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At its meeting on 17 July 2025, Cardiff Council agreed to apply for a legal order to build the CrossRail Phase 1A tram-train scheme. It also approved forming a company to run investments for the Wales Pension Partnership, and passed a motion, amended by the Labour group, asking pension bodies to review investments linked to the conflict in Gaza, with four councillors voting against. The meeting also heard 19 oral questions and made two committee appointments.
Apologies were received from Cllrs Bridgeman, Brown-Reckless, Goodway, Lewis, Lloyd Jones, Mackie, Molik and Waldron.
The following declarations of interest were received in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct. Councillor Agenda item Nature of interest Reason for interest Joe Carter 7, 10 Personal Chair of Healthy Air Cymru, campaigning on air pollution Dilwar Ali 8, 10 Personal Chris Weaver 8, 10 Personal Member of Wales Pension Partnership Joint Governance Committee and Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board Ali Ahmed 10 Personal Supporter of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Dan De’Ath, Andrea Gibson and Rhys Livesy 10 Personal Member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign Daniel Naughton 10 Personal Member of Amnesty International All councillors who were members of the Cardiff and Vale Pension Fund collectively declared an interest in item 8 – Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Fit for the Future Business Case. The full list of Members was circulated as part of the Amendment Sheet. Cllr Carter added that he was a member of the pension scheme but had not been included on the list.
The minutes of the 26th June meeting were approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.
There were no public questions.
Two petitions were presented to Council. Presented by Number of relevant signatures Nature of petition Farooq Toor 991 ‘Cardiff Council divest now: end Cardiff Council’s complicity in Israeli genocide’. Cllr Rhys Taylor 38 Calling on the council to tackle excessive traffic, rat-running and speeding along Clodien Avenue and adjacent streets.
A full list of mayoral engagements had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting. The Lord Mayor added that he had several fundraisers coming up, including the Lord Mayor’s cricket match on 26th August in St Fagans, and afternoon tea at the Mansion House on 26th September at 2pm. He directed Members towards his website (www.lordmayorofcardiff.co.uk/) for more information.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: i. To authorise an application for the Transport and Works Act Order (TWA Order) for CrossRail Phase 1A; ii. To note that the TWA Order will confer full authority to Cardiff Council for the construction of the project and that Cardiff Council is the named applicant of the TWA Order; iii. To note that decision making capacity to authorise TWA Orders rests with Welsh Ministers via Planning Environment Decision Wales (PEDW); iv. To note that the order will also seek powers to transfer powers to another body to adopt, operate and maintain the tramway elements of CrossRail Phase 1A. Transport for Wales (TfW) is expected to be that body; v. To delegate authority to Director of PTE (as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) and Programme Board Chairperson) to deal with all aspects of processing and managing the TWA Order, including but not limited to the finalisation of all documentation and agreements, negotiating where necessary with any third-party objectors, and complying and dealing with any public local inquiry processes, if required.
Council was asked to approve a Transport and Works Act (TWA) Order to authorise construction of some of the tram-train elements of Cardiff CrossRail Phase 1A, along with other powers facilitate Cardiff Council to develop and construct the tramway, and for Transport for Wales (TfW) to undertake operation of the tramway as part of the South Wales Metro. The report was proposed by Cllr De’Ath and seconded by Cllr Thomas. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the report, before moving to the vote. FOR (59) Cllrs Abdul-Sattar, Ali Ahmed, Ali, Anderson, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Burke, Carr, Carter, Chowdhury, Cowan, Cunnah, Davies, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Driscoll, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Ferguson-Thorne, Gibson, Green, Gunter, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Jackie Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lancaster, Latif, Lay, Lister, Littlechild, Livesy, McGarry, Merry, Moultrie, Naughton, Owen, Palmer, Proctor, Reid-Jones, Sangani, Shimmin, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Taylor, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild, Wong and Wood AGAINST (0) ABSTAIN (0) RESOLVED: Council AGREED: i. To authorise an application for the Transport and Works Act Order (TWA Order) for CrossRail Phase 1A; ii. To note that the TWA Order will confer full authority to Cardiff Council for the construction of the project and that Cardiff Council is the named applicant of the TWA Order; iii. To note that decision making capacity to authorise TWA Orders rests with Welsh Ministers via Planning Environment Decision Wales (PEDW); iv. To note that the order will also seek powers to transfer powers to another body to adopt, operate and maintain the tramway elements of CrossRail Phase 1A. Transport for Wales (TfW) is expected to be that body; v. To delegate authority to Director of PTE (as Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) and Programme Board Chairperson) to deal with all aspects of processing and managing the TWA Order, including but not limited to the finalisation of all documentation and agreements, negotiating where necessary with any third-party objectors, and complying and dealing with any public local inquiry processes, if required.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: i. To note the WPP Fit for the Future Business Case (Appendix 3, Appendix 4 and paragraphs 26 to 37); ii. To approve the formation of a corporate entity wholly owned by the WPP Administering Authorities (AAs) to be the WPP Investment Management Company (IM Co.) and all other actions necessary to submit an application to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the authorisation of the IM Co. including but not limited to the selection and recruitment of Senior Management Function (SMF) roles as required by the FCA and the preparation and submission of the application to the FCA. (paragraphs 38 to 41); iii. To approve the revised WPP Business Plan & budget 25/26 which includes design/enabling costs for Project Snowdon (Appendix 5 and paragraphs 42 and 43); iv. To delegate the S151 Officer in consultation with The Pension Committee Chair to progress Project Snowdon alongside WPP Administering Authorities (AAs) in line with the Government timetable within the approved budget; v. To delegate the final approval of the final formal documentation required for IM Co. to be operational, described as “Go Live Work” as outlined in paragraph 44, to the Pension Committee to give effect to The WPP Fit for the Future Business Case.
Council was updated on progress towards the implementation of the Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Fit for the Future Business case approved by the UK government, and accordingly approve the formation of a corporate entity wholly owned by the WPP administering authorities. The report was proposed by Cllr Weaver and seconded by Cllr Thomas. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the report, before moving to the vote. FOR (62) Cllrs Abdul-Sattar, Ali Ahmed, Saleh Ahmed, Ali, Anderson, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Boes, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Burke, Carr, Carter, Chowdhury, Cowan, Cunnah, Davies, De’Ath, Derbyshire, Driscoll, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Ferguson-Thorne, Gibson, Green, Gunter, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Jackie Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Lancaster, Latif, Lay, Lister, Littlechild, Livesy, McEvoy, McGarry, Merry, Moultrie, Naughton, Owen, Palmer, Proctor, Reid-Jones, Sangani, Shimmin, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Taylor, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild, Wong and Wood AGAINST (0) ABSTAIN (0) RESOLVED: Council AGREED: i. To note the WPP Fit for the Future Business Case (Appendix 3, Appendix 4 and paragraphs 26 to 37); ii. To approve the formation of a corporate entity wholly owned by the WPP Administering Authorities (AAs) to be the WPP Investment Management Company (IM Co.) and all other actions necessary to submit an application to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) for the authorisation of the IM Co. including but not limited to the selection and recruitment of Senior Management Function (SMF) roles as required by the FCA and the preparation and submission of the application to the FCA. (paragraphs 38 to 41); iii. To approve the revised WPP Business Plan & budget 25/26 which includes design/enabling costs for Project Snowdon (Appendix 5 and paragraphs 42 and 43); iv. To delegate the S151 Officer in consultation with The Pension Committee Chair to progress Project Snowdon alongside WPP Administering Authorities (AAs) in line with the Government timetable within the approved budget; v. To delegate the final approval of the final formal documentation required for IM Co. to be operational, described as “Go Live Work” as outlined in paragraph 44, to the Pension Committee to give effect to The WPP Fit for the Future Business Case.
