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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED- That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 9 January 2024 be approved and signed as a correct record.
RESOLVED- That the Cabinet Forward Work Programme be approved.
RESOLVED- That a Capital Programme of £14.218m, requiring Council funding of £12.136m for 2024/2025 be recommended to Council for approval, which includes a forward commitment of £1.655m (as noted in paragraph 4.8 of Appendix 1).
RESOLVED- (a) That only unavoidable business cases be supported in order that the shortfall be reduced by £1.977m. (b) That budget reduction proposals put forward by services totalling £7.778m be supported, subject to any new information provided, especially in relation to the nappy collection. (c) That the use of £407,000 of reserves to fund one-off elements of business cases be approved. (d) That the professional advice of the Chief Financial Officer, that it is not appropriate to fund recurring revenue expenditure from reserves and balances, be noted. (e) That schools be advised of an indicative reduction of 6% to their budgets.
RESOLVED- That Council be recommended to adopt the Council Tax Reduction Scheme Regulations for 2024/25, with no changes to the existing discretionary elements, which have been adopted annually by the Council since April 2013 as follows:- (i) Apply a 100% disregard of War Pensions (including War Widows Pensions) and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme awards attributable to service, when calculating income in a Council Tax Reduction assessment. (ii) Not to increase the standard extended payment period of 4 weeks Council Tax Reduction to applicants after they return to work, when they have been in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit. (iii) Not to increase the Council Tax Reduction maximum backdate period beyond the standard 3 months.
RESOLVED- (a) That the amalgamation of Ysgol Babanod Mochdre and Ysgol Cystennin be approved. (b) That the revised 2 Tier Transitional Funding Model for amalgamated schools that remain on split sites be approved.
RESOLVED- That the Digital Health Care Wales (DHCW) recommendation to work with the national team to procure a new system be agreed and discussed further with Digital Health Care Wales and endorsed by the North Wales Health and Care Organisations Leadership Group.
RESOLVED- That the proposed revisions to the Corporate Redundancy and Restructuring Policy be approved, subject to the following amendments: (i) Section 4.10: Extension to the statutory 4 week trial period – add a sentence within this section to be explicit that the member of staff will still be entitled to redundancy pay if they feel the trial period has not been successful. (ii) Exit Interview – Add a reference within the policy to the opportunity to have an Exit Interview and the need to make every effort to offer this to the member of staff.
RESOLVED- (a) That the draft Local Housing Market Assessment 2022-2037 be approved for public consultation and undertaken in line with consultation plan outlined in Section 5.10 of the report. (b) That delegated authority be given to the Head of Regulatory and Housing Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Economy and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Portfolio Holder for Housing, to make any amendments to the draft Local Housing Market Assessment 2022-2037, prior to undertaking public consultation, if Welsh Government makes any further amendments to the Toolkit.
RESOLVED- That a 21 year lease extension to Kinmel Bay and Towyn Sports and Recreation Association be granted, on terms and conditions as agreed with the County Valuer and Asset Manager, which will allow them to secure grant funding for improvement works to the facility. Note: Councillor Nigel Smith declared a personal interest in the above item as he has proposed and supported grant applications for the charity that run Y Morfa Leisure Centre. As the interest was considered prejudicial Councillor Smith left the meeting whilst the matter was being discussed.
RESOLVED- That the Public and Press be excluded from the meeting under the provisions of Section 100A of the above Act during consideration of the following items as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act and that in all the relevant circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
None.
Councillor Nigel Smith declared a personal interest in Agenda item 14 (a) (Y Morfa Leisure Centre, Kinmel Bay – Lease Extension) as he has proposed and supported grant applications for the charity that run Y Morfa Leisure Centre. As the interest was considered prejudicial Councillor Smith left the meeting whilst the matter was being discussed. Councillor Kay Redhead declared a personal interest in Agenda item 17 (a) (Award of a Supported Living Contract) as her employer had submitted a tender for the contract. As the interest was considered prejudicial Councillor Redhead left the meeting whilst the matter was being discussed.
None.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 9 January 2024 be approved and signed as a correct record.
The minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 9 January 2024 were submitted for approval. RESOLVED- That the minutes of the meeting of the Cabinet held on 9 January 2024 be approved and signed as a correct record.
The following announcements were made:- · The Cabinet Member for Education advised that the outcome of the Estyn Inspection of the Council’s Education Services was exceptional and staff were thanked for their hard work. · The Cabinet Member for Environment, Roads and Facilities – Infrastructure thanked all those staff that had been working during the recent storms. · The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Safeguarding congratulated staff on the partnership working being undertaken with other public organisations.
The Chief Executive echoed the sentiments of the Cabinet Members in relation to the Estyn Inspection and took the opportunity of thanking staff in relation to the work undertaken during the storms.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That the Cabinet Forward Work Programme be approved.
Members were presented with the Forward Work Programme for the Cabinet. RESOLVED- That the Cabinet Forward Work Programme be approved.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That a Capital Programme of £14.218m, requiring Council funding of £12.136m for 2024/2025 be recommended to Council for approval, which includes a forward commitment of £1.655m (as noted in paragraph 4.8 of Appendix 1).
