Loading
The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
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.
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.
Apologies had been received from Cllr Elsmore.
The following personal declarations of interest were declared: Cllr Carter as Governor at Llanedeyrn Primary and St Phillip Evans Primary schools. Cllr Hunt – Governor at Coed Glas Primary, Chair of Governors at The Court School and Chair of Cardiff Bus. Cllr Ash Edwards – Governor at Birchgrove Primary School and Non Executive Director at Cardiff Bus. Cllr Hinchey – Vice Chair at Ton Yr Ywen Primary School and Birchgrove Primary School. Cllr Chowdhury – Governor at Fitzalan High School. Cllr Robson – his wife is employed as a carer which is part funded indirectly through the Council.
The minutes of the meeting held on 4 December 2024 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairperson. The minutes of the Joint Scrutiny meeting with Environmental Scrutiny Committee held on 16 January 2025 were agreed 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.
The Chairperson advised Members that this was an opportunity for the Committee to undertake pre-decision scrutiny of the final draft of the Corporate Plan 2025-28. Members were advised that the Leader and senior management team had engaged informally with the Committee’s Performance Panel and chairs of all scrutiny committees a few weeks previously, focussing on the target setting process for the Corporate Plan. Following the discussion, the recommendations, observations and concerns of scrutiny were relayed to the Leader and a Cabinet response had been published with the committee papers. For this item, the Chairperson welcomed Councillor Huw Thomas, Leader of the Council; Councillor Chris Weaver, Cabinet Member Finance, Modernisation and Performance; Paul Orders, Chief Executive; Chris Lee, Corporate Director, Resources; Dylan Owen, Policy & Improvement Manager; and Gareth Newell, Head of Policy & Partnerships. Sarah McGill had given her apologies in advance of the meeting. The Leader and Chief Executive were invited to make opening statements after which the Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members. Members expressed an ongoing concern where targets in the published Corporate Plan were ‘to be based on 2024/25 outturn’. Members requested that values be published based on month 9/quarter 3 results, plus an appropriate percentage, and that a suitable methodology be determined for results that were reported annually. Discussing ambitions for schools, Members felt that education was clearly a Cabinet priority in the Plan and that this was also reflected in budget commitments. Members acknowledged the challenge in delivering the One Planet Cardiff agenda, particularly the good start that had been made in better understanding where our emissions emerged from. Members welcomed the ambitious programme, particularly around green growth. However, Members would have liked to have seen more in the Corporate Plan around engagement with school governors, particularly on green issues. Members noted the visibility of Cardiff and Wales Economic Growth embedded within the Corporate Plan, particularly around the arts and culture projects. 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
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.
The Chairperson advised that in line with Committee’s Terms of Reference, Members have responsibility for taking an overview of both Revenue and Capital budget proposals from a corporate and strategic point of view. Committee also had a responsibility to examine proposals for a number of back-office support services. Committee would consider the impact this draft budget will have on the Resources function and the Economic Development Function in so far as their services relate to Committees Terms of Reference. Scrutiny of the budget item would be considered in four parts: an overview and questions on the 2025/26 corporate wide Revenue budget proposals first, followed by Members questions on the Capital programme, the implications of the budget for theResources Directorate, and finally the implications for the Economic Development Directorate. For the entire agenda item, the Chairperson welcomed Councillor Chris Weaver, Cabinet Member Finance, Modernisation and Performance; Chris Lee, Corporate Director Resources; Ian Allwood, Head of Finance; Anil Hirani, Operational Manager, Capital, Corporate & Treasury; Dylan Owen, Policy & Improvement Manager; Councillor Huw Thomas, Leader (standing in for Cllr Russell Goodway), Cabinet Member Investment & Development; Neil Hanratty, Director of Economic Development and Donna Jones, Assistant Director Estates. Council-wide Revenue Budget Proposals 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. Members discussed balancing school budgets, noting that schools were prioritised in this budget, however information was sought regarding what had changed and what was likely to happen in the future. Assurances were sought and received that the 2024/25 budget would balance at year-end, noting an improvement in the position at month 9 of 2024/25. Members explored the impact of recent National Insurance increases on funding for other Council services, noting the assumption that some contractor costs would increase. Discussing Single Equality Impact Assessments, Members urged that they are completed on any changes made to Adult Services as a consequence of this budget. Members discussed the corporate challenge process and noted that a process was in place to evaluate Fees and Charges, including market research to benchmark against other providers. Discussing Home to School Transport/Out of County Placements, Members requested more information relating to the £8.8m allocated to the central education fund. It was noted that most of this additional funding was to cover Home to School Transport (HTST) and Out of County Placements (OoCP). The Committee was advised of a service review underway in this area, with a view to encouraging more active travel. Therefore, a copy of the review was requested to be provided to the Committee once available. With reference to the Budget Consultation, the Committee explored the response rate to this year’s budget consultation and enquired about the