Leader’s Statement Cllr Thomas responded to questions in relation to: - twinning events; - the Panel Performance Assessment. Investment & Development Statement In the absence of Cllr Goodway, Cllr Thomas responded to questions in relation to: - the UK economy; - figures on the impact of major music events in the city centre; - contingency plans for issues with the National Grid; - the Bulldog pub in Fairwater. Adult Services and Public Health & Equality Statement Cllrs Thomson and Sangani responded to questions in relation to: - Cool Hubs to help residents cope in extreme heat; - the Cardiff Tamil event on 6th July; - the Food Sustainability Awards; - substance abuse in homeless accommodation; - engagement on health with the Chinese community. Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport Statement Cllr De’Ath responded to questions in relation to: - the proposed new cycle hire scheme and engagement with disability groups; - the outcomes of the Innovate UK Net Zero Living programme; - the findings of the Annual Transport Survey; - the funding of buses in Cardiff. Children’s Services, Tackling Poverty & Supporting Young People Statement Cllrs Lister and Bradbury responded to questions in relation to: - Bronwen’s Wish and services offered to schools; - access to advice on employment, education and training for 16-25s; - the DWP consultation on Pathways to Work; - measuring the long-term success of programmes like Flying Start; - the Youth Service’s annual consultation and strategies used. Deputy Leader and Education Statement Cllr Merry responded to questions in relation to: - guidance on weapons in schools and educational settings (WISES) and support available; - tree planting events at schools connected to One Planet. Housing & Communities Statement In the absence of Cllr Bridgeman, Cllr Thorne responded to questions in relation to: - responses to residents in need of urgent repairs; - complaints about contractors undertaking responsive repairs; - reducing the repairs backlog; - using the pension fund to build housing; - the Summer Reading Challenge in north Cardiff. Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services Statement In the absence of Cllr Mackie, Cllr Thomas responded to questions in relation to: - the Rescue Hotel in Cardiff Dogs Home; - financial support for cleansing and trade waste support for major events; - street cleanliness. Culture, Sport & Parks Statement Cllr Burke responded to questions in relation to: - Kneecap performing in Cardiff; - the Parks Infrastructure Programme; - helping partners to ensure gigs are neuro-inclusive; - noise levels during large-scale concerts in residential areas. Finance, Modernisation & Performance Statement Cllr Weaver responded to questions in relation to: - the potential for AI to transcribe committee meetings; - lessons learned from previous procurement processes.
The Lord Mayor noted that a Notice of Motion proposed by Cllr Gibson and seconded by Cllr Livesy had been received for consideration. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Gibson to propose the Motion as follows: This council notes: - The ongoing and deeply concerning conflict in Gaza, which has resulted in significant loss of life and that in November 2024, Cardiff Council debated the crisis and resolved to support calls for a ceasefire and to communicate that position to the Foreign Secretary. - Despite a temporary ceasefire in January 2025, hostilities have resumed and conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate. This council further notes: - Latest data from the Cardiff and Vale pension fund suggests it holds just under £3M in Israel based companies (0.09% of the total fund). - Local authorities such as Walthamstow, Oxford City, and North Somerset Council have passed policies opposing investment in arms companies complicit in the conflict. This council believes: - Public sector pension fund investments in Cardiff and across Wales should not fund war, human rights violations, or the potential breaking of international law regardless of how profitable they are. - Although the council’s pension committee makes decisions independently of the political structures of Cardiff Council, Full Council is within its rights to express a view on the matter. This council resolves: - To express in strong terms its view that it does not wish to be associated with companies complicit in the conflict in Gaza and potential war crimes. - To write to the Welsh Pension Partnership to make these views clear and for them to consider divesting from these companies on the basis of within the context of their fiduciary responsibilities, Environmental, Social and Governance risk and it its Responsible Investment Strategy. - To ask the Cardiff and Vale Pension Fund and Wales Pension Partnership to review their ethical investment policies to prevent future investments in companies linked to the war in Gaza. - To ask the Cardiff and Vale Pension Committee and Welsh Pension Partnership to regularly review and report divestment progress. - To reaffirm Cardiff's identity as a City of sanctuary and solidarity, and its commitment to align local governance with the principles of justice, sustainability and respect for international law. The Motion was formally seconded by Cllr Livesy. An Amendment to the Motion had been received from the Labour group. The Lord Mayor called upon Cllr De’Ath to move the Amendment as follows: This council notes: - The ongoing, deeply concerning Insert and harrowing conflict in Gaza, Delete which has resulted in significant loss of Insert innocent life, and that in November 2024, Cardiff Council debated the crisis and resolved to support calls for a Insert immediate ceasefire and to communicate that position to the Foreign Secretary. - Despite a temporary ceasefire in January 2025, hostilities have resumed and conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate. This council further notes: - Latest data from the Cardiff and Vale pension fund suggests it holds just under £3M in Israel based companies (0.09% of the total fund). - Local authorities such as Delete Walthamstow, Insert Waltham Forest, Oxford City, and North Somerset Council have passed policies opposing investment in arms companies complicit in the conflict. This council believes: - Public sector pension fund investments in Cardiff and across Wales should not fund war Insert crimes, human rights violations, or the potential breaking of international law regardless of how profitable they are. - Insert That the devasting humanitarian crisis in Gaza requires an immediate bilateral ceasefire, the provision of food and medicine to the civilian population, and a lasting political and diplomatic solution. - Although the council’s pension committee makes decisions independently of the political structures of Cardiff Council, Full Council is within its rights to express a view on the matter. - Insert That as the capital city of Wales, Cardiff Council should aspire to be a model for responsible and ethical investment and behaviour. This council resolves: - Insert To reiterate the beliefs and resolutions passed in the motion last November. - To express in strong terms its view that it does not wish to be associated with companies Insert potentially complicit Delete in the conflict in Gaza and potential in war crimes. - To write to the Welsh Pension Partnership to make these views clear and for them to Insert review their investments and consider Insert whether any holdings should be divested Delete divesting from these companies on the basis of within the context of their fiduciary responsibilities, Environmental, Social and Governance risk and it its Responsible Investment Strategy. - To ask the Cardiff and Vale Pension Fund and Wales Pension Partnership to review their ethical Insert /responsible investment policies to Insert ensure there are strong checks prior to investment of whether any companies are potentially complicit in war crimes Delete prevent future investments in companies linked to the war in Gaza. - To ask the Cardiff and Vale Pension Committee and Welsh Pension Partnership to regularly review and report divestment progress. - To reaffirm Cardiff's identity as a City of sanctuary and solidarity, and its commitment to align local governance with the principles of justice, sustainability and respect for international law. The amended motion would read as follows: This council notes: - The ongoing, deeply concerning and harrowing conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant loss of innocent life, and that in November 2024, Cardiff Council debated the crisis and resolved to support calls for an immediate ceasefire and to communicate that position to the Foreign Secretary. - Despite a temporary ceasefire in January 2025, hostilities have resumed and conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate. This council further notes: - Latest data from the Cardiff and Vale pension fund suggests it holds just under £3M in Israel based companies (0.09% of the total fund). - Local authorities such as