Wrthi'n llwytho
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Resolved: That the following appointments be agreed. Governing Body Appointments Governing Body Appointments / Resignations / Disqualifications Name Milton Primary School Reappointment Cllr Emma Stowell-Corten Llanmartin Primary School Reappointment Cllr Ray Mogford Malpas Park Primary School Reappointment Cllr Gavin Horton St Michaels RC Primary School Reappointment Modupe Obilande Caerleon Comprehensive School Resignation Lucy Binnersley Caerleon Comprehensive School Appointment Sarah McErlaine Crindau Primary School Resignation Gill Lee Crindau Primary School Appointment Andrew Mitchell Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd Appointment Paul Bastuba
Resolved: Following the recorded vote, the 2026-27 Revenue Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) was agreed by the Council. At this point, the Presiding Member requested a brief recess at 19:05. The Council meeting reconvened at 19:15.
Resolved: That Council - § Approved the Capital Strategy (Appendix 2), including the proposed Capital Programme within it (shown separately in Appendix 1), and the borrowing requirements/limits needed to deliver the proposed programme. § Approved the Treasury Management Strategy and Treasury Management Indicators, the Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy for 2026/27. (Appendix 3). § Noted the increasing debt, and corresponding revenue cost of this, in delivering the rolling Capital Programme, and the implications of this over both the short and medium to long term with regards to affordability, prudence and sustainability. § Noted the feedback provided by the Governance and Audit Committee on 22nd January 2026 (paragraph 4).
Resolved: That Council: § Unanimously agreed to adopt the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Rate Relief Scheme for 2026-27, as set out in this report and in Appendix 1. § Delegated to the Head of Finance the authority to take such decisions that may become necessary to enable the operation of the scheme, including but not limited to: i. the setting-up and operation of an appropriate application procedure; ii. the power to determine whether or not an individual application is within the scope of the scheme; iii. the power to revoke a grant of relief in circumstances where an applicant no longer qualifies for such relief according to the scheme.
Resolved: Council approved the Pay and Reward Policy for 2025/26 in the appendix to the report, including the Social Partnership report contained therein.
Councillors Thomas and Whitehead. No declarations were made at this point. The Presiding Member announced the sudden and sad passing of Martyn Butler OBE. Martyn was the co-founder of the Terrence Higgins Trust. He was instrumental in supporting the creation of Fast Track Newport, helping to lay the foundations for what is now Fast Track Gwent.
Matters Arising from the Previous Meeting : At the previous meeting, Councillor Routley had made reference to incorrect figures in relation to Newport Market and apologised for this. Councillor Routley asked if the Leader could provide correct figures on this. The Presiding Member suggested that this could be given to Councillor Routley outside of the meeting, rather than being discussed at this juncture. Minutes The Minutes of the last meeting held on 20 January 2026 were accepted as a true record. These were moved by the Leader and seconded by the Deputy Leader.
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Resolved: That the following appointments be agreed. Governing Body Appointments Governing Body Appointments / Resignations / Disqualifications Name Milton Primary School Reappointment Cllr Emma Stowell-Corten Llanmartin Primary School Reappointment Cllr Ray Mogford Malpas Park Primary School Reappointment Cllr Gavin Horton St Michaels RC Primary School Reappointment Modupe Obilande Caerleon Comprehensive School Resignation Lucy Binnersley Caerleon Comprehensive School Appointment Sarah McErlaine Crindau Primary School Resignation Gill Lee Crindau Primary School Appointment Andrew Mitchell Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd Appointment Paul Bastuba
Councillor Spencer moved the appointments set out in the report. Councillor Mogford seconded the proposal. Resolved: That the following appointments be agreed. Governing Body Appointments Governing Body Appointments / Resignations / Disqualifications Name Milton Primary School Reappointment Cllr Emma Stowell-Corten Llanmartin Primary School Reappointment Cllr Ray Mogford Malpas Park Primary School Reappointment Cllr Gavin Horton St Michaels RC Primary School Reappointment Modupe Obilande Caerleon Comprehensive School Resignation Lucy Binnersley Caerleon Comprehensive School Appointment Sarah McErlaine Crindau Primary School Resignation Gill Lee Crindau Primary School Appointment Andrew Mitchell Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd Appointment Paul Bastuba
The Presiding Member introduced Chief Superintendent Jason White, of Gwent Police, who provided Council Members with an update on police issues within East, West and Central Newport. Once the Chief Inspector had addressed the Council, the Presiding Member invited the Leader, Councillor Batrouni, to put forward his questions to the Chief Superintendent. The floor was then open to Councillors for police questions. To access a full recording of the agenda item please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd
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Resolved: Following the recorded vote, the 2026-27 Revenue Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) was agreed by the Council. At this point, the Presiding Member requested a brief recess at 19:05. The Council meeting reconvened at 19:15.
