Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from County Borough Councillors M Fidler Jones, K Jones, A Davies-Jones, M Tegg, W Owen and J Williams.

To receive disclosures of personal interests from Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct

1.     Members are requested to identify the item number and subject that their interest relates to and signify the nature of the personal interest;and

2.     Where Members withdraw from a meeting as a consequence of the disclosure of prejudicial interest they must notify the Chairman when theyleave.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, the following declarations were made pertaining to the agenda:

County Borough Councillor P Jarman declared a personal item- “Dispensation to speak and vote on all matters for the duration and adoption of the 2020-21 Budget process in my capacity as Leader of the Opposition”

Agenda Item 11B (Notice of Motion):

County Borough Councillor G Jones declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon - “I am in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

County Borough Councillor E George declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon– “My husband is in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

County Borough Councillor R D Bevan declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon– “I am in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

County Borough Councillor R Williams declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon– “My Father is in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

County Borough Councillor G Hughes declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon– “My Grandfather is in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

County Borough Councillor J Harries declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon– “My Grandfather is in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

County Borough Councillor R Yeo declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon– “My Stepfather is in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

County Borough Councillor J Edwards declared the following personal and prejudicial interest and left the meeting when the item was voted upon– “My Grandfather is in receipt of a Miner’s Pension”

In his absence, the Service Director Democratic Services & Communication relayed the wishes of County Borough Councillor M Fidler Jones who wished to withdraw his support for the Notice of Motion set out at Agenda item 11B.

To enable Members to pay tribute to the late County Borough Councillor Clayton Willis.

The following Members of the Council paid tributes to the late Councillor Clayton Willis:

·       County Borough Councillor G Stacey led the tributes to his friend and colleague former Councillor Clayton Willis and shared memories of their time together. Councillor Stacey thanked the Mayor and others who attended the funeral.

·       The Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A Morgan paid tribute to former Councillor C Willis who had represented the Tynant ward since 2004. The Leader acknowledged his 25 years’ service from 1996, a Community Councillor and Cabinet Member since 2008.

·       On behalf of the Plaid Cymru Group, the Leader of the Opposition, County Borough Councillor P Jarman paid tribute to former Councillor Clayton Willis and passed on her condolences to former Councillor C Willis’s family.

·       County Borough Councillor M Powell paid tribute to the late Councillor C Willis and extended his commiserations on behalf of the RCT Independent Group

·       County Borough Councillor J James, as a bordering ward member and on behalf of the Conservative Group, paid his tribute to the late County Borough Councillor C Willis.

·       County Borough Councillor R Yeo paid his tribute to his friend and former mentor former County Borough Councillor C Willis.

·       The Leader of the Opposition, County Borough Councillor P Jarman as Chair of Governors at Mountain Ash Comprehensive School congratulated a former pupil of the school, Brad Williams who had received the prestigious global Diana Award for his contribution to social action journalism. He was nominated by Mr David Church, Head of Religious Studies. Brad Williams has volunteered with GTFM and has recently been accepted to study for his master’s degree in the Cardiff School of Journalism. Councillor Jarman requested that a letter be sent from the Mayor of RCT to acknowledge his achievement.

·       County Borough Councillor A Crimmings, Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure & Heritage Services acknowledged the success of the Welsh Football Team in the Euros and gave special mention to their Manager Mr Rob Paige who is from the Rhondda.

·       County Borough Councillor L Hooper paid tribute to the school staff, the community and parents of Gwauncelyn Primary School in Tonteg for raising £3,000 to replace the tools and equipment which were stolen from the School. He acknowledged their efforts and community spirit to raise the funds within 72 hours following the incident.

·       County Borough Councillor J James (and with fellow Councillor S Trask) presented a petition on behalf of residents in Llantwit Fardre to install a pedestrian crossing at Crown Hill in Llantwit Fardre

·       County Borough Councillor J James (and with fellow Councillor S Trask) presented a petition on behalf of residents in Llantwit Fardre to install a pedestrian crossing at Crown Hill in Llanwit Fardre

·       County Borough Councillor S Bradwick congratulated a young girl in his ward, Sofia Barnes who is 8 years old, who has turned old milk cartons into dispensers for dog poo bags and placed them in and around the ward to tackle dog fouling in the area. Councillor S Bradwick requested that a letter be sent from the Mayor of RCT to acknowledge her enthusiasm and achievement and that Sofia is invited to the Mayor’s Parlour, when appropriate.