Waltham Forest, Oxford City, and North Somerset Council have passed policies opposing investment in arms companies complicit in the conflict. This council believes: - Public sector pension fund investments in Cardiff and across Wales should not fund war crimes, human rights violations, or the potential breaking of international law regardless of how profitable they are. - That the devasting humanitarian crisis in Gaza requires an immediate bilateral ceasefire, the provision of food and medicine to the civilian population, and a lasting political and diplomatic solution. - Although the council’s pension committee makes decisions independently of the political structures of Cardiff Council, Full Council is within its rights to express a view on the matter. - That as the capital city of Wales, Cardiff Council should aspire to be a model for responsible and ethical investment and behaviour. This council resolves: - To reiterate the beliefs and resolutions passed in the motion last November. - To express in strong terms its view that it does not wish to be associated with companies potentially complicit in war crimes. - To write to the Welsh Pension Partnership to make these views clear and for them to review their investments and consider whether any holdings should be divested within the context of their fiduciary responsibilities, Environmental, Social and Governance risk and it its Responsible Investment Strategy. - To ask the Cardiff and Vale Pension Fund and Wales Pension Partnership to review their ethical/responsible investment policies to ensure there are strong checks prior to investment of whether any companies are potentially complicit in war crimes. - To ask the Cardiff and Vale Pension Committee and Welsh Pension Partnership to regularly review and report divestment progress. - To reaffirm Cardiff's identity as a City of sanctuary and solidarity, and its commitment to align local governance with the principles of justice, sustainability and respect for international law. The Amendment was formally seconded by Cllr Weaver. The Lord Mayor invited debate on the Motion and Amendment. The Lord Mayor invited Cllr Gibson to respond to the issues raised during the debate. She confirmed that the Amendment was accepted. The Amendment having been accepted, the Lord Mayor moved to the vote on the Motion as amended by Cllr De’Ath and seconded by Cllr Weaver. FOR (57) Cllrs Abdul-Sattar, Ali Ahmed, Saleh Ahmed, Ali, Anderson, Ash-Edwards, Berman, Boes, Bowen-Thomson, Bradbury, Burke, Carr, Carter, Chowdhury, Cunnah, De’Ath, Ebrahim, Elsmore, Ferguson-Thorne, Gibson, Green, Gunter, Hinchey, Hopkins, Humphreys, Hunt, Jenkins, Jackie Jones, Owen Jones, Kaaba, Latif, Lay, Lent, Lister, Littlechild, Livesy, McEvoy, McGarry, Merry, Moultrie, Naughton, Palmer, Proctor, Reid-Jones, Sangani, Shimmin, Simmons, Singh, Stubbs, Taylor, Thomas, Thomson, Thorne, Weaver, Wild, Wong and Wood AGAINST (4) Cllrs Davies, Driscoll, Lancaster and Williams ABSTAIN (0) The Motion was CARRIED.
Part of an issue followed across 8 meetings
There were 19 oral questions. 1. Cllr Berman to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Parks The Blackweir Live concerts have certainly been a significant commercial success and helped provide a much-needed boost to the city’s economy. However, whilst these concerts have been greatly enjoyed by many residents and visitors to the city, other residents have had concerns about the extent to which parkland has had to be fenced off from general use to facilitate them, and the open nature of the venue has led to the sound from the concerts carrying for miles across the city, leading to a number of noise complaints. How will the authority now balance these competing impacts in considering the future for this concert series and the use of Blackweir Fields as a music venue, and can you please outline the envisaged timescale for such a review to be undertaken? Reply – Cllr Burke Thank you, Councillor, for recognising how these concerts have benefited the city. We are carefully considering feedback from residents, informing our assessments, which we hope to complete within the next few weeks. Supplementary – Cllr Berman Do you at this stage think that the Blackweir series of concerts is likely to be repeated, and, if so, are you going to look at whether measures could be put in place that could mitigate the impact of the noise carry, because certainly the noise from these concerts seems to carry much more widely than, say, from concerts in the castle or concerts in the Principality Stadium, and therefore it potentially is causing disturbance to people. So, is that something that can be mitigated, and is the council looking at that? Reply – Cllr Burke It’s something the council is looking at. As I mentioned, we’re bringing a number of partners together, including the acoustician, that is part of the feedback that we’re looking at. All that will be weighed on balance, obviously no decisions have been taken as yet whether or not there will be a Blackweir Live series in 2026. That decision will be predicated on the feedback that we get back in, and whether or not we can mitigate the impacts. 2. Cllr Lancaster to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Parks Will Blackweir Live go ahead again next year? Reply – Cllr Burke As I mentioned, no decisions have been taken yet and will be made on balance. I would like to mention, however, that across the four concerts we had over 100,000 people enjoying world class music in our beautiful city centre parkland. Over 44% of ticket buyers were from outside of Wales, we had so many people coming from outside of Wales, it was unbelievable and the feedback we’ve had has really been overwhelmingly positive. I was copied into an email from a person who travelled from Europe with their very ill mother, who when they arrived were met with kindness and hospitality, staff on site made that person very comfortable, they were able to get a good position to watch Stevie Wonder. The feedback from that individua is exceptionally warm and praising. Charlotte Church called it a ‘transformative experience’, all of this is fantastic feedback and it’s really lovely to hear it. That doesn’t mean that we take those comments and run ahead next year, it absolutely has to be weighed on balance with how residents are impacted and what we can do to mitigate that impact next year, if it goes ahead. Supplementary – Cllr Lancaster I was awaiting some sort of reference to the review, and things like that, obviously wouldn’t want to prejudice the results of that. There’s also a challenge that has been made under the planning system, so that will be looked at, and could possibly result in a non-expediency report regarding the event, so just wondering, if that were to show that the event indeed were in breach of planning conditions, would that in itself nix the possibility of the event going ahead next year? Reply – Cllr Burke Obviously the legal advice changed after the decision had been taken, in light of, was it, Lambeth Council with Mighty Hoopla. At the time the decision was taken, we were on the right side of the law. The advice changed midway through, and obviously we’ve worked closely with officers in planning to look at what considerations we had to make, and I believe that at this very late stage this evening, the park is open and accessible and it should all be off-site tomorrow. Whether or not we would have to look at what, again, if it went ahead next year, what the timelines would be, that would be taken into consideration. The one thing we’re not able to do is to dictate to a tour company or whoever that these are the windows of dates that we would like to accommodate. We get told when these bands are touring, and obviously these are booked more than two years out in terms of the availability of the artists. All that will be taken into consideration. What we don’t want to do is obviously go forward on the basis that this is very regular and routine that people can expect limited access to park space across Cardiff. We want to make sure that park space is open and available, so we’re it’s working in conjunction with partners. 3. Cllr Littlechild to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities Can you please tell me how many of our frontline staff are trained and carry Naloxone, and which departments they work for? Reply – Cllr Thorne There are a number of council teams that carry Naloxone: for example, frontline service teams within the Adults, Housing & Communities directorate, all of whom come into direct contact with people with complex needs or who use substances. The total number of council staff trained to carry Naloxone is approximately 183. The council is committed to harm reduction and safeguarding, and the carrying of Naloxone enables staff to react quickly should they find someone having an opiate overdose and to perform a lifesaving intervention by administering this substance. Training is provided by Cardiff and the Vale Drug and Alcohol Service, who also provide refresher training, the necessary equipment and restocking of Naloxone supplies when required. Naloxone training complements first aid training and is a core requirement across those services where staff work directly with people at risk. Supplementary – Cllr Littlechild Are there plans to expand this provision to other council staff or third sector organisations? Reply – Cllr Thorne I’ll tell you who currently has access, so the following the council services: Complex Needs Accommodation; Managed Accommodation Services; Complex Needs Case Co-ordinators; Young Persons Services Accommodation; Adult Services in the City Centre; City Centre wardens; Housing First staff; the Diversionary Activities team and the Outreach team. If we felt that others needed to, yes we certainly would. We want to make sure we save as many lives as possible. 