The Presiding Member reminded Members of the Council’s procedural rules in relation to proposed amendments and advised that there was an alternative budget proposal put forward by the Conservative Party. The Presiding Member invited the Leader of the Council to present the administration’s budget proposals as outlined in the Council Agenda papers, Appendices 1 to 10 (pages 35 to 120) for the 2026/27 financial year. The Leader proposed this budget. Councillor D Davies seconded the proposal and reserved her right to speak at the end of the debate. The Presiding Member then asked if there was an amendment to the proposal. Councillor Routley proposed an alternative budget at this point, as included at pages 121 to 126 of the Council Agenda papers. The Presiding Member asked if there was a seconder to the amendment and Councillor Fouweather seconded the proposal. Councillor Fouweather reserved the right to speak on the amendment at the end of the debate. Members debated the amendment. After all members who wished to contribute had done so, Councillor Fouweather spoke on the amendment. Councillor Routley summed up and asked that the amendment be carried. A vote was taken on the amendment. The amendment was lost by a majority vote, with two abstentions. Councillors then debated the administration’s original budget proposal. Councillor M Howells asked for a point of clarification in light of Councillor Reynolds’ comments regarding the opposition, who he said had historically not put forward an alternative budget. Councillor M Howells clarified that this was not the case, as the Lliswerry Independent Group had done so in 2024. Councillor Reynolds apologised for the misunderstanding and clarified that he was referring to the Conservative Party as the largest opposition group. Councillor D Davies requested a recorded vote, to agree the administration’s budget proposal. This was supported by a number of councillors, including Councillors Batrouni, Clarke, Lacey, Howells, Adan, in line with the Council Standing Orders. The Leader closed the debate. The recorded vote was administered by the Monitoring Officer with the results being as follows: Councillor Name Apologies For Against Abstain 1 Adan, Saeed X 2 Al-Nuaimi, Miqdad X 3 Baker-Westhead, Claire X 4 Batrouni, Dimitri X 5 Bright, Paul X 6 Clarke, James X 7 Cleverly, Janet X 8 Cockeram, Paul X 9 Cocks, Stephen X 10 Davies, Bev X 11 Davies, Deb X 12 Drewett, Pat X 13 Evans, Matthew X 14 Forsey, Yvonne X 15 Fouweather, David X 16 Harris, John X 17 Harvey, Debbie X 18 Harvey, Tim X 19 Horton, Gavin X 20 Hourahine, Phil X 21 Howells, Mark X 22 Howells, Rhian X 23 Hughes, Jason X 24 Hussain, Farzina X 25 James, Lauren X 26 Jenkins, Debbie X 27 Jones, John X 28 Jordan, Jason X 29 Kellaway, Martin X 30 Lacey, Laura X 31 Linton, Malcolm X 32 Marshall, Stephen X 33 Mayer, David X 34 Mogford, Ray X 35 Morris, Allan X 36 Mudd, Jane X 37 Perkins, Bev X 38 Peterson, James X 39 Pimm, Alex X 40 Pimm, Matthew X 41 Reeks, Chris X 42 Reynolds, John X 43 Routley, William X 44 Screen, Allan X 45 Spencer, Mark X 46 Sterry, Andrew X 47 Stowell-Corten, Emma X 48 Thomas, Kate X 49 Townsend, Carmel X 50 Watkins, Trevor X 51 Whitehead, Kevin X Total 3 40 7 1 To access a full recording of the agenda item please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd Resolved: Following the recorded vote, the 2026-27 Revenue Budget and Medium Term Financial Plan (MTFP) was agreed by the Council. At this point, the Presiding Member requested a brief recess at 19:05. The Council meeting reconvened at 19:15.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
