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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
AGREED to support the proposed examples of how the Council intended to use any uplift in fees to improve service delivery.
AGREED to note the report.
AGREED to note the contents of the Forward Work Programme presented subject to the following: · Progress on Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water adopting the Council's Sewage Treatment Works – deferred to the December meeting upon Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s request. · Trialling permit parking – Officers required further information therefore it was suggested that the paper be deferred until after the 26/27 budget setting process. · Parking on dropped kerbs and enforcement – as it was noted that the Police and the Council were already able to enforce this, it was suggested that there was no longer a need for a paper on this matter. · Proposal for cross pavement residential Electric Vehicle (EV) charging – deferred to December meeting. · Economic Strategy – deferred to December meeting.
i. Councillor Gareth Davies, Cabinet Member for Finance and Procurement Services apologised for his inability to attend the meeting. ii. Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Carbon Management apologised for attending the meeting late due to other Council commitments.
i. Councillor Keith Henson declared a personal interest under items 4 and 5. ii. Neris Morgans, Democratic Services Officer declared a personal and prejudicial interest in relation to item 5, in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Local Government Employees and withdrew from the meeting whilst the matter was being discussed.
Dim.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to support the proposed examples of how the Council intended to use any uplift in fees to improve service delivery.
Sarah Groves-Phillips, Corporate Manager: Planning Services provided a presentation to the Committee outlining the following: a) Introduction and current situation - Planning Service overview - Awards and recognition - Graduate traineeship participation - Public engagement b) Core service areas - Development Management - Enforcement - Planning Policy - Building Control c) Strategic and regulatory issues - Nutrient Management Board - Marine SAC Release - Introduction of TAN15 d) Financial and Performance Matters - Planning Fees and Service Achievements - Recommendations and Conclusions Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Officers. The main points raised were as follows: · Congratulations were extended to the local authority’s Planning Service for their recent success at the RTPI Cymru Awards for Planning Excellence 2025. · Work on the Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP) was on a formal pause as it was not possible to allocate growth for some areas due to phosphate conditions. It was noted that the current LDP has approximately 2500 units and offered greater flexibility compared to a RLDP. · The Development Management service currently operated at a determination rate of 55-60% within 8 weeks, compared to 13% in 2022 and 30-40% in 2023-24. There continued to be room for improvement to meet Welsh Government’s (WG) target. The complexity of planning applications was significantly less in the past where it was possible to determine applications within the 8-week target, compared to the current situation given the level of detail now required particularly for major applications. · It was noted that the Teifi Fyw Project was led by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), in partnership with 15 bodies. The 5-year project included 7 different workstreams, with the local authority leading on monitoring. · The service utilized AI where appropriate and continued to explore ways to use it. When financial resources allowed, the aim was to digitize historic documents that would enable Officers and the public to search for information as was being trialled in England. A Councillor Briefing on the use of AI in Council Services would be held soon. In relation to query on the local authority’s cyber resilience, it was noted that this was a daily matter for the ICT Service, it was on the Corporate Risk Register with a score of 16 at present and on the Leadership Group’s weekly agenda. · In relation to the Community Housing Scheme and alternative ways to consider alternative use of reserve, this was being looked at by the relevant Scrutiny Budget Task and Finish Group. · When the Marine SACs were released, NRW had low confidence in the data for Ceredigion’s marine catchment, and therefore, there was no reason to place and embargo on development in the area at present, provided there was appropriate screening being undertaken. It was noted that it was promising that the dolphins appeared unaffected. It was unfortunate that NRW had not released guidance to the local authorities currently impacted by the Marine SACs release. · The increase in planning fees was determined by WG as opposed to local planning authorities (LPAs) and during consultation, no consideration was given to the difference in applications determined by delegated powers or by the Development Management Committee. It was key to remember that the number and the nature of applications being determined by Ceredigion’s Development Management Committee was unique. Members were encouraged to pay more attention to Planning Officers’ recommendations which was in line with policy during decision-making, as successful appeals could result in a significant cost recovery. · It was noted that the Council subsidised for approximately 28% of the Development Management Service, of which did not account for a range of functions such as translation and HR costs. In addition, there was a corporate approach to budget setting, therefore, income from fees was not ring fenced. · Pre-application advice was available for applicants and a Member’s Workshop would be held on this matter. The Planning Service was currently being inundated with pre-application enquiries, Freedom of Information requests and concerns in relation to wind turbines. It was noted that WG was the decision maker in major developments, however, the LPA was required to submit a local impact report within 5 weeks. There was an element of cost recovery to this, but it was important to be mindful that the aim was not to generate income. · The enforcement service received a high volume of correspondence weekly and processing these proved challenging at present due to capacity within the team. The service’s current focus was on managing cases in the judicial process and serious breaches. The aim was to advertise the new enforcement roles in the next 2 weeks. Officers confirmed that any in year underspend in relation to enforcement would be ringfenced at year-end. It was AGREED to support the proposed examples of how the Council intended to use any uplift in fees to improve service delivery.
