Agenda and minutes

The Presiding Member welcomed attendees to the meeting and apologies for absence were received from County Borough Councillors P Evans, R Evans, K Morgan, M Powell, K Webb and D 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:

Agenda item 9 - THE TRANSITION TO A SINGLE PUBLIC SERVICES BOARD (PSB) FOR CWM TAF MORGANNWG - JOINT OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY ARRANGEMENTS

Ø  County Borough Councillor S Bradwick – “I am Chair of the South Wales Fire & Rescue Service”

Ø  County Borough Councillor D R Bevan – “I am a member of the Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee”

Ø  County Borough Councillor A Crimmings – “I am a member of the PSB Board”

Ø  County Borough Councillor B Stephens - “I am a member of the PSB Board”

To approve as an accurate record, the minutes of the hybrid Council meetings held on 29^th March 2023 (4pm & 5pm) and 10^th May 2023.

The Council RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the hybrid meetings held on the 29^th March 2023 (4pm and 5pm) and on the 10^th May 2023, as an accurate reflection of the meetings.

The following announcements were made:

Ø  The Leader of the Council, Councillor A Morgan OBE, paid the following tribute to the late Tyrone O’Sullivan OBE who sadly passed away on the 27^th May at the age of 77. Tyrone was born into a mining family in Abercwmboi, and he was well aware of the dangers of the pits, losing both his great-grandfather at Maerdy, and also his father at Tower when Tyrone was just 17. Despite this, Tyrone entered the pit as an apprentice electrician and soon became a leading figure in the Union movement – famously never losing a vote for industrial action in 22 years as an underground NUM Branch Secretary. He played a leading role in the 1984-85 strike, eventually organising picketing in Wales, the south of England, Essex, and South Yorkshire. His most infamous accomplishment was persuading the fellow miners of Tower to commit £8,000 each from the redundancy money as the basis for a £1m down payment to take over the Tower site after its closure. The Leader added that as many will remember the sight of the 239 miners marching back to work in January 1995 – a year after the mine shut - following the successful buyout. Tower remained open for a further 13 years, and today the popular Zip World Tower is situated on the site. The Leader recounted a memory with Tyrone during a trip to North Wales and, on behalf of the Local Authority wished to pass his condolences to Tyrone’s wife, Elaine and family.

ØCouncillor A O Rogers, as ward councillor for Tower Colliery, also paid tribute to the late Tyrone O’Sullivan OBE, referring to the many tributes and comments that have been made about him in recent weeks. He added that many would agree his legacy will be his leadership and the fight to keep Tower colliery open and the successful buyout of the mine by the miners. Councillor Rogers spoke of Tyrone’s vision for young people having opportunities, to give them a future, to build and develop the communities post mining, such as Zip World providing local employment for the many not the few.

Ø  Councillor R Lewis wished to congratulate Abercynon R.F.C on a successful season of rugby being crowned champions of East Central Division 2 and securing  promotion. The whole team, support staff and volunteers have done the whole community proud. Cllr Lewis, on behalf of Cllr Dennis, wished the team well for the next season.

Ø  Councillor S Emanuel, on behalf of Councillor W Jones, congratulated Maggie Davies, a resident from Blaenrhondda who ran the London marathon in memory of her late husband Paul and has raised over £4000 for Brain Bank which is a dementia charity.

Ø  Councillor Ros Daviscongratulated Mr David Ferns, who lives in Porth. He completed the London Marathon on 23 April, in 3hrs :40 minute and raised over £600 for Tommy’s, the baby charity that funds research into miscarriage, still birth and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

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.)

1.       Question from County Borough Councillor G. E. Williams to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

“Ahead of the winter and the preparations for severe weather, will there be an opportunity for Members to have engagement and briefings on the preparations?”

Response from County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

Councillor A Morgan responded that each year, the Council holds an annual briefing session for Elected Members in advance of the winter period. Last year’s session was held in November with this year’s session to be held earlier, possibly in October. The Leader advised that the primary focus of these sessions is the Council’s Winter Maintenance Plan, and this outlines what actions the Council is taking to prepare for inclement weather over the winter months, the roles and responsibilities for Members and Officers, how to share information, directing Members to the out of hours number, how to log issues via the contact centre and what they are able to offer in support of their communities and to Council Services and staff.

