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RESOLVED That progress be noted and that a further summary progress report be received in six months.
RESOLVED That the Assistant Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, be delegated authority to proceed to respond to the Community Asset Transfers in accordance with the Officer Recommendations outlined in tables 1 and 3 as set out in the report. This is subject to their being satisfied that a disposal will contribute to the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the area and the extent of the undervalue does not exceed £2 million.
RESOLVED That the schedule of information be noted and that six monthly updates continue to be reported to Cabinet.
RESOLVED That progress with the implementation and monitoring of the Local Development Plan be noted.
RESOLVED That the draft Minutes of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board meeting held on 6 October 2023, be noted.
RESOLVED (d) That the Milford Haven Schools project be progressed via the Capital Funding route and that the Mutual Investment Model no longer be pursued for consideration and approval by Full Council; (e) That the Milford Haven Schools; Pembrokeshire Learning Centre/PRU and Ysgol Bro Preseli Capital Projects, be included in a Strategic Outline Programme for consideration and approval by Full Council, prior to submission to Welsh Government; and (f) That approval be given for a sum of £100,000 to be allocated in order to undertake a feasibility exercise and masterplan of the Ysgol Bro Preseli site, (in order to inform wider potential school improvements).
RESOLVED That the proposals to establish the following Federations be implemented with effect from 8 April 2024: (a) The Federation of Mary Immaculate and St Teilo’s Catholic Primary Schools; (b) The Federation of Holy Name and St Francis Catholic Primary Schools.
RESOLVED (a) That the invitation and evaluation of tenders for all public bus services requiring on-going Bus Emergency Scheme funding, be authorised. (b) That it be noted that a future report will be brought to Cabinet to obtain approval for the award of the relevant contracts.
RESOLVED (a) That the award of the Stage 1 contract for pre-construction services to the contractor, identified in Appendix B to the report, be authorised. (b) That it be noted that a further report will be brought to Cabinet seeking authorisation before an award of the Stage 2 construction contract is made. The webcast of the meeting was resumed.
RESOLVED That a cost recovery fee of £5 per tree be introduced for the collection of Christmas Trees from December 2023, as set out in Option 1 in the report, be approved.
RESOLVED (a) That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Improvement and Communities to allocate grants relating to the three elements of the Welsh Church Act Fund in 2024/25 and 2025/26, as set out in paragraph 2 of the report. (b) That it be noted that a review of the operation of the scheme will be undertaken in late 2025 with a report brought back to Cabinet in early 2026.
RESOLVED (a) That the Budget Monitoring Report (Revenue, Capital, Reserves, Budget savings, Revenue collections, Treasury Management and 2024-25 to 2027-28 Medium Term Financial Plan update) for Quarter 1 2023-24 be approved. (b) That the proposed virements greater than £0.100m be approved. (c) That the continuation of the moratorium on all non-essential expenditure for the remainder of 2023-24, be noted. The Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Cabinet Member(s) will continue to implement in year savings measures to address the projected overspend for 2023-24. (d) That it be noted that under the Chief Executive, Directorates are continuing to work with the relevant Portfolio Cabinet Member(s), in consultation with the Director of Resources and Cabinet Member for Finance, to identify potential savings to assist in addressing the indicative budget gap of £27.2 million for 2024-25 and £47.6 million across the period of the Medium-Term Financial Plan. (e) That it be noted that work will continue to update and refresh the Medium Term Financial Plan and that this will be reported to Members quarterly, with an additional update provided as part of the draft budget report in December.
RESOLVED (a) That Option 3 (Capital Financing Costs as a proportion of Net Revenue Budget) be approved as the new methodology for providing assurance of affordability and sustainability of the Capital Programme. (b) That a capping level of up to 5.30% maximum be agreed. (c) That a capping level up to a maximum of 5.30% (Capital Financing Costs as a proportion of Net Revenue Budget) be recommended to Full Council in December 2023 as part of the Outline Draft Budget for 2024-25.
RESOLVED That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Care and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, to award funding from the Direct Food Support Fund 2023-24.
RESOLVED That the Pembrokeshire Housing Strategy 2023-2027 be recommended to Council for consideration and approval.
