Wrthi'n llwytho
Ystyriodd Pwyllgor Adolygu Polisi a Chraffu ar Berfformiad Cyngor Caerdydd y Cynllun Corfforaethol drafft 2026-29 wedi'i ddiwygio a chynigion cyllideb 2026/27 cyn i'r Cabinet wneud penderfyniad arnynt. Cytunodd y Pwyllgor y bydd y Cadeirydd yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelod Cabinet gyda'i sylwadau a'i argymhellion. Nid oes unrhyw benderfyniadau eraill wedi'u cofnodi yn y cofnodion.
Apologies had been received from Cllr Bowen-Thomson. The Chairperson advised Committee that there are now two vacancies on the committee. Councillors Chowdhury and Elsmore have recently left the committee, and he wished to record committee’s thanks for their contributions over several years.
Cllr Carter declared personal interests in Item 4 as he works for Asthma and Lung UK and Item 5 as a school governor and a member of the Local Government Pension Scheme.
The minutes of the meeting held on 14/1/2026 were agreed as a correct record and signed by the Chairperson.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
The Chairperson advised that this was an opportunity for the Committee to undertake pre-decision scrutiny of the refreshed draft Corporate Plan 2026-29. The Leader and senior management team had engaged informally with the Committee’s Performance Panel and chairs of all scrutiny committees the previous week, focussing on the target setting process for the Corporate Plan. Following the discussion, the recommendations and observations of scrutiny were relayed to the Leader, and a Cabinet response had been published with the agenda. For this item, the Chairperson welcomed Councillor Huw Thomas, Leader of the Council; Councillor Chris Weaver, Cabinet Member Finance, Modernisation and Performance; Paul Orders, Chief Executive; Chris Lee, Corporate Director, Resources; Dylan Owen, Policy & Improvement Manager; and Gareth Newell, Head of Policy & Partnerships. The Leader was invited to make an opening statement after which the Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members. Members noted that the document was strategic in nature and included a large number of KPIs intended to demonstrate that the Council’s policies were moving the City in the right direction. However, they identified a disconnect between certain KPIs and the Plan’s Objectives, as well as an uneven distribution of KPIs supporting individual Steps across service areas. Specific issues raised included: • S7.13 – Establish a new Revenue Budget and Medium?Term Financial Plan capital programme for 2027/28 by March 2027, which contained no KPIs, appeared to reflect routine business activity, and would have been more appropriate for inclusion in the Resources Directorate Delivery Plan. • NEW – Supporting schools to address financial challenges, where no KPI had been included to measure success. • NEW – Supporting the delivery of Cardiff Parkway as part of the Industrial Strategy, which similarly lacked an associated KPI. Members considered that, even where responsibility for delivery was shared, each objective should have a linked KPI to ensure accountability. While they noted that the corporate performance dashboard provided trend data, they requested clearer year?on?year comparisons. The Committee considered the new partnership working commitments in the Corporate Plan and explored whether additional resources would be required. Members were advised that delivery could be achieved within existing budgets, using light?touch resourcing. They noted the need to align Cardiff with three cities in a city leadership partnership and to review governance and relationships between the Public Services Board (PSB) and the Regional Partnership Board (RPB). The Committee felt that the Corporate Plan should have referenced a masterplan for the provision of secondary and Additional Learning Needs (ALN) education in North Cardiff, particularly in relation to proposals for the Ty Glas site. Given that children and schools were the Council’s top priority, Members welcomed assurances that the strategic opportunity for education in North Cardiff had been recognised and requested that local ward councillors be kept informed of any developments. Members reiterated concerns raised by the Performance Panel regarding financial support for school budgeting and the partial acceptance of a recommended KPI relating to the number of schools in deficit. They noted plans to strengthen assessments of school financial performance through mid?year and end?of?year reporting and welcomed the offer to work with the Committee to develop an appropriate KPI. The Committee also considered the Performance Panel’s observation that reports of Anti?Social Behaviour (ASB) had fallen by 14% city?wide, although concerns remained in specific wards and hotspot areas. Members queried whether incidents were being under?reported but were reassured that targeted multi?agency work was underway in three hotspot areas, including actions to address under?reporting. They were advised that ward?level ASB data was available, and the Chair of the Community and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee was copied into the correspondence should she wish to follow up. Members noted that supporting people out of poverty remained a key Council priority and emphasised the importance of ensuring that debt recovery processes were applied sensitively. While collection rates were reported to be strong and appropriate support mechanisms were in place, Members recognised that Council Tax was a significant funding stream and that efficient collection remained essential. The Committee acknowledged that the One Planet Cardiff plans were ambitious and noted concerns that residents were not always aware of the cost of inaction. Members felt that the Council could further improve public understanding, while recognising that positive work was already underway through flood defence schemes, curriculum development, and green economic initiatives. In relation to WBO 6 and highway maintenance, the Committee welcomed proposals to work with the Environmental Scrutiny Committee to develop meaningful strategic indicators, such as average response times for pothole repairs. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
