Agenda item

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 N. H. Morgan to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

“Will the Leader provide an update on how the Council is progressing its work to upgrade and improve drainage on its highway network?”

Response of Councillor A Morgan OBE:

The Leader advised that the Council had procured a 5-year specialist vactor cleaning service and CCTV contract with an external provider which is currently in its third year. A number of surface water sewer assets have been cleaned and surveyed to date, with 15km completed to date this year.

The Leader added that the Council also has its own four gulley emptyers and jetting lorries which work every day to clean thousands of gulleys every month and identify defects which have been repaired to help safeguard the network.

The Leader advised that Cabinet recently agreed £200k investment for continued flood alleviation works as part of the wider one-off £7.73m investment for Council priority areas agreed by Cabinet earlier this year. The Leader also referred to the £1m investment from the WG’s Resilient Roads Fund for 2023/24 which the Council has secured. Over the past three previous years, the Council has secured over £10m of RRF since Storm Dennis over the last 4 years which looks at those highways which are prone to flooding.

In conclusion, the Leader commented that there is a lot of work being undertaken but more that can be done, he extended his gratitude to Elected Members who continue to identify and report issues within their wards

There was no supplementary question

2.Question from County Borough Councillor G. O. Jones to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

“We have heard in recent months that the combined impacts of both Brexit and the war in Ukraine are having a profound effect on our construction industry.  What does this mean for the Council and how can we mitigate these impacts?”

Response of Councillor A Morgan OBE:

Councillor A Morgan commented that there has been a rise in construction costs from the supply of materials, partly around Brexit, the war in the Ukraine and the high inflation in the UK which are all impacting the costs of construction. 

The Leader explained that in terms of the Council’s Capital Programme, the Council has a proven track record of designing and delivering projects within strict quality and price parameters. He added that prices are agreed in advance and once awarded are locked in for construction projects such as Schools or Extra Care facilities.

The Leader referred to difficulties within the labour market, an effect of Brexit, which does have an impact on recruitment issues, particularly in areas such as hospitality and farming, where farmers have difficulty recruiting workers to pick crops. The Leader commented on the difficulty to recruit locally, sometimes having to advertise posts multiple times.

In conclusion, the Leader commented that the Council works well to contracts but will continue to monitor the market and set realistic construction budgets in the future using market intelligence at the time.

There was no supplementary question

3. The Presiding Member announced that as anapology of absence had been received from Councillor S Powderhill he confirmed that question 3 would not be put to the Cabinet Member.

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

“Will the Cabinet Member make a statement on the rollout of the Welsh Government’s 20mph default speed limits across Wales and RCT?”

Response of Councillor A Morgan OBE:

The Leader provided the following information in respect of the rollout of the Welsh Government’s 20mph default speed limits in RCT. The Council has removed approximately 3,140 signs and erected 1,710 new signs on the highway network to accommodate the introduction of the 20mph default limit. In addition, there was opportunity to remove 1,974 lit signs on the network and replace those signs with unlit versions providing a saving on energy costs and maintenance.

The Leader added that currently there are eighty-four 30mph speed limit exceptions within RCT, with 18 located in the Rhondda, 16 in Cynon and 50 across Taff. He added that the external contractor was due to complete the work by the 24^th November but the contractor has requested an extension to complete elements of the red surfacing and ‘secondary’ signage - Officers are currently reviewing this request and are hopeful that this time will be reduced through negotiation.

The Leader commented that whilst Officers are responding to and rectifying any clear and obvious errors with signage as soon as possible, any requests to review speed limits are being recorded and will be subject to potential review in the future. He added that by the Christmas period the Council should be in a position to confirm that all the signage has been updated.

In conclusion, the Leader advised that Welsh Government has committed to issuing revised guidance in respect to setting local speed limits in Wales in Autumn 2024 which will provide the framework for any review of speed limits in RCT.

There was no supplementary question

5.Question from County Borough Councillor S. Bradwick to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

“Can the Leader make a statement on bus services in RCT and outline the latest position on providing support to providers?”

Response of Councillor A Morgan OBE:

The Leader advised that Covid-19 affected commercial viability of bus services, and without the intervention of Welsh Government through the Bus Emergency Scheme (BES) and the Bus Transition Fund (BTF), most services would have ceased to operate over the last 3 years. He added that whilst the industry has shown some recovery from the impact of the pandemic, it has faced the additional challenges of more residents working from home and the increased use of online grocery shopping.

