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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2025 be received and confirmed as a correct record.
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) agree and adopt the Corwen and Denbigh Placemaking Plans as the strategic framework for town centre investment and regeneration; (b) delegate the approval of the governance structure and monitoring to the Prosperous Denbighshire Board, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration.
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) support the principles underpinning the proposed process for the selection of candidate projects to be delivered from UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund funding, as detailed in paragraph 4.10 of the report and in Appendix 2 to the report; (b) approve the proposed selection process, as detailed in paragraphs 4.11 to 4.15 of the report and in Appendix 3 to the report, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (Appendix 4 to the report) as part of its consideration. At this point (11.35am) the meeting adjourned for a refreshment break.
RESOLVED that Cabinet approves the revised interim increase in fee of £571k for 2025/26 and notes the ongoing work with regards to Subsidy Control set out within the report.
RESOLVED that – (a) the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2026/27 (Appendix 1 to the report) and the Housing Stock Business Plan (Appendix 2 to the report) be adopted; (b) rents for Council dwellings be increased in accordance with the Welsh Government Policy for Social Housing Rents by 4.3% to an average weekly rent of £117.31 with effect from Monday 6 April 2026; (c) the additional report (Appendix 3 to the report) on the considerations taken into account when deciding on the recommendation be noted, and (d) Cabinet confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 4 to the report) as part of its consideration.
RESOLVED that Cabinet approves – (a) the capital match funding commitment of Denbighshire County Council to the Denbigh High School Project as set out within paragraph 6.2 of the report funded by prudential borrowing, and the revenue costs associated with the borrowing and the project which will need to be refined over time and built into future iterations of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan once the capital works are completed; (b) the submission of the Strategic Outline Case (Appendix 1 to the report) for consideration by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning investment panel in January 2026; (c) proceeding in parallel with the above the commencement of procurement (above £2m excluding VAT threshold) to appoint a contractor for design and build of the scheme, and (d) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1a to the report) as part of its consideration.
RESOLVED that Cabinet approves – (a) the capital match funding commitment of Denbighshire County Council to the Ysgol Pendref Project as set out within paragraph 6.2 of the report funded by prudential borrowing, and the revenue costs associated with the borrowing and the project which will need to be refined over time and built into future iterations of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan once the capital works are completed; (b) the submission of the Strategic Outline Case for consideration by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning investment panel in January 2026, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration.
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approves the tendering and procurement of the project in order to develop a new building to facilitate the safe and correct storage of salt for the purpose of winter maintenance operations, which are servicing the north of the county, and (b) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix B to the report) as part of its consideration.
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) note the budgets set for 2025/26 and progress against the agreed budget strategy; (b) approve the Council Tax Base for setting the 2026/27 budget as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report, and (c) approve the set aside of £250k to the Transformation Reserve as detailed in paragraph 6.1 of the report.
RESOLVED that Cabinet’s forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 1.00 pm.
Councillors Elen Heaton and Diane King would be slightly late to the meeting.
Councillors Rhys Thomas and Diane King declared a Personal Interest in Agenda Item 7 Denbighshire Leisure Limited (DLL) Financial Submission 2025/26 because they were Directors on the Board of Denbighshire Leisure Limited.
No urgent matters had been raised.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2025 be received and confirmed as a correct record.
The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 18 November 2025 were submitted. Matters Arising – Item 5 Outcome of Performance Scrutiny Committee’s Review of Cabinet’s decision relating to the Viability Report on Cefndy – In response to questions from Councillor Terry Mendies the Corporate Director: Governance and Business confirmed the latest position regarding arrangements to establish a Group to review future options with a view to reporting back to scrutiny on the outcome of that work in June 2026, but confirmed there could be some flexibility in terms of timing. The Council had allocated some funding should the Group wish to access independent advice and a response was currently awaited from the Trade Unions as to whether they also wished to contribute financially to any funding required. RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2025 be received and confirmed as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) agree and adopt the Corwen and Denbigh Placemaking Plans as the strategic framework for town centre investment and regeneration; (b) delegate the approval of the governance structure and monitoring to the Prosperous Denbighshire Board, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration.