lower response rate and how it could be improved. Members noted that while the overall response rate was lower, progress had been made in some areas, and officers had a 95% confidence level that the result was a true reflection of market opinion. Inroads appeared to have been made in engaging with seldom heard and ethnically diverse groups. However, a request from the Children & Young People Scrutiny Committee was received to hold a session to discuss ideas and options for improving engagement with young people. It was also viewed that a more innovative and creative approach was required for young people’s engagement. Therefore, the offer to include this Committee in the session was welcomed. The Committee also highlighted some of the wording in the consultation document (e.g., the wording of the options preferred on Council Tax, page 3) and questioned whether the wording for next year’s consultation could be reviewed to avoid misleading responses and to ensure that it was fair and open to responders. With regard to the funding of ALN pupils, Members sought additional information related to the funding of individual pupils in special schools. The Head of Finance explained that this area was work in progress and would be further developed in the coming years. Therefore, a written briefing on the current funding formula for pupils in special schools, how this differed from mainstream formulas, and what developmental work was planned in this area in the coming years was requested. Committee explored the impact of deleting vacant staff posts as part of the budget. While the process used in deciding such issues was noted, Members wished to enquire whether any further follow-up work was undertaken once the post had been deleted, particularly in terms of service delivery and the impact on staff working within that service area. Therefore, a briefing on this was requested, and consideration of reporting on the matter in tandem with the monitoring of the month 3, 6, and 9 monitoring reports throughout 2025/26 was suggested. Capital Budget 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. Discussing overall spend and borrowing levels, assurances were sought regarding the total expenditure and borrowing levels of the Capital Programme. Members asked questions around the cost of the new core office building for County Hall and the availability of alternative office space in the city. Clarification was requested on line 6, carriageway investment, and line 52, match funding for grant bids, within the Capital Programme. Questions were raised about the most challenging projects in the Capital Programme, particularly the challenge of maintaining school assets Resources Directorate Budget Proposals 2025/26 The Cabinet Member was invited to make an opening statement after which the Corporate Director Resources was invited to give a brief overview of the budget savings in his directorate. The Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members. Discussing Risk Profile of Digital Technology and AI, Members inquired about the risk profile associated with introducing digital technology and AI solutions, emphasising the importance of maintaining service accessibility. They acknowledged that C2C savings are based on detailed work and recognised the valuable support hubs and libraries provide in terms of accessibility. Regarding Income Recovery and Team Restructuring, Members asked questions around income recovery, staff changes, and the restructuring of recovery teams. Members noted that there will be no impact on service delivery, which can be maintained at a lower cost. Assurances were sought and received that broadband lines no longer in use have been disconnected. Members welcomed the introduction of charges for CCTV services. Members discussed Discretionary Rate Relief for Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) and earmarked reserves, noting that the reserve is topped up annually to mitigate potential volatility. Economic Development Directorate Budget Proposals 2025/26 Members emphasised the need to verify the accuracy of utility and energy bills. They discussed the importance of regularly checking these bills to ensure there are no discrepancies and challenging any inaccuracies found. This proactive approach helps in managing costs effectively and avoiding overpayments. There was a discussion on the potential impact of deleting or removing vacant posts within the council. Members expressed concerns about how these changes might affect service delivery and the overall efficiency of council operations. They highlighted the need for careful consideration before making such decisions to ensure that essential services are not compromised. Members noted that the council's procurement policy is aligned with the strategic estate and One Planet Cardiff initiatives. This policy encourages the use of local contractors, which supports the local economy and reduces carbon emissions. They also mentioned that the council's current emissions are calculated based on budget spend, which ties into their broader sustainability goals. The council's strategy for procuring energy for the future was discussed. It was noted that the council is part of a consortium of councils that collectively procure energy. This collaborative approach is intended to secure better rates and ensure a stable energy supply for the council's needs. Members highlighted the potential for developing large-scale solar and renewable energy projects. They discussed the capacity for installing solar panels on council buildings and the need for comprehensive business plans before proceeding with such projects. These initiatives are part of the council's commitment to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. With regard to Corporate Landlord Earmarked Reserves (Line 18), there was a discussion on the sufficiency of the earmarked reserves allocated for the Corporate Landlord. Members sought assurance that these reserves are adequate to meet future needs. They also noted that the council is implementing improved computer systems for better monitoring and management of these reserves, which will enhance transparency and accountability. 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.
12 March 2024 at 4.30pm
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.