Agenda item

(Note: Councillor J Gilasbey earlier declared an interest in an action within this item).

The Committee received the 2021/22 Quarter 1 Performance Report for the period 1^st April to 30^th June 2021 presented by the Cabinet Members for Environment, Public Protection, Communities and Rural Affairs and Social Care and Health in respect of the areas falling within their portfolios and the Committees remit.

The report detailed the progress made against the actions and measures within the Corporate Strategy and on the delivery of the 13 Well-Being Objectives. The Committee noted that 2021/22 was the first year the Council would self-evaluate and report on under the terms of the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, especially Part 6 relating to Performance and Governance.

The following comments/queries were raised on in relation to the actions attributed to the Environment portfolio:-

• In response to a query raised in regard to action PAM/043, the Cabinet Member for Environment confirmed that the increasing targets were due them being a cumulative quarterly target.

• Reference was made to the fire at CWM Environmental materials recovery facility, Nantycaws, Carmarthen. It was asked if the insurance would cover any fine incurred subject to any targets not being met?  The Cabinet Member for Environment confirmed that the insurance would not cover any fines incurred however, reassured members that strong discussions would take place with the Welsh Government at the end of the year, if necessary. 

The Director of Environment informed Members that insuring against matters which were a legal/statutory requirement was not permitted.  In addition, she reported that insurers for CWM Environmental Ltd had accepted liability in relation to the fire and that negotiations were currently taking place.  Furthermore, the Welsh Government had been advised of the situation and the current position and whilst a target league table would continue to be reported, due to the steps in place to correct matters a fine was unlikely.

• The Head of Highways and Transportation, in response to a query raised in relation to gully cleansing stated that the Council currently operate within the budget allocated and currently there was a compliment of 2 full-time and 2 part-time gully cleansing operatives to cover Carmarthenshire.  In response to a further query regarding the allocated budget, the Head of Highways and Transportation stated that in addition to managing the programme of pre-planned inspections there were reactive situations in the main attributed to the weather.

• It was commented that in relation to previous observations regarding setting relevant targets, it was observed that the current targets did not seem to set ambition or strive to improve process or performance by continuing to do what was always done.  The validity of the targets quoted was questioned.
  
  

• Reference was made to action number 14813 cited on page 38 of the agenda pack ‘Deliver Re:fit Cymru (Energy Efficiency) Phase 1 project to achieve energy / carbon savings (NZC-01)’.  Clarity was sought in relation whether this action should read ‘off target’ as the comment stated ‘Phase 1 completed apart from solar PV installation at Parc Dewi Sant’.  The Sustainable Development Manager explained that whilst Phase 1 had been completed in order to allow for a bat survey to be completed the Welsh Government had extended the target date and on reflection acknowledged that this explanation should been included and that the target should have been changed for clarity.

• Reference was made to action number 13272 cited on page 42 of the agenda pack ‘We will conclude the study into the feasibility of developing an overnight lorry park/s within the County’.  An observation was raised that this action had been on ongoing for a number of years with a moving target, raising a concern regarding the language of the actions.  To provide clarity the Cabinet Member reported that the feasibility had been undertaken and that the final report was currently being finalised.

• Reference was made to action number 14962 cited on page 42 of the agenda pack ‘We will continue to work with national and regional bodies to develop the public transport network to support carbon reduction and economic development’.  More detail on this action was requested.  The Head of Highways and Transportation stated that the Welsh Government had recently published the Wales Transport Strategy included key projects in accordance with the Regional Transport Plan.  The development of a METRO for South West Wales as well as studies had been undertaken in regard to rail infrastructure development for the METRO.  It was reported that from a wider Welsh Government policy perspective, in terms of the model shift, interventions were required to the transport and rail network.  In addition, the investment in relation to the Active Travel development had enabled a significant improvement to the Active Travel infrastructure.

• Reference was made to action number 15106 cited on page 43 of the agenda pack ‘We will ensure that the Council works with partners to develop community transport opportunities across the county, which should consider all feasible means of transport to address local needs’. 
  A query was raised in relation to addressing local needs including if the Council was looking to expand services such as Country Cars?  The Head of Highways and Transportation explained that work was ongoing with the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales in relation to the previously known Bwcabus project which operated in the North and West of the County, which had now integrated to Transport for Wales Flexi demand responsive travel.  In addition, the shopmobility schemes and a number of community transport operators e.g. Country cars would be continued to be supported.