The following declarations of interest were made: Item 5 – Community Asset Transfers Councillor Guy Woodham declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Member of Milford Haven Town Council, as well as being part of a Sub-Committee of the Town Council involved with potential transfers. Councillor Rhys Sinnett declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Member of Milford Haven Town Council, as well as being involved in asset transfer negotiations. Item 8 – Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board Minutes Councillor Rhys Sinnett declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Local Authority appointed Governor for Milford Haven Community Primary School. Councillor Alec Cormack declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Local Authority appointed Governor for Ysgol Greenhill. Item 9 – Sustainable Communities for Learning Rolling Programme Strategic Outline Programme Councillor Rhys Sinnett declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Local Authority appointed Governor for Milford Haven Community Primary School. Councillor Tessa Hodgson declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Member of the Neyland PRU Management Board. Councillor Alec Cormack declared a personal interest by virtue of being a Local Authority appointed Governor for Ysgol Greenhill. Item 18 – Pembrokeshire Draft Housing Strategy 2023-2027 Councillor Neil Prior declared a personal and prejudicial interest by virtue of being a non-executive Director of Pobl Housing Association, but stated that he had a dispensation to speak but not to vote.
Councillor Guy Woodham Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. The vote was taken by way of a show of hands and carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 2 October 2023 be approved as a correct record.
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RESOLVED That progress be noted and that a further summary progress report be received in six months.
Cabinet considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive which outlined the six monthly progress report of the Recovery and Regeneration Strategy. On behalf of Councillor Paul Miller, the Head of Economic Development and Regenerationintroduced the report and highlighted that the service now formed part of the Assistant Chief Executive’s Directorate portfolio. She also highlighted that the Bridge Innovation Centre and the Future Works Team were now part of the Regeneration portfolio. She then referred to a film that had been made which highlighted the opportunities that were developing in the Celtic Sea, particularly around the energy agenda, and stated that the film would be taken into Schools and posted to social media. Councillor Alec Cormack asked for an update on the company Voneus taking over Broadway partners in regards to broadband and fibre internet. In response, the Head of Economic Development and Regeneration stated that there was an update in the report regarding broadband activity, but highlighted that the Head of IT would be able to provide more detail outside of the meeting. Councillor Neil Prior referred to the relaunch of the Enhancing Pembrokeshire scheme and looked forward to communities applying for funding. The Leader Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That progress be noted and that a further summary progress report be received in six months.
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RESOLVED That the Assistant Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, be delegated authority to proceed to respond to the Community Asset Transfers in accordance with the Officer Recommendations outlined in tables 1 and 3 as set out in the report. This is subject to their being satisfied that a disposal will contribute to the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the area and the extent of the undervalue does not exceed £2 million.
Cabinet considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive which outlinedan update on Community Asset Transfers (CAT). On behalf of Councillor Paul Miller, Councillor Neil Prior, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Improvement and Communities, introduced the report and stated that the pace of transfers had increased and highlighted that Shared Prosperity Funding had been received, which would also accelerate the progress of transfers, as well as working in partnership with PLANED. Councillor Neil Prior Moved the Recommendation. Councillor Alec Cormack sought clarification as to how it was evaluated whether a Community Asset Transfer was appropriate, as opposed to the sale of an asset. In response, the Interim Chief Property Officer stated that the decision of how assets were disposed of was ultimately up to the discretion of Members, subject to the constraints of law and Section 123. He explained that CAT’s tended to be non-statutory services, and highlighted that an open market value assessment of such assets would be obtained, and Officers would then assess whether the balance of the proposal was for the benefit of the community. The Recommendation was Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That the Assistant Chief Executive, in consultation with the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, be delegated authority to proceed to respond to the Community Asset Transfers in accordance with the Officer Recommendations outlined in tables 1 and 3 as set out in the report. This is subject to their being satisfied that a disposal will contribute to the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the area and the extent of the undervalue does not exceed £2 million.
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RESOLVED That the schedule of information be noted and that six monthly updates continue to be reported to Cabinet.
Cabinet considered a report by the Assistant Chief Executive which outlined acquisitions and disposals in excess of £100,000, which had completed between 1 April 2023 and 30 October 2023. On behalf of Councillor Paul Miller, Councillor Jon Harvey, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning and Housing Delivery, introduced the report and stated that the acquisitions were outlined in the report, with reference made to some properties that had been acquired for less than £100,000, included in the report for completeness and transparency. He highlighted that the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan had £4.9 million identified in 2023-24. He stated that the acquisition of properties, as listed in the report, had been purchased with a total value of £2,162,700, which would go into the Council's Housing stock. He noted that there were no disposals during this period. Councillor Jon Harvey Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the schedule of information be noted and that six monthly updates continue to be reported to Cabinet.