4. Cllr Elsmore to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services Cardiff has played host to significant city centre events recently. Much has been made about the returns that will accrue to parks, as well as the economic benefits secured by the wider hospitality and night-time economy. Given the key role played by street scene and waste services after events, what direct contributions will these services receive? Reply – Cllr Thomas (in the absence of Cllr Mackie) The council’s street scene service does not receive any contributions from events held in the city, whether they are council-led or non-council-led events. The parks service will use any income generated from hosting such events to support their budgets and provide resources for parks, and I know Cllr Burke looks forward to showing you more detail after the summer on how the revenue from Blackweir intends to be used. Cleansing resources are deployed from central budgets to the external areas of managed event spaces or venues in order to maintain cleanliness in the city. The allocation of resources and related costs are documented to provide transparency in terms of street cleansing expenses associated with events for both the service and the council more widely. These costs will be reviewed after the final music event to be held at the Principality Stadium in the coming weeks. Supplementary – Cllr Elsmore Will you agree with me, therefore, that while street scene and waste services have been doing an excellent job in the cleanup post-events, of course, it’s taking away services from local wards, and residents are beginning to comment? Reply – Cllr Thomas I’m not sure you’d be correct to say it is taking away, but there has certainly been an allocation of resources towards event management over what is now a long-established period of Cardiff being an event city, for which there is no financial upside to the council. If there were there a financial upside to the council, it could be redirected towards more neighbourhood-type services of the sort you describe, so I would agree with that point. I’ve gone on the record in saying that there is a clear rationale for a tourism levy in Cardiff, off the back of the visitor numbers we’ve received, not least coming here to experience major events. We estimate that could generate £3.5m-£4m of revenue annually to the council, and we’d clearly want to spend that on a number of areas to support the visitor economy, with the cleanup from events being an element of that, which in turn will unlock revenue for more dispersed neighbourhood services. And just to give you some context, the cleansing service budget annually is just short of £8m, so you can see where £3.5m or a portion thereof could make a significant difference. 5. Cllr Carter to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services How does the council plan to roll out the segregated recycling to blocks of flats in Pentwyn, Llanedeyrn and across the city? Reply – Cllr Thomas (in the absence of Cllr Mackie) You’ll be pleased to know, I think, that efforts are already underway to expand segregated recycling collections to approximately 34,000 flats in the city that still receive co-mingled waste collections. That is a large number of properties, and you’ll understand why we make the argument to the Welsh government that in a Welsh context, Cardiff is an exceptional case in terms of the type of tenures of properties that we have to deal with across the city. Our analysis suggests that over 6,700 tonnes of recyclable materials are currently lost to residual waste from these properties, and therefore we think the move to segregated recycling will provide a significant opportunity to boost city-wide recycling rates as well as promoting sustainability. To ensure the rollout is tailored and effective, the implementation will follow a ward-by-ward schedule, supported by individual site assessments to align the service with local built environments, and I’m sure Cllr Mackie and officers will be briefing local Members in detail in due course on the rollout as it happens. Supplementary – Cllr Carter Accepting all the points about sustainability and the benefits to our wider society by increased recycling, would you share my concern that unless we do get this right and actually minimise the risks of the system being abused, then the costs to the council are potentially great? It only takes one person living in a large block of flats to actually put the wrong stuff in the red bin rather than the blue bin to contaminate the whole lot, and that’s obviously a lot more expensive for the council to deal with. So, would you agree with me that this approach will require caution and a lot of sensitivity, and may not possibly be as simple as we necessarily think? Reply – Cllr Thomas I would agree with that assessment, except to say that we do not think this will be straightforward or easy and indeed that’s the very reason why this hasn’t been introduced thus far. It’s very easy, I think, to say, well, all properties should be separate in their recycling and what have you, but clearly the volume of flats and these types of properties that we have in the city is considerable, and you’ve set out a really good example there of the potential pitfalls. So, we will want to work very closely with residents on the rollout, we will clearly be collaborating with experts like WRAP Cymru as well, developing a customised communications package to support the rollout. There’ll be new clearly labelled recycling bins, updated communal signage and messages to boost residents’ awareness and encourage behavioural change. We’ll want the support of local Members across the city to communicate this message to residents and as to why it’s important, because ultimately, if the recycling rate is up, then actually we get better returns for when we sell that recycling product on the market, and ultimately that’s good for the taxpayers of Cardiff. 6. Cllr Davies to Cllr Sangani, Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Public Health & Equality In an answer to a written question I submitted last month, the council stated its ‘participation in Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme provides us with useful feedback on our performance as an employer in those areas that are evaluated as part of the programme’. Did that feedback include advice that has, by implication, been deemed unlawful in the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on its interpretation of the Equality Act? Reply – Cllr Sangani As I outlined previously in my reply to your written question last month, the council’s engagement with Stonewall through the Diversity Champions programme is focused on promoting inclusive workplace practice and supporting all employees, including those who are LGBTQ+. As part of this programme, Stonewall provides general feedback and advice on best practice. This feedback and advice is intended to support an inclusive environment and does not constitute legal guidance. This council is also under no obligation to follow their advice. The feedback we received from Stonewall in July last year made reference to the availability of accessible and gender-neutral facilities. It is important to note that the feedback received by the council from Stonewall predates the Supreme Court’s recent ruling. Supplementary – Cllr Davies I asked a similar question a couple of years ago but did so once again because of the court ruling, there are things that have changed with that landscape. And with that court ruling, I’m actually still waiting for details on how the council still needs to set out how it will comply with it, by the way, you kind of spoke about it in a written question response last month, but need that detail to come forward. It's important because, as you rightly say, while the council doesn’t have to take heed of Stonewall’s advice, it has given itself three targets in the Stronger, Fairer, Greener strategy that are purely dependent on Stonewall awarding the council some sort of score. Now, they wouldn’t give organisations high scores if they ignored their advice, I think that’s a fairly logical conclusion to draw. So, my questions are, does the Cabinet Member believe that the council is reputationally exposed in its relationship with Stonewall, because we still need to see the full extent of the advice taken or not, and would the Cabinet Member also welcome further scrutiny of its relationship with Stonewall by council committees? Reply – Cllr Sangani As part of this program, Stonewall provides general feedback and advice for best practice which can create an inclusive environment for our employees. I wouldn’t be able to comment more than that, but I’m more than happy to meet after Council if you wanted to have more clarification with regards to how we’re treating this matter. 