The Leader stressed the importance of achieving as much engagement and participation from Members as possible – he explained that the session is worthwhile and he encouraged all Members to attend. The Leader concluded that though Democratic Services, a date would be confirmed and circulated in due course.

Supplementary question from County Borough Councillor G Williams:

“We can’t guarantee that Pentre won’t flood again but the works conducted to the culvert and drainage systems provides much needed peace of mind for the residents in Pentre, could the Leader provide further details of the Council’s preferred option of works?”

Response from County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

The Leader commented that Pentre was obviously one of the hardest hit communities during Storm Dennis, and of course over subsequent weather events and over £1m has been spent on the area to date. He confirmed the preferred option is bringing a new culvert through the streets which although will be disruptive to residents (which was relayed in the consultation information that was circulated) would alleviate their concerns through face to face and online sessions with Officers and drop-in sessions.

The Leader advised that the scheme will be a multi-million-pound investment in local infrastructure, delivered in phases but the Council has secured significant funding for the scheme this year.  The scheme will be necessary in the face of climate change and the need to protect houses and residents. The Leader commented that preparation is key to the scheme and that is why training is essential for Members, as the Leader outlined earlier.

2. Question from County Borough Councillor J. Cook B.E.M. to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

“What support is available for food banks and similar local schemes in the coming year?”

Response from County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

The Leader commented that recently he held a key meeting recently to discuss what further support can be provided to local foodbanks and food  ...  view the full minutes text for item 16.

To receive a report and presentation from the Director, Frontline Services.

The Director of Frontline Services presented the report (supported with a Power Point presentation) with the purpose of providing an update on the Council’s actions to mitigate flood risk since Storm Dennis, together with an overview of works undertaken to replace and upgrade flood affected public infrastructure. The Director commented that the report cross references previous reports and commitments following the storm and sets out a programme of works, as contained within the appendices to the report, following the storm events in February 2020 which left over 1,500 properties flooded.

The Director advised that the Council has investigated the flood events and produced a total of nineteen Section 19 Reports, and he referred to the work that has been undertaken in response to the devastation caused by Storm Dennis in 2020 and the areas of capital expenditure with grants and commitments from Welsh Government, together with almost £3m of the Council’s own funding.

The Director explained that the four-year capital programme, which will come to an end this financial year, consists of around £84M in total which includes £42M for direct upgrades and repairs, £20M for coal tips safety works, £14M relating to flood risk management and £4.75M for resilient roads.

The Director referred to Appendix A which provides an overview of the actions reported to Cabinet in December 2020, where they specifically relate to Frontline Services, such as growing its internal capacity at operational level and managing and maintaining the network of drainage assets, developing by laws, raising flood awareness, and enforcement as well as developing a flood risk strategy through a series of consultations, which will be considered by the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee and Cabinet.

The Director of Frontline Services continued his update on the infrastructure and flood risks through a series of images via a number of Power Point slides under the following headings, which served to demonstrate the volume of the schemes in hand and ongoing across the county borough:

Ø  February 2020 Storm Events

Ø  Receptor Sites

Ø  Phase 3A Drainage & Clearance

Ø  FAS - Park Lane – Pre-construction/Post construction

Ø  Bronallt Terrace FAS

Ø  Treorchy Phase 1a – Heol Tyle Du

Ø  Heath Terrace FAS

Ø  Cefnpennar Road – Internal Culvert Lining

Ø  Pentre Lining & Culvert Replacement

Ø  Pentre Road Inlet

Ø  Tynyncoed Terrace Culvert Upgrade

Ø  A4059 – Newtown Conveyance Swale

Ø  Rhigos Road Culvert Replacements

Ø  Nant Y Frwd – Allen Street, Mountain Ash Emergency Repairs & Upgrade

Ø  Granville Terrace outfall

Ø  Granville Terrace debris basin

Ø  Campbell Terrace- culvert Inlet

Ø  Cwmbach – Canal Road Inlet

Ø  Bryn Ifor -culvert inlet

Ø  Kingcraft Street - Inlet

Ø  Painters Row – Inlet Improvements

Ø  Tramway Culvert

Ø  Glenboi Pumping Station

Ø  Structures Work – Castle Inn Bridge

Ø  Castle Inn Scour Treatment

Ø  Berw Road – (White Bridge) Pontypridd

Ø  BlaencwmRiverwall Phase 2

Ø  Ynysangharad Park Footbridge

Ø  Tynybryn Culvert Outlet Scour Repair

Ø  Ynyshir Community Route

Ø  Pontypridd Road River Wall – Porth

Ø  Cross Street River Wall –  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17.

