Wrthi'n llwytho
Bu'r Pwyllgor Craffu Amgylcheddol yn adolygu adroddiad blynyddol a chynllun busnes y Gwasanaethau Rheoleiddio A Rennir, a diweddariad ar gynnydd cynllun amddiffyn arfordirol Caerdydd. Cytunodd y bydd y Cadeirydd yn ysgrifennu at yr Aelod Cabinet gyda sylwadau'r Pwyllgor ar y ddau eitem. Cytunodd hefyd ar ei flaenraglen waith ar gyfer 2026/27.
Apologies were received from Councillors Derbyshire and Parry.
No declarations of interest.
The minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2028 were approved by the Committee 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 Committee considered a report on the Shared Regulatory Services (SRS) Annual Report 2025/26 and Business Plan 2026/27. The report outlined the performance, priorities, challenges and planned activities of the service for the year ahead, together with its contribution to protecting public health, supporting businesses and safeguarding residents across Cardiff, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan. The Chair welcomed Councillor Stubbs, Cabinet Member for Waste, Street Scene and Environmental Services, Graham Harris, Director of Frontline Services, and Christina Hill, Head of Shared Regulatory Services. In introducing the report, Councillor Stubbs highlighted the continued success of the regional partnership, noting that SRS now supported approximately 670,000 residents across the three authorities. He advised that despite increasing service demands, recruitment challenges and ongoing financial pressures, the service continued to perform strongly. Particular achievements included maintaining food hygiene standards, with over 96% of food establishments assessed as broadly compliant, successful enforcement actions including a prosecution resulting in a £640,000 fine against a major supermarket, the return of 162 empty homes to use in Cardiff, and continued work tackling rogue traders, scams and illegal money lending. He thanked officers and staff for their professionalism and commitment. Christina Hill delivered a presentation and provided an overview of the governance arrangements, strategic priorities and operational performance of the service. Members were advised that the service was operating successfully in its eleventh year and continued to deliver a wide range of regulatory functions through Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Licensing services. The service’s strategic priorities remained improving health and wellbeing, safeguarding the vulnerable, protecting the environment and supporting the local economy, underpinned by maximising the use of resources. Four key organisational pillars had also been adopted for future development: communications, workforce, digital and innovation. The Chairperson opened the debate in this item. Those discussions are summarised as follows: · Members noted strong operational performance, including: • Nine successful food prosecution cases involving 15 offenders. • A major prosecution relating to food sold beyond its use-by date. • A significant custodial sentence secured following a food standards investigation. • Continued action against scams, rogue traders, illicit trading and illegal money lending. • Successful use of closure orders against offending businesses. · Members praised the professionalism, responsiveness and effectiveness of SRS officers, particularly frontline staff supporting local communities. · Workforce sustainability was identified as a key challenge, with concerns raised about recruitment and retention across regulatory services. Officers highlighted national shortages of qualified staff and an ageing workforce. Measures being taken included apprenticeships, staff development, succession planning and skills audits. · Members questioned whether the target of achieving a 95% prosecution success rate was sufficiently ambitious. Officers explained that prosecutions are subject to evidential and public-interest tests and that the target reflects the service's consistently strong record of successful enforcement. · Concerns were raised regarding illicit tobacco and vape retailers and businesses linked to criminal activity. Officers advised that enforcement requires a multi-agency approach involving police, HMRC, immigration and other partners. Members were informed that closure orders had been effective and that further Welsh Government guidance on licensing arrangements was awaited. · Members explored the impact of new legislation on service resources. Officers advised that while some grant funding had been received, many new statutory duties are introduced without corresponding funding, creating additional pressures on the service. · The Committee discussed SRS's role in supporting major events in Cardiff. Officers confirmed that additional funding had been secured for event-related regulatory work and highlighted the importance of ensuring compliance with food safety and public protection requirements. · Members queried the service's financial position. Officers explained that a reported budget issue related to a historic licensing arrangement and that, excluding this anomaly, the service remained broadly on budget. · Opportunities to expand services and generate additional income were being explored. · Members discussed sickness absence levels. Officers advised that a slight increase was largely attributable to a small number of long-term cases rather than wider workforce concerns. Workloads remained high but sickness levels compared favourably with many other council services. · Significant interest was shown in digital transformation and innovation. Plans were outlined to introduce tablets for field officers, reducing reliance