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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Confirm that the decision to agree the Pay Policy Statement constitutes agreement to implement the cost of living pay increases determined by the relevant negotiating body effective from 1st April 2024, as accounted for in the Budget set and agreed by Council on 7th March 2024; 2. Determine that any additional financial implications arising from the national pay agreements determined after this date that cannot be met within the Council’s Revenue Budget will be referred to Council for consideration and decision; 3. Approve the attached Pay Policy Statement (2024/25) at Appendix 1.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Approve the audited Statement of Accounts 2022/23 – Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority (Appendix 1); 2. Approve the Annual Governance Statement 2022/23 (Appendix 2); 3. Note the Audit of Accounts Reports (ISA 260) from Audit Wales on the Statement of Accounts of Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority for the year ending 31 March 2023 (Appendices 3 and 4); 4. Approve the Cardiff Port Health Authority Annual Return 2022/23 (Appendix 5); 5. Note the final Letters of Representation for Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority included within Appendices 3 and 4; 6. Note that the following documents will be signed following the conclusion of the meeting: · Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Council – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Corporate Director Resources; · Annual Return of Cardiff Port Health Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Annual Governance Statement – Leader of the Council and Chief Executive; · Audit Certificate for the Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority – Appointed Auditor, Audit Wales; · Letter of Representation for Cardiff Council - Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Letter of Representation for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Note the appointment by the Appointments Committee of Debbie Marles as the Director of Governance and Legal Services, to take effect on or before 25th July 2024, with the exact date to be confirmed; 2. Designate Debbie Marles as the Council’s Monitoring Officer, pursuant to Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, with effect from the date of commencement of her employment (in accordance with recommendation 1 above).
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Establish an Advisory Committee, ‘the Trusts Advisory Committee’, comprised of 3 independent members of the Standards and Ethics Committee, with the following Terms of Reference: · ‘In relation to any Trust of which the Council is a Corporate Trustee and any proposal in respect of which the Council has a serious conflict of interests, in line with Charity Commission guidance and or legal advice, to make a recommendation/s to the Trusts Cabinet Committee or the Cabinet on whether or not the proposal should be agreed, with or without modification/s, in the best interests of the Trust, having regard to all relevant issues and advice.’
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Receive and consider nominations for the positions of The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor elect for the 2024/25 civic year.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Receive a nomination and appoint to the vacancy on the Committee, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out in Table A in the report.
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Approve the nomination and appoint to outside bodies as set out in Table A in the report
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Saleh Ahmed, Boes, Cunnah, Gunter, Jackie Jones, Joyce, Melbourne, Owen and Shimmin.
The following declarations of interest were received in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct: COUNCILLOR ITEM NUMBER NATURE OF INTEREST Cllrs Wild, Naughton, Gunter, Burke, Henshaw, Williams, Parry, Carter, Palmer 7 Personal Interest - Family Member(s) employed by Cardiff Council. Cllr Littlechild 12 (Statement 7) Personal Interest – Nature of Employment Cllr Littlechild 8 Personal Interest – Nature of Employment
The minutes of the 7th March meeting were approved and signed by the Lord Mayor as a correct record, subject to the amendment of the spelling of Councillor Jasmin Chowdhury’s name.
There was one public question. Mr Ciaran to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education Given that the council have closed four Welsh medium streams across Welsh medium secondary schools since 2017, and the oversubscription for admissions in the 2024 academic year within the Glantaf catchment area, will the council commit to establishing an added stream at Ysgol Glantaf for admissions in September 2024, providing stability, continuity and mental wellbeing for the 27 that were refused entry, in doing so ensuring a clear pathway for parents and children who will be considering their secondary school options in the future. Reply – Cllr Merry I’d just like to start by saying that I do totally understand the situation of any parent that has failed to get their first choice of school, and I do understand the uncertainty that can bring. But at present the size of the city’s existing Welsh medium secondary schools provides sufficient places to meet demand, ensuring that every Cardiff child who wants a Welsh medium place has one, while accepting that not every child has been able to access their first choice of school. We will continue to ensure that is the case, including considering temporary expansion of schools to ensure there are sufficient places across the city. It is not correct, though, that the council has closed four Welsh medium streams since 2017. Glantaf has operated at eight forms of entry for many years and there has been no reduction below this. Bro Edern has operated at six points of entry since opening in 2012 with no reduction below this. Plasmawr was permanently expanded from 6 to 7 forms of entry in 2020 with no reduction below this. For the 2024 transfer groups specifically, 27 pupils were refused their first preference for Glantaf, and of these, 12 lived within the catchment area. 10 of these pupils have received their second preference, and of those that were refused and had not expressed a second preference, all have now submitted additional preferences to help them secure a place. Of the 17 pupils attending Hamadryad in the current year 6, all expressed Glantaf as their first preference, but of these, 15 lived in the catchment area. 11 pupils were offered places in Glantaf, with 5 pupils offered Plasmawr in line with their second preferences. The take-up of places in all schools is kept under continual review but this can fluctuate in each school’s catchment area. While I accept that a large group of pupils from Hamadryad are due to be promoted in September 2025, it should be noted that total intakes to Welsh medium secondary schools have fallen this year and are projected to reduce further in the 2025 and 2026 intake years, in line with falling primary school numbers across the board. Supplementary – Mr Ciaran Firstly, this is not the first cohort of pupils to promote from Hamadryad, it will be the second. I would argue that the statement that total intakes to Welsh medium secondary schools have fallen this year and are projected to fall further is questionable, given the data on the Welsh government website which indicates a clear rise in numbers. 51 have subscribed this year alone for Glantaf. If these figures are claimed to be correct, and the council have obviously followed the criteria and been able to give places to these children, as you can imagine the anguish caused to the children due to the waiting list system is exacerbated due to the lack of transparency. Being first and last on a list of 27 are two obviously different scenarios, therefore can the council (as was the case in the past) be open and transparent and share the contents of the waiting list so we can prepare those penalised for disappointment? Reply – Cllr Merry I’m really sorry about this, I’m not quite sure I understand the question. I believe we have stopped giving out positions on waiting lists for secondary schools, purely because they are open to change, so I’m not sure if that’s what this relates to. If you drop me a line after the meeting I will try and get your query looked at.