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RESOLVED That progress with the implementation and monitoring of the Local Development Plan be noted.
Cabinet considered a report by the Head of Planning which outlined the key information contained in the Local Development Plan (LDP) Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) 2022-2023. Councillor Jon Harvey, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning and Housing Delivery, introduced the report and stated that the Authority was required by legislation to submit this report to Welsh Government by 31 October each year. For the 2022-23 LDP AMR, submission had taken place in advance of Cabinet consideration and Welsh Government would be advised should any issues be raised subsequent to consideration by Cabinet. Councillor Harvey outlined the background and context of the AMR, main considerations and key conclusions, as written in the report. He also highlighted that in terms of housing delivery, 367 new homes were built in the Plan area between April 2022 and March 2023, compared with 338 between April 2021 and March 2022, and 340 between April 2020 and March 2021. He stated that targets for Affordable Housing in terms of both permissions and completions were met in 2022-2023, and that 85 affordable dwellings were built in 2022-2023 in the Council’s planning area, out of the total 367 residential completions, which was said to be just under 23% of the total. Councillor Jon Harvey Moved the Recommendation. The Leader sought clarification as to how much social housing had been built over the past few years. In response, Councillor Harvey stated that 85 affordable dwellings had been built in 2022-2023, and believed that the Authority was making significant progress in regards to Affordable Housing provision. The Recommendation was Seconded by the Leader. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That progress with the implementation and monitoring of the Local Development Plan be noted.
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RESOLVED That the draft Minutes of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board meeting held on 6 October 2023, be noted.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Resources which outlined the draft Minutes of Meeting of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board, held on 6 October 2023 Councillor Guy Woodham, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Education and Welsh Language, introduced the report and stated that the draft minutes of the meeting were attached as a Supplementary Agenda. He highlighted the key points covered at the meeting and stated that following the defects liability period ending for Haverfordwest High VC School, it was confirmed that the project remained within budget. He also stated that both the Ysgol Bro Penfro project and the Cosheston Mobile classroom project, remained within theallocated budget. It was stated that works undertaken as part of the initial phased approach to the Fenton Community Primary School refurbishment project had been completed on 3 September 2023, with it being reported that additional costs had arisen on the project due to a number of additional defects, said to be discovered prior to the commencement of the main works. He stated that further updates would be received at the next meeting of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board. Councillor Guy Woodham Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Rhys Sinnett. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the draft Minutes of the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board meeting held on 6 October 2023, be noted.
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RESOLVED (d) That the Milford Haven Schools project be progressed via the Capital Funding route and that the Mutual Investment Model no longer be pursued for consideration and approval by Full Council; (e) That the Milford Haven Schools; Pembrokeshire Learning Centre/PRU and Ysgol Bro Preseli Capital Projects, be included in a Strategic Outline Programme for consideration and approval by Full Council, prior to submission to Welsh Government; and (f) That approval be given for a sum of £100,000 to be allocated in order to undertake a feasibility exercise and masterplan of the Ysgol Bro Preseli site, (in order to inform wider potential school improvements).
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Education and the Director of Resources which outlined the preferred projects to be included as part of the Rolling Programme, and a recommendation to full Council that the necessary Strategic Outline Programme (SOP) be approved. Councillor Guy Woodham, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Education and Welsh Language, introduced the report and stated that as previously advised, Welsh Government had moved away from fixed bands of School Capital Funding, in favour of a more agile nine-year Rolling Programme. He highlighted that Welsh Government required the Authority to review and submit a proposed nine year rolling Strategic Outline Programme by March 2024, and referred to pages 136-137 of the Agenda pack, which was said to set out Welsh Government’s Rolling Programme investment objectives and expectation timeline. In relation to the timescale expectations set out by Welsh Government, it was said that the current remaining Band B projects (both Milford Haven school projects and the Pembrokeshire Learning Centre/PRU) were not expected to achieve Full Business Case approval by April 2024, and would therefore be moved to the new nine-year Rolling Programme. In addition, and after much discussion at the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board, Ysgol Bro Preseli had been identified as an additional priority School Capital Project and was proposed for inclusion in the Rolling Programme. Councillor Woodham stated that the School Capital Projects detailed in the proposed nine-year Rolling Programme had been considered alongside the Director of Resources’ Methodology of the Capital Financing Programme. He stated that following significant work by the Finance Team and discussion at the Sustainable Communities for Learning Strategic Programme Board, it was now considered appropriate to withdraw from the Mutual Investment Model (MIM) for the Milford Haven School Capital Projects, with funding instead sourced from the traditional Capital Grants route. Councillor Guy Woodham Moved an amended Recommendation as follows; (a) That the Milford Haven Schools project be progressed via the Capital Funding route and that the Mutual