on paper-based processes. · Officers also highlighted exploration of drones and artificial intelligence to improve efficiency and service delivery. · Members considered the environmental implications of digital innovation. Officers confirmed that no formal carbon footprint assessment had been undertaken but noted efforts to reduce travel, support remote working and explore the use of electric vehicles. · The Committee welcomed improvements in communications and public engagement, including the use of social media, podcasts and recruitment campaigns. Members suggested further opportunities to showcase enforcement activity and raise awareness of the service's work. · In concluding the debate, Members welcomed the strong performance of SRS and expressed support for its focus on workforce development, communications, digital innovation and visible enforcement activity to maintain public confidence. 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
RESOLVED – That the public be excluded as the following discussion includes exempt information as defined in Section 12A of the Local Government Act. 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 Committee considered a report providing an update on the progress of the Cardiff Coastal Risk Management Programme ahead of Cabinet's consideration of the matter. The report outlined the current construction position, programme delays, financial implications, environmental considerations and governance arrangements associated with the scheme. Graham Harris, Director of Frontline Services, Matt Wakelam, Operational Manager for Major Infrastructure Projects, and Gary Brown, Head of Highways Infrastructure and Operations, attended to present the report. Councillor Stubbs was also present. Introducing the item, Councillor Stubbs highlighted the significance of the project, noting that it represented the largest coastal defence scheme currently being delivered in Wales and would provide long-term protection for thousands of residents, businesses and strategic infrastructure. Through a presentation, officers outlined the objectives of the scheme, including the provision of coastal flood resilience and erosion protection for residential and commercial properties, key infrastructure and utilities. Members were advised that the completed scheme would provide protection against a one-in-200-year storm event, incorporating a 40% climate change allowance. Officers explained that in addition to reducing flood risk, the scheme included improvements to public access infrastructure and long-term asset management arrangements. An update was provided on construction progress, with officers reporting that approximately 80% of works had now been completed, compared with the 70% position set out within the Cabinet report. Members were shown examples of completed rock armour installations, sheet piling works and earth embankments. Officers highlighted the scale of the engineering works undertaken and noted that much of the defence infrastructure would ultimately be concealed within landscaped embankments. The Committee was advised that the original contract completion date of October 2026 had been extended to August 2027, representing a delay of approximately 285 days. Officers explained that the majority of the delay had arisen from the time required to secure approvals from Natural Resources Wales and the Minister before key construction activities could commence. Whilst some enabling works had proceeded during this period, substantial elements of the programme were unable to begin until all statutory permissions had been obtained. Officers advised that efforts continued to be made to recover some of the lost programme time. Members were informed of forthcoming work on Lamby Way, which represented one of the most challenging remaining phases of the project. Officers explained that revised construction arrangements had been required to maintain access for businesses and traffic movements whilst sheet piling operations were undertaken. Members heard that specialist equipment would be used to minimise disruption and maintain one lane of traffic throughout the works. The presentation outlined the financial position of the scheme. Members were advised that the original approved budget of approximately £35.9 million had increased to a forecast cost of £45.5 million. Officers explained that the principal contributors to the increase included delays associated with environmental approvals, revised coastal engineering solutions following ground investigations and changes to the construction methodology required to maintain access on Lamby Way. Members were advised that extensive value engineering exercises had been undertaken throughout the project to mitigate costs and reduce financial exposure wherever possible. Members were further advised that Welsh Government funding remained fixed and that the Council had allocated additional capital funding to manage forecast scheme costs. Officers highlighted that further savings opportunities continued to be explored, including the replacement of a proposed riverbank stabilisation scheme with a monitoring and intervention approach where appropriate. This approach was considered likely to reduce costs whilst maintaining resilience and managing future risk. The Chairperson opened the debate in this item. Those discussions are summarised as follows: · Members sought reassurance that the revised completion date remained achievable and asked about the impact on residents and businesses. Officers advised that whilst the remaining works on Lamby Way would cause some disruption, completion of the sheet piling works would largely bring an end to the most significant