Agenda and minutes

The Chair welcomed Members to the hybrid meeting of the Overview & Scrutiny. The following Members were present in the Council Chamber:

County Borough Councillors G Caple, G Hughes and W Lewis.

Apologies for absence were received from County Borough Councillors J James MS, M Griffiths and E Stephens.

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

Note:

1.     Members are requested to identify the item number and subject matter 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 a prejudicial interest they must notify the Chairman when they leave.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, there were no declarations made pertaining to the agenda.

To approve as an accurate record the minutes of the following Overview & Scrutiny Committees:

Ø  Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on the 21^st September 2021

Ø  Special Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on the 12^th October 2021

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on the 21^st September 2021 and the Special Overview & Scrutiny Committee held on the 12^th October 2021 as an accurate reflection of both meetings.

Matters Arising

21st September 2021 – A Member requested confirmation that the published Section 19 Investigation Report for Treherbert had been shared with the local Members in advance of its publication and the offer of an Officer/Member meeting had been made to them. (The Service Director Democratic Services & Communications advised that he would be able to confirm that this was the case in due course).

Information is provided in respect of relevant consultations for consideration by the Committee.

Members acknowledged the information provided through the consultation links in respect of open consultations, Welsh Government consultations and those matters being consulted upon by the Local Authority.

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communication reminded Members that should they wish to form a scrutiny committee response to any consultation, they are welcome to raise that matter at any time.

With regards to the Welsh Government consultation listed ‘Period Dignity Strategic Action Plan’ ending on the 12th January 2022, and in light of the work that the Children & Young People Scrutiny Working Group had undertaken, leading the field on this matter; a query was raised as to whether the Council will engage and comment on the consultation and strategy to ensure it meets the expectations of the recommendations and issues highlighted by the working group.

The Service Director advised that the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee would be looking for the opportunity to include and consider this matter as part of its forward work programme and confirmed that there would be a Service response.

To receive the report of the Director of Corporate Estates providing Members with an update on the work undertaken in developing a Council Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC).

The Service Director Democratic Services & Communications presented his report which outlined the opportunity for Members to consider and challenge the objectives set out within the Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC). The Strategy had been received and adopted by Cabinet at its meeting held on the 15^th November 2021.

Members were reminded of the work of the Overview & Scrutiny working group to consider ‘the development of Infrastructure to support low carbon vehicle ownership in Rhondda Cynon Taf’ and the formulation of nine recommendations and its recent engagement on the wide-ranging consultation exercise which contributed to the Council’s draft Climate Change Strategy 2021-2025.

The Director of Corporate Estates provided details of the internal consultation with stakeholders and two public consultation exercises which had been undertaken via the Council’s engagement website ‘Let’s Talk RCT’ to progress and inform the Strategy which has subsequently been approved by Cabinet.

The Director set out the ten ambitions of the strategy and highlighted the correlation with the ten recommendations that had been previously produced by the Scrutiny Working Group and agreed by Cabinet. He emphasised that the earlier work of scrutiny had informed the current strategy and he advised how the strategy would help identify an RCT wide approach to promote and encourage the development of a robust and practical electric vehicle charging (EVC) network in the short, medium, and long term, whilst considering the wider issues such as the transition from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric vehicles (EVs) as part of the Council’s wider sustainable transport goals.

Following the Director’s introduction and comprehensive presentation of the Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging (EVC) in RCT, he advised of recent guidance from Welsh Government which had been published today requesting that examples of good practice from this local authority are sought and taken forward.

The Director explained that to date all schemes underway across the local authority have been funded by the Cardiff Capital Region Deal such as charging points in public car parks however, there may be the need for additional funding to deliver new work streams in the future.

Members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee were given the opportunity to raise queries:

A Member sought clarification on ambition number eight which they considered would be the biggest challenge of all with residents due to the high number of terraced houses across the county borough. Also, whether the funding from the Cardiff Capital Region Deal is for taxis or for the wider public use.

The Director acknowledged the issues around the particular ambition but assured Members that guidance and a road map will be available for residents at the time when questions about charging close to residential properties are raised. If there are insufficient taxis utilising the infrastructure and chargers, they will be available to the public to use as long as they can pay for the charging facility.