The Deputy Leader moved the suspension of Council Procedure Rule 15.1 which states that a matter would be decided by a simple majority of those Members voting and present in the room at the time the question was put in order to facilitate the smooth running of the virtual meeting.

Following consideration of the matter it was RESOLVED to suspend Council Procedure Rule 15.1

Based on the numbers of Members logged into the virtual Council meeting at that time, the Service Director Democratic Services & Communications advised of the numbers of Elected Members present by Group:-

Labour – 42

Plaid – 13

Conservative – 3

RCT Independent Group – 4

Unallocated - 1

To approve as an accurate record, the minutes of the Council Meetings held on:

1.     10^th March 2021

2.     26^th May 2021 (Annual General Meeting of the Council)

3.     26^th May 2021 (Extraordinary Council Meeting)

The Council RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the following virtual Council meetings as an accurate reflection:

1. 10^th March 2021
2. 26^th May 2021 (Annual General Meeting of the Council)
3. 26^th May 2021 (Extraordinary Council Meeting)

(Subject to it being noted that unless requested by the Conservative Group, any future abstentions will not be recorded)

In accordance with Open Government Council Meeting Procedure Rule 2, to receive any statements from the Leader of the Council and/or statements from Cabinet Portfolio Holders:

·       The Deputy Leader announced that the Council had again celebrated success at the Apprenticeship Awards Cymru 2021 at the virtual online ceremony held on the 17^th June 2021. Three of the Council’s apprentices were shortlisted for awards, the Foundation Apprentice of the Year, Brittany Mason, who won the category, Apprentice of the Year, Owen Lloyd who was a finalist and Tomorrow’s Talent, Sophie Williams who was a winner in the category.

The Council was also named Macro Employer of the Year, the second time it has won the award. The Council was praised for its support of the apprentices during the Pandemic to continue their studies and how they were deployed to support essential community services such as working with the NHS on Coronavirus shielding data and distributing food parcels. Thanks were extended to the Apprenticeship cohort and to the Council’s Human Resources staff

The Deputy Leader concluded by advising that the WLGA that they would like to work with the Council on its successful scheme.

·       Councillor D R Bevan advised that Lloyds Bank has announced the imminent closure of its branch in Church Village in September without prior consultation with its customers. The Bank has cited a number of reasons for the closure such as online banking, low numbers of customers using the Bank’s facility and as such they are making provision for the services to be transferred to the Pontypridd Branch or to the local Post Office. Councillor Bevan confirmed that the Council has appealed to Lloyds Bank to reconsider its position in the knowledge that older customers will have difficulty in attending Banks further afield and an update would be provided in due course.

To receive Members questions in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9.2.

(N.B a maximum of 20 minutes shall be allowed for questions on notice.)

Question from County Borough Councillor G. Caple to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan:

“Can the Council Leader give an update on the progress of the Porth Interchange scheme?”

The Leader responded that the Council’s Project Team have continued to make progress with the Porth Transport Hub. The site will see a bus and rail interchange created at the existing station and the development will also include electric vehicle charging points and further enhancements to the local Active Travel network.

The development site is already completely cleared and prepared for construction works and the Council recently received planning permission and completed detailed design on the proposal for the Transport Hub. This has been reviewed and agreed by the Council’s key delivery partner, Transport for Wales and the tender period for the construction of the development has recently ended.

The Leader advised that the Council is now in advanced discussions with its preferred contractor to award the contract in advance of beginning construction works. Over £5.3m has been allocated to the scheme as part of the CCR City Deal’s Wider Investment Fund and to support future funding arrangements, a bid has been submitted to the UK Government Levelling Up Fund; putting forward the Porth Transport Hub as a key candidate project for funding.

In conclusion, the Leader commented that he had recently met with Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on a visit to Treorchy who was very positive and interested in the proposals.

Supplementary question from County Borough Councillor G Caple:

“Can the Leader expand on the investment in Porth as part of the Town Centre Strategy?”

In response, the Leader advised that the Transport Hub is key to the Porth Town Centre Strategy, recognising the key strategic role it plays as the junction of Fach and Fawr, and providing a better transport experience for both bus and rail passengers.

The Leader highlighted a series of other investment projects which are currently being implemented in Porth, as planned in the Porth Town Centre Strategy:

• The adjacent Park and Ride facility is undergoing expansion, complementing the benefits of the Transport Hub by increasing parking spaces and adding charging facilities for electric vehicles.