The Leader sought approval for the proposed Capital Programme for 2024/2025. The Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 22 January 2024 and supported the recommendations. If the projects being proposed within the Capital Programme did not go ahead, it could result in increased future spend. The proposals were as a result of discussions at various groups and meetings and it was considered the best that could be achieved given the revenue implications. RESOLVED- That a Capital Programme of £14.218m, requiring Council funding of £12.136m for 2024/2025 be recommended to Council for approval, which includes a forward commitment of £1.655m (as noted in paragraph 4.8 of Appendix 1).
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- (a) That only unavoidable business cases be supported in order that the shortfall be reduced by £1.977m. (b) That budget reduction proposals put forward by services totalling £7.778m be supported, subject to any new information provided, especially in relation to the nappy collection. (c) That the use of £407,000 of reserves to fund one-off elements of business cases be approved. (d) That the professional advice of the Chief Financial Officer, that it is not appropriate to fund recurring revenue expenditure from reserves and balances, be noted. (e) That schools be advised of an indicative reduction of 6% to their budgets.
The Leader presented the Local Government Budget for 2024/2025. The Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 22 January 2024 and made a number of recommendations as follows:- (a) That only unavoidable business cases be supported in order that the shortfall be reduced by £1.977m. (b) That budget reduction proposals put forward by services totalling £7.778m be supported subject to any new information provided. (c) That the use of £407,000 of reserves to fund one-off elements of business cases be approved. (d) That the professional advice of the Chief Financial Officer, that it is not appropriate to fund recurring revenue expenditure from reserves and balances, be noted. (e) That no indicative Council Tax figure be proposed until further information and findings are provided which could reduce the shortfall. Discussion ensued as follows:- · There had been budget reductions put forward from all Services and difficult decisions would have to be made and would be subject to further information, especially in relation to the reduction in the nappy service collection. · In relation to the reduction in litter bin collection, this would be subject to consultation with communities and Town and Community Councils. It was suggested that Town and Community Councils could be approached to undertake those collections that they did not want to lose. · With regard to providing schools with an indicative budget reduction, it was suggested that this should be set at 6%. · It was hoped that the £2m deficit for teachers’ pensions would be funded by Welsh Government. · Whilst the Estyn Inspection report stated that Conwy had an above average cost per pupil, work would be undertaken to ascertain the reason, which could be attributed to schools having sixth forms, lower pupil numbers and rural schools. · It was recognised that there needed to be long-term solutions to reducing the school budget and this would be explored as part of the future priorities for the Council. · In order to reduce the Council Tax rate, Officers would be requested to explore possible further budget cuts. RESOLVED- (a) That only unavoidable business cases be supported in order that the shortfall be reduced by £1.977m. (b) That budget reduction proposals put forward by services totalling £7.778m be supported, subject to any new information provided, especially in relation to the nappy collection. (c) That the use of £407,000 of reserves to fund one-off elements of business cases be approved. (d) That the professional advice of the Chief Financial Officer, that it is not appropriate to fund recurring revenue expenditure from reserves and balances, be noted. (e) That schools be advised of an indicative reduction of 6% to their budgets.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That Council be recommended to adopt the Council Tax Reduction Scheme Regulations for 2024/25, with no changes to the existing discretionary elements, which have been adopted annually by the Council since April 2013 as follows:- (i) Apply a 100% disregard of War Pensions (including War Widows Pensions) and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme awards attributable to service, when calculating income in a Council Tax Reduction assessment. (ii) Not to increase the standard extended payment period of 4 weeks Council Tax Reduction to applicants after they return to work, when they have been in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit. (iii) Not to increase the Council Tax Reduction maximum backdate period beyond the standard 3 months.
The Cabinet Member for a Sustainable Economy sought a recommendation to Council to adopt the Council Tax Reduction Scheme Regulations for 2024/2025. The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Safeguarding, in her capacity as the Armed Forced Champion, thanked Members for supporting the reductions in relation to War Pensions and War Widows. Helen Hobson, Benefits Manager and Financial Assessments Manager, who had recently retired was thanked for her 40 years of service. RESOLVED- That Council be recommended to adopt the Council Tax Reduction Scheme Regulations for 2024/25, with no changes to the existing discretionary elements, which have been adopted annually by the Council since April 2013 as follows:- (i) Apply a 100% disregard of War Pensions (including War Widows Pensions) and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme awards attributable to service, when calculating income in a Council Tax Reduction assessment. (ii) Not to increase the standard extended payment period of 4 weeks Council Tax Reduction to applicants after they return to work, when they have been in receipt of a relevant qualifying benefit. (iii) Not to increase the Council Tax Reduction maximum backdate period beyond the standard 3 months.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- (a) That the amalgamation of Ysgol Babanod Mochdre and Ysgol Cystennin be approved. (b) That the revised 2 Tier Transitional Funding Model for amalgamated schools that remain on split sites be approved.