The Leader welcomed Liz Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (covering Corwen) and Gill German, MP for Clwyd North (covering Denbigh) to the meeting. Councillor Jason McLellan, Leader presented the report seeking Cabinet approval of the Corwen and Denbigh Placemaking Plans as the Council’s strategic framework for investment and regeneration in those town centres together with support for the next steps required to progress their implementation. The Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services and Economic and Business Development Manager attended for this item. Cabinet was given some background to the report in which Corwen and Denbigh had been identified for the development of an initial round of Placemaking Plans together with an overview of the substantial work undertaken to develop those Plans led by the Economic and Business Development (EBD) Team which included extensive community and stakeholder engagement. This work identified local priorities, challenges, and aspirations ensuring the Plans reflected the views and experiences of residents, businesses, local elected members and key partners. Adoption of the Plans would enable the Council to be in a positive position to seek bids for external funding when suitable opportunities arose. It was recommended that a Delivery Group be established to oversee implementation and delivery of the Plans and the Prosperous Denbighshire Board approve the governance arrangements. Cabinet welcomed the Placemaking Plans as a means of regenerating both towns and enhancing Welsh heritage and culture, enabling much needed investment in those areas for the benefit of those communities and acknowledged the wealth of community engagement undertaken. Main points of debate included the following – · the importance of not overpromising and ensuring delivery of the Plans by continuing to engage and work together with partners and the community to progress those ambitions and meet expectations were highlighted. The Leader chaired the Prosperous Denbighshire Board and gave assurances that work to approve the governance arrangements would be a priority in order to progress with the Plans and access external funding opportunities as soon as possible · an overview of terminology used in the Plans was provided together with a definition of Placemaking Plans, Transforming Towns (Welsh Government funding) and the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund and how they could be used, together with other funding sources, to meet the Plans ambitions · the Plans needed to be comprehensive and in a particular format as required by the Welsh Government and Cabinet was keen for a more user friendly version be produced for the public such as an info-graph or easy read summary · implementation of the Plans was key and officers elaborated on the next steps to establish a Delivery Group for that purpose to work alongside local Partnership Groups to ensure delivery and monitor progress; following approval of the report recommendations that engagement work would continue in earnest to establish the correct mix of members and avoid duplication with any existing groups, and work would also be ongoing with the Communications Teams to ensure communities were kept informed of progress. Assurances were provided that the local members and town councils would be part of that process · Active Travel and Highways Officers had been involved in developing the Plans and the importance of links with other towns and services were acknowledged and it was an area which could be further developed in the future. Councillor Gwyneth Ellis, Local Member for Corwen thanked officers for the inclusive engagement and work to date. She highlighted the lack of action following similar plans in the past and the need to progress this Plan. Problems with the Active Travel route between Corwen and Cynwyd were also highlighted. The Leader was keen to ensure the Delivery Plans progressed at pace to realise those ambitions as soon as possible, highlighting the need to work closely with partners in that regard. He agreed to take up the Active Travel issue outside of the meeting. The Leader invited Liz Saville Roberts, MP and Gill German, MP to speak. Ms. Saville Roberts welcomed the plans, stressing the importance of their timely implementation and involvement of local communities, and raised questions around funding timescales, officer capacity and role of MPs. Ms. German fully supported Placemaking Plans as a mechanism to engage communities and develop robust plans ahead of targeting investment and to achieve the potential in Denbigh with an emphasis on delivery. Councillor Julie Matthews highlighted the importance of parity between town plans to ensure equal opportunities across the county. Officers responded to questions and comments and confirmed funding allocations via the Transforming Towns Programme for the current and next financial year, with the Placemaking Plans ensuring the Council was well placed to bid for other external funding as opportunities arose; once the Plans were approved work on the next steps would progress at pace. The role of the EBD Team was explained to coordinate and develop the plans with other services also leading on different projects and capacity would be included when developing grant funding bids. Whilst the Council may deliver some projects, many projects would be delivered by a range of different partners, and the role of MPs, MSs, local members, town councils and community groups, etc. was of paramount importance in ensuring continual engagement and delivery through strong partnership working. The Leader thanked both MPs for their support and everyone for their contributions. RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) agree and adopt the Corwen and Denbigh Placemaking Plans as the strategic framework for town centre investment and regeneration; (b) delegate the approval of the governance structure and monitoring to the Prosperous Denbighshire Board, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) support the principles underpinning the proposed process for the selection of candidate projects to be delivered from UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund funding, as detailed in paragraph 4.10 of the report and in Appendix 2 to the report; (b) approve the proposed selection process, as detailed in paragraphs 4.11 to 4.15 of the report and in Appendix 3 to the report, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (Appendix 4 to the report) as part of its consideration. At this point (11.35am) the meeting adjourned for a refreshment break.