7. Cllr Reid-Jones to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services Back in January, our group submitted a motion asking that Voluntary First Responders be given access to bus lanes and restricted roads to reach callouts faster and without incurring fines. It was lovely to see that there was support for the principles of the motion from across the chamber, and it was agreed we would withdraw our motion on the understanding that officers would look at the practicalities of granting access and bring a report to Cabinet within a three-month timescale. We are now several months on. Could the Cabinet Member please provide an update? Reply – Cllr Thomas (in the absence of Cllr Mackie) Apologies if you didn’t feel you’ve been kept up to date with where the discussions are at. It’s not a straightforward issue, and officers have been actively monitoring the situation over the last six months, but at the heart of the matter there is a belief that the existing system is actually considered to be working well, with effective engagement and collaboration with organisations such as the Welsh Ambulance Service, St John’s Ambulance Service and also with first responders in terms of any appeals of penalty charge notices. There have been issues, then, with using bus lanes in the city when responding to life-threatening emergencies. Just to give you a sense of it, in 2025 so far, there have been a total of 64 accepted appeals for vehicles relating to emergency services. Of these, 3 were linked to the Welsh Ambulance Service, and only one of those was for the use of a bus lane by a first responder. That was in May, and in that instance the first responder provided confirmation from the Welsh Ambulance Service that they were attending an emergency, and the appeal was accepted. So, the sense is that this is a limited issue that seems to be working well. I’m sure Cllr Mackie would happily meet with you to talk through the whole position in more detail. There is still scope for a Cabinet report, but I’m not persuaded at this point at least that we would need to change the policy, because it seems to be working well following feedback from the stakeholders involved, but I’m happy to hear the supplementary. Supplementary – Cllr Reid-Jones The reason first responders haven’t been ticketed is because they don’t use the bus lanes and restricted roads, because the appeals process is such that it takes too much time away from their day jobs, and they are volunteers at the end of the day. I would like to see further consideration and I’d like to take up the offer of meeting with Cllr Mackie to see where we can go from here. I’m hoping that the first responders that we’ve dealt with will also be able to come along and meet with her as well, and sooner rather than later, please. Reply – Cllr Thomas That sounds like a sensible suggestion, to involve some of the individuals you’re referring to, because the view internally being advised to Cabinet is that the system is working well. Very happy to test that and involve other stakeholders as well. 8. Cllr Anderson to Cllr Bridgeman, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities Tomorrow sees the official opening of the new playground in Splott Park. I want to take this moment to pay tribute to local campaigners, in particular Laura David and Nick Broughton, who a few years ago organised a petition calling for upgrades to the playground. As you know, this upgrade was delivered thanks to the Neighbourhood Regeneration Scheme put in place by this Labour administration. The NRS has really helped transform my ward. Could you please share some details about other projects that the NRS has delivered? Reply – Cllr Thorne (in the absence of Cllr Bridgeman) I’m really pleased that you’re pleased with the work you feel has transformed your community. The Neighbourhood Renewal Schemes (NRS) programme is a city-wide initiative, as you know, which aims to address local priorities by supporting regeneration projects put forward by local members. The scheme was first introduced in 2000 by a Labour administration and reintroduced in 2012 by a Labour administration. During those two periods, a total of 127 local regeneration projects have been successfully delivered right across the city. The programme is a vital part of our commitment to building stronger, more vibrant communities across Cardiff. These projects reflect the priorities of residents and deliver real improvements to public spaces, play areas, and local shopping environments. Nine schemes were completed last year, which included a mix of parks and shopping areas, including improvements to Clare Gardens in Riverside, Maria Street in Butetown and Insole Shops in Llandaff. Feedback from residents and businesses who were involved in the projects has been really positive. A further thirteen schemes are in development now, with nine schemes due to be fully delivered this year in wards such as Caerau, Fairwater, Heath and Rhiwbina. I would encourage anybody to visit the Cardiff Development and Regeneration website, where you can see pictures of all of those schemes and the difference it makes. 9. Cllr Taylor to Cllr De’Ath, Chair of the Meeting of Cabinet (as Trustee of the Maindy Park Trust) held on 2nd March 2023 Will the Cabinet Member confirm what recent discussions the council has had with the Charity Commission, in its role as the Maindy Park Trust, about the steps the local authority must take following the long-term improper use of the Trust’s land? Reply – Cllr De’Ath As far as I am aware, there have been no recent discussions with the Charity Commission, and this matter was resolved, as I set out in a written response to Cllr Brown-Reckless a few months ago. Supplementary – Cllr Taylor I understand that the Charity Commission has previously indicated that the council may have to make a financial remedy to the Trust for the long-term improper use of the land, admission of which was confirmed in a written question to Council on January 30th. In a member enquiry I submitted and you responded on the 9th, it said that no funds had been allocated, and no steps had been identified in case mediation or remedy was owed. So, can you confirm whether or not the Charity Commission has now indicated, it doesn’t sound as though, but can you confirm if a remedy is required and the nature of that remedy? Reply – Cllr De’Ath The land used temporarily for Cathays High School car parking was situated on the former footprint of the bowling pavilion and associated buildings, which did not constitute accessible green space. These structures were demolished following the disbandment of the former resident bowls club, due to their deteriorating condition and subsequent fire damage. At the time, the officers who permitted the temporary use of the land weren’t sure of the trust implications and considered the development to be a positive solution to address the poor state of the site. The Charity Commission was notified of the breach as part of the application to support a land exchange with Maindy Park, which, if approved, would formally resolve the breach. However, in the interim, officers have sought a more immediate solution, and parking provision has been relocated to the Companies House site under a license agreement, effectively remedying the breach. I will double check on your point and provide any information, but that’s my understanding of the situation. 