division including, the employment of additional staff to teach swimming with the ultimate aim being for all children to be able to swim.

Reference was made to the cost to schools of participating in swimming lessons and to the Committee’s previous request to the Director of Education and Children to fund the estimated £150k to schools of that participation (Minute 7 of its meeting held on the 28^th March refers). Whilst the Committee acknowledged the Director’s response to that request and the reasons why he was not in a position to accede thereto, it was felt that given the importance of children being able to swim the Executive Board be requested to revisit the funding of those costs.

The Committee was reminded that whilst the cost of the swimming lessons was free, the cost to the schools related to the provision of transport only.

·       The Head of Homes and Safer Communities in response to a question on WBO7 to bring empty homes back into use confirmed that whilst the Council had legal powers to direct owners to renovate those properties, which involved a lengthy legal process, its first approach was to enter into dialogue with owners to voluntarily upgrade their properties, of which there were estimated to be 2,500 within the County.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED:-

(NOTE:

1.    Councillor G.B. Thomas having earlier declared an interest in this item left the meeting during its consideration by the Committee;

2.    Councillors A. Davies and A. Vaughan Owen had earlier declared an interest in this item).

The Committee considered a report on the Revised Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan 2018-2033 Draft Pre-Deposit Preferred Strategy produced in response to the Council’s decision on the 10^th January, 2018 to commence preparation works on the revised plan, and which represented an important milestone in the Council delivering on its statutory responsibilities to prepare an up-to-date plan for the County (excluding the area falling within the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority)

It was noted that the report contained 344 representations received in response to the public consultation exercise undertaken between the 12^th December, 2018 and the 8^th February, 2019. Those representations, together with officer responses and recommendations and the background to the Preferred strategy were detailed within the following appendices to the report:-

• Appendix 1 – Draft Pre-Deposit Preferred Strategy – Background;
• Appendix 2 – Preferred Strategy – Summary of Representations & Response  - Recommendations;
• Appendix 3 – Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment Initial Report – Representations Received;
• Appendix 4 – Habitat Regulation Assessment Screening Report – representations Received;
• Appendix 5 - Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report – Representations Received

It was noted that the report had been endorsed by the Executive Board at its meeting on the 7^th May and would be considered by the Council for formal adoption on the 15^th May, 2019.

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

·         The Forward Planning Manager in response to a question on the inclusion of candidate sites within the revised LDP, confirmed that any any person or organisation, including the county council, wishing to include a parcel of land would have had to submit that site to the Council the end of August, 2018. A total of 926 candidate sites had been submitted by that date with some 4,000 responses having been received to the subsequent public consultation. The department was currently analysing all 926 sites to assess their appropriateness and deliverability with that process anticipated to be completed by late summer 2019. If, following that assessment, any site was considered to be undeliverable, or contrary to the Plans Strategy or national policy it would not be considered appropriate for inclusion within the Deposit Plan.

·         In response to a question on the practice of ‘land banking’ the Committee was advised that currently within Carmarthenshire there were over 10,000 undelivered units remaining with a large percentage of those not coming forward. As part of the process involved in reviewing the current LDP their future inclusion would be challenged and if they were deemed unlikely to come forward for development or not deliverable, such sites may therefore not be included or re-allocated within the revised LDP.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED THAT IT BE RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL THAT:-

The Committee received a report detailing the progress achieved in relation to the requests or referrals emerging from previous meetings.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.

The Committee, in accordance with Article 6.2 of the Council’s constitution considered its draft 2019/20 Forward Work Programme detailing issues and reports to be considered during the course of the municipal year.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the draft 2019/20 Forward Work Programme be endorsed.

The Committee considered a list of forthcoming items to be considered at its next meeting to be held on the 2^nd July, 2019.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the list of forthcoming items for the meeting to be held on the 2^nd July 2019 be received.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on the 28^th March, 2019 be signed as a correct record.