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

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communication presented for

Members’ comment and approval, a draft Work Programme on the proposed

list of matters requiring consideration by Council for the 2023-2024 Municipal

Year.  He added that further to that announced at the AGM, additional dates

have now been added to the work programme.

During the period outlined, the Service Director advised that the work

programme may be subject to change to reflect additional reporting

requirements or any legislative changes or business that may arise from

considerations of another committee,  such as Scrutiny recommendations or

those from the Appointments Committee. He added that any changes to

business will be agreed by the Proper Officer with final agreement from the

Presiding Member and where possible Group Leaders will also be informed of

the changes through the municipal year.

In conclusion and following consideration of the report, the Service Director

advised that subject to agreement, the items within the ‘Miscellaneous’ section

on the council work programme would be allocated during the municipal year

and Members advised accordingly through the regular updates at each Council

meeting.

It was RESOLVED to approve the Work Programme for the 2023-2024

Municipal Year and thereafter receive further updates from the Service Director

Democratic Services & Communication as appropriate.

To receive the report of the Service Director Democratic Services & Communications.

The Service Director, Democratic Services & Communications presented the

report which sought Council’s consideration of the proposals for formally

recording and reporting the outcome and effect of the Council's representation

made by Members following the adoption and/or referral of a Notice of Motion

(NOM).

At the Council meeting held on the 29^th March 2023, Members supported the motion as presented by Councillors D Grehan and A Rogers in respect of extending the existing reporting mechanism. The Service Director referred to the existing arrangements in place to record the outcomes of motions adopted by Council and where appropriate, those referred to another committee. In the case of a referral to a Scrutiny committee the outcome is currently rereferred back to Council in a substantive report to advise Members of the outcome of the original motion.

The Service Director set out the proposals for those matters which require external correspondence which, it is proposed would follow the same arrangements as those internal matters, the outcomes would be recorded and published to the Council webpages. He added that this matter was recently considered by the Constitution Committee where Members resolved to agree the proposals.

Following consideration of the report it was RESOLVED to note the

support provided by the Council’s Constitution Committee for the

revised arrangements.

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

The Service Director, Democratic Services & Communications presented the

report which sought Council’s approval of the new arrangements for the Cwm

Taf Morgannwg Public Services Board, following the transition to a single

Public Services Board (PSB) for Cwm Taf Morgannwg which now includes

Bridgend County Borough Council as part of the footprint, in addition to

RCT and Merthyr County Borough Councils.

The Service Director advised of the existing arrangements in place for a joint

Overview & Scrutiny Committee between RCT and Merthyr Tydfil Councils which

scrutinise and challenge the work of the Public Service Board and its partners,

in line with the statutory requirement set out in the Well-being of Future

Generations (Wales) Act, 2015 and associated statutory guidance. The Service

Director added that following a number of discussions between the three unitary

authorities, the proposed terms of reference and composition of the committee

have been agreed and considered and are set out in the report, which seeks to

build on the existing joint scrutiny arrangements.

The Service Director commented that the new joint Overview & Scrutiny

Committee will comprise of five Members from each Local Authority in addition

to the co-opted members where appropriate, to include citizen representatives,

representatives from Natural Resources Wales, the Health Board and South

Wales Fire & Rescue Service. He added that local authorities are also requested

to nominate a substitute representative, which will reflect the political balance of

the respective Councils. In line with the previous joint arrangements, the Chair

will be appointed by the Committee with the Vice Chair being nominated from

another local authority.

The Service Director advised that it is proposed that for the next two years,

Rhondda Cynon Taf will continue to provide support to the joint Overview &

Scrutiny Committee with the opportunity afforded to the other local authorities to

review this arrangement at the end of the two-year period.