Investment Model no longer be pursued for consideration and approval by Full Council; (b) That the Milford Haven Schools; Pembrokeshire Learning Centre/PRU and Ysgol Bro Preseli School Capital Projects, be included in a Strategic Outline Programme for consideration and approval by Full Council, prior to submission to Welsh Government; and (c) That approval be given for a sum of £100,000 to be allocated in order to undertake a feasibility exercise and masterplan of the Ysgol Bro Preseli site, (in order to inform wider potential school improvements). Councillor Alec Cormack commented on the switch from MIM to Capital Funding for Milford Haven School and stated that as a result of the modelling completed by the Finance Team, it proved to be cheaper for the Authority to utilise Capital Funding, which would be available under the Rolling Capital Programme, made available by Welsh Government. He then stated his supported for the change. The Recommendation was Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. Councillor Tessa Hodgson also welcomed the change to Capital Funding, but questioned whether the outlined timeframes for the Milford Haven Schools projects were deliberately pessimistic, in order to manage expectations. In response, Councillor Woodham stated that he would like to see the projects begin as soon as possible, however, the outlined timeline was believed to be reasonable. Councillor Woodham highlighted that the community, students and staff involved, deserved new schools and stated that the commencement of the project was a priority for him. Councillor Cormack added that if MIM was utilised for this project, it would certainly take longer for the project to start. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (d) That the Milford Haven Schools project be progressed via the Capital Funding route and that the Mutual Investment Model no longer be pursued for consideration and approval by Full Council; (e) That the Milford Haven Schools; Pembrokeshire Learning Centre/PRU and Ysgol Bro Preseli Capital Projects, be included in a Strategic Outline Programme for consideration and approval by Full Council, prior to submission to Welsh Government; and (f) That approval be given for a sum of £100,000 to be allocated in order to undertake a feasibility exercise and masterplan of the Ysgol Bro Preseli site, (in order to inform wider potential school improvements).
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RESOLVED That the proposals to establish the following Federations be implemented with effect from 8 April 2024: (a) The Federation of Mary Immaculate and St Teilo’s Catholic Primary Schools; (b) The Federation of Holy Name and St Francis Catholic Primary Schools.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Education which outlined the findings of the statutory consultation undertaken on the proposal to federate Mary Immaculate Catholic School and St Teilo’s Catholic School, and Holy Name Catholic School and St Francis Catholic School. Councillor Guy Woodham, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Education and Welsh Language, introduced the report and highlighted the background and context of the matter, as well as the main considerations for each School, as outlined in the report. He stated that the reason for pursuing a Federation model, was due to the need to secure stable and formalized leadership in the four Catholic Schools. At the time of a previous report to Cabinet, only two of the schools had a substantive Head Teacher; this had now reduced to one, following the departure of the Head Teacher of Mary Immaculate Catholic School at the end of the 2022/23 academic year. Councillor Woodham highlighted that, as with all Dioceses and many Local Authorities, particularly in more rural areas, it was becoming increasingly difficult to recruit to Head Teacher and senior leadership posts. He stated that for some schools, such posts had been advertised four times without success, and concluded that the establishment of two federations provided the most appropriate means of securing formal leadership for the four Catholic schools in Pembrokeshire. Councillor Guy Woodham Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by the Leader. The Leader stated his support for the proposed federations and referred to his experience of a past federation agreement between schools in Tavernspite and Templeton, and highlighted that both schools were now thriving and believed it to be a positive way forward. Councillor Alec Cormack stated his support for the Recommendation and highlighted the key fact that both Governing bodies were in support of the federation. Councillor Tessa Hodgson also stated her support, but highlighted the need to consider the concerns of parents. She sought reassurance in regards to how such federations would be monitored going forward, and questioned next steps if a federation was unsuccessful. Councillor Woodham drew attention to the concerns and relevant responses from the Authority, as outlined in the report. In response to the question, the Head of Education Improvement and Commissioning, present at the meeting on behalf of the Director of Education, stated that federated schools would become part of the normal school monitoring process and would have a single point of contact in an Improvement Adviser, which was said to be extremely important for federated schools. He highlighted that if issues were to arise, they would be dealt with as quickly as possible. He stated that issues were mainly related to workload and Head Teacher wellbeing, however the Improvement Adviser would be in regular contact and would closely monitor any issues. Councillor Rhys Sinnett suggested that additional work with parents may be required to explain what federations were and the positive aspects, and that they were put in place to protect and enhance the schools. He sought clarification as to whether such work could be introduced, in order to provide reassurance to parents. In response, the Head of Education Improvement and Commissioning highlighted that the schools had engaged with parents prior to the federation and described it as a key focus, supported by the Improvement Advisor Team. He highlighted that a significant amount of work had gone into allaying any fears parents may have had. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That the proposals to establish the following Federations be implemented with effect from 8 April 2024: (a) The Federation of Mary Immaculate and St Teilo’s Catholic Primary Schools; (b) The Federation of Holy Name and St Francis Catholic Primary Schools.
