Cabinet Members and officers set out the proposals, and Members asked questions on support for refugees and asylum seekers, hubs and libraries, and homecare charges. The Committee agreed that the Chair would write to Cabinet Members with its observations.
Cardiff Council met on 25 January 2024. Councillors debated three notices of motion on council budgets and school funding and voted on each. The motion on school budgets passed in an amended form, the motion on the Council's budget passed, and the motion on the Council's funding from Welsh Government and non-domestic rates was lost.
Cabinet met on 18 January 2024. Its main decisions were to adopt a skateboard amenity strategy, approve a draft City Parking Plan for public consultation, approve the Participation Strategy 2023-27 and authorise the write off of £120,375.00 in non-domestic rates debt.
The committee held pre-decision scrutiny on three reports due before Cabinet on 18 January 2024: the Cardiff Skateboard Amenity Strategy, the Atlantic Wharf regeneration update, and the Shared Prosperity Fund update. For each, members questioned officers and the Cabinet Member or Leader and asked for their observations to be sent to the Cabinet Member. The minutes record no final decisions by the committee itself.
The committee carried out pre-decision scrutiny, meaning it examined proposals before Cabinet decides them, on primary school places in Cathays and parts of nearby areas. Cabinet is due to consider the proposals on 18 January 2024. The only decision the minute records is that the Chair will write to the Cabinet Member with the committee's comments.
The Planning Committee met on 11 January 2024 and considered three planning applications, which are requests to build or change buildings. It granted one, a redevelopment of Cardiff East Park and Ride, subject to a binding Section 106 agreement (a legal contract with the developer about planning obligations). It refused the other two: a two-storey extension and two new flats on St Isan Road, Heath, and a 36-home scheme at De Braose Close, Danescourt, on three stated grounds. Two councillors declared interests and left the room for the applications concerned.
The Committee considered three items: a confidential briefing from Transport for Wales on the Cardiff Bus Interchange project, the proposed City Parking Plan, and progress on the Recycling Strategy for Cardiff. For each, the minutes record only that the Chairperson will write to the relevant body or Cabinet Member with the Committee's comments; no vote on the plan or strategy is recorded. The parking plan was due to go to Cabinet on 18 January 2024.
The Committee considered the Council's budget modelling and 2024/25 budget consultation, and gave pre-decision scrutiny to the draft Participation Strategy 2023/27 before Cabinet considers it. It also received an update on Central Transport Services. On each item the Committee agreed that the Chairperson will write to the Cabinet Member with its observations and recommendations.
The Planning Committee met on 21 December 2023. Its one substantive item was two linked applications to redevelop part of the former Howells department store in St Mary Street, Cathays, and the committee granted both. The minute records the decisions but gives no reasons for them.
Cabinet met on 14 December 2023 and considered ten substantive items, covering air quality, counter-fraud, performance, corporate risk, council tax, agency worker policy, council rents, the housing emergency, a new wellbeing centre and care home fees. Its main decisions were to approve the 2023 air quality progress report for submission to Welsh Government, approve a refreshed counter-fraud strategy, approve the approach to setting council rents, approve consultation on changes to homelessness policy, and approve in principle a new Independent Living Wellbeing Centre.
The committee scrutinised the Council's mid-year performance assessment for 2023/24 before a Cabinet decision, questioning the Leader and Chief Executive on housing, schools and finance.