10. Cllr Driscoll to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services In Cardiff, we have a great waste management team and a hardworking, dedicated workforce that collect our waste, and I mean that. With a long dispute with the waste collection workforce at Birmingham Council, which has seen the council declare a major incident in March where it is said the workforce has legitimate concerns at the loss of pay, I’ve been asked, and although it’s unlikely, I know, but if we did have a similar protracted dispute in Cardiff, what contingency plans do we have in place to collect waste? Reply – Cllr Thomas (in the absence of Cllr Mackie) As you know, in Wales, local authorities and trade unions collaborate through social partnership to address challenges that we face and enhance wellbeing, and I think we can take great pride that at least over 50 Members of this chamber are members of trade unions. You may be yourself, I don’t know, sir. That social partnership refers to a collaborative way of working between the Welsh government, employers and trade unions to address shared challenges and improve wellbeing. We refer to this as the ‘Welsh Way’, and it’s characterised by a commitment to finding joint solutions, and is embedded in how things are done in Wales. You’ve got the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act of 2014, that formalised this by placing a duty on public bodies to seek consensus with their recognised trade unions when making strategic decisions related to wellbeing objectives. That doesn’t mean that we won’t, from time to time, disagree, and of course you saw last year, we did have a period of industrial action in this city that affected waste management services, but effective contingency measures were put in place at that time across the city. We maintained amicable relations with trade union partners, we continued the delivery of essential services, and ultimately we worked together to resolve the strike issue. Supplementary – Cllr Driscoll That’s reassuring for the residents of Cardiff, and of course businesses, especially businesses that have food waste. Schools will also be pleased to hear this, because as we know from what’s happened in Birmingham, some schools’ waste weren’t collected for a long time. So, do you agree that an event like the one we are seeing in Birmingham could also see a potential exodus of customers from Cardiff Council’s commercial waste service to private companies, resulting in loss of income to the city if we were to have a situation like that, and if there is a plan, if you’ve got a contingency, will you publish it? Reply – Cllr Thomas I hope I’m not speaking out of turn, but I think they are certainly able to be scrutinised, those contingency plans, and I think they’re well understood, certainly at a Cabinet level, in terms of what they would entail. But in terms of trade waste, we are reasonably unique, I think, in Wales in having a trade waste service, and that brings actual additional resilience to our ability to manage and collect waste. And let me just take the opportunity to say how proud I am of the work that trade waste service does. It is in competition with private providers, that do pay less money and have less favourable terms and conditions than what we offer our workers, but we do so because that is the right thing to do, and it’s a service that is nevertheless competitive. And I would urge businesses in the city listening to this debate, and I’m sure there are many, to sign up to the trade waste service if they are otherwise signed up with some of our competitors. 11. Cllr McGarry to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services How can the council enforce landlords to keep the front of their properties clean and tidy? Reply – Cllr Thomas (in the absence of Cllr Mackie) This is an important area, and an area that the council has actually been innovating in in recent month. I’m sure you’ll be aware of the pilots in Cathays and Plasnewydd to address persistent and ongoing waste accumulations at specific properties. What happens is that waste enforcement officers will monitor waste accumulation on private property and respond to instances where waste could impact local environmental quality. Landlords are required to inspect properties and to remove waste such as bagged waste and large items, from the front of properties, which could attract rodents or indeed provide shelter for them. When that waste is left to accumulate, then we do issue a letter as an intention to serve to landowners, instructing them to remove the waste. For persistent and continuing waste accumulation issues, we will then issue a Community Protection Warning (a CPW), which in turn can then lead to a Community Protection Notice. The landlords are required by law to safely contain and properly dispose of waste generated during property maintenance or clearance, and the Environmental Enforcement Manager presents annually at the Landlord Forum on their waste management responsibilities. 12. Cllr McEvoy to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education Could the Cabinet Member give an update on Additional Learning Needs in Cardiff? Reply – Cllr Merry Over recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of children and young people requiring specialist placement in Cardiff. This is part of a broad national trend of increased incidence of highly complex needs due to improved perinatal mortality rates and an increase in the incidence of trauma-related needs. As a capital city, Cardiff is the location of the Children’s Hospital for Wales, and the city also has a high rate of inward mobility for families whose children have highly complex needs. Since 2021, the council has increased its specialist provision in special schools and specialist resource bases from 1,050 places to 1,555 places, an increase of 48%. By the end of 2026, when the council will have delivered the new Fairwater Campus, expanded Riverbank and Woodlands special schools, and two new sites for The Court school (Ysgol Cynefin), specialist places will reach 1,737, an increase of over 65% in a six-year period. Despite this rate of growth, places have not kept pace with demand, resulting in increased reliance on places in the local independent sector. Local independent placements increased by 134% between September 2021 and September 2024, from 116 to 272. The council has been engaging with school stakeholders in recent months on an inclusion strategy that will be brought forward in the autumn. This will include holistic plans for how ALN learners will be supported in mainstream, SRB and special schools, as well as plans for additional learning needs places for learners. Supplementary – Cllr McEvoy The question at the beginning is, what are you going to do about this? There are a lot of things wrong with additional learning needs in the city, and parents’ experiences, and it’s not helped by the council giving out false information. Some parents say that the council lies, maybe the council is just making mistakes, but I say this with the utmost seriousness. If you look at the written questions I put in some weeks ago, we’ve got the answers to them tonight. It says that a council officer for example, when a parent is not represented, the tribunal’s usually done by a council officer. That is incorrect, because freedom of information request 23422 says that the council uses barristers for all tribunals, that’s one inaccuracy. Secondly, if you look at the answer to written question number 19, we’re told that there were no cases conceded by Cardiff Council in 2022, 2023, 2024. That’s incorrect, is it an error or is it a lie? I’ve seen paperwork where a case was actually conceded, and yet it isn’t in the question. Councillor, you’re shaking your head but you should be really concerned by this, and you should be chasing this up. Finally, what I’ll say in terms of cost, we’re told that the legal fees, in answer to my written question, are £5,330. That’s complete and utter nonsense, they’ve either left off a zero or maybe two zeroes, it depends on what was spent. But to say that it’s £5,000 is incorrect. I’ve highlighted just three inaccuracies there, what are you going to do about the council giving out false information, be it deliberately or not deliberately? Reply – Cllr Merry I’d just like to start by saying how reprehensible I actually think it is for a Member to get up in this chamber and accuse officers, who cannot defend themselves here, of lying. I think it is totally inappropriate for that question to be asked that way. It was actually a very poorly worded question that I did my best to answer. The officers submitted four pages of summarised information, which would have been impossible to bring forward in this council chamber, because it is a complex and difficult issue, and it is very hard for parents who are trying to do their best for their children and feel like they are fighting the system, and it is completely recognised by officers. The fuller reply would have given you the work we’re doing to support inclusion within mainstream education, and I’ve already touched on the expansion of places that we’re already put in. 65% increase in a matter of a few years, but we are also not satisfied with that, because we recognise the challenge. It’s a national challenge, that anybody who read their newspapers rather than relying on Facebook posts would realise. We will be bringing forward a strategy in the autumn which I look forward to engaging with Members on. And I just wanted to, very briefly, just talk about an email I had earlier from a parent who talked about the compassion and care that our staff took, and the way that they helped them through what is a very difficult process for parents. 