Agenda and minutes

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, there were no declarations made pertaining to the agenda.

a)    To elect a Presiding Member of the Council.

RESOLVED – that County Borough Councillor G. Hughes be elected as Presiding Member for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

County Borough Councillor G. Hughes resumed the Chair following his appointment and addressed Council in his role as Presiding Member.

To consider the joint report of the Director of Legal and Democratic Services and Service Director, Democratic Services and Communication.

To elect Two Deputy Presiding Members of the Council

RESOLVED – that County Borough Councillor Sheryl Evans be elected as the first Deputy Presiding Member for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED – that County Borough Councillor Barry Stephens be elected as the second Deputy Presiding Member for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

To receive an address from the retiring Mayor of the Council 2022-2023.

The retiring Mayor, County Borough Councillor W Treeby, commented that the past year as Mayor had been a privilege for her. She thanked the residents, communities and officers who had supported her and her charities. Her key highlights of the year had been the engagement with the pupils from schools across RCT and meeting with the RCT Veterans.

Councillor Treeby advised that she had secured two grants to the value of £24k for both the Welsh Air Ambulance and the Stroke Society and she thanked everyone who had helped her achieve those. She wished the incoming Mayor well for the future.

In response Members paid tribute to the retiring Mayor for her efforts and hard work during her term of office.

To elect a Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for the Municipal Year 2023-2024.

RESOLVED – to elect County Borough Councillor W Lewis as Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for the Municipal Year 2023-2024.

The Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for the Municipal Year 2023-2024 commented on the huge honour to serve as Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf. She paid tribute to the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Treeby for her hard work and commitment to the role. Councillor Lewis announced that during her term of office as Mayor for RCT, her consorts would be Mr Christopher Lewis and Dilys Jouvenat and her chosen charities would include the Brain Tumour Research, the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, SANDS (Stillbirth and Neo Death Society) and Hope Rescue, as well as supporting the upcoming National Eisteddfod and Armed Forces.

Councillor Lewis looked forward to working closely with the incoming Deputy Mayor.

The Presiding Member and Group Leaders/Deputy Group Leader wished the incoming Mayor well for her forthcoming year.

To appoint a Deputy Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for the Municipal Year 2023 – 2024.

RESOLVED – to elect County Borough Councillor D Owen-Jones as Deputy Mayor of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council for the Municipal Year 2023-2024.

The Deputy Mayor congratulated the new incoming Madam Mayor and for affording him the honour of being elected as Deputy Mayor for 2023-24.

Councillor Owen-Jones confirmed his consort as his daughter, Abbey Louise Owen-Jones.

To appoint a Leader of the Council.

RESOLVED – that County Borough Councillor A Morgan, OBE, be appointed Leader of the Council for the 2023/2024 Municipal Year.

County Borough Councillor A Morgan, OBE, extended his sincere thanks for his re-appointment as Leader of the Council. He advised that he has been Leader of RCT Council since 2014 and his reappointment means he has been the longest serving  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

RESOLVED to note the Cabinet and their individual designations, as follows:-

·       County Borough Councillor A Morgan, OBE, Leader & Cabinet Member for Infrastructure & Investment

·   County Borough Councillor M. Webber, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Council Business

·   County Borough Councillor M. Norris, Cabinet Member for Development & Prosperity

·   County Borough Councillor R. Lewis, Cabinet Member for Education, Youth Participation & Welsh Language

·   County Borough Councillor G. Caple, Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care

·   County Borough Councillor B. Harris, Cabinet Member for Public Health & Communities

·   County Borough Councillor A. Crimmings, Cabinet Member for Environment, & Leisure

·   County Borough Councillor C. Leyshon, Cabinet Member for Climate Change & Corporate Services

Through his joint report with the Director of Legal Services, the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication, advised Members of the outcome of the review of the Political Balance of the Authority for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

The Service Director highlighted the outcomes of the review undertaken and the available seats which require appointment by the respective political groups as set out in tables A and B of the appendix to the report. He advised that Section 5 seeks Council’s determination of the allocation of the notices of motion for the new municipal year.

