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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
Apologies received for Howard Jackson.
No declarations of interest were made.
Amendment requested on minute 43, bullet point 1 – the words “as a result of not achieving the 70% recycling target” to be added to the end of the relevant sentence.
Chair referred to the action log. Updates will be provided on outstanding actions as soon as possible.
Cllr Jamie Scriven introduced the report. In response to the questions, it was noted: · Energy efficiency improvements have been achieved through collaboration between Halo’s technical teams and the Council’s Property and Energy services. · Officers confirmed ongoing work to progress future decarbonisation plans. · Community outreach schemes not related to energy efficiency programmes. · Rapid interventions were implemented to address anti-social behaviour and safeguard staff and customers, helping identify gaps in site security. · Catering performance at Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Centre continues to show strong growth. · Catering functions at Cyfarthfa Park and Aberfan Community Centre are performing positively, with some operating issues resolved. · Participation levels across leisure facilities are increasing month on month, and this upward trend is expected to continue. · Halo confirmed that participation data from September 2025 onwards is accurate. · Extensive maintenance interventions at the Splash Park at Cyfarthfa Park has improved reliability. · Halo is managing assets within the operational budget and reported a £20,000 surplus on the maintenance subsidy at Quarter 3. · Work is underway to develop a procurement strategy for the long-term management of leisure assets. · £1.3m is currently aligned to the management of leisure contract and assets. · Indoor Bowls Centre remains part of the Regeneration Department’s asset management plan. · Concessions for low-income and hard to reach residents are being incorporated into the new procurement strategy. · No decline in membership numbers has been observed following price increase. · Discounted memberships options remain available. · Food provision initiatives have increased to 13 locations across 10 wards, expanding community support. Committee Members thanked officers for the comprehensive update and positive report. Members recognised the benefits that a professional company has brought to the running of the leisure assets and the significant progress made and that although further work is required, improvements are clearly heading in the right direction.
Cllr Jamie Scriven introduced the report, with Zoe Thomas providing further explanation. In response to the questions, it was noted: · Policy applies across all departments and for all grant values, with a stronger governance framework introduced. · Policy covers both major funding programmes and smaller community grants. · Lead officers will be designated on the individual grant programmes. · Policy establishes a consistent approach to ensure due diligence, transparency and audit compliance. · Officers acknowledged that monitoring arrangements need to be reviewed. · Officers confirmed that the policy applies to internal procedures and would not place administrative burden on community groups. · Workshop proposed to support understanding and implementation of the policy. · Pride in Place funding will be governed by the relevant Board, but the Local Authority retains ultimate responsibility for expenditure. · Officers confirmed data on grant awards is provided through FOI requests and promoted through good news stories. · Relevant departments are responsible for any project-related clawbacks. Committee Members welcomed the policy and agreed that it is overdue and that it will strengthen transparency whilst safeguarding the authority and officers. Members also discussed the opportunities to show the benefits various funded groups are bringing to the town.
In response to the FWP, it was noted: · Destination Management Plan and Housing Development Policy Update scheduled for April. · Planning Annual Performance Report and Annual Empty Property Report postponed. · FWP Planning sessions will be arranged to discuss the next cycle. · Concerns raised regarding the proposed dates for the upcoming scrutiny cycle.
No referrals were received.
A date for the Traffic & Parking workshop is yet to be confirmed. Site visits relating to Hydro-Electric and Community Energy projects will be arranged later in the year.
The Chair advised that there was no other business deemed urgent.
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Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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