The following petitions were received: Presented by Number of relevant signatures Nature of petition Cllr Berman 771 Calling on the Council not to reduce the number of pitches on Roath Rec from 4 to 3. Cllr Bob Derbyshire 33 Calling on the Council not to introduce the changes in the bin scheme in Rumney. Mr Lyn Eynon 54 Calling to the Council/Cardiff Bus to ensure that the bus services in/to Cardiff Bay
The Lord Mayor made the following announcements, noting that they would be her last in the role: - In the last few weeks, she had the pleasure of meeting many school pupils in the Council Chamber as part of the democratic engagement program, and attended Corpus Christi and St Teilos to judge First Give social action projects; - She had delivered a talk for International Women’s Day, attended the Commonwealth Day flag raising, the music education festival, the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the Dialogue Society Iftar gathering, Cardiff’s first ever volleyball tournament, the 30th anniversary concert for the Royal Corps of Army Music, the Declaration of the High Sheriff, the Licensing of The Rev Canon Jarel Robinson-Brown and the Ramadan Women’s Health Event arranged by Muslim Doctors Cymru, and been interviewed by BBC Radio Wales. - Citizenship ceremonies were taking place every Tuesday, which were now being done in both the morning and afternoon due to large numbers of applicants; and thanked those members of the Cabinet who had stopped in when she and the Deputy Lord Mayor were unavailable. - The Lord Mayor noted that the city’s Muslim community were well into Ramadan and would soon be celebrating Eid, while the Hindu community would celebrate the Holi festival of colours, love and spring. The Sikh community would celebrate Vaisakhi, while the Christian community would be celebrating Maundy Thursday, commemorating the Last Supper and moving into Easter weekend. - Her season’s greetings and best wishes to all those communities in Cardiff for this festive season. - To thank all those who had participated in the fasting today and invited them to the Lord Mayor’s office to break their fast. A fundraising Iftar would take place on 5th April, bringing the year’s fundraising efforts for her chosen charity to a close. - To thank the many councillors who had supported her Charity by various means throughout the year. Any support they could offer in the final push would be hugely appreciated, for a remarkable local charity which worked magic for young people.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Confirm that the decision to agree the Pay Policy Statement constitutes agreement to implement the cost of living pay increases determined by the relevant negotiating body effective from 1st April 2024, as accounted for in the Budget set and agreed by Council on 7th March 2024; 2. Determine that any additional financial implications arising from the national pay agreements determined after this date that cannot be met within the Council’s Revenue Budget will be referred to Council for consideration and decision; 3. Approve the attached Pay Policy Statement (2024/25) at Appendix 1.
The Council was requested to consider and approve the Pay Policy Statement for 2024/25 in accordance with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation & Performance, to propose the report. It was seconded by Cllr Thomas. One amendment had been received. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Berman to move it, seconded by Cllr Carter. The amendment was as follows: Add the following additional recommendation at end: 4. “4. in the light of the current constraints on the availability of funding for council and other public services, calls on the cabinet to bring forward options for a management restructure that could release some additional funding for frontline service provision.” The Lord Mayor invited debate on the Pay Policy Statement and the amendment. The Cabinet Member confirmed that the amendment was not accepted. The Lord Mayor called for a vote on the amendment as proposed by Cllr Berman and seconded by Cllr Carter. The vote on the amendment was LOST. FOR (19) Councillors Berman, Brown-Reckless, Carter, Davies, Driscoll, Gibson, Hopkins, Lancaster, Latif, Littlechild, Livesy, Naughton, Reid-Jones, Robson, Taylor, Waldron, Williams and Wood AGAINST (48) Councillors Ali Ahmed, Ali, Ash-Edwards, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Burke, Carr, Chowdhury, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Goodway, Green, Gunter, Henshaw, Hinchey, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Lloyd Jones, Keith Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lay, Lent, Lewis, Lister, Mackie, McGarry, Merry, Michael, Moultrie, Palmer, Proctor, Robinson, Sangani, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild and Wong There were no abstentions. The Lord Mayor called for a vote on the recommendations in the report as proposed by Cllr Weaver and seconded by Cllr Thomas. The vote on the recommendations in the report was CARRIED. FOR (58) Councillors Ali Ahmed, Ali, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Burke, Carr, Carter, Chowdhury, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Gibson, Goodway, Green, Gunter, Henshaw, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Lloyd Jones, Keith Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Latif, Lay, Lent, Lewis, Lister, Livesy, Mackie, McGarry, Merry, Michael, Moultrie, Naughton, Palmer, Parry, Proctor, Robinson, Sangani, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Taylor, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Waldron, Weaver, Wild, Wong and Wood AGAINST (0) ABSTAIN (9) Councillors Brown-Reckless, Cowan, Davies, Driscoll, Lancaster, Littlechild, Reid-Jones, Robson and Williams RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Confirm that the decision to agree the Pay Policy Statement constitutes agreement to implement the cost of living pay increases determined by the relevant negotiating body effective from 1st April 2024, as accounted for in the Budget set and agreed by Council on 7th March 2024; 2. Determine that any additional financial implications arising from the national pay agreements determined after this date that cannot be met within the Council’s Revenue Budget will be referred to Council for consideration and decision; 3. Approve the attached Pay Policy Statement (2024/25) at Appendix 1.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Approve the audited Statement of Accounts 2022/23 – Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority (Appendix 1); 2. Approve the Annual Governance Statement 2022/23 (Appendix 2); 3. Note the Audit of Accounts Reports (ISA 260) from Audit Wales on the Statement of Accounts of Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority for the year ending 31 March 2023 (Appendices 3 and 4); 4. Approve the Cardiff Port Health Authority Annual Return 2022/23 (Appendix 5); 5. Note the final Letters of Representation for Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority included within Appendices 3 and 4; 6. Note that the following documents will be signed following the conclusion of the meeting: · Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Council – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Corporate Director Resources; · Annual Return of Cardiff Port Health Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Annual Governance Statement – Leader of the Council and Chief Executive; · Audit Certificate for the Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority – Appointed Auditor, Audit Wales; · Letter of Representation for Cardiff Council - Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Letter of Representation for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources.