The Chairperson advised that in line with the Committee’s Terms of Reference Members have responsibility for taking an overview of both Revenue and Capital budget proposals from a corporate and strategic point of view. Committee also have a responsibility to examine proposals for a number of back-office support services. The Chairperson asked Members to consider the impact this draft budget will have on our Resources function as far as their services relate to Committee’s Terms of Reference. For this item, the Chairperson welcomed Councillor Chris Weaver, Cabinet Member Finance, Modernisation and Performance; Chris Lee, Corporate Director Resources; Ian Allwood, Chief Finance & Deputy 151 Officer; Anil Hirani Operational Manager Capital, Corporate & Treasury; and Dylan Owen, Policy & Improvement Manager. The Cabinet Member was invited to make an opening statement after which Members were provided with a presentation from Officers. The Chairperson invited questions and comments from Members. Revenue Budget Members noted that the ONS population update in autumn 2025 had reduced Cardiff’s share of the settlement, which was below average despite continued rapid population growth to 383,000. A commitment to creating and investing in local schools was noted, reflected in proposals to significantly reduce school transport costs. Although residents ranked One Planet Cardiff as a low priority, the Council reported that other surveys showed 70% of residents considered climate change important and that the Council had a leadership role in this area. Medium Term Financial Plan The Committee heard that the Council had taken a prudent approach, with the MTFP based on best?available assumptions and supported by risk sensitivity analysis. Members noted that early signs suggested the change programme would deliver efficiencies and help bridge the budget gap. Efficiencies Members considered the level of efficiencies achieved over successive budgets to be impressive. They noted that the current year’s efficiencies resulted in a reduction of 64 FTE posts and questioned the feasibility of continued annual staff reductions. Members heard that the organisation was operating effectively and that future IT developments would support further efficiencies. They also noted that, while services had previously been reduced, there was now a strong partnership between national and local government in Wales and greater recognition of the value of local services. Savings The Committee welcomed the proposed savings, noting that they addressed medium?term financial challenges, supported long?term stability, avoided the use of general reserves, and struck an appropriate balance. Members were reassured that Cabinet had sought to leave the Council in a strong financial position. They requested reassurance that savings, particularly in high?value areas such as Adult Services, were realistic and would not lead to unintended consequences. The Committee noted that there had been no dramatic service reductions this year but emphasised the importance of scrutiny in identifying unintentional impacts. Fees and Charges Members observed that increases to fees and charges had not been applied uniformly. They noted that each service had been reviewed individually, with changes informed by demand, competitor pricing, benchmarking, and market conditions to maximise income. Funding Decisions The Committee clarified that, where services were devolved, decisions on funding allocations to local government were made by the Welsh Government. It remained unclear whether changes to SEND funding in England would have consequential impacts. Members noted, however, that Welsh local authorities had a strong relationship with Welsh Government and could influence decisions through the Distribution Sub-Group. Capital Budget New Council Accommodation (Line 50) Members highlighted that an additional £33.2 million was required in years 4 and 5 and asked whether this represented the upper limit. The justification was noted, namely that the existing building was no longer fit for purpose and that a new office would reduce running costs and support regeneration. Capital Investment Programme (Line 66) For new recycling, repair and re?use facilities, Members noted the importance of recognising existing upcycling groups and working in partnership with them. Road and Footway Resurfacing (Lines 6 and 7) Members noted that the resurfacing budget had doubled and sought assurance that the additional investment was improving key routes. They noted that Welsh Government had permitted borrowing for road repairs and requested greater clarity on assessment criteria and allocation of funding. Neighbourhood Renewal Scheme (Line 4) Members noted that the additional £500,000 supported placemaking objectives and enabled the Council to attract match funding. The Committee welcomed the indication that this would allow a further funding round to open. Vehicle Acquisition Strategy (Line 81 – £23m) The Committee noted the intention to transition from leasing to owning a modern, energy?efficient fleet as part of an invest?to?save approach. Members considered the cost significant and expressed interest in reviewing the business case, including whether expenditure could be phased. Supreme Court Ruling on the Equality Act 2010 The Committee explored whether provision had been made for potential compliance costs arising from the Supreme Court ruling. It was noted that these would be managed within building maintenance budgets and that funding decisions would follow the issue of non?statutory guidance. Members expressed concern that no specific allocation had been made and considered that a strategy should be developed to address potential unforeseen costs. AGREED: that the Chairperson, on behalf of the Committee, writes to the Cabinet Member conveying the observations and recommendations of the Committee when discussing the way forward.
None received.
Members agreed to change the date of the next committee meeting from 11 March to 16 March 2026 to allow for officer availability for the Core Office item.
Rhaid i gynghorwyr ddweud pan fydd ganddyn nhw gysylltiad personol â rhywbeth sy'n cael ei drafod, fel swydd, eiddo neu aelod o'r teulu. Mae buddiant sy'n rhagfarnu yn ddigon cryf i'r cynghorydd adael yr ystafell fel arfer a pheidio â chymryd rhan.
Carter: Buddiant personol ar Corporate Plan 2026/29
Yn gweithio i Asthma and Lung UK.
Carter: Buddiant personol ar Budget 2026/27
Yn llywodraethwr ysgol ac yn aelod o'r Cynllun Pensiwn Llywodraeth Leol.
Yn rhestru cynghorwyr presennol y cyngor yn unig. Nid yw aelodau cyfetholedig, swyddogion a chyn-gynghorwyr yn cael eu dangos.