It was RESOLVED –

1.         That the scheme for the allocation of seats to the different political groups and bodies to which Section 15 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 applies, as detailed in the Appendix to this report, be adopted;

2.         That the Service Director of Democratic Services & Communication be authorised to make appointments to politically balanced bodies upon receipt by him of notification of the wishes of the political groups subject to any subsequent requests for amendment of membership of Committees, being referred to Council; and

3.        That the allocation of Notices of Motion for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year is as follows: -

Labour - 12

Plaid Cymru -5

RCT Independent Group - 2

Conservatives – 1

To consider the report of the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication providing recommendations for the appointment of Committees for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year.

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communication presented his report which sought the appointment of the Council’s Committees for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year.

RESOLVED to appoint the under-mentioned Committees for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year:

a)   Planning and Development Committee (x11 Members)

b)  Licensing Committee (x11 Members)

c)   Appointments Committee (x5 Members)

d)  Appeals/Employee Appeals/Chief Officer Appeals Committee

(x5 Members)

e)  Overview and Scrutiny Committee (x14 Members)

f)    Education & Inclusion Services Scrutiny Committee (x14 Members)

g)  Community Services Scrutiny Committee  (x14 Members)

h)  Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee

(x14 Members)

i)    Governance & Audit Committee (x6 Members)

j)    Democratic Services Committee (x17 Members)

k)   Standards Committee (x2 Members)

l)    Constitution Committee (x8 Members)

m) Pension Fund Committee (x5 Members)

n)  Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Joint Scrutiny Committee (x2 Members)

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

In his report the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication sought consideration to the appointment of Chairs and Vice-Chairs to the Council’s Committees for the Municipal Year 2023-2024, and it was RESOLVED:

1.       To appoint the following Members to the posts of Chairs and Vice-Chairs:

·       Planning and Development Committee

Chair – Councillor S Rees

Vice Chair – Councillor W Lewis

·       Licensing Committee

Chair – Councillor A S Fox

Vice Chair – Councillor G Stacey

·       Appointments Committee

Chair – Councillor S J Davies

Vice Chair – Councillor M Webber

·       Appeals/Employee Appeals/Chief Officer Appeals Committee

Chair – Councillor R Williams

Vice Chair – Councillor L Addiscott

·       Pension Fund Committee

Chair – Councillor M Norris

Vice Chair – Councillor M Ashford

2.      Toappoint County Borough Councillor W Jones as Chair and County Borough Councillor M Webber as Vice Chair of the Democratic Services Committee in accordance with the requirements of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 (the ‘Measure’);

3.   To agree that the responsibility for the appointment of the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governance & Audit Committee be delegated to the Governance & Audit Committee as set out in the report;

4.   That the appointment of Chair of the Education & Inclusion Scrutiny Committee be allocated to the Plaid Cymru Group;

5.     That in accordance with the nominations received from the appropriate Political Groups, that the following Members be appointed as Chairs to the under-mentioned Scrutiny Committees together with the appointment of Vice-Chairs: --

6.     To note the appointment of the Deputy Presiding Member,  Councillor Sheryl Evans as the Vice-Chair to the Constitution Committee;

7.  To note that following the transition to a single Public Services Board (PSB) for Cwm Taf Morgannwg, a report outlining the new scrutiny arrangements will be brought before Members in June which will reflect the revision of the Joint Scrutiny arrangements currently in place;

8.     Tonote the following Chairs roles should be in receipt of a Senior Salary in line

       with the  recommendations of the independent Remuneration Panel (IRP) Annual

       Report (Up to a maximum of 19 overall): and

9.   To note the need to publish and submit the schedule of remuneration for 2023-24 by 31 July 2023.

To consider the report of the Service Director, Democratic Services

& Communication.

The Service Director Democratic Services presented his report in respect of appointing Members to the Quasi-Judicial Bodies/Ad Hoc Committees for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year subject to the political balance of the Council as set out at section three of the report.

It was RESOLVED to appoint the following:

1.   The Local Education Authority Governors (Appointments) Committee (5 Members). (4 Labour, 1 Plaid Cymru):

County Borough Councillors R Lewis, G Stacey, J Brencher, S Hickman and Sera Evans

2.   Voluntary Early Retirement/Redundancy Panel (5 Members)(4 Labour, 1 Plaid Cymru):

County Borough Councillors M Webber, L Tomkinson, J Bonetto, G Jones and D Grehan.