The Council was requested to consider and approve the audited Statement of Accounts 2022/23 in accordance with the requirement of the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2014. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Weaver, Cabinet Member for Finance, Modernisation & Performance, to propose the report. It was seconded by Cllr Thomas. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the Statement of Accounts. The Lord Mayor called for a vote on the recommendations in the report as proposed by Cllr Weaver and seconded by Cllr Thomas. The vote on the recommendations in the report was CARRIED. FOR (60) Councillors Ali Ahmed, Ali, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Burke, Carr, Chowdhury, Cowan, Davies, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Driscoll, Elsmore, Gibson, Goodway, Green, Gunter, Henshaw, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Lloyd Jones, Keith Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lancaster, Lay, Lent, Lewis, Lister, Littlechild, Livesy, Mackie, McGarry, Merry, Michael, Moultrie, Palmer, Parry, Proctor, Reid-Jones, Robinson, Robson, Sangani, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild, Williams, Wong and Wood AGAINST (0) ABSTAIN (3) Councillors Carter, Naughton and Waldron RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Approve the audited Statement of Accounts 2022/23 – Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority (Appendix 1); 2. Approve the Annual Governance Statement 2022/23 (Appendix 2); 3. Note the Audit of Accounts Reports (ISA 260) from Audit Wales on the Statement of Accounts of Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority for the year ending 31 March 2023 (Appendices 3 and 4); 4. Approve the Cardiff Port Health Authority Annual Return 2022/23 (Appendix 5); 5. Note the final Letters of Representation for Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority included within Appendices 3 and 4; 6. Note that the following documents will be signed following the conclusion of the meeting: · Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Council – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Statement of Accounts for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Corporate Director Resources; · Annual Return of Cardiff Port Health Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Annual Governance Statement – Leader of the Council and Chief Executive; · Audit Certificate for the Cardiff Council and Cardiff Harbour Authority – Appointed Auditor, Audit Wales; · Letter of Representation for Cardiff Council - Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources; · Letter of Representation for Cardiff Harbour Authority – Lord Mayor and Corporate Director Resources.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Note the appointment by the Appointments Committee of Debbie Marles as the Director of Governance and Legal Services, to take effect on or before 25th July 2024, with the exact date to be confirmed; 2. Designate Debbie Marles as the Council’s Monitoring Officer, pursuant to Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, with effect from the date of commencement of her employment (in accordance with recommendation 1 above).
The Council was requested to formally designate a Monitoring Officer to meet the requirements of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989 and to carry out the statutory role and responsibilities of Monitoring Officer under that Act. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Thomas, Leader of the Council, to propose the report. It was seconded by Cllr Merry. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the report. The Lord Mayor called for a vote on the recommendations in the report as proposed by Cllr Thomas and seconded by Cllr Merry. The vote on the recommendations was CARRIED. FOR (55) Councillors Ali Ahmed, Ali, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Burke, Carr, Carter, Chowdhury, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Gibson, Goodway, Green, Gunter, Henshaw, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Lloyd Jones, Keith Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lay, Lent, Lewis, Lister, Livesy, Mackie, McGarry, Merry, Michael, Moultrie, Naughton, Palmer, Parry, Proctor, Robinson, Sangani, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Waldron, Weaver, Wild, Wong and Wood AGAINST (0) ABSTAIN (8) Councillors Cowan, Davies, Driscoll, Lancaster, Littlechild, Reid-Jones, Robson and Williams RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Note the appointment by the Appointments Committee of Debbie Marles as the Director of Governance and Legal Services, to take effect on or before 25th July 2024, with the exact date to be confirmed; 2. Designate Debbie Marles as the Council’s Monitoring Officer, pursuant to Section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, with effect from the date of commencement of her employment (in accordance with recommendation 1 above).
Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Establish an Advisory Committee, ‘the Trusts Advisory Committee’, comprised of 3 independent members of the Standards and Ethics Committee, with the following Terms of Reference: · ‘In relation to any Trust of which the Council is a Corporate Trustee and any proposal in respect of which the Council has a serious conflict of interests, in line with Charity Commission guidance and or legal advice, to make a recommendation/s to the Trusts Cabinet Committee or the Cabinet on whether or not the proposal should be agreed, with or without modification/s, in the best interests of the Trust, having regard to all relevant issues and advice.’
The Council was requested to agree governance arrangements to be adopted for discharging its role as corporate trustee going forward. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Thomas, Leader of the Council, to propose the report. It was seconded by Cllr Goodway. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the report. The Lord Mayor called for a vote on the recommendations in the report as proposed by Cllr Thomas and seconded by Cllr Goodway. The vote on the recommendations was CARRIED. FOR (47) Councillors Ali Ahmed, Ali, Ash-Edwards, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Bridgeman, Burke, Carr, Chowdhury, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Goodway, Gunter, Henshaw, Hinchey, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Lloyd Jones, Keith Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lay, Lent, Lewis, Lister, Mackie, McGarry, Merry, Michael, Moultrie, Palmer, Proctor, Robinson, Sangani, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild and Wong AGAINST (9) Councillors Brown-Reckless, Cowan, Davies, Driscoll, Lancaster, Littlechild, Reid-Jones, Robson and Williams ABSTAIN (9) Councillors Berman, Carter, Gibson, Hopkins, Latif, Livesy, Naughton, Waldron and Wood RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Establish an Advisory Committee, ‘the Trusts Advisory Committee’, comprised of 3 independent members of the Standards and Ethics Committee, with the following Terms of Reference: · ‘In relation to any Trust of which the Council is a Corporate Trustee and any proposal in respect of which the Council has a serious conflict of interests, in line with Charity Commission guidance and or legal advice, to make a recommendation/s to the Trusts Cabinet Committee or the Cabinet on whether or not the proposal should be agreed, with or without modification/s, in the best interests of the Trust, having regard to all relevant issues and advice.’