Councillor Jason McLellan presented the report seeking Cabinet approval of the proposed selection process of suitable projects to be delivered from the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund (PiPIF). The Corporate Director: Environment and Economy and Programme Manager attended for this item. The PiPIF provided £1.5m capital funding to local authorities in Wales to deliver visible improvements to high streets and improve places and spaces of community value. Details of the funding criteria had been set out together with the proposed project selection process to provide a robust basis for selecting projects and underlying principles to inform the process. The reasoning behind the process was further explained and the need for projects to be affordable and deliverable in the tight timescales set, with submission of candidate projects to the UK Government by February 2026 and projects delivered by March 2027. The following points were discussed in further detail – · officers elaborated on the proposed selection process within the tight timescales with submission of the shortlisted projects from the pipeline of projects to the Corporate Executive Team and Budget and Transformation (BAT) Board in January alongside consultation with key stakeholders with a decision made in February at either the BAT Board or Cabinet depending on the timing of meetings. To ensure openness and transparency of process in a public forum members were keen for a report back to a Cabinet meeting if possible and for all members to be kept informed of the progress and pipeline/shortlisted projects · concern was raised regarding the short timescales in which to plan and deliver projects in order to make best use of the available funding. Officers explained it was for those reasons that a pipeline of projects needed to be available at all times to maximise grant funding opportunities as they became available · projects were expected to be delivered in communities of most need; no definition of that phrase had been provided in the guidance and evidence of need would be taken into account as part of the selection process of projects which met the criteria and could be delivered in the timeframe; sources of information could include deprivation factors, Wellbeing Impact Assessments, and other plans such as the Corporate Plan and Placemaking Plans · Cabinet was advised that more funding opportunities were expected, and work would be ongoing to develop the pipeline of projects, incorporate the placemaking plans aspirations and engage with the City, Town and Community Councils to ensure projects were sufficiently developed to be put forward. The Leader opened the debate to non-Cabinet members. Given the deprivation in Rhyl, Councillor Brian Jones believed the funding would be allocated to Rhyl projects. Officers advised that communities of most need was a factor in considering where the funding was invested along with deliverability and other key criteria but the review of projects had not yet been completed and no decisions had been made as yet. Councillor Terry Mendies asked that a car parking project in Eryrys be considered for PiPIF funding, how it could be included as a pipeline project and how to apply for the grant funding. Officers confirmed the proposed selection process reiterating the tight timescales with no capacity to call for new projects at this stage. However, new projects could be added to the pipeline of capital projects which could be taken forward by the relevant Head of Service and further discussed outside of the meeting. In response to a final question from Councillor Bobby Feeley, the Leader and Corporate Director gave assurances that the work on the UK PiPIF would not impact the grant funded project work in Ruthin awarded via the former Levelling Up Fund. RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) support the principles underpinning the proposed process for the selection of candidate projects to be delivered from UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund funding, as detailed in paragraph 4.10 of the report and in Appendix 2 to the report; (b) approve the proposed selection process, as detailed in paragraphs 4.11 to 4.15 of the report and in Appendix 3 to the report, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Wellbeing Impact Assessment (Appendix 4 to the report) as part of its consideration. At this point (11.35am) the meeting adjourned for a refreshment break.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet approves the revised interim increase in fee of £571k for 2025/26 and notes the ongoing work with regards to Subsidy Control set out within the report.
