Agenda and minutes

There were no declarations of personal interest.  

RESOLVED that the decision record of the meeting held on the 12^th February 2024 be signed as a correct record.  

The Cabinet Member considered the Leisure Charges 2024-25 report which sought approval of the proposed charges that formed part of the income generating plan for the leisure division for 2024-25. The report included charges for the following divisions within Leisure Services and also detailed a number of factors, including market forces, that had influenced the proposed level of charges:-

·         Cultural Services (Arts, Museums, Theatres, Libraries and Archive)

·         Sports & Leisure venues (Leisure Centres, swimming pools, Actif online products and Actif Community Sports Charges)

 ·        Outdoor Recreation (Country Parks, including the Millennium Coastal Park;  Pendine Attractor site; and the Outdoor Education Service).

RESOLVED that the 2024-25 Leisure Charges framework as set out in the report be approved.

The Cabinet Member considered a report which detailed a proposal to deliver a new Research Development Grant to be funded under the Shared Prosperity Fund Business Anchor.

It was reported that a total of £250k would be available within the budget allocated under the business anchor project which was funded by the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund.

The Cabinet Member was advised that the business team for the Business Start Up and Growth Fund had identified a number of businesses who aimed to undertake activities related to very early stages of R&D, viability studies, prototyping, etc. however, support could not be provided under the Fund as the outcomes of job safeguarding and/or job creation would not be achieved within the funding period.

Accordingly, given the essential nature of R&D in the development stages for those businesses, it was proposed that a grant be made available to meet the costs of specific R&D expenditure.

The proposed eligibility criteria and costings were considered, together with the proposed outcomes, grant offer and alternative options, as set out in the report.

RESOLVED that a new £250k Research & Development Grant be introduced as part of the Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Anchor, to meet the needs of businesses and enable delivery of budget and outputs for the project.

RESOLVED that the following applications for assistance from the Targeted Finance Fund be approved subject to the usual terms and conditions and those specified in the report:

FOLLOWING CONSIDERATION OF ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE AND FOLLOWING THE APPLICATION OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST TEST THE CABINET MEMBER MAY CONSIDER THAT 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.

RESOLVED pursuant to The Local Government Act 1972 as amended by The Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007 that the following items were not for publication 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 RESOLVED, pursuant to the Act referred to in minute no. 6 above, not to publicise the content of the report as it contained exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) (Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act).

The public interest test in this matter related to the fact that the report contained detailed information about the business and financial affairs and ambitions of the applicants. In this case, the public interest in maintaining transparency and accountability is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining confidentiality, as disclosure would be likely to place persons and business named in the report at an unfair disadvantage in relation to their commercial competitors.

The Cabinet Member considered project applications received from two businesses seeking assistance from the Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Renewable Energy Fund, the aim of which was to enable businesses to undertake renewable energy improvement projects leading to business efficiencies and carbon reduction.

RESOLVED that the projects submitted to the Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Renewable Energy Fund as detailed in the report be approved.

Following the application of the public interest test it was RESOLVED, pursuant to the Act referred to in minute no. 6 above, not to publicise the content of the report as it contained exempt information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) (Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act).  The public interest test in this matter related to the fact that the report contained detailed information about the business and financial affairs and ambitions of the applicant. In this case, the public interest in maintaining transparency and accountability is outweighed by the public interest in maintaining confidentiality, as disclosure would be likely to place persons and business named in the report at an unfair disadvantage in relation to their commercial competitors.

The Cabinet Member considered a project application received from a business seeking assistance from the Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Startup and Growth Grant Fund, the aim of which was to support businesses to start, sustain, grow and create jobs.

RESOLVED that the project submitted to the Shared Prosperity Fund – Business Startup and Growth Grant Fund as detailed in the report be approved.