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Receive and consider nominations for the positions of The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor elect for the 2024/25 civic year.
The Council was requested to receive nominations for the positions of Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor for the 2024/25 civic year. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Thomas, Leader of the Council, to propose the appointment for the Lord Mayor Elect. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Lancaster, Leader of the Conservative Group, to second the appointment. It was confirmed that Cllr Jane Henshaw was the Lord Mayor Elect for the municipal year 2024/25. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Berman, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, to propose the appointment for the Deputy Lord Mayor Elect. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Gibson, Leader of the Plaid Cymru, Green Party, Common Ground Group, to second the appointment. The Lord Mayor confirmed that Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones was the Deputy Lord Mayor Elect for the municipal year 2024/25. RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Receive and consider nominations for the positions of The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor elect for the 2024/25 civic year.
Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings
Leader’s Statement Cllr Thomas responded to questions in relation to: - scrutiny of the South East Wales Corporate Joint Committee Housing and Communities Statement Cllr Thorne responded to questions in relation to: - Safer Streets funding for CCTV cameras - elective home education Investment and Development Statement Cllr Goodway responded to questions in relation to: - the city’s economic outlook - car parking charges Tackling Poverty, Equality and Public Health Statement Cllrs Bradbury and Sangani responded to questions in relation to: - the role of youth services in educating young people - the work of the Bright Futures team and advice service Transport and Strategic Planning Statement Cllr De’Ath responded to questions in relation to: - electric buses - the possibility of reinstating the 66 bus service - the Cardiff Bus Priority Plan - the Llanishen Reservoir active travel scheme Deputy Leader & Education Statement Cllr Merry responded to questions in relation to: - secondary school catchment area refusals - the general financial outlook of schools in Cardiff Social Services Statement Cllrs Mackie and Lister responded to questions in relation to: - the council’s recent neurodivergent-friendly event - the work being done to support younger citizens in the first 1001 days Climate Change Statement Cllr Wild responded to questions in relation to: - the recent climate change event organised by the Bengal Dragons - green waste collections - new recycling rules Culture, Parks and Events Statement Cllr Burke responded to questions in relation to: - Pentwyn Leisure Centre and the proposed new football pitch - the process of selecting sites for the One Mow Regime the protection of dog walking paths and recreational fields Finance, Modernisation and Performance Statement Cllr Weaver responded to questions in relation to: - the Council’s website
Cllr Williams to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education If successful after the next general election, the Labour Party have announced plans to end VAT relief on private school fees. This will inevitably lead to a sharp increase in the costs of private education. How many young people resident in Cardiff attend private schools, and what assessment has the Council undertaken as to the additional cost of providing state education in Cardiff should VAT relief be ended on private school fees? Reply – Cllr Merry The Council does not hold records of the number of children attending independent schools in Cardiff, neither can we know how many children would divert to state schools in future if families found increases in costs unsustainable for whatever reason. Supplementary – Cllr Williams In Pontprennau and Old St Mellons we have St John’s College, a fantastic private school offering excellence in education, and of course a lot of parents in my community pay for their child to attend those schools; those schools are charities, they are entitled to VAT relief. Now if that ends, it is inevitable that some children may no longer be able to go to private schools so they will be reliant on the state system. If that is the case, there is inevitably an additional cost to the Cardiff taxpayer. I’m shocked, Cllr Merry, that we don’t hold the data on the number of children in our city who attend private schools, so can we collect that data? Can we undertake an assessment as to what we think the pressures would be if, for example, 5% of children in Cardiff no longer attend private schools and entered into the state system, what kind of pressure that will put on the system? We’ve had a public question today about the pressure facing school places, let’s have an assessment. Reply – Cllr Merry I think the first response would be clearly we cannot acquire some of that information because of GDPR. In terms of the pressure on school places, I am assured that we are confident that there are sufficient school places in the system in Cardiff. Should children and young people who currently attend independent schools wish to access schools, and Cardiff schools would of course receive additional funding towards their education, and we would receive additional funding too as a local authority. I am glad though that Cllr Williams is so optimistic about a change in government at UK level, something most of us in the Chamber would applaud, and it can’t come soon enough for us. Cllr Berman to Cllr Bradbury, Cabinet Member for Tackling Poverty, Inequality and Public Health In 2018 the Council passed a motion put forward by the then Labour group calling on the UK Government to make fair transitional pension arrangements to all women born on or after 6 April 1951 who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase in the state pension age with lack of appropriate notification. Given that the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman recently recommended that the UK Government should compensate the women affected, known as the WASPI women, does the Council share my concern that neither the Chancellor nor the Shadow Chancellor have so far committed to doing so? Reply – Cllr Bradbury Lord Mayor, you’ll be happy to know, and I really appreciate him bringing the fact that it was the Labour group who brought a motion in 2018 on this matter, and I do, and so does the rest of the Labour group, support the position that we took back in 2018. Members will be aware that it was the Conservative government in 1995 State Pension Act that included plans to increase the state pension age for women from 60 to 65 so that it was in line with men. Around 3.8 million women in the UK who were born on or after 6 April 1950 to 5 April 1960 have been particularly hard hit by this. Changes to the age that these women received their state pension has been imposed on them with little or no notice. As a result, hundreds of thousands of women are suffering financial hardship, with very little time to replan for their retirement. I welcome the recommendation, and so does this Cabinet, made by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman that the UK Government should compensate the women affected. If Members are aware of any WASPI women in Cardiff who are suffering financial hardship, I would strongly recommend a referral to the Council’s advice service, which can provide help and support in increasing their income by accessing all benefits which they are entitled to, as well as managing their bills. Supplementary – Cllr Berman Thank you for highlighting what is a genuine injustice, unlike the one we heard in the first question. You made a compelling case why these women should certainly be compensated and we’ve had an Ombudsman ruling now that they should be compensated, so aren’t you embarrassed that your party which supposedly is championing this, has not committed to doing that compensation should it be in