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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
AGREED (i) to note the content of the report for information; (ii) that a further report would be provided once the work to split the Council Tax Collection rate was concluded; and (iii) to thank Mr Rhodri Morris for all his work with the authority and to wish him well on his retirement
AGREED to recommend that Cabinet approved a public consultation on the draft Engagement and Participation Policy. Councillor Vaux thanked the Equality & Inclusion Manager for her work on this document.
AGREED to recommend to Cabinet that Ceredigion County Council should sign up to the Fair Work Charter.
AGREED to (i) recommend the approval of the Disciplinary Policy by Cabinet; (ii) recommend the approval of the Probation Policy by Cabinet; (iii) that a new model Probation Policy would be drafted following the approval of the Corporate Policy at Cabinet for School Governing Bodies as there was currently not a policy in place for their reference; and (iv) that the feedback report presented to Cabinet would also state that Members and employees should have mutual respect, in addition to the reference to this in the Code of Conduct
AGREED :- (i)to support the public consultation on the policy (ii) that following the public consultation, the results were returned to this Committee, prior to Cabinet decision; and (iii) to consider income generation for this service
AGREED to note the Forward Work Programme subject (i) to noting that an email that had been received from Corporate Manager , Growth & Enterprise stating that a visit to Camarthenshire/ Lletty Twppa Farm in Lampeter would be arranged prior to Christmas; and (ii) to a report upon the Council Tax Collection rate
Councillor Raymond Evans, Ceris Jones and Caryl Roberts apologised for their inability to attend the meeting.
None.
The Chair stated that the Committee would observe a two-minute silence at 11am to mark Armistice Day.
Decision as recorded
AGREED (i) to note the content of the report for information; (ii) that a further report would be provided once the work to split the Council Tax Collection rate was concluded; and (iii) to thank Mr Rhodri Morris for all his work with the authority and to wish him well on his retirement
The Cabinet Member, Councillor Gareth Davies, Cabinet Member for Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement Services, Mr Duncan Hall, Executive Corporate Lead Officer and Mrs Ann Ireland, Corporate Manager, Revenues, Benefits & Financial Assessment presented the report upon the Council Tax report. The report had been presented in order to provide the Committee with an update on the collection and arrears of Council Tax. Members were informed that the Council, as the billing authority was responsible for issuing and collecting Council Tax and Business Rates of approximately 33,000 domestic properties and 4,300 businesses annually. The Local Taxation Section was part of the Revenues, Benefits & Financial Assessments Service with 12.7 FTEs, including the Service Manager: Revenues. It was reported that the team had played a key role in administering COVID-19 business grants of approximately £51 million. In-year collection rates had declined from 97.3% (2019/20) to 95.5% (2024/25).Ceredigion ranks 7th out of 22 Welsh authorities with a 6-year average of 96.7%, above the Welsh average of 96.1%.Rural authorities and those with higher Council Tax premiums had seen more significant declines in collection.Work was ongoing to separate collection rates for properties with and without Council Tax Premiums; and a report would be presented to the Committee once the information had been collated via the software provider of their system. In relation to Arrears, it was stated as from 2020/21 they had reduced from £1.588m to £287k by March 2025 (99.4% cumulative collection).Write-offs remained low (~0.1%) and were only applied in exceptional cases (e.g., DROs, IVAs, deceased taxpayers with no estate).Also, A bad debt provision was reviewed annually based on aged debt analysis. Members were informed that standard recovery included reminders, final notices, and court proceedings. Liability Orders allowed further recovery actions (e.g., earnings/benefits attachments, enforcement agents).Councillors with 2+ months of arrears were prohibited from voting on Council Tax matters (per Section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992). Currently, it was reported that two new staff joined in September 2025 and were in training. Mr Zubair Rashid was appointed as new Service Manager in October 2025, overlapping with Rhodri Morris, who was retiring in December 2025. It was noted that Ceredigion operated a generic team model, unlike other authorities that had separate functions. The Committee received an update on the performance and operational pressures within the Local Taxation Team. It was noted that, despite the team’s relatively small size and the absence of specialist sub-teams, Ceredigion continues to perform in line with Welsh averages for Council Tax collection. Members were informed of several factors contributing to increased workload, including sustained inflationary pressures, the implementation of new self-catering property regulations, and the rise in Council Tax premiums for long-term empty properties and second homes. The team remains committed to improving performance while supporting vulnerable residents. It was further noted that, as the impact of Council Tax premiums on arrears becomes clearer, additional consideration may be required regarding recovery actions. In certain cases, and following the exhaustion of all other avenues, enforced property sales may be considered as a last resort, with each case assessed individually and sensitively. Following questions from the floor and clarification on specific content, it was AGREED (i) to note the content of the report for information; (ii) that a further report would be provided once the work to split the Council Tax Collection rate was concluded; and (iii) to thank Mr Rhodri Morris for all his work with the authority and to wish him well on his retirement
Decision as recorded
AGREED to recommend that Cabinet approved a public consultation on the draft Engagement and Participation Policy. Councillor Vaux thanked the Equality & Inclusion Manager for her work on this document.