Councillor Delyth Jones presented the report regarding the financial submission from DLL and sought Cabinet approval of the revised increase in fee for 2025/26. Since its creation DLL had absorbed cost increases (estimated £3.1m) by growing the business commercially and had not received any uplift on the £2.3m annual fee paid to it by the Council for providing leisure services. DLL believed it was reaching its operational ceiling under its current model and in order to continue the same level of service DLL had submitted an initial subsidy submission to the Council for £1.15m for 2025/26. Work was ongoing to review the current model for DLL and in the interim it was necessary to consider funding for leisure services in 2025/26 and 2026/27. Work to review the detail behind the financial submission and legal complexities around subsidy control had been set out in the report which had resulted in an agreed revised interim fee increase of £571k. The 2025/26 fee increase could be funded in-year from corporate underspends and budget provision made for 2026/27 pending a decision when the financial position became clearer. During debate the Head of Finance and Audit explained the reasoning behind the differential in the £1.15m submission and the revised interim increase of £571k. The initial submission had included a number of assumptions and the way in which the figures had been calculated had also been reviewed in line with the approach taken to other internal council departments. Main factors considered included the inherent loss brought forward, cost of the pay award in-year (assumed at 5% but subsequently agreed at 3.2%) and increase in the employer’s national insurance contribution. The figure had also been calculated on the basis of subsidy control and what could be paid as a permitted modification to a legacy subsidy. There was a need to balance various factors including the needs of DLL and provision of high quality services, maintaining the breadth of services provided under the contract whilst recognising that DLL needed to stand alone and have security around its trading position. The £2.3m fee covered the whole contract and was not broken down into specific amounts for the different areas the business provided. Councillor Brian Jones referred to an extract from the report being posted on social media which created a false perception giving rise to negative comments. In response to a question regarding the level of increase going forward the Head of Finance and Audit advised that there were factors outside the control of the Council and DLL which may impact on any further submissions together with limitations of subsidy control. An increase in funding would allow time to explore potential alternative delivery models to ensure the right model going forward. Councillor Bobby Feeley supported the fee increase highlighting the excellent leisure and wellbeing opportunities provided without any increase to date despite additional pressures. Councillor Rhys Thomas also spoke in favour of the increase reiterating that DLL had no fee uplift since its formation in 2020 highlighting its accomplishments in managing the service since then with no fee increase. RESOLVED that Cabinet approves the revised interim increase in fee of £571k for 2025/26 and notes the ongoing work with regards to Subsidy Control set out within the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that – (a) the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2026/27 (Appendix 1 to the report) and the Housing Stock Business Plan (Appendix 2 to the report) be adopted; (b) rents for Council dwellings be increased in accordance with the Welsh Government Policy for Social Housing Rents by 4.3% to an average weekly rent of £117.31 with effect from Monday 6 April 2026; (c) the additional report (Appendix 3 to the report) on the considerations taken into account when deciding on the recommendation be noted, and (d) Cabinet confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 4 to the report) as part of its consideration.
Councillor Rhys Thomas presented the report seeking Cabinet approval for the Denbighshire Housing annual rent increase, the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital & Revenue Budgets for 2026/27 and Housing Stock Business Plan (HSBP). The report had been scrutinised by Communities Scrutiny Committee and Housing and Homelessness Board the previous week. It included the latest forecast outturn for the HRA and proposed budget for 2026/27 which had been calculated to enable delivery of revenue services, the capital investment programme, strive to achieve quality standards and develop the new build programme. In terms of the annual rent increase, the Welsh Government set a maximum annual rent uplift using CPI from the previous September (3.8%) + 0.5% and it was proposed to increase weekly rents by that amount (4.3%) with clear evidence that rents remained affordable for tenants. A review of the HSBP had been carried out with a forecast year-end balance of £813k in line with the assumed minimum balance of £750k over the mid-term to mitigate future risks with borrowing levels closely monitored. The Head of Housing and Communities introduced officers present and gave an overview of the report. Cabinet was pleased to note the steps taken to ensure affordability for tenants and the valuable work carried out on the housing stock. Main areas of debate focused on the following – · 75% of households were in receipt of welfare benefit and housing costs support and the rent increase would be covered by that support; for the 25% who did not receive that support the rent costs had been checked against the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Living Rent Model which confirmed rent costs would be no more than 28% of the income of the most economically deprived residents · there was an ambition to achieve Welsh Housing Quality Standards (WHQS) for all properties and a rolling programme year on year with tenants advised of works in advance. However, it would be difficult to plan a long term programme given the prioritisation process for works and need to manage tenants’ expectations. The latest STAR Survey