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RESOLVED (a) That the invitation and evaluation of tenders for all public bus services requiring on-going Bus Emergency Scheme funding, be authorised. (b) That it be noted that a future report will be brought to Cabinet to obtain approval for the award of the relevant contracts.
Cabinet considered a report by the Head of Infrastructure and Environment which outlined proposed new contracts in order to receive Bus Transition Fund (BTF) funding from the Welsh Government. Councillor Rhys Sinnett, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Residents’ Services, introduced the report and stated that the BTF provided financial support to bus operators in Wales, so that essential bus services could continue. He stated that receipt of BTF funding for the financial year 2024-2025 was contingent upon the Council re-tendering all services which received BTF funding. Councillor Sinnett explained that the proposed new contracts would be for an initial term of five years, with an option to extend by up to a further two years. The estimated contract spend for the 24 routes and services concerned, over the maximum contract term of seven years, was said to be £15.5 million, which excluded the effect of any cost inflation over the contract term. He highlighted that if the approach was approved, he would meet with bus service providers to review the procurement process and identify any additional factors the Authority could assist with going forward. He then stated that the report would go before the next Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting to discuss route prioritisation options, as there was said to be concerns from Local Members on the matter, especially in regards to the current funding climate. Councillor Rhys Sinnett Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Neil Prior. Councillor Neil Prior commented that rural areas had been affected badly by the current public transport situation, but thanked Councillor Sinnett and Officers for the report and hoped that long term solutions would be established soon. Councillor Tessa Hodgson also commented on the decrease in transport services and how it affected connectivity across Pembrokeshire, as well as being damaging to the local economy. She suggested that services be subsidised as they were currently unsustainable, and highlighted that in order to maintain public transport, assistance in regards to funding needed to be sought from Welsh Government. Councillor Alec Cormack highlighted the flexi-bus services and questioned whether there was an option to utilise the service in rural areas. In response, Councillor Sinnett stated that it ultimately came down to funding, however, the flexi-bus services had been very helpful as part of the network to help maintain some of the routes and connectivity in rural areas. He drew attention to the fact that there were continuous challenges, especially in regards to recruitment and retention of drivers. The Head of Infrastructure and Environment added that a process could be explored where a demand managed system, such as the flexi service, would feed into key strategic routes between the main route corridors. He also highlighted the amount of subsidised bus services and the large number of overall passengers, and stated that public transport was an essential service for residents. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the invitation and evaluation of tenders for all public bus services requiring on-going Bus Emergency Scheme funding, be authorised. (b) That it be noted that a future report will be brought to Cabinet to obtain approval for the award of the relevant contracts.
Cabinet considered excluding the public from the meeting for the following item of business in accordance with Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, as Appendix B to the report involved the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act; and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. Councillor Rhys Sinnett Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by the Leader. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as Appendix B to the report involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Act; and that the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. The webcast of the meeting was then paused.
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RESOLVED (a) That the award of the Stage 1 contract for pre-construction services to the contractor, identified in Appendix B to the report, be authorised. (b) That it be noted that a further report will be brought to Cabinet seeking authorisation before an award of the Stage 2 construction contract is made. The webcast of the meeting was resumed.
Cabinet considered a report by the Head of Infrastructure and Environment which outlined the award of a contract for Stage 1 pre-construction services for the Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange (HPTI). Councillor Rhys Sinnett, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Residents’ Services, introduced the report and outlined the background of the matter and the main considerations. Councillor Rhys Sinnett Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. The Head of Infrastructure and Environment went through the report in detail and answered questions raised by Members. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the award of the Stage 1 contract for pre-construction services to the contractor, identified in Appendix B to the report, be authorised. (b) That it be noted that a further report will be brought to Cabinet seeking authorisation before an award of the Stage 2 construction contract is made. The webcast of the meeting was resumed.