Councillor Shelley Childs (Cabinet Member for Highways and Environmental Services) presented the report to the Committee. He outlined the findings of the public consultation which included 1,250 respondents, 49% of which stating that they used the Rhydeinon Household Waste Site most often, with 36% using Glanyrafon most often, 8% using Cilmaenllwyd and 6% using Lampeter. 56% of responses stated that suspension of the use of Rhydeinon would have a direct impact on them or their family, citing increased travel distance and journey times, impact on recycling, risk of fly-tipping, inconvenience, fuel cost and financial impact. 1043 respondents agreed with the proposal to keep the opening hours unchanged at other sites, whilst 182 did not agree. Some suggested that reducing the opening hours at the other sites might be an alternative to suspending the use of a site. When asked if they would prefer the use of an alternative site to be suspended, 80 respondents stated Lampeter, 53 stated Cilmaenllwyd, 42 stated Glanyrafon and 191 respondents stated that all the sites were important or than none should be suspended. Councillor Shelley Childs noted that the contracts for Household Waste Sites were due to expire in early 2026 with a procurement exercise due to commence shortly. He noted that following the procurement exercise, additional information such as costs and potential options would be available. Elin Prysor, Monitoring Officer clarified that the Council decision taken on 29 February 2024, (item 5) was: “3. To approve the following in relation to the Revenue Budget: a) The Revenue Budget Requirement for 24/25 of £193.572m, as set out in Appendix 1, which includes the Budget Reduction Proposals outlined in Appendix 2.” Appendix 2, line 67 referred to a ‘review of opening hours across all household waste sites, including closure of 1 site’ and Proposed Revenue Saving of £100k as opposed to a decision to close a HWS site. If members were minded to go with Recommendation 3, that the wording should be amended to reflect this. Rhodri Llwyd, Corporate Lead Officer: Highways and Environmental Services reiterated this, noting that the reason for conducting a review of the Household Waste Site was due to a decision to identify £100k savings from the Council’s budget, and that the review is ongoing. He advised that an opportunity had arisen for temporary grant funding which would enable the Authority to maintain all 4 sites in the short term. The Chair reminded Members that the situation regarding the budget remained unchanged and that it was necessary to identify savings in this service area as per all other services, however the number of responses to the consultation were very high, noting that this should be taken into consideration. He read out a letter received from pupils of Ysgol Gynradd Llanarth outlining their reasons why the Household Waste Site in Rhydeinon should remain open, and he thanked them for their contribution. Questions by Members The Chair asked the Cabinet Member for clarification as to where savings would be achieved, as the Parking on the Promenade was also yet to reach fruition. Councillor Shelley Childs noted that potential grant opportunities may facilitate the continuation of the service for the next 48 months, and that revenue from parking on the promenade would commence from January 2026. Duncan Hall, Executive Corporate Lead Officer for Finance and Procurement and Section 151 Officer advised Members that even if it is mitigated temporarily, it will become a base budget cost pressure in the future, which would then form part of the Council’s decision-making processes when considering Budgets and Council Tax setting. He also noted that with regards to Parking on the Promenade, £400k was included as an Income target from 2024-25 with a full year effect likely to be c£700k based on the original modelling. Members also noted that: - Collecting post-codes of service users may be useful; - Not all Household Waste Sites check for evidence that the user is a Ceredigion resident; - Contractors would need to have information about the longevity of a Household Waste site in order to calculate costings for a bid. If the future was uncertain, they would need to increase their prices to allow for potential costs such as redundancy etc; - That there may be an opportunity to provide a Household Waste Site at the Penrhos depot; - Concerns that fly-tipping