Agenda and minutes

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 receive the minutes of the previous meeting of the Public Service Delivery, Communities and Prosperity Community Committee held on 14^th November 2019.

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 14 November 2019 as an accurate reflection of the meeting.

To receive the Cabinet response to the recommendations formulated by the Scrutiny Working Group established to consider communal waste.

The Principle Scrutiny Officer presented the report to members with the response of the Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage Services following the recommendations of the Scrutiny Working Group. 

She reminded members that the Committee had resolved to set up a Working Group, tasked with improving communal Area recycling across RCT at a meeting in September 2018

The final report of the Scrutiny Working Group was submitted to Cabinet on the 17^th October 2019 with 16 recommendations. Further to this Cabinet agreed the recommendations, subject to further deliberations in relation to recommendation xvi.

The Group Director, Prosperity, Development and Frontline Services thanked members of the Working Group on behalf of the Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage Services for all of their hard work in coming to their recommendations within the report.

The Chairman also thanked the cabinet member for their response to the report and invited them to attend the next meeting if they wished to address the Committee with their response.

The Committee RESOLVED to acknowledge the Cabinet’s detailed response following the recommendations of the Recycling in Communal areas’ working group.

The following reports are provided for the information of Members:

Information Report

(For Members to acknowledge the information contained within this/these report(s) but any queries relating to the item can be directed to Scrutiny@rctcbc.gov.uk)

The Senior Scrutiny Officer advised that the a link to the information report on Welsh Public Library Standards Assessment 2018-19 had been provided for members information.  She asked that if members had any queries in relation to the report that they should email the Scrutiny team on the email address provided. 

Members RESOLVED to acknowledge the information contained within the report

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

The Senior Scrutiny Officer advised members that a link to the current consultations had been provided for consideration by the Committee.  If they wished to contribute to the consultations they could do so by following the link within the reports.

The Committee considered the relevant consultation links for the period and RESOLVED to acknowledge those consultations that fall within the remit of the Committee

To receive a report from the Group Director, Prosperity, Development & Frontline Services in respect of the Council’s Parks, Play areas and Pitches.

The Head of Leisure Parks and Countryside presented a report to the Committee to update them on the Council’s priority investment into Parks, Play Areas and Pitches.

Prior to the priority investment programme the Parks and Countryside Service relied on a capital allocation of £100k per annum, with the Council responsible for the maintenance and inspection of 217 children’s play areas across the Borough agreeing an annual work programme was impossible, with any unexpected works required was a real challenge.  He added that this programme has revolutionised what the Authority does for Parks. 

The Head of Leisure Parks and Countryside advised members that the draft programme of works for next year involved a huge scale of works including upgrades to parks buildings, drainage improvements and sports changing rooms.  He added that an urgent list of works had been drawn up on those buildings and the details would be available once the Capital programme had been finalised in February/ March time.

Members were advised that by the end of this financial year, over half of the play areas will have been enhanced with an additional £1.85million allocated for this work.

Members were referred to Appendix 3 of the report which provided a full list of the 3G pitches in the Borough and were told that there is one further pitch to be provided in the Treorchy area, which will then complete the Council’s aspiration to have a 3G pitch within a 3 mile radius of every community in RCT.

The Committee were told that the best model for the 3G pitches were on a school site so that it is able to be used throughout the day. The Authority manages all the booking and a uniform pricing structure had been agreed with the schools so that the prices are comparable throughout the Borough.

A member stated that it was fantastic to see that the Authority were committed to investment of parks and Play Areas as this provided the perfect opportunity for informal physical activity and formal activities for 3G pitches.

He asked Officers if the Authority were doing anything specifically to increase the use of the 3G pitches and therefore generate further income.

The Head of Leisure, Parks and Countryside stated that they were committed to increasing the use of 3G pitches in the Borough.  He advised that they have a dedicated officer taking on the role of working with head teachers to persuade schools to make use of the pitches and they also have sports development officers who are making contact with local primary schools to offer the use of the pitches. He advised that some schools found that transport was an issue but they were able to use the pitches for specific events such as sports days

As a point of clarity a Member advised officers that the King George V running track was in Tonypandy, not Clydach Vale as was stated in the report.

A member stated that there seemed to be an issue with drainage on  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider any items, which the Chairman, by reason of special circumstances, is of the opinion should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

The Chairman stated that he has had an initial discussion with offices about setting up a Scrutiny Working Group on Recycling in Secondary Schools.  This was due to the legislation from Welsh Government changing from 2021 on the way trade waste is recycled.  Businesses will have to start sorting their recycling in the same way domestic waste is handled.   All schools and businesses will need to comply by the time the legislation comes in in July 2021. 

The Group Director – Prosperity, Development and Frontline Services advised that they had a dedicated officer to work on this and they had also applied for a graduate officer to support the process. He added that if schools and businesses did not comply there would be serious implications for not doing so.  He further added that the duty could fall on the local authority to do this if private companies don’t want to work in Wales.

It was agreed that the Scrutiny Working Group could concentrate on Secondary schools as primary schools were generally better at recycling than secondary at the moment.  .

The Chairman advised Members that they were also looking at a site visit and Scrutiny Committee at the Bryn Pica site in March/ April time. 

A Member also asked that in house home carers and recycling in homes when they visit is explored as an item for Scrutiny, possibly a Working group.