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RESOLVED That a cost recovery fee of £5 per tree be introduced for the collection of Christmas Trees from December 2023, as set out in Option 1 in the report, be approved.
Cabinet considered a report by the Head of Infrastructure and Environment which outlined a cost recovery fee for the collection of real Christmas Trees from December 2023, in order to meet required cost reductions for the financial year 2023-24. Councillor Rhys Sinnett, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Residents’ Services, introduced the report and stated that as this was moving from a free service to a proposed £5 per tree removal cost, this was said to be above inflation, therefore the proposed fee required approval from Cabinet as per the Authority’s Constitution. With regards to the background of the Christmas tree collection service, Councillor Sinnett stated that the Authority had been awarded funding in 2016 as part of the Sustainable Waste Management Grant, however, since the ending of the grant from 2020 onwards, the service had been fully funded by the Authority. He also highlighted that households would still be able to take their Christmas trees, free of charge, to any of Pembrokeshire’s Waste and Recycling Centres. Councillor Rhys Sinnett Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That a cost recovery fee of £5 per tree be introduced for the collection of Christmas Trees from December 2023, as set out in Option 1 in the report, be approved.
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RESOLVED (a) That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Improvement and Communities to allocate grants relating to the three elements of the Welsh Church Act Fund in 2024/25 and 2025/26, as set out in paragraph 2 of the report. (b) That it be noted that a review of the operation of the scheme will be undertaken in late 2025 with a report brought back to Cabinet in early 2026.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Education and the Director of Resources which outlined an additional annual expenditure plan of the Welsh Church Act Fund, ensuring it was made accessible to support local communities and utilised to generate the intended benefits with maximum impact achieved. Councillor Guy Woodham, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Education and Welsh Language, introduced the report and stated that the rationale for the outlined proposal was to ensure that going forward, the Authority was proactive in acting as administrators for the Welsh Church Act Fund, creating stronger and clearer pathways that allowed local communities to request financial support from this fund. He highlighted that the proposal would mitigate the risk, as outlined in the report, by providing a structured route of access for financial support from the WCAF, along with supporting documentation and resources that promoted the priorities which the WCAF aimed to target. Councillor Woodham then went on to outline unchanged arrangements, the annual sum, administration of the fund, timelines and the application process. Councillor Guy Woodham Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That authority be delegated to the Cabinet Member for Corporate Improvement and Communities to allocate grants relating to the three elements of the Welsh Church Act Fund in 2024/25 and 2025/26, as set out in paragraph 2 of the report. (b) That it be noted that a review of the operation of the scheme will be undertaken in late 2025 with a report brought back to Cabinet in early 2026.
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RESOLVED (a) That the Budget Monitoring Report (Revenue, Capital, Reserves, Budget savings, Revenue collections, Treasury Management and 2024-25 to 2027-28 Medium Term Financial Plan update) for Quarter 1 2023-24 be approved. (b) That the proposed virements greater than £0.100m be approved. (c) That the continuation of the moratorium on all non-essential expenditure for the remainder of 2023-24, be noted. The Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Cabinet Member(s) will continue to implement in year savings measures to address the projected overspend for 2023-24. (d) That it be noted that under the Chief Executive, Directorates are continuing to work with the relevant Portfolio Cabinet Member(s), in consultation with the Director of Resources and Cabinet Member for Finance, to identify potential savings to assist in addressing the indicative budget gap of £27.2 million for 2024-25 and £47.6 million across the period of the Medium-Term Financial Plan. (e) That it be noted that work will continue to update and refresh the Medium Term Financial Plan and that this will be reported to Members quarterly, with an additional update provided as part of the draft budget report in December.