Resolved: That Council - § Approved the Capital Strategy (Appendix 2), including the proposed Capital Programme within it (shown separately in Appendix 1), and the borrowing requirements/limits needed to deliver the proposed programme. § Approved the Treasury Management Strategy and Treasury Management Indicators, the Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy for 2026/27. (Appendix 3). § Noted the increasing debt, and corresponding revenue cost of this, in delivering the rolling Capital Programme, and the implications of this over both the short and medium to long term with regards to affordability, prudence and sustainability. § Noted the feedback provided by the Governance and Audit Committee on 22nd January 2026 (paragraph 4).
The Presiding Member invited the Leader to present the Capital and Treasury Management Strategy for 2026/27. The Leader summarised the key aspects of both the strategies, highlighting the main implications and risks arising from them. Councillor D Davies seconded the report. To access a full recording of the debate and comments made please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd Resolved: That Council - § Approved the Capital Strategy (Appendix 2), including the proposed Capital Programme within it (shown separately in Appendix 1), and the borrowing requirements/limits needed to deliver the proposed programme. § Approved the Treasury Management Strategy and Treasury Management Indicators, the Investment Strategy and the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) policy for 2026/27. (Appendix 3). § Noted the increasing debt, and corresponding revenue cost of this, in delivering the rolling Capital Programme, and the implications of this over both the short and medium to long term with regards to affordability, prudence and sustainability. § Noted the feedback provided by the Governance and Audit Committee on 22nd January 2026 (paragraph 4).
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
Resolved: That Council: § Unanimously agreed to adopt the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Rate Relief Scheme for 2026-27, as set out in this report and in Appendix 1. § Delegated to the Head of Finance the authority to take such decisions that may become necessary to enable the operation of the scheme, including but not limited to: i. the setting-up and operation of an appropriate application procedure; ii. the power to determine whether or not an individual application is within the scope of the scheme; iii. the power to revoke a grant of relief in circumstances where an applicant no longer qualifies for such relief according to the scheme.
Councillor Horton declared an interest in this item as a business owner within Newport. The Presiding Member invited the Leader of the Council to present the report. The scheme was fully funded by the Welsh Government and was intended to be a temporary measure for 2026-27, aimed at businesses operating in the hospitality sector, such as pubs, restaurants, and cafes. Councillor D Davies seconded the report. To access a full recording of the debate and comments made please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd Resolved: That Council: § Unanimously agreed to adopt the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Rate Relief Scheme for 2026-27, as set out in this report and in Appendix 1. § Delegated to the Head of Finance the authority to take such decisions that may become necessary to enable the operation of the scheme, including but not limited to: i. the setting-up and operation of an appropriate application procedure; ii. the power to determine whether or not an individual application is within the scope of the scheme; iii. the power to revoke a grant of relief in circumstances where an applicant no longer qualifies for such relief according to the scheme.
Y penderfyniad fel y'i cofnodwyd
Resolved: Council approved the Pay and Reward Policy for 2025/26 in the appendix to the report, including the Social Partnership report contained therein.