may increase, and that building contractors from outside of the county have been caught dumping rubbish in lay-bys whilst passing through. Rhodri Llwyd advised that the Household Waste sites related to household waste, as opposed to business waste. Councillor Bryan Davies, Leader of the Council thanked everyone who responded to the consultation, and doing so in a really positive way. He praised Officers for the identifying potential grant opportunities. He also identified the potential increased costs of the site was closed, as a result of illegal fly-tipping and failure to meet recycling targets. Councillor Keith Henson noted that Carmarthenshire Council only has 4 sites, and that the nearest one to Cwmann was possibly Cwm Amman, with the other 3 located at Nant y Caws, Hendygwyn, and Trostre. He also noted that there are 6 currently located in Pembrokeshire which are also due to be reviewed. Duncan Hall also highlighted to the Committee that almost all Budget considerations were now unpalatable and that it was important to be honest with Members and Ceredigion residents, that in order to maintain the existing range of Council Services this comes at a cost and therefore that by not making Budget savings it would likely lead to higher Council Tax levels. The Chair of the Committee asked for clarification as to the terms of the grant funding. Duncan Hall confirmed that the grant funding related to the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging, and that all authorities were due to receive funding, however the exact details and terms and conditions were still to be confirmed. Greater clarity was anticipated by November 2025. Councillor Gwyn Wigley Evans proposed that the Committee present a recommendation to Cabinet to: Rec 3) Reverse the Council decision of 29 February 2024 to realise a Revenue saving of £100k (line 67 Appendix 2) and • to maintain all 4 sites with current opening hours and • temporarily fund the continuation of provision at Rhydeinon through utilisation of a grant funding opportunity. This was seconded by Councillor Wyn Evans and agreed by Members.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to note the report.
Duncan Hall, Executive Corporate Lead Officer: Finance and Procurement provided an overview of the quarterly Controllable Revenue Financial Monitoring report and quarterly Capital Financial Monitoring report for Quarter 4 24/25 presented to Cabinet on 01.07.25 and Quarter 1 25/26 presented to Cabinet on 02.09.25. The final position for 24/25 resulted in the Council’s General Balances ending the year at £7.0m, equating to 3.4% of the 25/26 Budget. Winter Storm costs have been significant, with the Council incurring costs during 24/25 totalling £441k, of which £411k related to Storm Darragh in December. Costs relate to both the initial Emergency Response phase and the follow-on Recovery Phase, however, only the former was covered by the WG’s Emergency Financial Assistance Scheme (EFAS) and those costs did not exceed the Council’s EFAS threshold of £390k. It was noted that the overall Outturn position had enabled certain transfers to earmarked reserves to be actioned to help mitigate certain risks and assist with continuing to deliver the 4 Corporate Wellbeing Objectives. This included a £481k into the Mid Wales Growth Deal reserve (for which a delegated authority was sought to assist with timely decision-making feeding into the GMW Board). The 24/25 Budget included £5.8m of savings across approximately 70 different items, as approved by Full Council on 29/02/24. 65 items totalling £5.1m (88% of the savings) were either fully complete or fully on track, leaving 5 items totalling £687k (12% of the savings) either partly on track or with some issues still to resolve. At the end of the year, there were no items in a red status. Both Services under the Committee’s remit (Economy & Regeneration and Highways & Environmental Services) achieved a breakeven position at the end of the financial year. In relation to the Capital Programme Outturn Position for 24/25, the Aberaeron Coastal Protection Scheme showed as £2.5m ahead of its budget profile as at 31/03/25, which was usually a strong indicator that some aspects could be running above budget and/or behind programme. Duncan Hall proceeded to explained that at the quarter 1 point for 25-26, the financial position was robust, albeit it was still early in the new