In conclusion, the Service Director advised that the proposals have been

considered by the PSB who were content to support adoption by the respective

Councils and in addition to consideration by this Council, the Councils of Merthyr

and Bridgend would also be considering similar reports.

Following consideration of the report it was RESOLVED to:

1. Agree to the creation of a Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee comprising elected Members from Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend County Borough Councils to scrutinise the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Public Services Board;

2. Endorse the Draft Terms of Reference of the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Public Services Board Joint Overview & Scrutiny Committee, as set out in Appendix 1, and to make any further comments as felt appropriate;

3. Determine the PSB Statutory members (non-executive) and `invited participants` to serve as co-opted members on the Cwm Taf PSB JOSC as highlighted within section 6 of the report;

4. Agree that the Chair and Vice Chair arrangements, highlighted within section 7 of the report, be taken forward, commencing from the beginning of the 2023/24 Municipal Year;

5. Agree that the support and administrative arrangements, highlighted within section 8 of the report be provided by Rhondda  ...  view the full minutes text for item 20.

To receive the Democratic Services Committee Annual Report 2022/2023.

The Service Director, Democratic Services & Communications presented his report which provided Council with the Annual Report of the Democratic Services Committee for the 2022/23 Municipal Year with the opportunity for the Chair and Vice Chair to contribute to the business of the committee. He added that key areas of consideration contained within the report included Members development, Members Services and the support for the non-executive democratic functions of the council for the municipal year.

In his role as the Head of Democratic Services he wished to place on record his thanks to the Democratic Services Committee for the continued support he and the Democratic Services team had received.

Members received County Borough Councillor W Jones and County Borough Councillor M Webber, Chair and Vice Chair respectively of the Democratic Services Committee, to present the annual report for the 2022/2023 Municipal Year.

Following discussion, it was RESOLVED to note the content of the Democratic Services Committee Annual report for the 2022/23 Municipal Year.

To consider the under-mentioned Notice of Motion standing in the names of County Borough Councillors S Trask and K Johnson:

Loneliness and social isolation is an issue that makes a huge impact on the mental health of people of all ages, and has grown in prevalence significantly since the coronavirus pandemic. The Welsh Government set up a fund of £500,000 per year for three years to cover the whole of Wales, in order to help tackle the issue. The fund so far has only allocated £22,727 per year in the past 2 years for the entirety of Rhondda Cynon Taf, that equates to around 9p per person in RCT. RCTCBC has each year allocated this to small local groups via its Neighborhood Network Fund. We applaud the work of these small community groups but feel that the current funding level from the Welsh Government is woefully insufficient to have any widespread impact.

The original 3 -year funding package expires after the financial year 2023/2024.

We therefore move that:

• This council notes that loneliness and social isolation is damaging the mental health of many residents of RCT, and Welsh Government funding does not go far enough to make a real difference.

• This council calls on the Leader of the council to write to Eluned Morgan MS to request the funding level is increased from this year onwards to a level sufficient to make real difference in the lives of RCT residents who benefit from the funding.

To consider the under-mentioned Notice of Motion standing in the names of County Borough Councillors S Trask and K Johnson:

Loneliness and social isolation is an issue that makes a huge impact on the mental health of people of all ages, and has grown in prevalence significantly since the coronavirus pandemic. The Welsh Government set up a fund of £500,000 per year for three years to cover the whole of Wales, in order to help tackle the issue. The fund so far has only allocated £22,727 per year in the past 2 years for the entirety of Rhondda Cynon Taf, that equates to around 9p per person in RCT. RCTCBC has each year allocated this to small local groups via its Neighbourhood Network Fund. We applaud the work of these small community groups but feel that the current funding level from the Welsh Government is woefully insufficient to have any widespread impact.

The original 3 -year funding package expires after the financial year 2023/2024.

We therefore move that:

• This council notes that loneliness and social isolation is damaging the mental health of many residents of RCT, and Welsh Government funding does not go far enough to make a real difference.

• This council calls on the Leader of the council to write to Eluned Morgan MS to request the funding level is increased from this year onwards to a level sufficient to make real difference in the lives of RCT residents who benefit from the funding.

Following consideration, it was RESOLVED to adopt the Notice of Motion.