13. Cllr Latif to Cllr De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Strategic Planning & Transport Given the challenges faced by the Nextbike scheme, including vandalism and operational issues, what specific lessons has the council learned, and how are these being built into the procurement and oversight of the new e-bike scheme to ensure long-term success? Reply – Cllr De’Ath Whilst there were issues with Nextbike, which I wouldn’t want to minimise, it was a really, really successful scheme, with over 2 million bike hires during its lifetime. It was the company’s most successful scheme in the UK. What have we learned from it? We’ve learned loads from it, there are three things that stand out. One is around docks: the Nextbike docks didn’t really work, if you stole a bike or tried to steal a bike, you broke the dock and you broke the bike. Secondly, about the profit motive, having the company pay for the bikes rather than the council, and paying for any replacements, so it incentivises them to prevent them from being stolen. But really, the technology around this kind of stuff has moved on so dramatically since Nextbike, that it’s a really different marketplace. There’s so many new features that can address some of those futures, the new scheme will be a very different beast to Nextbike. Supplementary – Cllr Latif Can you please provide specific examples of how the new procurement criteria or contract terms have been changed to address the issues of vandalism, maintenance delays or service reliability that affected the previous scheme? Reply – Cllr De’Ath The new scheme differs from Nextbike in terms of the contract we’ll be going out to market for in a variety of ways. The main one is that it will be operator-led, so a private company will put up most of the capital for the bikes and all the other infrastructure. Also, we’re insisting on a number of things around security, like I outlined in my previous answer, and the new scheme will be much bigger Nextbike was about a thousand units, the new one by the end of it will be about 2,500, obviously rolled out incrementally. It will be a great scheme, it will be superb value for the taxpayer, and should really be much, much more secure. It won’t be infallible, but much more secure. Exciting stuff. 14. Cllr Hopkins to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services What expectations does the council have about the presentation of recycling waste in plastic, cardboard and metal containers so that it is not contaminated with food residues, and how are these expectations communicated to residents? Reply – Cllr Thomas (in the absence of Cllr Mackie) I think we’ve got high but fair expectations of our residents. You will know, Councillor, that we ask that they empty and rinse all glass, metal and plastic containers that contain food residues before placing them in recycling sacks or caddies. This ensures that materials can be processed properly and prevents contamination of otherwise recyclable waste. In addition, and this is really important actually, cardboard that has been contaminated with food, oil, grease or paint – so pizza boxes, for example – should be placed in general waste, as although you feel like you want to recycle that cardboard pizza box, that actually contaminates the recycling. These guidelines have long been part of our recycling standards, but were recently re-emphasised during the transition to segregated recycling collections, when every household citywide as part of that transition received the ‘Changes to Your Recycling Collections’ booklet. Supplementary – Cllr Hopkins My question was prompted by the fact that food waste in recycling sacks is an obvious attraction to rodents. I understand there’s been a significant increase in callouts to the Pest Control service since the red and blue sacks have been in use, as they’re much more accessible to rodents in particular. Does the council have any solutions to address this problem? Reply – Cllr Thomas You’ve touched on one of the key reasons for the move away from those green single-use plastic bags to the red and blue sacks, because it was much easier previously for residents to put contaminated waste in those green bags, which still got ripped open by seagulls, but the responsibility fell entirely on the council’s cleansing teams to respond to that issue. Whereas now it is much more of a problem, frankly, if you’re going to leave food waste in your red and blue sacks, you’ve got to deal with that issue on a week by week basis, so it does encourage behaviour change. We are seeing really positively the increased quality in the recycling product off the back of people making that shift in behaviours. I would ask councillors to support the council in its messaging of the importance. I’m an expert, Councillor, because I was doing it last night myself. A quick rinse to remove food residue, you don’t have to go overboard with scrubbing, but it takes a short amount of time to get to the sufficient quality that is clean. 15. Cllr Cowan to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education How many children does Cardiff Council currently fund to attend private and public schools? Please provide the cost per place and which schools the pupils are placed in. Reply – Cllr Merry As of this month, July 2025, there are 276 ALN learners registered in private or independent schools. The schools where pupils are placed include Birchwood, Craig y Parc, Eastward House, Headlands, Inspired Learners, Kings Monkton, Mynydd Haf, Oakmont, PINC College, Red Rose and Ty Monmouth. The total predicted cost of ALN educational placements in the private and independent sector in the 2025/26 financial year is currently £13.499 million. 16. Cllr Kaaba to Cllr Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Parks Will the Cabinet Member for culture, parks and events make a statement on Cardiff’s success in securing its 21st Green Flag Award, particularly the recognition of Llandaff Fields in Riverside ward? Reply – Cllr Burke I couldn’t be more pleased to, I am genuinely thrilled that we have won our 21st Green Flag award. This is a recognition of the hard work and is a real testament to the work of our volunteers, rangers and workforce. I’m very proud that we have more Green Flags than any other Welsh local authority, and more than any UK core city outside of London. I’m also exceptionally proud that, notwithstanding the financial pressures that our council continues to face, we continue to meet the standards set by an independent awarding body, ensuring that these spaces are appropriately managed and to meet the needs of the communities that they serve. I’d also like to take the opportunity to congratulate Cardiff-based organisations who have also received the Green Flag Community Award, in recognition of the voluntary efforts of local organising committees and volunteers. 17. Cllr Berman to Cllr Merry, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Education With 44% of the city’s schools now having applied to operate deficit budgets for the current financial year, meaning they are planning to spend more this year than the authority is able to provide them with in terms of revenue funding, and a number of schools being in their third year in a row of having to operate with such a deficit budget, what is the local authority’s plan for turning this perilous financial situation around for the city’s schools moving forward? Reply – Cllr Merry The reasons for individual deficits will vary school by school: pupil numbers, ALN pressures, grants not increasing at the same rate provided by the local authority, to name just three. Council officers are currently working with schools to respond to the financial pressures that individual schools are facing and provide support and financial advice. Due to the varied nature of our schools and the unique set of circumstances that each school finds itself in, the actions required by both the council and by schools are numerous. Funding to schools through the delegated schools formula is primarily based on pupils’ numbers, as per school funding regulations, and scope to directly intervene financially is limited. Following analysis work that has been undertaken, we will review and adjust the formula to provide a fair funding formula that reflects the needs of schools. The promotion of collaborative working between schools to improve school standards and seek efficiencies is progressing, as is work by the council to harness the collective purchasing power of the 128 Cardiff schools. Expansion of specialist provision to alleviate sufficiency of specialist placements is accelerating, which will also help to alleviate ALN pressures that our mainstream schools are currently facing. Supplementary – Cllr Berman Just as when we moved a motion on this topic and it was amended by the ruling group, I haven’t really heard much in the way of a solution coming forward in the answer you’ve given, and we are now in a situation where we’re getting near to half the city’s schools operating deficit budgets, and schools having to accept the fact that year after year after year, the situation is getting worse, and yet we don’t seem to be offering any answers. Previously, you indicated that it was something that perhaps the Welsh government or the UK government would have to step in to solve. Well, you’ve now got a Labour government in Westminster, you’ve