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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED: To note that Council, at its Annual meeting on 23rd May 2024, appointed Cllr Peter Wong as Chairperson of the Committee together with the following Committee Members: Cllrs Berman, Brown-Reckless, Jenkins, Jones, Lloyd Jones, Robinson and Shimmin. The Chair welcomed Cllrs Lewis and Robinson to the Committee for the first time.
RESOLVED: To note that Council agreed the following Terms of Reference for the Committee at its annual meeting on 23rd May 2024: The role of this Committee is to scrutinise, measure and actively promote improvement in the Council's performance in the provision of services and compliance with Council policies, aims and objectives in the area of economic regeneration including: Cardiff City Region City Deal Inward Investment and the marketing of Cardiff Economic Strategy & Employment European Funding & Investment Small to Medium Support Cardiff Harbour Authority Lifelong Learning Leisure Centres Sports Development Parks & Green Spaces Libraries, Arts & Culture Civic Buildings Events & Tourism Strategic Projects Innovation & Technology Centres Local Training & Enterprise To assess the impact of partnerships with resources and services provided by external organisations including the Welsh Government, joint local government services, Welsh Government Sponsored Public Bodies and quasi-departmental non-governmental bodies on the effectiveness of Council service delivery. To report to an appropriate Cabinet or Council meeting on its findings and to make recommendations on measures which may enhance Council performance and service delivery in this area.
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
RESOLVED: i) to note the approach to developing the Committee’s work programme for 2024-25, and that a final version of the programme would be brought back to the Committee for final approval. ii) to note the schedule of committee dates, detailed in paragraphs 10 and 11 of the report.
RESOLVED: to agree the draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2023/23, attached as Appendix A to be laid before Council.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: To note that Council, at its Annual meeting on 23rd May 2024, appointed Cllr Peter Wong as Chairperson of the Committee together with the following Committee Members: Cllrs Berman, Brown-Reckless, Jenkins, Jones, Lloyd Jones, Robinson and Shimmin. The Chair welcomed Cllrs Lewis and Robinson to the Committee for the first time.
RESOLVED: To note that Council, at its Annual meeting on 23rd May 2024, appointed Cllr Peter Wong as Chairperson of the Committee together with the following Committee Members: Cllrs Berman, Brown-Reckless, Jenkins, Jones, Lloyd Jones, Robinson and Shimmin. The Chair welcomed Cllrs Lewis and Robinson to the Committee for the first time.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: To note that Council agreed the following Terms of Reference for the Committee at its annual meeting on 23rd May 2024: The role of this Committee is to scrutinise, measure and actively promote improvement in the Council's performance in the provision of services and compliance with Council policies, aims and objectives in the area of economic regeneration including: Cardiff City Region City Deal Inward Investment and the marketing of Cardiff Economic Strategy & Employment European Funding & Investment Small to Medium Support Cardiff Harbour Authority Lifelong Learning Leisure Centres Sports Development Parks & Green Spaces Libraries, Arts & Culture Civic Buildings Events & Tourism Strategic Projects Innovation & Technology Centres Local Training & Enterprise To assess the impact of partnerships with resources and services provided by external organisations including the Welsh Government, joint local government services, Welsh Government Sponsored Public Bodies and quasi-departmental non-governmental bodies on the effectiveness of Council service delivery. To report to an appropriate Cabinet or Council meeting on its findings and to make recommendations on measures which may enhance Council performance and service delivery in this area.
RESOLVED: To note that Council agreed the following Terms of Reference for the Committee at its annual meeting on 23rd May 2024: The role of this Committee is to scrutinise, measure and actively promote improvement in the Council's performance in the provision of services and compliance with Council policies, aims and objectives in the area of economic regeneration including: Cardiff City Region City Deal Inward Investment and the marketing of Cardiff Economic Strategy & Employment European Funding & Investment Small to Medium Support Cardiff Harbour Authority Lifelong Learning Leisure Centres Sports Development Parks & Green Spaces Libraries, Arts & Culture Civic Buildings Events & Tourism Strategic Projects Innovation & Technology Centres Local Training & Enterprise To assess the impact of partnerships with resources and services provided by external organisations including the Welsh Government, joint local government services, Welsh Government Sponsored Public Bodies and quasi-departmental non-governmental bodies on the effectiveness of Council service delivery. To report to an appropriate Cabinet or Council meeting on its findings and to make recommendations on measures which may enhance Council performance and service delivery in this area.