impacts associated with the project. · Members questioned whether the flood protection standard remained adequate given the accelerating impacts of climate change. Officers explained that the scheme had evolved from a one-in-100-year protection standard to a one-in-200-year standard incorporating a 40% climate change allowance. Members were advised that the completed scheme would provide one of the highest levels of coastal protection within the Severn Estuary region. · Members explored the causes of programme delays and cost increases. Questions were raised regarding the role of Natural Resources Wales in the approvals process. Officers explained that delays arose from the complexity of securing approvals across multiple environmental disciplines and regulatory bodies. Resource pressures within regulatory organisations and the environmental sensitivity of the site were also identified as contributing factors. Officers noted that maintaining close engagement with regulators would be an important lesson learned for future projects. · Members queried why unforeseen ground conditions had resulted in additional costs despite extensive site investigations. Officers advised that environmental constraints limited the extent of intrusive ground investigations that could be undertaken. Construction revealed some conditions that differed from those anticipated, requiring revisions to the engineering design. Through value engineering, officers had significantly reduced the scale of the potential additional costs. · Members raised concerns about the risk of future riverbank erosion. Officers explained that the sheet piling system had been designed to remain structurally stable even under substantial erosion scenarios. Rather than undertaking expensive preventative works immediately, a monitoring and intervention strategy would be implemented to manage any future risks. Members were advised that this approach represented a more proportionate and cost-effective solution. · The Committee discussed the use of drone technology during project delivery. Officers highlighted its benefits for monitoring construction progress, project management, verification of completed works and stakeholder communications. Members welcomed the innovative use of drones and recognised their potential application across other major infrastructure projects. · In concluding the discussion, Members recognised the strategic importance of the scheme and welcomed the progress made to date. The Committee acknowledged the complexity of the project and the challenges associated with delivery and recognised the efforts made by officers to minimise delays and cost increases. Members supported the continued use of value engineering, monitoring arrangements and measures to deliver the scheme within the revised budget. The Committee noted the report and presentation and agreed to consider the exempt legal implications in closed session. RESOLVED – That the public be excluded as the following discussion includes exempt information as defined in Section 12A of the Local Government Act. 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
RESOLVED – That the proposed Work Programme for 2026/27 be agreed and remain subject to review throughout the year.
The Committee considered the proposed Environmental Scrutiny Committee Work Programme 2026/27, which had been developed to reflect Council priorities, previous scrutiny recommendations, emerging issues and anticipated pre-decision scrutiny requirements. Members were advised that the programme would remain flexible and could be amended throughout the year as required. The Principal Scrutiny Officer highlighted a proposal to move the Committee's December 2026 meeting from 10 December to 3 December to facilitate a joint scrutiny session with the Economy and Culture Scrutiny Committee and the Community and Adult Services Scrutiny Committee. Members were advised that the meeting would include scrutiny of responses to retail premises linked to illegal activity, particularly illicit tobacco and vape sales, as well as a joint review of matters relating to the Corporate Joint Committee and the environmental and economic impacts of the Cardiff Central Station Enhancement Project. Members were informed that detailed scopes for these items would be circulated in October. Members were also asked to note proposals for a short task and finish review on litter and fly-tipping. Members interested in participating were invited to register their interest following the meeting. It was noted that the review would be time-limited and would focus heavily on evidence from external organisations and examples of good practice from other cities. The programme included scrutiny activity relating to climate resilience, coastal protection, transport, active travel, waste management, environmental enforcement, biodiversity, planning and Shared Regulatory Services. Members were also advised that regular reviews of budget, performance and the Committee’s work programme would continue throughout the year. Members were invited to comment on the proposed programme and to identify any additional areas they wished to be considered. No comments or amendments were proposed by Members. RESOLVED – That the proposed Work Programme for 2026/27 be agreed and remain subject to review throughout the year.
No urgent items.
Members were advised that the next Environment Scrutiny Committee is scheduled for 8 October 2026.
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.
Dyw'r cofnodion ddim yn cofnodi unrhyw ddatganiadau o fuddiant.
Yn rhestru cynghorwyr presennol y cyngor yn unig. Nid yw aelodau cyfetholedig, swyddogion a chyn-gynghorwyr yn cael eu dangos.