results indicated some improvements to already high results in tenant satisfaction regarding property maintenance · there was a strong focus and rapid response in place to address issues reported in relation to damp and condensation; reference was made to Awaab’s law which would soon be coming into force in England with strict timescales to address damp and mould and the Council would be meeting those standards which went beyond existing laws in Wales and gave confidence in that regard · it would not be possible to achieve WQHS across all properties given the current level of funding which had been communicated to Welsh Government (WG) and a full stock condition survey was currently being undertaken to ascertain the true cost of that programme of work. Budgets had been reduced in both housing property maintenance and in terms of new developments with a reliance on WG funding to meet the budget gap. Work was ongoing with RSL colleagues to ensure more social housing would be built in Denbighshire over future years. Councillor Rhys Thomas reiterated that the HRA was separate to the council’s funding which could not be used for that purpose. Whilst there was agreement with the WG’s expectations in terms of achieving WQHS and developing new build programmes, etc., the main source of funding was from rent and therefore additional funding would be required from the WG to achieve those ambitions. Tenant satisfaction remained high and represented value for money. RESOLVED that – (a) the Housing Revenue Account Budget for 2026/27 (Appendix 1 to the report) and the Housing Stock Business Plan (Appendix 2 to the report) be adopted; (b) rents for Council dwellings be increased in accordance with the Welsh Government Policy for Social Housing Rents by 4.3% to an average weekly rent of £117.31 with effect from Monday 6 April 2026; (c) the additional report (Appendix 3 to the report) on the considerations taken into account when deciding on the recommendation be noted, and (d) Cabinet confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 4 to the report) as part of its consideration.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet approves – (a) the capital match funding commitment of Denbighshire County Council to the Denbigh High School Project as set out within paragraph 6.2 of the report funded by prudential borrowing, and the revenue costs associated with the borrowing and the project which will need to be refined over time and built into future iterations of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan once the capital works are completed; (b) the submission of the Strategic Outline Case (Appendix 1 to the report) for consideration by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning investment panel in January 2026; (c) proceeding in parallel with the above the commencement of procurement (above £2m excluding VAT threshold) to appoint a contractor for design and build of the scheme, and (d) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1a to the report) as part of its consideration.
The Head of Education presented the report seeking Cabinet approval for the submission of the Strategic Outline Case to the Welsh Government for the proposed refurbishment of Denbigh High School and commencement of the procurement process for a design and build contract to develop the scheme. The proposal to refurbish the Denbigh High School site was part of the Band B suite of school modernisation projects and remained a priority in the Council’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme with a need to enhance the school’s teaching and learning environments. Details of previous approvals for the scheme were provided together with the financial cost estimates and financial commitment required which included a revised cost estimate for the scheme. If approved the procurement process would conclude in March 2026 with award of contract expected in April 2026. The Leader had been contacted by Councillor Mark Young, Chair of Governors of Denbigh High School who had expressed his support for the recommendations. Councillor Rhys Thomas had also been contacted by Councillor Young in his capacity as Chair of Denbigh Member Area Group (MAG) confirming the matter was regularly discussed at the MAG who were also supportive of the recommendations as were the school governors. Cabinet also noted that the project had been considered and approved by the Capital Scrutiny Group. The Chief Executive added that the project represented circa £20m investment in the school with a commitment from the Council of circa £6m. RESOLVED that Cabinet approves – (a) the capital match funding commitment of Denbighshire County Council to the Denbigh High School Project as set out within paragraph 6.2 of the report funded by prudential borrowing, and the revenue costs associated with the borrowing and the project which will need to be refined over time and built into future iterations of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan once the capital works are completed; (b) the submission of the Strategic Outline Case (Appendix 1 to the report) for consideration by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning investment panel in January 2026; (c) proceeding in parallel with the above the commencement of procurement (above £2m excluding VAT threshold) to appoint a contractor for design and build of the scheme, and (d) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1a to the report) as part of its consideration.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet approves – (a) the capital match funding commitment of Denbighshire County Council to the Ysgol Pendref Project as set out within paragraph 6.2 of the report funded by prudential borrowing, and the revenue costs associated with the borrowing and the project which will need to be refined over time and built into future iterations of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan once the capital works are completed; (b) the submission of the Strategic Outline Case for consideration by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning investment panel in January 2026, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration.