The Presiding Member invited the Deputy Leader to present the report. The report outlined the current position in respect of the pay and reward policy within the Council. This would be reported on an annual basis to ensure it met the principles of fairness, equality, accountability, and value for money for the Council and its residents. Councillor Batrouni seconded the report. To access a full recording of the debate and comments made please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd Resolved: Council approved the Pay and Reward Policy for 2025/26 in the appendix to the report, including the Social Partnership report contained therein.
Once the Leader had presented his announcements, Councillors put their questions to the Leader in line with Standing Orders arrangements. To view Leader’s Announcements please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd Welsh Labour abandoned their manifesto pledge to build the M4 relief road at, a cost of over £150 million (English equivalent of £2 billion 850 million if you compare per head populations). Since then, your Government has seen hell bent on squandering millions more on useless active travel schemes, such as the cycle lane on Devon Place. The war on motorists in Newport has continued with the 20 mph speed limits on main roads, 50 mph on the motorways around the city, and talk of congestion charging around the corner. We are led to believe schemes like the Old Green Crossing, and the bus and cycle lanes on the A48 road to St Mellons, are apparently designed to “reduce congestion”. Can you explain the logic behind this, and will you reaffirm this Council’s support for hard pressed motorists? Following the Welsh Government’s decisions to not proceed with the building of the M4 relief road the Southeast Wales Transport Commission was set up, chaired by Lord Burns, to look at alternatives. The Burns Commission noted that no single measure will be sufficient to address all transport needs in and around Newport. Their Final Report published in November 2020 included 58 recommendations which collectively provide a network of alternatives that create opportunities for more sustainable modes of transport. This approach is consistent with this Council’s declaration of a Climate and Ecological Emergency in November 2021. The Wales Transport Strategy seeks to encourage travel by sustainable means. Accordingly, we have a duty to consider all highway users and modes of travel, and pay due regard to the Wales Transport Strategy Investment in transport infrastructure is essential to support the city to thrive. An example being the Active Travel Bridge between Devon Place and Queensway, which has recorded 445,875 crossings during 2025. This scheme demonstrates that well designed and situated measures are being used by the public – particularly those without access to a car. The provision of further measures to provide tangible alternatives and attract modal shift, will reduce the need to use cars for some journeys. Collectively this approach reduces the number of vehicles on the road at a given time, with the ultimate aim of reducing congestion. In view of these considerations, the council takes a balanced approach to reflect the various needs for travel. As the scheme design continues, we will continue to engage with WG and TfW to understand the traffic modelling. I would note that the council has previously stated our opposition to local Road User Charging. Councillor Evans referred to schemes being put in place that aimed to reduce congestion on the M4, for example, the A48 from St Mellons to Magor, reducing two lanes for motorists, that would be used by a small amount of cyclists. Councillor Evans said asked how were these schemes going to reduce congestion as he was struggling to find evidence. Councillor Evans also suggested closing certain bus lanes to improve the flow of traffic. The impact was not from an individual project but a suite of individual projects across the board. This was also inclusive of all the rail investment, and ultimately all modes of transport to relieve congestion, as Lord Burns had highlighted. The Leader personally thought that all schemes and a relief road would improve congestion, because Newport, as a city, was growing extremely fast. To access a full recording of the debate and comments made please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd
Question 1: Question to the Cabinet Member for Communications and Culture Recently, BBC Horizons and Beacons held their COPA event in Newport, showcasing some of Newport’s and Wales’ upcoming bands. This event has received weeks of attention from Radio 1 DJs, Radio 6, and BBC Radio Wales, attracting lots of people to the city. We also have the second Music Trail next month and new gigs being announced all the time. Can the cabinet member update me on the Music Trail, and also give me an update on the health of Newport’s music scene? Thank you presiding member. Before I answer, can I refer to my register of interests. The BBC Horizons and Beacons Cymru event held at the end of January in Newport was a fantastic event and featured a strong lineup of established and rising Welsh acts including the Himalayas, Half