Cabinet considered a report by the Deputy Chief Finance Officer which outlined the County Council Budget Monitoring Report for Quarter 2 - 2023-24. Councillor Alec Cormack, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance, introduced the report and stated that the approved Revenue Net Expenditure Budget for 2023-24 was £287.6 million, with the projected outturn at Quarter 2 said to be £291.2 million, which represented a projected overspend of £3.6 million. He highlighted that this was an improvement on the position reported in Quarter 1. Councillor Cormack stated that inflation had stabilised, but continued to be around 2.1% higher than the previous projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility. He stated that the UK Government had pledged that inflation would be 5% or below by the end of the year. Councillor Cormack then referred to the projected outturn at Quarter 2, increased level of demand in regards to School and Social Care services, additional budget pressures, slippage in the Capital Programme, a moratorium on all non-essential expenditure, as well as the commentary from the Director of Resources, as outlined in the report. Councillor Cormack stated that the financial challenge for 2024-25, and throughout the Medium Term Financial Plan, would potentially be the greatest challenge ever faced by the Council. He highlighted that some extremely hard decisions would need to be made, and in order to balance the budget and ensure financial sustainability for 2024-25 and beyond, it was suggested that the Council would need to move its Band D Council Tax level to at least the average in Wales, whilst also making significant budget savings across virtually all Council services. Councillor Alec Cormack Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. The Leader highlighted that Pembrokeshire was not alone in facing budgetary pressures and sought reassurance that the Authority was not the only one facing the dilemma of potentially having to cut services. In response, Councillor Cormack stated that the pressures within the Social Care Budget were being represented across Wales, and in addition to Adult Social Care, he stated that the Children’s Services expenditure, which had increased significantly this year, was also the case across Wales. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the Budget Monitoring Report (Revenue, Capital, Reserves, Budget savings, Revenue collections, Treasury Management and 2024-25 to 2027-28 Medium Term Financial Plan update) for Quarter 1 2023-24 be approved. (b) That the proposed virements greater than £0.100m be approved. (c) That the continuation of the moratorium on all non-essential expenditure for the remainder of 2023-24, be noted. The Chief Executive and Senior Leadership Team, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Cabinet Member(s) will continue to implement in year savings measures to address the projected overspend for 2023-24. (d) That it be noted that under the Chief Executive, Directorates are continuing to work with the relevant Portfolio Cabinet Member(s), in consultation with the Director of Resources and Cabinet Member for Finance, to identify potential savings to assist in addressing the indicative budget gap of £27.2 million for 2024-25 and £47.6 million across the period of the Medium-Term Financial Plan. (e) That it be noted that work will continue to update and refresh the Medium Term Financial Plan and that this will be reported to Members quarterly, with an additional update provided as part of the draft budget report in December.
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RESOLVED (a) That Option 3 (Capital Financing Costs as a proportion of Net Revenue Budget) be approved as the new methodology for providing assurance of affordability and sustainability of the Capital Programme. (b) That a capping level of up to 5.30% maximum be agreed. (c) That a capping level up to a maximum of 5.30% (Capital Financing Costs as a proportion of Net Revenue Budget) be recommended to Full Council in December 2023 as part of the Outline Draft Budget for 2024-25.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Resources and the Deputy Chief Finance Officer which outlineda revised methodology for calculating the annual Capital Financing costs cap, and to provide assurance on the longer term affordability and sustainability of the Capital Programme. Councillor Alec Cormack, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance, introduced the report and stated that this was a critical decision due to the fact that the higher the Annual Capital Financing costs, the less Revenue Funding would be available to the Council to provide all other services. He highlighted that by reflecting on the benefits derived from the current Capital Programme, the continued investment in School buildings from the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme, would not only improve the condition and suitability of the Education estate, but would also provide sustainable learning environments. He also referred to the Eco Park enhancing the recycling function and the regeneration of town centres, which would continue to drive economic development in Pembrokeshire. Councillor Cormack stated that future Revenue savings generated from Capital investments, such as reduced running costs, would also have a positive impact on the Revenue Budget. He then referred to the challenges and the increase of 10.1% to the Capital Financing costs cap as agreed by Council, as outlined in the report. Councillor Cormack stated that the future methodology needed to ensure the longer term affordability and sustainability of the Capital Programme, and would need to be determined in the context of the Council’s financial sustainability over the Medium Term Financial Plan and beyond. He then highlighted the three options, as outlined in the report, and stated his support for Option 3. Councillor Alec Cormack Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. Councillor Rhys Sinnett thanked Councillor Cormack and Officers for their work on the matter and stated his support for the Recommendation. He referred to the Capital Financing cap as not being a target to aim for, but was instead a cap that provided flexibility should unforeseen circumstances arise. Councillor Cormack highlighted the significant amount of work undertaken by the Deputy Chief Finance Officer/Deputy S151 Officer, and stated that she would keep the modelling work up to date in order to monitor going forward. The Leader thanked the Deputy Chief Finance Officer/Deputy S151 Officer for her work and highlighted that it was an example of good collaboration between Officers and Members. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That Option 3 (Capital Financing Costs as a proportion of Net Revenue Budget) be approved as the new methodology for providing assurance of affordability and sustainability of the Capital Programme. (b) That a capping level of up to 5.30% maximum be agreed. (c) That a capping level up to a maximum of 5.30% (Capital Financing Costs as a proportion of Net Revenue Budget) be recommended to Full Council in December 2023 as part of the Outline Draft Budget for 2024-25.