now got a Labour government in Cardiff Bay, and yet the money is not coming forward, and it’s not filtering through to schools, so I’ll ask you again. When are you going to come forward with a strategy to actually get us out of this situation? Reply – Cllr Merry I touched upon the many reasons for schools going into deficit. For many of the primary schools, it is the link between funding and school numbers, that isn’t an issue unique to Cardiff, it is a national issue due to falling birth rates. Clearly, many of the costs of running the schools remain the same. Similarly, the grants, which can make up a significant portion of a school’s budget, have not increased at the same rate that the local authority has increased their funding, and that is a point that we do take up with the Welsh government, and I believe should be looked at. I think their counterargument is that they would prefer to put any money available into councils’ budgets, but schools can be very dependent on that grant money and obviously, if that is not increasing at the same rate as staff salaries, and grant money is used to employ staff, then that does cause financial problems for schools. We are looking to work more collaboratively across our schools, but we’re also putting in individual help to provide headteachers with budgeting support as well, because schools have had a lot of additional funding over the Covid period, not at all of that funding has been cut back by the heads and the governing bodies, and that’s an issue we all need to take some responsibility for. 18. Cllr Abdul-Sattar to Cllr Mackie, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene & Environmental Services Concerns have been raised by residents about the level of overflowing public bins and litter on our streets, particularly around the many major events we have had in the city centre. Could the Cabinet Member advise what steps are taken to mitigate and resolve this issue? Reply – Cllr Thomas (in the absence of Cllr Mackie) During major events at the Principality Stadium, or indeed at Cardiff Castle, Bute Park and Blackweir, road closures in the city centre prevent some of our cleansing and waste collection vehicles from accessing cordoned-off areas that are surrounded by hostile vehicle mitigation measures. A longstanding cleaning schedule is in place where cleansing teams empty bins during the concert when there are no crowds of people. But for health and safety reasons, our cleansing teams leave the area before the event ends, and large crowds exit the stadium. The cleansing teams then return in the early hours of the morning to complete the clean-up. I can tell you that the service area is aware of recent concerns about overflowing bins in areas adjacent to where events have been held, and continuously review arrangements for emptying bins, including making refinements to the cleansing schedule, as necessary. 19. Cllr McEvoy to Cllr Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing & Communities Could the Cabinet Member give an urgent update on the housing situation of those convicted of offences during the last Ely riots, and state how many properties are involved? Reply – Cllr Thorne I have already been contacted by Ely ward members over the weekend who asked me for further clarification on the notices that have been issued to tenants. Our anti-social behaviour team, under its information sharing protocol with South Wales Police, was informed about several arrests and charges relating to the Ely riots involving council tenants or their household members. The charges being made are the offence of riot under the Public Order Act of 1986. As this offence was committed within the locality of their home, the constitutes a breach of their occupational contract with us. Therefore, in accordance with our antisocial behaviour policy, and in line with the Renting Homes Wales Act, a possession notice was issued to 17 households. Our priority is to protect tenants and residents in the area from antisocial behaviour. Our contract with tenants clearly says that they must not engage, or threaten to engage, in conduct capable of causing a nuisance or annoyance to persons engaged in lawful activity in the locality of the dwelling. It is our normal process when serious charges have been made to serve a notice. The court date for these offences is some time in the future, and any further action would then be considered following the court hearing. It is important to say that serving this notice is merely the initial legal step in addressing tenancy issues and does not necessarily lead to eviction. Essentially, this is a warning at this stage that any legal action may be taken. Any further action will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering factors such as whether a conviction is obtained, the occurrence of additional incidents or arrests, the individual’s continued presence in that household, the household’s composition and any other support needs. Each notice was accompanied by a covering letter detailing the process and providing the contact information of an ASB Team Officer for further enquiries. The paperwork also included guidance on obtaining independent legal advice. I can tell Council that since January 2020, our ASB team have issued 328 notices as part of its standard process before considering possession claims. In the vast majority of cases, these notices do not result in eviction. In fact, only 31 of those notices have led to a possession order being granted by the court. This highlights that serving that notice is not about rushing to eviction. Each case will be looked at on its merits, and all issues will be considered before any further legal action is taken.
Part of an issue followed across 11 meetings
There was no urgent business.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To receive nominations and appoint to the vacancy on the Committees, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out on the Amendment Sheet.
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: 1. To receive nominations and appoint to the vacancy on the Committees, in accordance with the Party Group wishes, as set out on the Amendment Sheet.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the appointment of Bridgid Corr and Elisabeth Hagen as parent governor representatives on the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee, each for a two year term commencing on 18 July 2025.
Council was requested to appoint parent governor representatives to the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee to fill two vacancies. RESOLVED: Council AGREED: 1. To approve the appointment of Bridgid Corr and Elisabeth Hagen as parent governor representatives on the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee, each for a two year term commencing on 18 July 2025.
In accordance with Council procedure Rule 17 (f), the Written Questions received for consideration and their responses were attached to the minutes.
Part of an issue followed across 11 meetings
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.
Joe Carter: Personal interest on Cardiff CrossRail Phase 1A Transport and Works Act Order
Chair of Healthy Air Cymru, which campaigns on air pollution.
Joe Carter: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Chair of Healthy Air Cymru, which campaigns on air pollution.
Joe Carter: Personal interest on Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Fit for the Future Business Case
Member of the Cardiff and Vale Pension Fund. He added this at the meeting; he was not on the circulated list of members.
Dilwar Ali: Personal interest on Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Fit for the Future Business Case
Personal interest. The minute gives no reason.
Dilwar Ali: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Personal interest. The minute gives no reason.
Chris Weaver: Personal interest on Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Fit for the Future Business Case
Member of the Wales Pension Partnership Joint Governance Committee and the Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board.
Chris Weaver: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Member of the Wales Pension Partnership Joint Governance Committee and the Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board.
Ali Ahmed: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Supporter of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Dan De'Ath: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Andrea Gibson: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Rhys Owain Livesy: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Dan Naughton: Personal interest on Notice of Motion
Member of Amnesty International.
All councillors who were members of the Cardiff and Vale Pension Fund: Personal interest on Wales Pension Partnership (WPP) Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Fit for the Future Business Case
Membership of the Cardiff and Vale Pension Fund. Declared collectively.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.