Happy, Slate, Parcs, Chroma, Hairdye and The Rogues, to name but a few. The event was heavily promoted by BBC Radio 1, Radio 6 and BBC Radio Wales and that promotion has continued over the last 4 weeks with live sessions and social media promotion on BBC channels, as you note, and attracted a substantial audience of music fans who came to Newport city centre to see what we have to offer and it was a useful opportunity to demonstrate to event organisers, promoters and visitors what we can do in Newport. It is really important that we provide a platform for both established and up‑and‑coming Welsh artists in Newport, not only to support our homegrown talent, but also to increase the visibility for Newport’s music venues and creative industries. And to that end, I’m pleased to see that this year we’ve already had one new music venue open up, The Queen Academy, with another opening next month, The Circle, which is being opened by Urban Circle. In respect of the Newport Music Trail, after a fantastic first event last year which saw over 90 bands, artists and acts perform across 25 Newport venues over a 36 hour period, I am pleased to confirm that the event will be taking place again in the city centre on 27 and 28 March 2026 with more venues and more acts than last year! As a reminder, this is a free, festival‑style celebration of local and Welsh music, allowing audiences to move between venues just as they would across stages at a traditional festival. Headliners for 2026 include: locals - Goldie Lookin’ Chain, Melin Melyn, Gwenno, Georgia Ruth, HMS Morris, Afro Cluster, and many more, delivering a mix of comedy rap, psychedelic country/prog, and multilingual alternative music. This event is delivered in partnership with our city centre venues, including, Le Pub, The Riverfront, The Circle, The Cab, McCanns, Cellar Door, Arcadia Coffee House, The Queens Academy, Newport Cathedral, Newport Arcade, the Indoor Market, John Frost Square, and others. Alongside live music, there will be family-friendly workshops, tours, and street food in John Frost Square. This event is definitely not to be missed. You also ask about the health of Newport’s music scene. With the combination of national‑profile showcases like the BBC Horizons/Beacons event, the rapidly growing Newport Music Trail, and the continuous flow of new gig announcements from independent venues across the city, it is clear that the live music ecosystem in Newport is both vibrant and growing. I have recently had discussions with Beacons Cymru and Music Venues Trust about how we can further support Newport’s incredible talent stream, establish a career path support for budding music creatives in the city and ensure all of our live music venues remain sustainable. Local artists are receiving greater exposure, venues are reporting increasing audience numbers, and partnerships with industry bodies continue to elevate Newport’s position on the Welsh and UK music map, and long may it continue. Question 2: Question to the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Waste and Recycling I know that as a council we have been putting a real focus on tackling fly tipping and illegal waste dumping, with more money invested in the budget to clean up the mess and take action on people who make the mess. I recently heard that the council is bringing in a policy to deal with shopping trolleys, which I am sure residents in Duffryn will be pleased to hear. Can you tell me when the trolley policy will kick in and what action will be taken? The Council remains fully committed to raising environmental standards across the city and tackling litter and fly‑tipping in all its forms. Alongside this policy, we are investing in an additional clean‑up team to increase capacity to provide deep‑cleaning to areas most in need, appointing an extra officer to increase response on fly‑tipping incidents on private land, and expanding our network of CCTV cameras to help identify and take action against offenders. We have formally adopted Schedule 4 of Section 99 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, giving the Council powers to recover abandoned shopping trolleys. Although the policy was approved in 2025, it could only be brought into operation after completing the required legal notice process, which includes a three‑month statutory notice period. As a result, the policy comes into effect on 26 February 2026. From that date, residents will be able to report abandoned trolleys to the Council online, who will then retrieve them from public land. Costs of collection will be covered by charges to retailers of £100 per trolley recovered. Question 3: Question to the Cabinet Member for Assets and Infrastructure Residents in Rogerstone have raised concerns with my ward colleagues and with me about potholes. I know that our dedicated officers are working incredibly hard to tackle the problem, and I’m pleased that this council is investing record amounts into maintenance and repair of our roads, as are our residents. Could the cabinet member please give me an update on the number of potholes repaired in the last year, and share with me details of any recent work that is now under way? Firstly, I really want to highlight