• Reference was made to action number 14963 cited on page 43 of the agenda pack ‘We will continue to develop the infrastructure for the use of electric vehicles across the county including in rural areas’. 
  In response to the location of the electrical charging points, the Head of Highways and Transportation stated that there would be significant developments in electrical charging infrastructures over the next 5 years and that an electrical charging infrastructure was currently being developed which would be shared to Scrutiny Members in due course.

The following comments/queries were raised on in relation to the actions attributed to the Public Protection portfolio:-

·       Reference was made to action number 15099 cited on page 45 of the agenda pack ‘We will develop a pro-action Air Quality Delivery Plan, in conjunction with other Council Divisions and key partners’.  In response to a query in relation to the air quality of specific areas, the Cabinet Member for Public Protection stated that specific areas throughout the County was currently being monitored.  The Head of Homes and Safer Communities echoed the Cabinet Members response in that there were a number of air quality management areas throughout the County namely; Llandeilo, Carmarthen and Llanelli which the monitoring of these areas was reported to this Committee.  It was confirmed that a Corporate Steering Group had been established which would monitor the targets and progress against the Air Quality Delivery Plan.

·       In response to a query relating to agency staff being utilised to carry out inspections on food establishments, the Cabinet Member confirmed that over the period of the pandemic this was necessary as staff had been redeployed to cover other emergency roles.  However, since the end of redeployment, the inspections had been caught up and was now on target.  The Head of Homes and Safer Communities added that during the Covid-19 pandemic many food outlets and premises were closed.  In terms of the economic recovery post pandemic, it was reported that the Food Standards Agency had set revised targets and that the department was confident the targets would be met.  Furthermore, it was highlighted that a significant number of new food establishments had opened up over the last 18 months and one of the key priorities was to ensure that each new establishment was visited in addition to contacting all existing premises.  Reassurance was provided to Committee Members that the department had the necessary number of staff members to deliver what was required by the Food Standards Agency, however there were aspirations to consider the wider resources going forward into the future.

·       Reference was made to action number 15065 on page 46 of the agenda pack ‘We will work with departments to ensure compliance with the new corporate CCTV policy’.  In response to a query raised in relation to the new CCTV Lead Officer role, the Corporate Policy and Partnership Manager clarified that the role would be to manage the Council’s internal systems and not the town centre CCTV systems as these were being monitored by the Police.  The action was in reference to a piece of work that was being undertaken internally in terms of all the systems that the Council manage. 

In response to a further query, the Corporate Policy and Partnership Manager stated that the role of CCTV Lead Officer would be to ensure that the Council’s CCTV systems comply with the Surveillance Camera Commissioner requirements and that the different systems would be monitored by the individual services and not by a central centre.

It was asked if there was a possibility to place CCTV cameras in known fly-tipping areas.  The Corporate Policy and Partnership Manager stated that whilst the Council’s CCTV was in the main attributed to the security of Council buildings, it was acknowledged that a future discussion could be arranged with Police to utilise the CCTV within town centres and neighbourhood systems.

The following comments/queries were raised on in relation to the actions attributed to the Communities and Rural Affairs portfolio:-

·       In response to a concern raised regarding the targets set in relation actions attributed to Net Zero Carbon, the Sustainable Development Manager provided reassurance that the targets set for 2030 were continuously monitored and that milestone targets would be set to assist in the long-term monitoring process as advised by the guidance received from the Welsh Government earlier this year.

The following comments/queries were raised on in relation to the actions attributed to the Social Care and Health portfolio:-

·       With reference to action number 14987 - public conveniences, it was commented that this was a basic human need and that it was pleasing to note the outcome of the review. 

The Head of Waste and Environmental Services, in response to a query relating to the public conveniences within Burry Port explained that these toilets were under the jurisdiction of Burry Port Harbour and therefore was unable to provide an update on the future plans.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the report be received.