Wrthi'n llwytho
Y penderfyniadau fel y mae cofnodion y cyngor yn eu cofnodi. Bydd crynodeb mewn iaith glir yn dilyn pan fydd wedi'i ysgrifennu.
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 1 September 2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Informal Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs held on 11 August 2025 be noted.
RESOLVED: That the Forward Work Programme for the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, together with the combined forward work programme be approved.
RESOLVED: That the decision is not referred back to Cabinet for reconsideration. Note: Interests were declared on behalf of all Cabinet members in attendance for the above item as they were members of Cabinet present when the decision was made by Cabinet. Councillors: Hannah Fleet, Charlie McCoubrey, Emily Owen, Mike Priestly and Nigel Smith. The committee confirmed the members should attend and participate in the debate.
RESOLVED: That the Arrangement for Commissioning Services report and action plan be referred to the Governance and Audit Committee, to provide assurance that the content had been acknowledged and that proactive steps had been made to address the recommendations included within the report.
RESOLVED: That the Review of Service Performance Management report and action plan be referred to the Governance and Audit Committee for assurance that the recommendation had been properly considered.
None.
Interests were declared on behalf of all Cabinet members in attendance for agenda item 8 (to consider a Call-in of a Cabinet decision (09/09/2025) - Corporate Resilience Strategy 2025-2030 - Minute 263) as they were members of Cabinet present when the decision was made by Cabinet. Councillors: Hannah Fleet, Charlie McCoubrey, Emily Owen, Mike Priestly and Nigel Smith. The committee confirmed the members should attend and participate in the debate. Councillors Sharon Doleman and Sian Grady declared a personal and prejudicial interest in agenda item 9a (Council Tax Premiums on Long-term Empty Homes and Second Homes) as they own or have an interest in a long-term empty property or second home. As the interest was considered prejudicial, they both left the meeting whilst the item was discussed and voted upon.
None.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 1 September 2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.
The minutes of the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 1 September 2025 were submitted for approval. RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee held on 1 September 2025 be approved and signed as a correct record.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Informal Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs held on 11 August 2025 be noted.
The minutes of the Informal Meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs meeting held on 11 August 2025 were submitted for information. RESOLVED: That the minutes of the meeting of the Informal Meeting of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairs and Vice-Chairs held on 11 August 2025 be noted.
None.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: That the Forward Work Programme for the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, together with the combined forward work programme be approved.
Members were presented with the individual Forward Work Programme (FWP) for the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, together with the combined FWP. A report on the Provision of Temporary Workers in Schools would be presented to the meeting on 3 November 2025. RESOLVED: That the Forward Work Programme for the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee, together with the combined forward work programme be approved.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: That the decision is not referred back to Cabinet for reconsideration. Note: Interests were declared on behalf of all Cabinet members in attendance for the above item as they were members of Cabinet present when the decision was made by Cabinet. Councillors: Hannah Fleet, Charlie McCoubrey, Emily Owen, Mike Priestly and Nigel Smith. The committee confirmed the members should attend and participate in the debate.
The Cabinet Decision of 9 September, 2025 in relation to the Corporate Resilience Strategy 2025-2030 was called-in for the following reasons: • Strong governance needed a balance of representation, only strengthened by the inclusion of Members with non-operational roles. • Acceleration of delivery of outcomes and cashable savings may be compromised by pre-existing role conflicts and crossovers. • Conwy County Borough Council’s (CCBC) new Programme and Project Management Framework did not preclude strengthening Member involvement in governance. • There was no additional bureaucracy involved in strengthening governance. Councillor Paul Luckcock presented the call-in and highlighted the following points: • Having the Chair of the Finance and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee (FROSC) and a back-bencher on the Corporate Resilience Programme Board would lead to robust debate and better outcomes. • Cabinet’s concerns in respect of the additional membership were not clear. In considering the call-in, Members raised the following: • The Leader noted that advice had been received from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) highlighting that the Council's decision-making process was too slow. • A report on Corporate Resilience would be presented to Democracy on a quarterly basis. • The Board was officer led and did not have decision making powers. • The Board's need for greater inclusion and broader representation of viewpoints was highlighted. • It had taken 3 years to establish the Programme Board. • It was suggested that the capabilities of Cabinet Members would be devalued by appointing additional Members to the Board. • The Programme and Significant Project Summary Dashboard would be presented to the next FROSC meeting. • Local Members would be included on relevant project boards. • It was suggested that all Members should work together to improve the Council's performance, regardless of their political affiliation. • It was proposed and seconded that the call-in was not referred back to Cabinet for consideration. RESOLVED: That the decision is not referred back to Cabinet for reconsideration. Note: Interests were declared on behalf of all Cabinet members in attendance for the above item as they were members of Cabinet present when the decision was made by Cabinet. Councillors: Hannah Fleet, Charlie McCoubrey, Emily Owen, Mike Priestly and Nigel Smith. The committee confirmed the members should attend and participate in the debate.