that the Highways Maintenance team have been working incredibly hard in the past few months filling potholes. In the past six months to December alone, they filled 1681 potholes. Year 2025 from Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 number of potholes repaired is 4002. The six month figure July to December has been skewed by low numbers of defects in August and September. That’s why I am thrilled that following tonight’s budget we will be supporting them further with a £500,000 ongoing uplift to their annual maintenance budget, providing much needed resources for the team. I know what a welcome increase in resources this will be for that team, when dealing with the significant issue of potholes. The additional £500K is for annual sums as I understand, which is capital investment rather than reactive maintenance, but I understand the Leader is keen to use this in other ways to assist in reactive maintenance. In addition to that, our investment of £6.6 million into resurfacing the highway asset this year, combined with tonight’s newly approved £15 million investment from April, will ensure we continue a comprehensive resurfacing programme which will prevent those potholes from occurring in the first place. Combined, this is the biggest investment into our roads in living memory. The programme of resurfacing 55 roads using the £6.6 million we had announced previously is well underway. Cllr Reynolds, I know you are already aware of a number of roads resurfaced in Rogerstone this year including Rivermead Way (2 sections have been completed and part of the A467 is planned for March 2026). I know how many residents were keen to see Malpas Road resurfaced, and that work has commenced. I went down to see work underway on the weekend and spoke with our Highways Project team down there. Malpas Road is one of the more complex roads to resurface due to its location and geography, it definitely isn’t as simple as pitching up with a wagon of tarmac – if only it were! I want to extend my thanks to that team who are putting in a huge shift to pull all the strands together, and also to the residents and businesses on the road who have been helpful and understanding of the importance of getting it right. Question 4: Question to the Cabinet Member for Assets and Infrastructure This time last year, this council promised to switch the streetlights back on overnight in Newport. We were able to make this commitment thanks to the record budget that came to Newport from the Labour Governments in Westminster and Cardiff. Can the Cabinet Member update me on the progress of this work, please? I’m pleased to advise that our programme of switching our streetlights back on at night was completed in mid-February. In all roads across Newport now, every other streetlight is on throughout the night. I know that many of our members were contacted by their residents asking for the lights to come back on. We know how important it is for our residents to feel safe: be it for example, those residents working night shifts, those waiting for buses, or our elderly residents. So, when we were setting out our budget and our plans for 2025/26, we had a very clear aim to get this work done, and we invested a capital sum of £320,000 to achieve it, along with ongoing revenue costs. This was a significant project, which has taken since July last year to implement, as it involved changing the timing sensors on over 8,800 streetlights. My thanks to the officers and the contractors involved, who managed to complete this project way ahead of schedule. The message we want to send here is clear, having safely lit streets is important to our residents, and so it is also important to us. Question 5: Question to the Cabinet Member for Assets and Infrastructure The Highway asset Management Plan (HAMP) 2024-2029 details the key commitments to repairing potholes under 4 categories, ranging from 2hrs to repair to 21 days to repair as below: 1. Critical defects shall be rectified or made safe within Standard 2 hours. 2. Safety defects on carriageway hierarchy strategic routes, main distributor routes and secondary distributor shall be rectified or made safe By the End of Next Working Day. 3. Safety defects on carriageway hierarchy link roads and local access roads shall be rectified or made safe definition of critical and safety defects for carriageways are provided in Appendix A. Within 5 Working Days. 4. Maintenance defects on all carriageway hierarchy shall be rectified or made safe Within 21 Working Days. Question to Cabinet Member a. Can the Cabinet Member tell us whether her department is consistently hitting those set targets and if not then explain what steps are being taken to ensure targets are met. b. Does the HAMP specify an expectation as to how long repaired potholes are expected to last before further repair needed? (a) The HAMP does not specifically state how long a pothole repair will last before further work is required, as this can vary significantly from site to site. The life of any repair is influenced by several factors, including whether the road is urban or rural, the volume and type of traffic using it, and whether the location is subject to turning or braking forces such