government? Reply - Cllr Bradbury Lord Mayor, it’s a bit rich coming from the Liberal Democrats on this issue, it really is, because as the motion stated at the time, moved brilliantly by Cllr Bowen-Thomson and seconded by Cllr Ebrahim, part of the motion is ‘these letters were sent to women born up to April 1953 and subsequently halted in 2011’. Now which party was propping them up in government when that happened? Yours. ‘While further increases in state pension age were made by the Government, the DWP started writing to women born on or after 6 April 1953 in 2012, just 2 years before their state pension’. On your party’s watch. If there’s embarrassment to go round, Cllr, it’s the Lib Dems embarrassment, and he may want to stand here and try and wipe off and cleanse yourself of the Tory on you that you had from 2010 to 2015, but as I’ve told you before in this Chamber, we on these benches will never forget what you did in coalition with them, and it’s only the Labour Party that have been consistently opposed to this action since 1995. Cllr Elsmore to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Transport and Strategic Planning There would appear to be an issue affecting my ward that might apply in other parts of the city. At specific locations within Canton, residents are concerned about the presence of local garages using the limited quantity of unrestricted parking spaces on local streets for storing vehicles pending repairs. Such use of parking spaces can last many weeks to the detriment of residents and to the environs. Can the Cabinet Member please advise what solutions are available for residents. Reply – Cllr De’Ath I am familiar with the phenomenon you outline, it affects large areas of Roath and Cathays. I think it’s always frustrating when people selfishly take up large amounts of unrestricted parking. In terms of a solution, the City Parking Plan, which we put through Cabinet in January, talks about a zonal approach which will make it much more difficult for people to use road space in this way, and that will eventually cover large parts of Canton after consultation. Supplementary – Cllr Elsmore Perhaps it is something that could be considered as part of your review, you’re doing it? Reply – Cllr De’Ath It is indeed something we’re looking at, we very much welcome your views and hopefully we can sort out the situation for your residents. Cllr Robson on behalf of Cllr Cowan to Cllr Goodway, Cabinet Member for Investment and Development Will the Cabinet Member update the Council on the progress, if any, that you have made regarding the acquisition of the Companies House building in Crown Way, as the site of the replacement Cathays High School? Reply – Cllr Goodway As the Cllr will know, the Council has registered its interest in acquiring the Companies House site, and officers continue to engage with the Government Property Agency on this matter. The site will only become available once suitable alternative accommodation is found for the existing occupiers of the building, and my officials are working with those occupiers in a bid to identify alternative accommodation. As you will know, the Council is committed to delivering a new school for Cathays High and, as was confirmed previously in reply to a written question from Cllr Taylor in January, we are continuing to pursue both this option and the use of land at Maindy Park, as there is no guarantee that we will be able to acquire the Companies House site. Supplementary – Cllr Robson on behalf of Cllr Cowan In the event that the Council is unable to acquire the Companies House site, will the Council proceed with its current proposal to use the existing site, plus the Maindy Stadium site, by building a new Velodrome on the International Sports Village site? Reply – Cllr Goodway That remains the Council’s intention, yes. Cllr Latif to Cllr Huw Thomas, Leader of the Council The resounding sharp increase in Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate crime is fuelled by politicians linking peaceful protestors to hate march to terrorism. People from all walks of life, races, religious and non-religious background, attend these peaceful marches in Cardiff. Can Cardiff Council make its position known to hundreds of Cardiff residents who regularly protest to call for a ceasefire and peace in Palestine? Reply – Cllr Thomas I’m very happy to make clear that the Council absolutely respects the right to peaceful protest; and allowing people to come together with others to peacefully express their views, even where an administration does not agree with it, or a government does not agree with it, is a key part of any healthy democracy. It has been widely reported, has it not, how Islamophobic hate incidents and indeed antisemitic ones, have sadly both risen across the UK and globally since the start of the conflict in Israel and Gaza in October of last year. Here in Cardiff a few years ago, I was very proud to make a commitment that if elected we would adopt the All-Party Parliamentary Group definition of Islamophobia, and I was very proud to vote in favour of that motion brought by Cllr Ali Ahmed and Cllr Maliika Kaaba back in November 2022, and similarly I’ve been proud to support motions back in 2019 to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism. The Council abhors racism in all its forms, and indeed we and our partners have been quick to act when any such incidents occurred locally here in Cardiff, and remain strong relationships with both local mosques and synagogues, and we would without any hesitation condemn anyone who would seek to incite hatred of any kind, particularly by using the situation in Gaza at this time to promote anti-Muslim or antisemitic hatred. Speaking personally, in conclusion, I would certainly associate myself with calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in line with the UN Security Council resolution made this week, and for the safe return of the remaining Israeli hostages by Hamas at the earliest opportunity. Supplementary – Cllr Latif Because of the Islamophobic sentiments of politicians, the IRR say it saw a 365% increase in reports of Islamophobia. Tell MAMA, another body that records anti-Muslim hate incidents, said there were 2010 incidents between 7 October and 7 February, more than triple the 600 reported during the same period the year before. Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred should have absolutely no place in our society. Can the Council take immediate action to ensure the safety of the Muslim community? It is unacceptable for any event to be used as an excuse for abuse and discrimination towards a particular group. Reply – Cllr Thomas I just want to reiterate my willingness on behalf of the Council to work with the Muslim community in Cardiff to reassure and address any concerns they may have. There are certain cohesion establishments in place to maintain that dialogue. I’m attending one meeting with Cardiff Cohesion Group on 16 April. It is vitally important that we keep those channels of dialogue open as well as clearly talking about the immense contribution that the Muslim community here in Cardiff do to our proud city. We heard the Lord Mayor’s statement, the various religious festivals being celebrated in Cardiff at the moment. We have this proud tradition of celebrating each other’s festivals, be that Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh or other, and I think it is imperative for politicians of all parties to speak up for that common good and for what we have in common rather than what divides us. We are coming into a general election period, that sadly makes some politicians act in ways that are not honourable. I think we all in this Chamber have a duty to uphold those high standards, because we all represent people of all different religions here in Cardiff. Cllr Driscoll to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Transport and Strategic Planning If the proposals to remove the 2-hour free parking charges are implemented, what impact will this decision have on businesses in Llandaff High Street? Reply – Cllr De’Ath I am not by any means unsympathetic to your concerns, we’ve met and spoken about this. I do believe this will have a minimal impact on the community. I think in