In line with the Overview and Scrutiny Public Engagement Protocol, Mr Gwyndaf Pritchard spoke on Council Tax Premiums affecting the holiday let industry. Mr Pritchard highlighted the sector's contribution to the local economy and suggested that second homes and holiday homes should be more clearly defined. The Leader introduced a report on Council Tax Premiums on long-term empty homes and second homes and the Head of Finance highlighted key points from within the report. The Chair of the Affordable Housing (Council Tax Premiums) Working Group highlighted the positive effects of increased premiums. Benefits included, bringing empty properties back into use and addressing the substantial local demand for housing. In scrutinising the report, Members discussed the following: • Support was needed for the rural economy, which relied heavily on agriculture and tourism. • There was a need to address the housing crisis. • The Council was bound by Welsh Government (WG) legislation that determined whether a property was classed as a holiday let or a second home. • A government consultation was underway regarding changes to business rates that could impact the eligibility criteria for holiday lets. • The Strategic Director – Finance and Resources noted that, whilst Council Tax Premiums provided extra funds for the Council to tackle homelessness, higher premiums could lead to reduced tax collection, which could impact on the Council financially. • The Council would benefit from a demographic breakdown of those buying properties in the County, to assess the potential impact of an aging and economically inactive population on services. • It was confirmed that the Council fulfilled its accounting obligations and was not required to detail the specific use of the premium. • It was suggested that the well-being of families in temporary accommodation should be prioritised. • Concern that a shortage of housing was causing young people to leave the area. • It was felt that permanent residents provided a greater economic benefit than second-home owners. • Despite having one of the best council tax collection rates in Wales, Conwy County Borough Council had seen a 1% decrease in collection rates compared to the previous year. • Decisions regarding additional premiums for certain circumstances, such as home renovations, could be made on a case-by-case basis. It was proposed and seconded that the indicative level of council tax, approved by Council on 17 October, 2024 (minute 343 refers) be applied as follows: - Agree an indicative level of premium of 200% on both categories from 1 April 2026, with an increased premium of 300% for long term empty properties, which have been empty for 4 years or more, subject to a review during 2025/2026. Following a vote, the proposal was lost. The recommendations in the report were moved and seconded. RECOMMENDED TO CABINET: That Council approve the following: • Retain the current 150% Council Tax Premium for second homes for financial years 2026/2027 and 2027/2028. • Retain the current 200% Council Tax Premium for long term empty homes for financial years 2026/2027 and 2027/2028. • Retain the current 300% Council Tax Premium for long term empty homes that have been empty for 5 years or more for financial years 2026/2027 and 2027/2028. • Continue to not apply a discount in respect of second homes and holiday homes and long term unoccupied and unfurnished properties in the prescribed Classes A, B and C for the financial year 2026/2027. Note: Councillors Sharon Doleman and Sian Grady declared a personal and prejudicial interest in the above agenda item as they own or have an interest in a long-term empty property or second home. As the interest was considered prejudicial, they both left the meeting whilst the item was discussed and voted upon.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: That the Arrangement for Commissioning Services report and action plan be referred to the Governance and Audit Committee, to provide assurance that the content had been acknowledged and that proactive steps had been made to address the recommendations included within the report.
The Cabinet Member for Audit, Policy and Performance introduced a report on the Audit Wales review of Commissioning Services, and the Head of Audit and Procurement highlighted key points from within the report. Audit Wales had carried out a review of Commissioning Services in Conwy. Following protocol, the report and responding action plan had been shared with the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee, before consideration by the Governance and Audit Committee. In scrutinising the report, Members discussed the following: · The Strategic Director for Social Care and Education confirmed that the principles from the audit would be implemented within the domiciliary care commissioning model, which was subject to regular review. · It was suggested that savings could be realised by bringing some services such as domiciliary care back in house. · The two main areas of focus for the review had been housing and social care. · The Head of Audit and Procurement had begun completing a spend analysis to highlight potential improvements. RESOLVED: That the Arrangement for Commissioning Services report and action plan be referred to the Governance and Audit Committee, to provide assurance that the content had been acknowledged and that proactive steps had been made to address the recommendations included within the report.
The Cabinet Member for Audit, Policy and Performance introduced a report, which set out the panel performance assessment scope and appointments and the Strategy, Performance and Engagement Manager highlighted key points from within the report. The report presented the draft scope and proposed appointments for the panel performance assessment, which would take place between 2- 5 December, 2025. In scrutinising the report, Members discussed the following: • Members were pleased with the scope and experience of the panel. • Constituents could take part in focus groups if they had provided their details in response to the Conwy Conversation: Stakeholder Enaggement Survey. RECOMMENDED TO CABINET: That the assessment scope and appointments for the Panel Performance Assessment taking place in December 2025 be approved.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
RESOLVED: That the Review of Service Performance Management report and action plan be referred to the Governance and Audit Committee for assurance that the recommendation had been properly considered.
The Cabinet Member for Audit, Policy and Performance introduced a report on the Audit Wales Review of Service Performance Management and the Strategy, Performance and Engagement Manager highlighted key points from within the report. Audit Wales had carried out a review of Service Performance Management in Conwy. Following protocol, the report and responding action plan had been shared with the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee, before consideration by the Governance and Audit Committee. In scrutinising the report, Members discussed the following: • The three-color Red, Amber, Green (RAG) rating system would be changed to a four-color system. • Performance management training on the new framework would be provided to managers and Members. • Areas of concern were identified in the corporate risk register, Performance Self-Assessment, and Annual Governance Statement • The Council had a robust approach to cyber security. RESOLVED: That the Review of Service Performance Management report and action plan be referred to the Governance and Audit Committee for assurance that the recommendation had been properly considered.
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.
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