Apologies for absence were received from Cllrs Berman and Lloyd Jones.
Cllr Wong declared a personal interest in item 6 ‘Football Facilities Strategic Framework’ - Cathays High School was referenced as one of potential places for 3G Pitches and he was Chair of the Governors at the School.
The minutes of the meeting held on 23 April 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairperson subject to the following amendment: Page 11, paragraph 4 – ‘the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) - ‘committee’ to be replaced with ‘convention’ The minutes of the meeting held on 14 May 2024 were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairperson.
Decision as recorded
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Members were advised that this item was a pre-decision scrutiny of a report to Cabinet, attached as Appendix A in the papers. The report set out a strategic framework to address the issues with existing football provision by attracting investment, increasing 3G provision, and rationalising the Council’s grass playing pitch stock. Members were advised that the scrutiny could focus on these aspects, including the proposal approach to transferring facilities to clubs, hubs approach, and the consultation, as well as how risks and implications for the Council had been identified and mitigated. The Chairperson welcomed Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member – Culture, Parks, Events and Venues, Neil Hanratty, Director, Economic Development and Jon Maidment, Operational Manager, Parks, Sport and Harbour Authority to the meeting. The Cabinet Member was invited to make an opening statement after which Members were provided with a presentation from Officers. The Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members, a summary of which is provided: Members asked whether new 3G pitches would be provided at Football Association of Wales (FAW) Tier 3 specification and be future-proofed to enable higher tier specification to be added at a later date, thus enabling leagues to progress up the football pyramid. Members were aware that some existing pitches in Cardiff did not meet the FAW Tier 3 specification and that this had blocked some clubs from progressing. Officers responded that it was unlikely that all new 3G pitches would be at Tier 3 specification straight off, due to funding limitations, but that the partnership approach set out in the Strategic Framework was predicated on having discussions upfront, including discussions on pitch criteria, so that pitch provision was planned to enable specifications to be enhanced as funding was secured e.g., pitches were the right dimensions from the outset, even if the ancillary provision such as barriers and stands were not provided at the outset. Members asked if the list of schools in the report was a definitive one and if more would be identified in a future stage. Officers responded that the list of schools in the report was not definitive, that officers had worked to identify schools without a 3G pitch as well as schools where the 3G pitch needed replacing, and that other sites might be identified through the consultation process. Members stated that they were aware of schools and clubs that were not on the list or included in the report, including Cardiff and Vale College and Danescourt Football Club. Cllr Brown-Reckless highlighted she had been emailed about issues affecting Gwaelod Rangers FC training provision, particularly in winter, and that this would limit their ability for an asset transfer; she sought advice on who to liaise with in the Council regarding this. Cllr Burke advised her to forward the email to her and she would discuss with officers; she highlighted that the proposed approach should free up officers’ time to enable them to provide support to clubs where needed. Members discussed how the proposed strategic framework would affect access to pitches. Members highlighted several issues with the existing system, including issues for some clubs in accessing existing 3G pitches, multi-use of pitches, potential issues with the booking system and the reduction in the grass pitches impacting informal provision. Members noted the commitment to encourage schools and colleges to be as flexible and accommodating as possible regarding the use of 3G pitches; that some existing 3G pitches were multi-use and that it was important that future 3G pitch use was flexible to ensure that the level of provision was in place that was needed; that whilst it was proposed to move to an online booking system for school provision, it was recognised that other channels would be needed, with a ‘digital first’ rather than a ‘digital only’ approach; that there would be grass pitch hubs in the West, East and Centre of Cardiff, and potentially in the North and South of Cardiff, depending on consultation responses; that there would be in the region of an additional 22 3G pitches provided, that clubs would be offered the opportunity to self-manage pitches and facilities, and that officers would work to ensure an even spread of pitches across Cardiff, so that people could play in their locality, either on a 3G pitch, in a hub or on a self-managed grass pitch; that grass pitch rationalisation would take place once additional 3G pitches had been provided and that previous pitches would be available for informal use. Members highlighted that, in their view and given their experiences to date, it would be beneficial to have an agreement, such as a Service Level Agreement, with schools and colleges to cover the use of 3G pitches and ensure a flexible and accommodating approach was taken, whilst still enabling schools and colleges to have a degree of choice and control. Members believed it would be helpful if the proposed consultation included questions to ascertain the current position regarding