fact this will help increase the turnover of cars in parking spaces, it will also help more sustainable and active travel. Of course, we’re going to consult on, so there’ll be full opportunity for businesses to express their concerns and worries with us, we can try and work through those. I think it’s worth pointing out there was a study by Sustrans that looked at this particular issue, and they found that shopkeepers often really overemphasise how many people are driving to their premises, often by 100%, hugely overemphasise it, and underestimate how many people are getting there by foot or active travel. I think as well we’ve discussed potential other changes to parking spaces in Llandaff to try up spaces and increase turnover to help businesses, but let’s have a dialogue and try and get something that suits the community. Supplementary – Cllr Driscoll No disrespect to you, but I did put the question to Cllr Goodway because it was referring to the economic impact, but I managed to get it into his statement. I know you inherited the Transport White Paper when you took on the job, I’m lust querying, did the former Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters have any input on this crazy anti-business idea, and don’t get me wrong, I’m really grateful for the meeting we’ve had and the discussions with the Highways officers, to listen to my concerns and the concerns of shopkeepers, patients visiting the surgery, and residents who will be affected removing the parking, because in just a couple of days my online petition, which you might want to look at, is chasing 1,500 signatures and growing, and there’s a feeling among traders and the community that removal of the free parking will massively impact trade and patients at the local surgery. I know traders in Cowbridge Road and Whitchurch village also have concerns and are probably thinking why their councillors voted to remove this free parking. I’m sure there are other ways we can raise the cash. So what more can you do? Reply – Cllr De’Ath I did indeed inherit the Transport White Paper, I embrace the Transport White Paper and I will deliver the actions within the Transport White Paper. Regarding your concerns, I’m happy to have a discussion with my colleague Cllr Goodway and see what more we might be able to do. Cllr Berman to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks and Events The number of pitches on Roath Rec was recently reduced from 4 to 3, but I’ve been advised by transport officers this is only temporary whilst works are carried out on the improvement scheme which is providing a long overdue upgrade of the footpaths around the Rec, as well as introducing a new cycle route. Will you confirm that when these works are completed, there will be a return to 4 pitches on Roath Rec, and that the pitches will all be of equivalent size to the ones that were in place before the works began? This is despite the fact that the footpath with the cycle lane alongside is being located further into the park. Reply – Cllr Burke Following the completion of the cycle route, there will be scope to accommodate the 4 pitches that were already in existence. I believe you already had an answer to a written question from Cllr De’Ath that there will be some reconfiguration required, however I can confirm that they will meet the requirements set out by the governing bodies of the relevant sports in terms of the width and length. Supplementary – Cllr Berman I suppose there is some confusion out there because people are trying to see how are all the pitches going to fit when we go back to 4, once the cycle lane and footpath are in, given that they’ve been moved further into the park; so probably what would help would be if you could clarify for definite that we will still have 4 pitches that are equal in size to the ones we had before, and also, could the Council please publish a clear diagram showing what the final configuration will be, and showing how the pitches will be laid out when the works are complete, because that hasn’t been done so far? Reply – Cllr Burke Certainly I can try my very best to get you an idea of what the configuration will be, and as I said we will be working with the relevant sport bodies to make sure that the pitches that are reinstated are suitable for the sports being played. Our Parks Service on an annual basis carries out a pitch rationalisation piece of work, so they look at how often the pitches are being booked, and I’ve got detail on how that works. The pitch rationalisation looks at, where there’s low numbers of fixtures, transferring fixtures to consolidate spaces, so this might not be relevant to Roath Park and Roath Rec, but it is relevant across the city. If we find in future that a park isn’t being used to its full capacity, that’s where the pitch rationalisation comes into play. I believe that Roath Rec is very well used and maintained, and as I said we will be working with the relevant sport bodies to make sure that the requirements are met in terms of the size of the pitches, but I can appreciate that when people are looking at the space, it can be a struggle to figure out how it’s going to work with this encroachment from the path, but I’ve got every faith in officers that we can do that. Cllr Gunter to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities There is some concern about the Social Housing Grant, that we won’t be able to spend it in full this financial year. Can you please give an update on the situation? Reply - Cllr Thorne The Council has an impressive track record in achieving spend against our Social Housing Grant allocation, and in many previous years we’ve been able to benefit from an additional year end allocation due to national programme slippage. Current conditions in the construction market are challenging, with ongoing pressures from the pandemic and high energy costs having resulted in significant material price increases affecting scheme viability. Unfortunately we’ve also seen 3 large contractors in the region cease trading, which has impacted on work programmes across a range of social housing providers, including our own programme. We’ve also seen some procurement exercises take longer, as well as contractors being more selective about the projects which they bid for. We’re doing what we can to mitigate the challenges which the construction market is facing, and our second housing partnership programme in de-risking our in future years. Cardiff's allocation of Social Housing Grant in the current financial year is just over £36 million, which is spread across the Council and housing association projects. The challenging market conditions do increase the risk of not achieving a full spend against the allocation for the financial year 2023-24, but we're working closely with Welsh Government and our registered social landlord partners, to ensure that all appropriate claims are made to reduce this risk. It's worth noting that in the current financial year we have successfully bid for and been awarded additional grant funding, including from the Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme and Housing with Care Fund. This is in addition to the assumptions made for the year in our business plan. As yet we are yet to reach the deadline for the year end for the current financial year and the final spend figure will not be known until mid to late April when the Welsh Government has processed all grants. Supplementary – Cllr Gunter Is there any opportunity if we aren't able to spend it in time because of those constraints that the Welsh Government would consider rolling it over? Reply – Cllr Thorne Those are some of the conversations that are taking place because it is difficult to have to finish in a particular time space which is very difficult for all the reasons I explained. Cllr Robson to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Transport and Strategic Planning How much did the revenue budget for new bus shelters which are not funded by capital schemes and or Section 106 monies? Reply – Cllr De’Ath All the bus shelters are funded through capital grants as part of the wider transport schemes or through Section 106, there's no revenue budget for new bus shelters. Supplementary – Cllr Robson I've asked this question