The Head of Education presented the report seeking Cabinet approval for the submission of the Strategic Outline Case to Welsh Government in order to move to the next stage of the Ysgol Pendref project and develop the detailed design. The proposal to extend and refurbish Ysgol Pendref was part of the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme with the intention of consolidating the school’s current operation from two separate buildings into one single building. The investment in the school was £13.m with a Council contribution of circa £4m. The school was in an area of considerable deprivation and to future proof provision capacity would be increased from 180 to 210 full time pupils. There was a community focused approach to the school considering the challenges that the school faced and the community that it served. If approved a main contractor would be appointed in the Spring of 2026 and the construction stage could commence by Summer 2028 with completion estimated at Summer 2030. Councillor Delyth Jones (Local Member) welcomed the report and major investment in education which would bring many benefits together with the community hub and dedicated childcare provision subject to a separate funding bid. In response to questions, officers confirmed that costs would be closely monitored, and the report contained the current forecasts provided by the Design and Construction Agent. Once the tenders had been evaluated work would be undertaken with the contractor as to how the development would be phased and whether any temporary accommodation would be required. Being a live site presented a challenge given the need to maintain education provision whilst major development was ongoing. The Leader reiterated that the Denbigh High School and Ysgol Pendref projects represented circa £33m investment in Denbigh schools which would improve outcomes for pupils and thanked the Lead Member and officers for their hard work. RESOLVED that Cabinet approves – (a) the capital match funding commitment of Denbighshire County Council to the Ysgol Pendref Project as set out within paragraph 6.2 of the report funded by prudential borrowing, and the revenue costs associated with the borrowing and the project which will need to be refined over time and built into future iterations of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Plan once the capital works are completed; (b) the submission of the Strategic Outline Case for consideration by the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning investment panel in January 2026, and (c) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix 1 to the report) as part of its consideration.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approves the tendering and procurement of the project in order to develop a new building to facilitate the safe and correct storage of salt for the purpose of winter maintenance operations, which are servicing the north of the county, and (b) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix B to the report) as part of its consideration.
Councillor Barry Mellor presented the report seeking Cabinet approval to progress the Salt Barns (North) project to the procurement and tender stage. The project had been developed due to issues with the salt storage facilities which led to environmental concerns and a risk to the resilience of the service’s winter operations. The provision of fit for purpose new salt storage facilities would provide a more efficient, safer working environment for staff whilst ensuring full compliance with environmental standards and provide further resilience for winter maintenance and adverse weather service delivery. The business case and funding for the project had been approved previously by the Capital Scrutiny Group and Cabinet. Given the pre-tender estimate was above £2m Cabinet approval was required. RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) approves the tendering and procurement of the project in order to develop a new building to facilitate the safe and correct storage of salt for the purpose of winter maintenance operations, which are servicing the north of the county, and (b) confirms that it has read, understood and taken account of the Well-being Impact Assessment (Appendix B to the report) as part of its consideration.
This item was deferred to the next meeting of the Cabinet.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) note the budgets set for 2025/26 and progress against the agreed budget strategy; (b) approve the Council Tax Base for setting the 2026/27 budget as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report, and (c) approve the set aside of £250k to the Transformation Reserve as detailed in paragraph 6.1 of the report.
Councillor Delyth Jones presented the finance monitoring report for 2025/26 detailing the latest financial position and progress against the agreed budget strategy. A summary of the Council’s financial position was provided as follows – · the net revenue budget for 2025/26 was £290.735m (£271.021m in 2024/25) · an underspend of £2.473m (previously £3.722m underspend) was forecast for service and corporate budgets with the movement (£1,249k) mainly due to £1,449k set aside to reserves approved in November and pressures in Children’s Services offset by the Welsh Government grant towards pay costs · savings and efficiencies for the 2025/26 budget (£4.170m) and progress in delivering savings approved with ongoing tracking/monitoring · current risks and assumptions relating to corporate budgets and service areas · an update on Schools, Housing Revenue Account, and Treasury Management. The Lead Member guided members through the report detail with particular reference to variances in service and corporate budgets. Cabinet was also asked to approve the set aside of £250k from the in-year underspend to the Transformation Reserve in order to progress projects within the transformation programme, and the Council Tax base for setting the 2026/27 budget which had been detailed for each community area. Given the movement in key areas it was important not to under-estimate the level of potential risks and pressures overall faced moving forward. The Head of Finance and Audit explained that due to the timing of Cabinet meetings the next finance report would be presented in February. The Leader reminded members that a Budget Workshop would be held the following day. RESOLVED that Cabinet – (a) note the budgets set for 2025/26 and progress against the agreed budget strategy; (b) approve the Council Tax Base for setting the 2026/27 budget as detailed in Appendix 3 to the report, and (c) approve the set aside of £250k to the Transformation Reserve as detailed in paragraph 6.1 of the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED that Cabinet’s forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 1.00 pm.
The Cabinet forward work programme was presented for consideration and members noted the following amendments – · Corporate Plan Performance Update – deferred from December to January · Finance Report – removed from January · St. Peter’s Square Public Realm Improvements – removed from January · LRF Rhyl Central Promenade/Public Realm Projects – added to February · Quoracy of the National Joint Committee for the National Adoption Service for Wales and Foster Wales – added to March RESOLVED that Cabinet’s forward work programme be noted. The meeting concluded at 1.00 pm.
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