Another Member suggested the Council consider its public spaces where charging for terraced houses could become difficult. A query was raised as to whether  ...  view the full minutes text for item 22.

To undertake a review of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee work programme following consideration of the Cabinet forward work plan for the 2021/22 Municipal Year.

The Service Director of Democratic Services and Communications presented his report which provided Members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee with an opportunity to review and where required, update its already agreed forward work programme for the 2021/22 Municipal Year, following consideration of the draft Cabinet forward plan attached in the report.

The Service Director of Democratic Services and Communications reminded Members that the work programme 2021/22 is the final report of the Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee developed to cover the period up to Local Elections in May 2022. Members were advised to consider any areas from the attached work programme 2021/22 in order for pre-scrutiny to reflect on the Committee’s aims and objectives as well as to add value to the work of the Council for the remainder of the Municipal Year.

One Member raised concern regarding the ‘Modernisation of Residential Care and Day Care for older People’ as set out within the draft Scrutiny work programme for the 2021/22 Municipal Year and the importance of receiving further updates to ensure work undertaken by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been implemented efficiently and effectively in dealing with social care issues within Rhondda Cynon Taf. Further it was noted that there was no reference to tip safety in the Cabinet forward work programme.

The Service Director of Democratic Services and Communications advised that an update could be provided to the Committee from the appropriate Director in relation to the Council’s current position at the appropriate time. It was noted by the Chair that due to the volume of reports to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in January 2022; the update report could be addressed later in the year.

The Service Director of Democratic Services and Communications advised that once published the Section 19 Investigation reports will be presented as a collective to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Following discussion, it was RESOLVED to approve the Work Programme for the 2021-22 Municipal Year and to receive a further update on a 3-monthly basis.

(Note: The lost motion to bring a further report to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee prior to the end of the Municipal Year, relating to the  ‘Modernisation of Residential Care and Day Care for older People’, was proposed by Councillor P Jarman and seconded by Councillor D Owen-Jones. County Borough Councillors P Jarman and W Jones wished to have it recorded that they voted in favour of the lost motion).

To receive the report of the Service Director Democratic Services & Communications in respect of the Scrutiny Working Group –“The development of future transport infrastructure in response to the South Wales Metro”

The Service Director of Democratic Services and Communications presented his report which sought to provide Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with the findings and recommendations agreed by the Scrutiny Working Group, which was established to progress the motion adopted by Council on the 18^th of September 2019 as set out on paragraph 3.2 of the report.

The Service Director reminded Members of the progress made at the end of 2019 and early 2020, with the call for evidence from partners such as Transport for Wales to support Members’ deliberation. The Service Director recalled that with the advent of the Pandemic, progress was hampered resulting in the Working Group being reconvened in early 2021, during which time significant changes had been implemented in relation to the transport landscape, with the progress of the South Wales Metro.

The Service Director advised that the recommendations as set out in paragraph 6.1 of the report, and subject to consideration by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee, would be reported to full Council in the New Year.

One Member sought clarification on the last two recommendations, particularly  dealing with the moratorium arrangements implemented by the Welsh Government.

A query was also raised in relation to the rail line towards Tower Colliery to Zip World. The Member suggested that further consideration should be given to the travel lines for the Hirwaun community and hoped that that they would be involved in the final decision on the preferred location for the Station through a consultation process. The Chair pointed out that this matter had been addressed within the report at pages 149-151.

Following discussion, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee RESOLVED to endorse the conclusions and recommendations of the Working Group as set out on paragraph 6 of the report (subject to it being amended to reflect that Cllr G Caple is the local ward Member for Cymmer not Porth as set out within the report).

At this point in the meeting, the Service Director, Democratic Services & Communications commented that he was able to confirm that advance notice had been provided on the Section 19 Investigation report for Treherbert to the two local Members on the 16^th November 2021, ahead of the publication date.

To reflect on the meeting and actions to be taken forward.

The Chair thanked Members for their attendance and contribution in the meeting. He summarised the key points to have arisen from the meeting, specifically acknowledging those Officers involved in producing the report for Electric Vehicle Charging and he welcomed the opportunity to pre scrutinise the implementation plan which would be presented to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee in due course.