financial year. A broadly breakeven position was currently forecasted on the Controllable Budget for the year, with a very small projected underspend of £15k showing (0.01% of the 25/26 Budget). An overview of the Post Budget Setting Update, Budget Performance – Key Challenges, Budget Performance – Council Tax (Including Premiums) and Budget Performance – Service Positions as outlined in the report was provided. In relation to the Committee’s remit, a campaign would be launched to recruit to the new Planning Enforcement team in the coming weeks as mentioned earlier, with any in year underspend to be ringfenced at year-end. In addition, the charging for Parking on Aberystwyth Promenade was expected to be implemented during quarter 3. A breakeven position was currently forecasted for all services at the end of the 25/26 financial year. From a Capital Programme perspective, the Aberaeron Coastal Protection scheme was close to completion, and an official opening was in the process of being arranged. Details on the financial position of the scheme was commercially sensitive; however, it was under regular review through the Project Board and a further request for additional funding from WG would be submitted once the scheme was near completion. The Committee would be provided with a comprehensive report of the final position when appropriate. Members were provided with the opportunity to ask questions which were answered by Duncan Hall. The main points raised were as follows: · It was noted that the completion of the Aberaeron Coastal Defence Scheme was imminent, and Cabinet was briefed monthly on its financial position. There were live discussions on ways to deal with the overspend albeit commercially sensitive, and different avenues were being explored to reduce the impact on the local authority. · In relation to the collection rates of Council Tax, it was noted that the team were currently looking at 3 years’ worth of data and early indications suggested that more properties with significant liabilities and subject to the Council Tax premium appeared to find it more challenging to pay their bills as opposed to single dwellings. It was AGREED to note the report.
Decision as recorded
AGREED to note the contents of the Forward Work Programme presented subject to the following: · Progress on Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water adopting the Council's Sewage Treatment Works – deferred to the December meeting upon Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s request. · Trialling permit parking – Officers required further information therefore it was suggested that the paper be deferred until after the 26/27 budget setting process. · Parking on dropped kerbs and enforcement – as it was noted that the Police and the Council were already able to enforce this, it was suggested that there was no longer a need for a paper on this matter. · Proposal for cross pavement residential Electric Vehicle (EV) charging – deferred to December meeting. · Economic Strategy – deferred to December meeting.
It was AGREED to note the contents of the Forward Work Programme presented subject to the following: · Progress on Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water adopting the Council's Sewage Treatment Works – deferred to the December meeting upon Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water’s request. · Trialling permit parking – Officers required further information therefore it was suggested that the paper be deferred until after the 26/27 budget setting process. · Parking on dropped kerbs and enforcement – as it was noted that the Police and the Council were already able to enforce this, it was suggested that there was no longer a need for a paper on this matter. · Proposal for cross pavement residential Electric Vehicle (EV) charging – deferred to December meeting. · Economic Strategy – deferred to December meeting.
It was AGREED to confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 17 June 2025. Matters arising: None. The Chair referred to correspondence received from Mr Ken Skates MS, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales in response to a letter inviting him to today’s meeting. Due to prior commitments, he was unable to accept the invitation but passed on his sincere apologies and best wishes.
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.
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