before periodically throughout my time in this Chamber, and the answer is always that there is no revenue budget, which makes it very difficult for areas of the city that are not benefiting from Section 106 or capital schemes to get new bus shelters. It's actually something that's raised quite a lot with me as a local councillor, and it's all very well having real-time information and the best bus service if you can get it, but if people are having to wait in the rain and in this current climate at the moment we are having to wait in the rain for buses, it'd be really useful if we could put some resource into improving bus shelters at our most used bus stops that don't currently have one that wouldn't qualify under capital or Section 106 arrangements. Reply – Cllr De’Ath If you need bus shelters in Rhiwbina, I'm happy to work with you on trying to achieve that. Can I say what a pleasure it's been to work across the aisle yourself and your fellow ward members on the issue in Beulah Road that you've had, uplifting your community. It's such a stark contrast with the radical right of your party, the Liz Truss guys who are crushing communities and destroying thecountry, very, very disgusting and some very nasty, they must hate our country, they must to do what they've done to it, but I know you don’t hate our country, you’re a great patriot and a gentleman, and I say God bless you, public servant. Cllr Wood to Cllr Goodway, Cabinet Member for Investment and Development Does the Cabinet Member share my concern at the number of hospitality businesses, including Society Standard, the Brass Beetle and Wildflower Café, that have recently closed on Whitchurch Road and that others are also reporting similar difficulties? Reply – Cllr Goodway The short answer to your question is yes. The hospitality sector across the UK is yet to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic when hospitality businesses were forced to close to help protect public health during that once in 100-year event. In the same way that many workers have not returned to office space working so too have hospitality customers not returned to hospitality outlets in the same numbers that were the norm prior to the pandemic. Indeed, working from home has exacerbated the problem for pubs and restaurants. Coupled with that, the war in Ukraine has fuelled an increase in energy and food prices across the globe, and the Councillor will appreciate that hospitality businesses in Cardiff have not been immune from these pressures and challenges. The administration is aware of these issues and this is one of the reasons why we have established a Cardiff Growth Fund which is aimed at SMEs to help them invest in a more sustainable future for their business. The Welsh Government has also recently established a £20 million future-proofing fund, which can also support businesses to strengthen their present position, and as ever I would encourage Cardiff businesses to contact our economic development team if they would like our support in accessing these grants. Supplementary – Cllr Wood It's good to hear that this is on the radar and there are things being done. In light of the recent changes to the Business Rates Relief, which I know the Cabinet Member actually mentioned earlier this evening and gave a view on that, which obviously makes conditions more difficult for small hospitality businesses not just on Whitchurch Road but across Cardiff, would the Cabinet Member be willing to use his considerable influence to write to the Welsh Government to raise these concerns and ask them to reconsider the extent of their cut to the Business Rates Relief? Reply – Cllr Goodway I'm certainly happy to write to the appropriate minister in Welsh Government to seek a meeting to see how we can address the problem, I mean it is a shared problem and it is a serious one. As I said earlier, it may not be possible for Welsh Government to reverse the decision they made in relation to Business Rate Relief because of the choices and the difficult choices they have to make, but I certainly think that it would be beneficial for us to explore what other measures we could take to help protect hospitality businesses in the city. Cllr Elsmore to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Transport and Strategic Planning Does the Cabinet Member have sympathy for businesses on Cowbridge Road East that face the prospect, I know there is some challenge on that, that face the prospect of a diminution in their customer base because of the withdrawal of free car parking in local district shopping centres? Reply – Cllr Thorne I have sympathies with small businesses right across Cardiff who are facing economic challenges for a variety of reasons, as touched upon by Cllr Goodway, but as I mentioned in my reply to Cllr Driscoll, I think these particular changes in some instances might actually help businesses by increasing turnover rather than leading to a diminution in their customer base. However, it is something we are going to consult upon and be keen to listen to people's views. Supplementary – Cllr Elsmore One proposal, Cllr De’Ath, could be a reduction from the 2-hour free parking perhaps to 1 hour. Reply – Cllr De’Ath That's an idea, but it's not something we're looking at the moment. This is a decision that has been taken as part of the budget, but I am meeting a couple of representatives of local businesses in your area and I'm happy to talk through this policy. Cllr Reid Jones to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education Could the Cabinet Member please confirm the total number of children refused a secondary school place for September 2024 who were living within the catchment of their preferred school? Reply – Cllr Merry Secondary school offers for admission in September 2024 were issued on 1 March. 3,792 places were offered in secondary schools at that time. For those who applied on time there were 43 catchment refusals for Fitzalan High School, 20 catchment refusals for Cardiff High, and 12 catchment refusals for Glantaf. This does not constitute the final picture as after 1 March, when parents accept or refuse places, there will be movement in the number of available school places. A second round will be issued in late April which will reflect this movement. Supplementary – Cllr Reid Jones The Council have long recognised we have a mismatch in local provision and demands across Cardiff. This is 75, 76 children who have not been offered a place in their preferred school, which is within catchment. We're a proud, child-friendly city, and in recognition of this we need to ensure our education provision does match the demand locally so that our children can have the best possible transition to secondary education. Does the Cabinet Member agree with me we should do everything within our powers to ensure every child living within the catchment area of their preferred secondary school is offered a place? Reply – Cllr Merry Every child will be offered a place, but it may not be in a catchment school. It is never possible to guarantee that catchment places will totally align with school numbers. The numbers will go up and down within individual years, and we also need to ensure that we do not carry a significant number of surplus places because that money will be most effectively spent on a child's education. What our concern has always been is to make sure that every single school in Cardiff is a good school, that regardless of which school you go to you were guaranteed a good education, and that is what will remain the priority of this administration. Cllr Berman to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Transport and Strategic Planning In relation to the Traffic Regulation Order banning right turns from Wellfield Road into Marlborough Road, the Council has previously advised local residents that the permanent order will not be accompanied by a diversion that directs traffic via other nearby roads such as Sandringham Road, and yet the legal notice placed in the Western Mail on 25th March states in relation to a temporary Traffic Regulation Order being implemented now to ban the same right turns that traffic will be diverted along Penylan Road, Sandringham Road and Balaclava Road. No doubt some of