Councillor Matthew Vaux - Partnerships, Housing, Legal and Governance and Public Protection provided the report upon the Engagement and Participation Policy. It was reported that the current Engagement and Participation Policy was approved in 2022. The accompanying action plan presented to the Committee was now completed. This provided the opportunity to reflect on progress, revise the policy and develop a new action plan. Currently, during Summer 2025 a public engagement exercise and a baseline assessment was undertaken. This had assisted to assess what the Council were doing well and to identify areas where further work was required. The resulting draft Engagement and Participation Policy were now ready to go out to public consultation, subject to consideration and approval by Cabinet. Both the draft Engagement and Participation Policy and Engagement analysis report was presented to Members for consideration. It was AGREED to recommend that Cabinet approved a public consultation on the draft Engagement and Participation Policy. Councillor Vaux thanked the Equality & Inclusion Manager for her work on this document.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to recommend to Cabinet that Ceredigion County Council should sign up to the Fair Work Charter.
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council and responsible for Democratic Services Policy, Performance and People and Organisation presented the report which outlined Ceredigion County Council decision to consider signing up to and endorsing Ceredigion, PSB Fair Work Charter. The report advised on on the background and benefits of signing up to this Charter and would provide a framework that supports continued partnership working with other members of Ceredigion PSB and to ensure a full commitment to fair work at all levels. It was AGREED to recommend to Cabinet that Ceredigion County Council should sign up to the Fair Work Charter.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to (i) recommend the approval of the Disciplinary Policy by Cabinet; (ii) recommend the approval of the Probation Policy by Cabinet; (iii) that a new model Probation Policy would be drafted following the approval of the Corporate Policy at Cabinet for School Governing Bodies as there was currently not a policy in place for their reference; and (iv) that the feedback report presented to Cabinet would also state that Members and employees should have mutual respect, in addition to the reference to this in the Code of Conduct
Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council and responsible for Democratic Services Policy, Performance and People and Organisation presented the report upon the new HR Policies. It was reported that the People & Organisation Service provided an update on the ongoing review and development of key employee policies. Following consultation with recognised corporate trade unions, the following policies had been discussed and amended: • Disciplinary Policy • Probation Policy The current Disciplinary Policy was in place since 2017 and was reviewed to ensure continued relevance and clarity. The key changes were reported as follows:- • Updated professional terminology and corporate role titles. • Adoption of gender-neutral pronouns to reflect the Council’s commitment to inclusivity. • Clearer differentiation between the roles of Disciplining Officer and Investigating Officer (IO), reinforcing the neutrality of IOs in line with natural justice and ACAS best practice. Purpose of the changes was to address and correct employee behaviour constructively, ensuring fairness, consistency, and accountability while maintaining a positive working environment. In relation to the Probation Policy, it was reported that probationary periods had been a contractual requirement, there had previously been no formal policy outlining the support and management of these periods. The key changes were outlined as follows:- • Establishment of a structured framework for assessing new employees’ performance, conduct, and suitability. • Clarification of expectations for both employees and line managers during probation. • Alignment with proposals in the Employment Rights Bill, which may introduce a statutory probation period and remove the two-year qualifying period for unfair dismissal claims. The purpose of the report was to support new employees in meeting expectations and completing probation successfully, while ensuring legal compliance and minimising organisational risk. It was reported that the final versions of both policies to be circulated for approval. Training and guidance would be provided to managers on implementation together with monitoring of legislative developments related to the Employment Rights Bill. Following questions from the floor, it was AGREED to (i) recommend the approval of the Disciplinary Policy by Cabinet; (ii) recommend the approval of the Probation Policy by Cabinet; (iii) that a new model Probation Policy would be drafted following the approval of the Corporate Policy at Cabinet for School Governing Bodies as there was currently not a policy in place for their reference; and (iv) that the feedback report presented to Cabinet would also state that Members and employees should have mutual respect, in addition to the reference to this in the Code of Conduct
Decision as recorded
AGREED :- (i)to support the public consultation on the policy (ii) that following the public consultation, the results were returned to this Committee, prior to Cabinet decision; and (iii) to consider income generation for this service
Councillor Matthew Vaux - Partnerships, Housing, Legal and Governance and Public Protection provided the report upon the Ceredigion County Council Drone Policy. It was reported that in August 2024, Ceredigion County Council secured funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) via the Home Office’s Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Hotspot Response Fund. The funding supported the Council’s strategy to enhance ASB enforcement using modern technology. It was stated that a Council policy was already in place for static camera deployment. This report proposed a complementary policy which aimed to guide use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as mobile camera platforms, covering deployment, data handling, and evidential standards. Following discussion, it was AGREED :- (i)to support the public consultation on the policy (ii) that following the public consultation, the results were returned to this Committee, prior to Cabinet decision; and (iii) to consider income generation for this service
Decision as recorded
AGREED to note the Forward Work Programme subject (i) to noting that an email that had been received from Corporate Manager , Growth & Enterprise stating that a visit to Camarthenshire/ Lletty Twppa Farm in Lampeter would be arranged prior to Christmas; and (ii) to a report upon the Council Tax Collection rate
It was AGREED to note the Forward Work Programme subject (i) to noting that an email that had been received from Corporate Manager , Growth & Enterprise stating that a visit to Camarthenshire/ Lletty Twppa Farm in Lampeter would be arranged prior to Christmas; and (ii) to a report upon the Council Tax Collection rate
It was RESOLVED to confirm as a true record the Minutes of the Meeting of the previous meeting. Matters arising An update was requested from Councillor Rhodri Evans on the report requested on item 8, Ceredigion County Council Corporate Asset Programme. The Scrutiny Officer would contact the officers accordingly for an update.
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