booking systems and responders’ views on these, to help shape future provision. Members requested clarification as to whether the current intention was to have a standardised booking system across all partner providers, or whether the intention was limited to school provision only With regard to grass pitches deemed no longer needed, Members noted the report referenced that these may be mown or may become ‘no mow’ areas; Members therefore requested clarity on the criteria and decision process that would be followed to determine the future maintenance of former grass pitches regarding whether these would be mown or become ‘no mow’ areas, which was important given how this impacted on informal pitch provision. Regarding grass pitch rationalisation, Members requested clarification of when this would start to take place. The report stated, at point 39, that it would be once there was a ‘significant increase’ in 3G pitches; Members asked what a ‘significant increase’ meant in this context and at what point would maintenance of existing grass pitches reduce? In addition, Members requested clarification on which areas of Cardiff would be served by the Trelai hub, the Blackweir/ Pontcanna hub, and the proposed hub in Llanrumney/ Rumney hub. Members asked if there was a statutory agreement to promoting female participation. Members were advised that not all leagues were associated with the FAW and that it depended on working in partnership with the league and the governing body to ensure they were creating equality of access. Members were pleased to hear the Council would continue to support efforts to boost participation rates, particularly amongst underrepresented groups. Members noted the commitment to work with FAW to support them in their work to promote participation. Members also noted the stalwart work of Sport Cardiff and other partners to boost participation rates. Members were concerned that proposals to implement mid-week fixtures would adversely affect children and young people and were pleased to hear that mid-week fixtures would be for adult fixtures only. Members noted the report mentioned initial health and safety training for clubs taking on the management of pitches and were pleased to hear there would be ongoing support, development and training following this initial training; which would be needed, given how complex pitch maintenance could be. Members sought clarification on the level of Council funding required to support the Strategic Framework and noted that this funding will come via the Education Investment Strategy Caerdydd 2024-2033 and Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme. Members also noted that, for 3G pitches, the FAW provided no more than 30% of costs, with the Council and partners, such as universities and clubs, required to find the remaining 70%. Members asked about the provision of new changing rooms and other ancillary facilities and were advised that these provided potential opportunities to utilise solar panels, green roofs, and other Net Zero approaches. Members were informed that the Council would encourage a Net Zero approach and would assess each scheme on its merits and on available funding. Members wished to highlight that it may be possible to tie-in to some S106 agreement funding that was for the provision of Net Zero community facilities. Members noted the report sought permission to start a consultation process with communities and stakeholders. Members were mindful of issues with other recent consultations and stressed the need for this consultation to be meaningful, accessible and inclusive. In particular, Members realised that this consultation would include schools and colleges and therefore emphasised the need to ensure the consultation process extended beyond the school holidays. Members highlighted their concerns with the EIA provided with papers, which did not provide enough detail for Members to be sure that the Council was meeting its public sector duty regarding equality. The concerns echoed those found by Audit Wales in their recent review, considered by the Governance and Audit Committee at their meeting on 9 July 2024. It was noted that the Council had accepted the recommendations, which aim to improve the quality of EIAs. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: i) to note the approach to developing the Committee’s work programme for 2024-25, and that a final version of the programme would be brought back to the Committee for final approval. ii) to note the schedule of committee dates, detailed in paragraphs 10 and 11 of the report.
RESOLVED: i) to note the approach to developing the Committee’s work programme for 2024-25, and that a final version of the programme would be brought back to the Committee for final approval. ii) to note the schedule of committee dates, detailed in paragraphs 10 and 11 of the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: to agree the draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2023/23, attached as Appendix A to be laid before Council.
The Chair invited Angela Holt, Principal Scrutiny Officer, to introduce the report which sought the Committee’s approval for the Combined Scrutiny Annual Report 2023/24, prior to consideration by Full Council on 18 July 2024. Zack Hellard, Cardiff Youth Council representative, agreed to forward a suitable photo to Angela Holt, Principal Scrutiny Officer, for inclusion in the Economy & Culture Scrutiny Committee pages. RESOLVED: to agree the draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2023/23, attached as Appendix A to be laid before Council.
Members were advised that there was one full response - outstanding. Members requested that this response be chased up.
There were no urgent items received.
Tuesday 17 September 2024 at 4.30 pm
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