as at junctions and roundabouts. The presence of water is also a major factor and can enter the road structure, and particularly at this time of year it accelerates deterioration through repeated freeze/thaw cycles and by weakening the bond between materials. (b) The precise information to answer these questions are all set out in the most recent full year Service Plan for 2024-25. In summary the Highways Maintenance team outperformed their KPI targets on all but the last defect category, which is the 21-working-day Maintenance defects, where they were under by about 2%. As I’ve mentioned, both the Highways Maintenance team and the Highways Projects team have been working hard in a difficult environment. I think it is important to recognise their hard work, and I hope Cllr Mogford would join me in doing so. The Highways Maintenance team have in fact already taken some measures to better meet the KPI figure, such as the employment of external contractors to assist our in-house team. In terms of what we as a wider Council can do to support this team, today’s confirmed £500,000 uplift to their annual budget going to provide the resources to hire additional operatives and machinery to address these issues. Investment is coming now that Labour is in power in Westminster, the last two settlements we have received from them, working hand in hand with our Welsh Government Labour colleagues, has enabled the largest investment into our roads in living memory, a combined sum of over £20 million. Our experience of driving our city’s roads will be looking very different come next winter, there is a lot to look forward to. Councillor Mogford asked if the Cabinet Member agreed that given the considerable investment and potential upheaval, if communicating with residents on where repairs were being carried out could be improved. Councillors received a weekly road maintenance report, but it not all the repairs completed were itemised. Councillor Mogford understood that it was difficult to report an emergency repair, however if Councillors could provide a ‘heads up’ when potholes were scheduled to be repaired to residents, it would be good public relations. There was a lot of negativity over pothole repairs, therefore improved communications with residents would be beneficial. Councillor Mogford also paid tribute to the teams that repaired potholes in all weathers, and reiterated that there needed to be a better way of notifying residents. Councillor R Howells stated that this investment had been needed for many years. Councillor R Howells agreed on the point of communication and the upgrade of the Council’s ‘Mayrise’ software was being looked into this coming financial year. This software recorded and kept track of potholes; this would help with more automated updates for Councillors and residents. There was a lot of good news to come this year, and it was good to take ownership of this. Councillor Evans requested a point of clarification on Councillor Howell’s point that this was the Council’s biggest investment into roads in living memory. Councillor Evans noted that in 2008-2012 the investment was significantly more. At this point, the Presiding Member advised that the time limit of 10 minutes for Questions to the Cabinet Member for Assets and Infrastructure had come to a close and the remaining question and response would be published in the Minutes of the meeting. Question 6: Question to the Cabinet Member for Assets and Infrastructure Does the Cabinet Member agree that the Old Green Roundabout project is no longer a sensible use of Newport’s tax money? Given the rising costs, will they now write to the First Minister to pull the plug on this scheme and instead guarantee that this funding is spent on making our existing roads safer for everyone? We have now had at least two formal written questions on this same point about Old Green from Members of your Group, along with this current question to Cabinet Member. All of them are asking exactly the same question. I did answer this question in full when it was posed to me by Cllr Fouweather as a formal written question, it is publicly available and I believe you are already aware of the answer. So too are our colleagues in Welsh Government. On rechannelling Welsh Government funding into pothole repairs – as I am sure you are aware Cllr Routley, funding for Council road resurfacing and funding for large regional scale infrastructure projects come from completely separate funding pots, therefore any funding for Old Green would not be allocated for potholes. Question 7: Question to the Cabinet Member for Education and Early Years Flying Start provides free childcare for children aged two and a half. Could the cabinet member please explain how we support our young families in Newport through this scheme? What programmes are being specifically delivered, and what are we doing to ensure that all families are supported across Newport? I am especially proud to announce that our early years team in Newport are ahead of schedule in achieving our aim of universal Flying Start provision across the whole of our city, importantly eradicating the postcode criteria system. Newport is currently delivering the phased Welsh