• The Council’s Town Centre Maintenance Grant has successfully supported a number of businesses in improving their shop frontages in order to raise the town’s image, whilst free Wi-Fi was made available to visitors and traders in September last year.

• The Council is currently working to utilise Welsh Government Place Making grant in Porth to assist with bringing vacant properties back into use in the Town Centre.

• Porth Plaza has been developed to house an extensive range of resilience and support functions to the community, including the library, the One4All service and employment advice and support.

• Plans continue to develop in order to accommodate extra care housing provision.

Question from County Borough Councillor W. Lewis to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan:

“Can the Leader  ...  view the full minutes text for item 32.

To receive the report of the Service Director Democratic Services & Communication in respect of the draft Council work programme for the 2021/2022 Municipal Year.

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communications presented an update regarding the Council Work Programme advising that any amendments and updates would be brought before Council on a regular basis. The Service Director advised that following consultation with the Leader of the Council and Opposition Leaders, the Medium-Term Financial report would be presented to Full Council at a later date.

RESOLVED:

1.    To note the draft Work Programme attached as Appendix 1 to the report; and

      2.    To approve the Work Programme for the 2021-2022 Municipal Year (with appropriate amendments where necessary) and thereafter receive further updates from the Service Director Democratic Services & Communication as appropriate.

To provide the opportunity for members to consider the decision of the Welsh Minister for Finance & Local Government in respect of the recommendations of the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission Wales, as set out in the written statement tabled at the Senedd on the 24^th June 2021.

https://ldbc.gov.wales/reviews/03-20/rhondda-cynon-taf-final-recommendations

To receive the report of the Service Director, Democratic Services

& Communication

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communication presented a position statement in respect of the introduction arrangements to enable the broadcasting of committee meetings and the ability to operate through a hybrid approach. The Service Director advised that as previously reported the arrangements are in line with the requirements of the Local Government & Elections (Wales) Act which places a duty on principal councils to put in place arrangements for the broadcast of council meetings.

The Service Director confirmed that on the 15^th April 2021 the Council signed off the webcasting equipment with the intention of adopting the same incremental approach as was utilised for the roll-out of virtual meetings during the summer of 2020.

The Service Director acknowledged the constructive comments of the Group Leaders and Members of the Democratic Services Committee all of whom support the phased approach through which all Members will learn and refine the processes as they progress.

It was confirmed that lateral flow tests will be available for a maximum of twenty-six Members and Officers who wish to attend the Council Chamber in person which will enforce a strong public health message.

Following consideration of the report with Group Leaders reiterating their support for the positive demonstration of accountability and transparency and adoption of the webcasting provision on an incremental basis, it was RESOLVED to:

To receive the report of the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication.

In accordance with the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules 17.2(a), the Service Director of Democratic Services and Communication presented an overview of the Urgent Decisions taken forward by the Cabinet Committee and Urgent Key Officer Delegated Decisions taken forward outside of the Cabinet Committee during the period January – May 2021.

Following consideration of the report and discussion in respect of the

acquisition of land to the North West of Harriet Street, Trecynon, being the

former Mayhew Chicken Factory, Trecynon, Aberdare, RCT it was RESOLVED

to note the information contained within the report.

A. Notice of Motion standing in the names of County Borough Councillors M Powell, L Walker, W Owen, K Jones, W Jones and P Howe:

"This Council recognises:

• that persistent littering has a detrimental effect on communities within Rhondda Cynon Taff.  It makes the area unattractive for visitors and does not serve to instil any sense of pride in residents.

• the need to educate people in order to change their habits if we are to be successful in cleaning up our local environment and in order to do so we need a campaign slogan which will capture people’s attention.

This Council notes:

• the success of campaigns such as the ‘Check Your Balls’ campaign to promote awareness of testicular cancer.

• the campaigns in other areas such as Swansea 

https://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/59211/Dont-be-a-tosser-this-Bank-Holiday-weekend

• that there have been numerous anti-litter campaigns set up across the UK which include the ‘Don’t be a Tosser ‘ tag line since the idea was proposed to and turned down by this Council in 2009.

• that times have changed a great deal in the past 12 years and sayings that some may have found unacceptable then would not be considered in the same way now.

This Council therefore resolves:

• to ask the Cabinet and relevant officers to give full consideration to introducing a ‘Don’t Be a Tosser’ campaign as part of its anti-littering stance."