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RESOLVED That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Care and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, to award funding from the Direct Food Support Fund 2023-24.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Social Care and Housing and the Director of Resources which outlined an error in the previous report to Cabinet regarding the financial year, and sought clarification from Members. Councillor Tessa Hodgson, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Social Care and Safeguarding, introduced the report and stated that the previous report to Cabinet in July 2023 referred to an incorrect date, therefore the report simply clarified the correct date in relation to the delegation of the allocation for 2023-2024. Councillor Tessa Hodgson Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [8] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Care and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, to award funding from the Direct Food Support Fund 2023-24.
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RESOLVED That the Pembrokeshire Housing Strategy 2023-2027 be recommended to Council for consideration and approval.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Social Care and Housing which outlined the draft Housing Strategy for Pembrokeshire. Councillor Michelle Bateman, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing Operations and Regulatory Services, introduced the report and stated that it was a very detailed report and Strategy, and highlighted that the various elements within the report proved the complexity of the Strategy, especially in regards to the amount of legislation that was involved. She stated that all Members had the opportunity to input their views at two workshops, as well as the report being taken to a Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting, where Members provided useful feedback. Councillor Bateman then outlined the various documents that tied into the Strategy, such as the Corporate Plan, the Wellbeing Plan, Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, and the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan. She stated that the Strategy was much wider than just those areas, and highlighted that the Authority was obliged, through legislation, to perform a Strategic Housing role for Pembrokeshire that covered elements within Public Protection, such as Housing Standards and Enforcement, but also the Authority’s broader leadership role in understanding the local housing market and the conditions of local housing and the demand. Councillor Michelle Bateman Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. Councillor Jon Harvey commented on the housing delivery aspect of the Strategy and outlined the key achievements including the Development Programme, buy-backs of existing homes which added to the Council Housing stock, Grant aid that had been secured, work with Registered Social Landlords colleagues, Administrative Social Housing Grant Programmes and affordable homes provided though the Planning system and within the Local Development Plan. Councillor Neil Prior reiterated his declaration of interest made at the start of the meeting and that he would not be voting. He stated that it was a comprehensive and ambitious strategy, however, suggested that the Strategy was light on the detail in regards to working in partnership and the opportunities it provided. Councillor Bateman stated that the detail within the Strategy involved work that was already ongoing, and highlighted that the Strategy ensured that all relevant work was pulled together to be part of the wider Strategy that the Authority could work to, especially in regards to targeting and prioritising the work undertaken to areas that would have the highest impact. Councillor Bateman then highlighted the various aspects of partnership working, and stated that there were lots of elements within the Strategy that referred to such work. Councillor Prior believed that there was not a great deal of substance within the Strategy behind how the Authority would work in partnership, beyond having a technical forum. The Head of Housing and Public Protection appreciated the comment and reassured Members that partnership working was part of the Housing Departments core work, and that they fully acknowledged that such work could not be done alone. She stated that she would happy to amend the Strategy to reflect the amount of partnership work, and would include further detail at the start of the report. Councillor Bateman wished to point out the need for a change in mind-set, particularly in relation to homelessness, and stated that homelessness was not a housing problem but a societal issue. She stated that the Strategy recognised that point, and once that was firmly recognised, there would be some work to do across the whole of the public and private sector around the matter. Councillor Alec Cormack sought clarification in regards to the projected overspend on homelessness and whether the unprecedented level of growth was thought to continue. In response, the Head of Housing and Public Protection stated that she was seeing a plateau, if not a slight decline, in the number of cases of homelessness, which was extremely positive. However, there were concerns around the demand for temporary accommodation provision, and acknowledged that the housing supply issue was fundamental. She anticipated that although there would be a pressure in regards to the scale of demand on temporary accommodation within the next 12 months to two years, it should gradually decline. She highlighted that the funding model was being reviewed to ensure that as much of the outlying costs were recouped, in order to minimise the impact as far as budgetary pressures were concerned. [Councillor Prior left the meeting at this juncture.] The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [7] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That the Pembrokeshire Housing Strategy 2023-2027 be recommended to Council for consideration and approval.
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