Government expansion of Flying Start childcare, which is increasing the number of two‑year‑olds able to access funded, high‑quality early years provision across the city. This expansion means more children can benefit from free childcare places, with additional staff and capacity being put in place to meet the rising demand. Our Flying Start early years programme, in its entirety, is for families with children aged 0–4. The intention is to promote language, cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Families receive a fully funded, high‑quality part‑time childcare place (12.5 hours per week) from the term after a child’s second birthday until the term after they turn three. Settings are CIW‑registered with highly qualified staff across Newport. Children benefit from access to learning through play, social skill development, confidence‑building and school‑readiness support in safe, nurturing environments. Importantly the core elements that are also delivered in Newport are as follows: Enhanced Health Visiting – families receive regular, longer home visits from Flying Start Health Visitors who have reduced caseloads, providing early identification of need and tailored support from pregnancy to age four. Midwifery support – Flying Start midwives work with vulnerable families during pregnancy to promote healthy antenatal routines and early engagement. The antenatal classes being run across our city are superb. In addition, support is provided with breast feeding, working with new mothers and a focus of the expansion of breast-feeding friendly places across our city. This matters, with formula milk being exorbitantly expensive, and so much healthier for babies. This is a key priority. We also provide parenting support – delivered by Early Years Family Workers, offering evidence‑based parenting groups and 1:1 support. We have fantastic Speech, language, and communication support – includes Tiny Talkers (6–18 months) and Pop in and Play (12–36 months), delivered by Language and Play officers with input from Speech and Language Therapists. Child development support is vital and includes Welcome assessments around 18 months, play‑based developmental activities, transition support to nursery and school. Finally, we also provide Creche provision – short-term creches (1 hour 59 mins) to support parents attending health and parenting sessions. Families can register interest via the Family Information Service which is easily accessible via our council website. The information available on there is really helpful In addition, Flying Start works closely with partners (Health, Families First, Social Services, Early Years panels) to ensure families are referred and receive the right support early and do not miss out. Question 8: Question to the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Business Growth Lots of events across Newport have benefited from SPF funding over the last few years, but I understand it’s now coming to an end. Can the Cabinet Member tell me if there is anything in place to replace SPF for the next 12 months to continue supporting our communities? The Shared Prosperity Fund formally closes at the end of March with the Council delivering just under £40m of grant funding for projects under the core priority areas of communities and place, supporting local businesses, and people and skills. Up to end of March last year, approximately 90 projects had delivered over 374,000 individual outcomes and outputs across the city. These projects included the new splash pad at Tredegar Park, access to Warm Spaces over 700 sessions, delivery of successful new events including the Newport Music Trail and Festival of Words, employment support resulting in 116 people in employment, 317 people in education or training, 1540 people supported to access basic skills, and 81 people provided with the opportunity to take part in a work experience programme. Importantly we have been able to provide grant funding to local voluntary, community, and social enterprise groups, with approximately £2.2m awarded to over 100 local groups to support greater access to local facilities and activities for local residents. This year alone we have supported 73 community and voluntary groups, awarding over £930,000. Examples of groups who have received funding include St Michael’s Amateur Boxing Club, The Beechwood Park Community Group, Newport Aces Basketball Club, the Romani Cultural and Arts Company, Maindee Festival Association, Circus of Positivity, KidsCare4U, Urban Circle and Newport West Netball Club. From April this year, SPF funding is being replaced by Local Growth Funding and whilst details are being finalised with Welsh Government, we expect to bring a report to Cabinet in March setting out our investment priorities. Rest assured that providing funding to our local community groups will be a priority and alongside £20m of Pride in Place funding over the next 10 years, this administration is making a real difference to local people and local communities. To access a full recording of the debate and comments made please refer to the Council’s YouTube channel. Democratic Meetings / Cyfarfodydd Democrataidd
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