3.   Joint Consultative Committee (4 Members):

County Borough Councillors A Crimmings, R Lewis, A Morgan OBE and M Webber

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

The Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication presented his report to consider the appointment of Members to sit on Outside Bodies and Non-Executive Joint Committees. The Service Director referred Members to the vacancy on Trivallis following the resignation of Councillor B Stephens from the position:-

It was RESOLVED – that the under-mentioned Members be appointed to the following Outside bodies for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year

a)    Age Concern Cymru (Councillor G Caple)

b)    Consortium Local Authority Wales (C.L.A.W.) (Councillor C Leyshon)

c)     Cynon Valley Indoor Bowls Committee (Councillor A Morgan, OBE)

d)    Edward Thomas Charity (Councillors R Lewis, R Williams, A S Fox and A Dennis) 

e)    Joint Council for Wales (Councillors M Webber and C Leyshon)

f)      The Alliance (Councillors G Jones, E Dunning and D Parkin) 

g)    Tower Site Liaison Committee (Councillors L Addiscott, S Emmanuel and A Rogers) 

h)    Welsh Local Government Association (Councillors A Morgan, OBE, M Webber, C Leyshon, R Lewis and A Crimmings)

i)      Welsh Local Government Association Executive Board (Councillors A Morgan, OBE and M Webber)

j)      Business in Focus (Councillor M Norris)

k)     Trivallis (Councillor C Middle)

It was RESOLVED to appoint the Councils representatives to the following non-executive Joint Committees:

a)    South Wales Fire & Rescue Authority (Councillors S Bradwick, A Roberts, G Holmes and G Williams)

b)    BannauBrycheiniog National Park (Formerly known as Brecon Beacons National Park Authority) (NPA) (Councillor S Emmanuel)

c)     South Wales Police Crime Panel (Councillors B Harris and L Addiscott)

(Note: The following Members wished to have it recorded that they voted in favour of appointing Councillor A O Rogers as the representative to the BannauBrycheiniog National Park (Formerly known as Brecon Beacons National Park Authority) (NPA) :

Councillors S Evans, D Grehan, A Ellis, P Evans, H Gronow, D Wood, K Johnson, S Trask, M Powell, C Lisles, P Binning and D Evans)

To consider the report of the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication, relating to the proposed calendar of meetings for the 2023-2024 Municipal Year.

Through his report, the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication sought the approval of the attached Calendar of Meetings for 2023 – 2024 set out at Appendix 1 for the Municipal Year and he referred to the element of flexibility that would be required going forward as the calendar is subject to change based on the demands of council business.

The Service Director referred to the results of the survey which was carried out in line with Section 6(2) of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 and are summarised

at section four of the report. He added that in respect of the statutory requirement to survey Members in respect of the timings of meetings, the feedback is not binding and is, ultimately, a matter for the respective Chairs and in accordance with the demands of council business.

Following discussion, it was RESOLVED:

1.         To agree the proposed Calendar of Meetings for the Municipal Year 2023-

24, as attached at Appendix 1 to the report;

2.         To note that this draft calendar is subject to change, based upon the

demands of business over the coming municipal year. Any changes or

additions will be undertaken in consultation with the appropriate

committee chairs; and

3.         To agree that with the exception of the Planning and Development

Committee, meetings will not be convened during School holidays,

subject to urgent business needs.

To receive the following Annual Reports:

·       The Governance & Audit Committee 2022/23 – Mr Chris Jones, Chair

·       The Overview & Scrutiny Committee 2022/23 - County Borough Councillor J Edwards, Chair

The Service Director, Democratic Services & Communication presented his report which  provided Council with the Annual Reports of the Governance & Audit Committee and Overview & Scrutiny Committee for the 2022/23 Municipal Year for information with the opportunity for the Chairs to contribute to the business of the two committees for the municipal year.

Members received Mr Christopher Jones Chair of the Governance & Audit Committee and County Borough Councillor J Edwards, Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee to present their respective reports for the 2022/2023 Municipal Year.

Following discussion, it was RESOLVED to note the contents of both the Governance & Audit Committee and Overview & Scrutiny Committee for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.