the traffic diverted into Sandringham Road will instead choose to continue a bit further along Sandringham Road and then cut down Glentham Road past the entrance to Marlborough Primary School in order to get to Marlborough Road. Do you therefore accept that the banning of right turns from Welford Road into Marlborough Road, whether on a temporary or permanent basis, will lead to increased traffic on Sandringham Road and Balaclava Road, and also a degree of increased traffic going past the entrance to Marlborough Primary School on Blenheim Road? Reply – Cllr De’Ath The legal notice that was placed in the Western Mail newspaper advertises a Temporary Traffic Order is being used to facilitate the works at the junction, separate from a permanent order, is required to allow the contractor to carry out the works where a permanent order is not in force. The temporary order was made due to the timeline of the permanent order to ensure there is a legal provision for prohibiting turns. It’s a requirement that temporary orders also include an alternative route. Supplementary – Cllr Berman Thank you, Cllr De’Ath, for avoiding answering the main question there, as is quite often the case in this Chamber. I think the cat is out of the bag here, because in relation to the permanent order, which a lot of residents are unhappy with, you said it’s not necessarily going to cause increased traffic in any particular roads and then, when you did the temporary order, which is for exactly the same banning of the same manoeuvre, you had to let the cat out of the bag as to where you thought the traffic would go, and it is going to some of the roads that the residents are concerned about. But my real question here is, why is the Council so determined not to listen to the concerns of local residents in the Penylan community and make some small modifications to the changes it is planning to make at this junction, so that we wouldn't be in a situation whereby Marlborough Primary School is now seriously worried about the level of increased traffic that could be going past its entrance? Reply – Cllr De’Ath I'm very happy to answer the question. The answer is the same as the answer you’ve had in the large amount of information we've sent to you already. Our modelling shows that actually the effect of this change will be minimal. We're going to do lots of modelling to make sure that is the case. I don’t really have any more to say on it. Cllr Ferguson-Thorne to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities There's been a lot of publicity about the quality of housing those in Channel View high-rise flats are experiencing whilst awaiting new accommodation. What are you doing to help and support these residents? Reply - Cllr Thorne As Members may recall, the cladding was removed from the Channel View high-rise block following the Grenfell tragedy. The Channel View redevelopment project will deliver 2 older persons accommodation schemes, and these will eventually replace the existing high-rise block. However, it will be some time until these new schemes are delivered. In the meantime, some tenants are unfortunately experiencing issues with their flats, and we are putting a range of measures in place to address this. A survey of each flat will be completed over the next three weeks to fully understand the issues and to identify what we can do to improve the condition of the flats. If following these surveys the issues in the flats are significant and we are unable to fix them, then we will offer the residents alternative accommodation either within the existing block or, if they prefer, in another property. If residents choose to move away, they will still have the option of a flat in the new Channel View blocks when they're completed. Repairs will be carried out to the communal areas to improve the overall appearance of the block and an independent fire safety inspection is also planned to inform any additional fire safety works that are needed. A technical manager will be assigned to oversee these works to the flats to ensure that they are completed promptly and all issues addressed, and a dedicated liaison officer will also be recruited and once in post they will be on site from Monday to Friday to further support the residents. We will also continue to make payments to residents in recognition of the increase in their heating costs since the cladding was removed. I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the residents for the issues they are currently experiencing and to thank them for their patience. Supplementary – Cllr Ferguson-Thorne Could I just ask if you are aware how many of the residents may wish to move and what support will be put in place for those? Reply – Cllr Thorne We don't have any information, but I can say that at a recent meeting where residents were invited to attend, that 27 residents turned up and out of those only three said they wished to move. So I think, and because I hold regular surgeries there, the majority do want to stay there but clearly they want the issues addressed. Cllr Robson on behalf of Cllr Cowan to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education Will the Cabinet Member outline how many schools across Cardiff will be setting deficit budgets for 2024-25, and how does this compare with 2023-24? Reply – Cllr Merry The Council continues to be in discussion with individual schools in respect of their budgets for 2024-25, the final 2023-24 outturn positions for each schools have yet to be determined. Supplementary – Cllr Robson It's a request from Cllr Cowan, that she is given that information once you have the final outturns from all the schools. Cllr Ash-Edwards on behalf of Cllr Hinchey to Cllr De’Ath,Cabinet Member for Transport and Strategic Planning The Heath and neighbouring wards have the highest proportion of older persons in Wales, many of whom are unable to drive or able to own a car. The sudden withdrawal of the 86 bus route through the centre of Heath at the end of this month will isolate some of our most vulnerable groups of people, including many older and disabled residents, who do not have an alternative way except taxis to get to local supermarkets, the city centre and visit friends and family. The withdrawal of the service through central Heath will severely impact the wellbeing of many residents. Will the Cabinet Member work with local members in Heath to find an urgent alternative option, including new Welsh Government bus funding to support our most vulnerable citizens? Reply - Cllr De’Ath I would be more than happy to do that. Our officers are already working on this with the Cardiff Capital Region which provides some of the governance architecture around bus funding and we've raised this specific issue of Heath with our funders. We can only hope for a positive response.
Part of an issue followed across 11 meetings
There was no urgent business.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Receive a nomination and appoint to the vacancy on the Committee, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out in Table A in the report.
The Council was requested to receive nominations and make appointments to current committee vacancies, as set out in the report and in accordance with the approved allocation of seats and political group wishes. RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Receive a nomination and appoint to the vacancy on the Committee, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out in Table A in the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Approve the nomination and appoint to outside bodies as set out in Table A in the report
The Council was requested to receive nominations and make appointments of Members to outside bodies to fill vacancies which had arisen. RESOLVED: Council AGREED to: 1. Approve the nomination and appoint to outside bodies as set out in Table A in the report
In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 17(f), Written Questions received for consideration together with the responses will be attached to the minutes.
Part of an issue followed across 11 meetings
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Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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