B. Notice of Motion standing in the names of County Borough Councillors: G. Caple, R. Williams, L. M. Adams, D. R. Bevan, H. Boggis, J. Bonetto, S. Bradwick, J. Brencher, A. Calvert, A. Crimmings, A. Davies-Jones, L. De- Vet, J. Elliott, S. Evans, G. Jones, M. Fidler Jones, M. Forey, A. Fox, E. George, M. Griffiths, J. Harries, G. Holmes, G. Hopkins, R. Lewis, W. Lewis, C. Leyshon, A. Morgan, S. Morgans, M. A. Norris, D. Owen-Jones, S. Pickering, S. Powell, S. Rees, A. Roberts, J. Rosser, G. Stacey, M. Tegg, G. Thomas, W. Treeby, R. K. Turner, M. Webber, D. Williams, T. Williams and  R. Yeo

On April 29^th 2021, the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee published its report on the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, which examined the historical injustice of mineworkers being deprived of their rightful pension entitlements.

As Members may recall, this Council supported a Notice of Motion supporting the UK Miners Pension Association Justice and Fair Play Campaign in 2017 and called for a renegotiation of the 50:50 sharing arrangement of any surplus between the former mineworkers and the U.K. Government.  Despite calling for a Parliamentary Debate, the issue was made subject of a Select Committee inquiry.

Now, the recently published BEIS report found that this surplus award arrangement should be reviewed and replaced with a fairer system which sees the recipients of the pension given a “more realistic percentage of any surplus.”

Indeed, the report acknowledges a number of significant issues with the outcome of the 1994 negotiations, including the failure of the Government to carry out due diligence and the absence  ...  view the full agenda text for item 37.

The following Notice of Motion standing in the names of County Borough Councillors M Powell, L Walker, W Owen, K Jones, W Jones and P Howe was received:

"This Council recognises:

• that persistent littering has a detrimental effect on communities within Rhondda Cynon Taff.  It makes the area unattractive for visitors and does not serve to instil any sense of pride in residents.

• the need to educate people in order to change their habits if we are to be successful in cleaning up our local environment and in order to do so we need a campaign slogan which will capture people’s attention.

This Council notes:

• the success of campaigns such as the ‘Check Your Balls’ campaign to promote awareness of testicular cancer.

• the campaigns in other areas such as Swansea 

https://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/59211/Dont-be-a-tosser-this-Bank-Holiday-weekend

• that there have been numerous anti-litter campaigns set up across the UK which include the ‘Don’t be a Tosser ‘ tag line since the idea was proposed to and turned down by this Council in 2009.

• that times have changed a great deal in the past 12 years and sayings that some may have found unacceptable then would not be considered in the same way now.

This Council therefore resolves:

• to ask the Cabinet and relevant officers to give full consideration to introducing a ‘Don’t Be a Tosser’ campaign as part of its anti-littering stance."

Following consideration, it was RESOLVED not to adopt the Notice of Motion. 

(Note: County Borough Councillors P Jarman and W Lewis wished to have it recorded that they voted not to adopt the Notice of Motion).

Members RESOLVED – that in view of the Seconder of the Notice of Motion, County Borough Councillor R Williams having declared a personal and prejudicial interest and taking no part in the meeting that Council Procedure Rule 10.6 be suspended in order that the under-mentioned Notice of Motion could be considered.

The following Notice of Motion standing in the names of County Borough Councillors: G. Caple, R. Williams, L. M. Adams, D. R. Bevan, H. Boggis, J. Bonetto, S. Bradwick, J. Brencher, A. Calvert, A. Crimmings, A. Davies-Jones, L. De- Vet, J. Edwards, J. Elliott, S. Evans, G. Jones, M. Fidler Jones, M. Forey, A. Fox, E. George, M. Griffiths, J. Harries, G. Holmes, G. Hopkins, R. Lewis, W. Lewis, C. Leyshon, A. Morgan, S. Morgans, M. A. Norris, D. Owen-Jones, S. Pickering, S. Powell, S. Rees, A. Roberts, J. Rosser, G. Stacey, M. Tegg, G. Thomas, W. Treeby, R. K. Turner, M. Webber, D. Williams, T. Williams and R. Yeo was received:

On April 29^th, 2021, the Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Select Committee published its report on the Mineworkers’ Pension Scheme, which examined the historical injustice of mineworkers being deprived of their rightful pension entitlements.

As Members may recall, this Council supported a Notice of Motion supporting the UK Miners Pension Association Justice and Fair Play Campaign in 2017 and called for a renegotiation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 37.