The Leader commented that regarding the Bus Emergency Scheme, which was in place for three years, Welsh Government have been working with Councils in terms of the funding (ten councils on the same footprint as the CJC’s and with RCT part of the South East footprint for the ten local authorities who all work together with the bus industry) to move towards a more sustainable funding mechanism that will maximise the use of the funding available and minimise duplication of services from the start of the 2024/25 financial year. The Leader confirmed that It is estimated that the quantum of additional funding available to support the bus industry from Welsh Government for next year will be in the region of £46m.

As with all Councils in Wales, in preparation for the new funding mechanism, officers from the Council’s Integrated Transport Unit have been preparing tender documentation that seeks to maintain as much of the current bus services as possible within the funding available to it. The outcome of the tendering exercise will be known in the new year, at which point bids will need to be made to regional leads to seek the funding required.

Supplementary question from Councillor S Bradwick

“With regards to the £1 Bus Fare scheme, can you provide information as to the roll out of the scheme?”

Response of Councillor A Morgan OBE:

The Leader was pleased to announce that the Council is due to introduce a further reduced fare bus scheme for the whole month of December, which will be £1 for all single journeys taken within the County Borough. He added that this will be the third such scheme that we have introduced in RCT this calendar year via the Cabinet’s decisions, following the free travel scheme in March, and £1 single bus fare scheme for the 6 weeks school summer holidays. There was a significant increase in the footfall and patronage on the buses during these periods.

The Leader confirmed that this is due to funding received from Welsh Government and will greatly assist residents with not only the cost-of-living crisis, supports the carbon footprint but will also alleviate some of the traffic on the roads in December during the busy Christmas period.

In conclusion, the Leader commented that he hoped the Council will be able to continue with the scheme in the future and the scheme will be evaluated post Christmas.

6.Question from County Borough Councillor J. Barton to the Leader of the Council, County Borough Councillor A. Morgan OBE:

“In light of the continuing Cost of Living crisis, what support is available for RCT residents as we approach the winter months with the weather turning much colder over the past few days?”

Response of Councillor A Morgan OBE:

The Leader advised that in addition to the £1 Bus Fare scheme, which will certainly support many families and the local economy, in September, the Council’s Cabinet agreed a new Cost of Living Support Scheme for 2023 amounting to £4.292m, which is more than any other Local Authority in Wales. The package includes a one-off payment of £125 to all households in RCT that have a child/children of compulsory school age (per family, not per child). He added that to date, of the 20,235 households eligible for the payment, 18,819 have been paid which equates to 93%. He urged those families who have not already done so to apply for the scheme which remains open until the 31^st of December 2023, during which time officers will send follow up letters to any cases that have yet to apply.

The Leader commented that Cabinet also approved £245,000 to be awarded for local community organisations to use to provide significant support for RCT residents. This includes the Community Facilities Grant (£135,000) which supports the third sector groups maintain the community hubs. For the Winter Welcome Centres, grants of £110,000 of the Council’s own funding has been provided with 86 Winter Welcome Centres which have registered for this support. The Leader reminded Members that all the Council’s Libraries are classed as Winter Welcome Centres.

The Leader commented that in terms of direct support for residents facing financial hardship through the Winter months, three resident support services within the Council have been given access to Supermarket and Fuel vouchers which can be issued to those most in need to a value of £100,000, plus £100,000 has been additionally allocated for discretionary housing awards to support residents to maintain their tenancy to prevent them facing eviction and hardship. The Leader commented that it will be a challenging Winter for many families.

Supplementary question from Councillor J Barton

“Is the Leader as angry and sad as I am that as one of the richest countries in the World, we are having to help the most vulnerable in society while at the same time we are facing cuts ourselves”

Response of Councillor A Morgan OBE:

The Leader concurred with the sentiments of Councillor Barton and he expressed his disappointment with having to provide financial support for the local Food Banks to be able to carry out very important and much needed work for the communities of RCT. The Leader hoped he would see the end of Food banks in RCT in the future but would wholeheartedly support them whilst they are needed.

There were no further questions due to the lapse of the allotted time.