The Cabinet Member for Education sought approval for the amalgamation of Ysgol Babanod Mochdre and Ysgol Cystenin, together with the revised 2 Tier Transitional Funding Model. The Education and Skills Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 16 January 2024 and supported the recommendations. RESOLVED- (a) That the amalgamation of Ysgol Babanod Mochdre and Ysgol Cystennin be approved. (b) That the revised 2 Tier Transitional Funding Model for amalgamated schools that remain on split sites be approved.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That the Digital Health Care Wales (DHCW) recommendation to work with the national team to procure a new system be agreed and discussed further with Digital Health Care Wales and endorsed by the North Wales Health and Care Organisations Leadership Group.
The Cabinet Member for Integrated Adult and Community Services presented a report on Phase 2 of the Welsh Community Care Information System (WCCIS) Programme and sought approval to procure a new information management system for Social Care. The Social Care and Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 17 January 2024 and supported the recommendations. In response to concerns relating to the cost of procurement and funding, it was envisaged that the system would be purchased from a national framework and a further report would be presented once there was further clarity on the procurement of the system. RESOLVED- That the Digital Health Care Wales (DHCW) recommendation to work with the national team to procure a new system be agreed and discussed further with Digital Health Care Wales and endorsed by the North Wales Health and Care Organisations Leadership Group.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That the proposed revisions to the Corporate Redundancy and Restructuring Policy be approved, subject to the following amendments: (i) Section 4.10: Extension to the statutory 4 week trial period – add a sentence within this section to be explicit that the member of staff will still be entitled to redundancy pay if they feel the trial period has not been successful. (ii) Exit Interview – Add a reference within the policy to the opportunity to have an Exit Interview and the need to make every effort to offer this to the member of staff.
The Cabinet Member for Democracy and Governance sought approval for the revised Corporate Redundancy and Restructuring Policy. The Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 23 January 2024 and supported the recommendation, subject to clarity in relation to redundancy pay if the 4 week trial period was not successful and that every effort should be made to offer staff an Exit Interview. RESOLVED- That the proposed revisions to the Corporate Redundancy and Restructuring Policy be approved, subject to the following amendments: (i) Section 4.10: Extension to the statutory 4 week trial period – add a sentence within this section to be explicit that the member of staff will still be entitled to redundancy pay if they feel the trial period has not been successful. (ii) Exit Interview – Add a reference within the policy to the opportunity to have an Exit Interview and the need to make every effort to offer this to the member of staff.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- (a) That the draft Local Housing Market Assessment 2022-2037 be approved for public consultation and undertaken in line with consultation plan outlined in Section 5.10 of the report. (b) That delegated authority be given to the Head of Regulatory and Housing Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Economy and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Portfolio Holder for Housing, to make any amendments to the draft Local Housing Market Assessment 2022-2037, prior to undertaking public consultation, if Welsh Government makes any further amendments to the Toolkit.
The Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure sought approval to consult on the Draft Local Housing Market Assessment (LHMA) 2022-2037. Discussion ensued on the following:- · There needed to be robust LHMA, as it would form part of the Revised Local Development Plan. · Including the Eryri National Park within the consultation was welcomed. · The need for affordable homes in rural areas. RESOLVED- (a) That the draft Local Housing Market Assessment 2022-2037 be approved for public consultation and undertaken in line with consultation plan outlined in Section 5.10 of the report. (b) That delegated authority be given to the Head of Regulatory and Housing Services, in consultation with the Chair and Vice Chair of Economy and Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the Portfolio Holder for Housing, to make any amendments to the draft Local Housing Market Assessment 2022-2037, prior to undertaking public consultation, if Welsh Government makes any further amendments to the Toolkit.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That a 21 year lease extension to Kinmel Bay and Towyn Sports and Recreation Association be granted, on terms and conditions as agreed with the County Valuer and Asset Manager, which will allow them to secure grant funding for improvement works to the facility. Note: Councillor Nigel Smith declared a personal interest in the above item as he has proposed and supported grant applications for the charity that run Y Morfa Leisure Centre. As the interest was considered prejudicial Councillor Smith left the meeting whilst the matter was being discussed.
The Leader sought approval for the extension of a lease for Y Morfa Leisure Centre, Kinmel Bay. The Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 23 January 2024 and supported the recommendations. In relation to amending the lease to provide free access to the playing fields and to take into account any future Place Plans, it was noted that any grant would be secured on the length of the lease and the viability of the facility. RESOLVED- That a 21 year lease extension to Kinmel Bay and Towyn Sports and Recreation Association be granted, on terms and conditions as agreed with the County Valuer and Asset Manager, which will allow them to secure grant funding for improvement works to the facility. Note: Councillor Nigel Smith declared a personal interest in the above item as he has proposed and supported grant applications for the charity that run Y Morfa Leisure Centre. As the interest was considered prejudicial Councillor Smith left the meeting whilst the matter was being discussed.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED- That the Public and Press be excluded from the meeting under the provisions of Section 100A of the above Act during consideration of the following items as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act and that in all the relevant circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
RESOLVED- That the Public and Press be excluded from the meeting under the provisions of Section 100A of the above Act during consideration of the following items as it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act and that in all the relevant circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information.
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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