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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 Cllr J Thomas, Cllr G Thomas and D Thomas.
No declarations of interest were made.
Minutes of the meeting on 16th June 2026 were approved as accurate.
Chair referred to the action log. All actions from the previous meeting have been complete.
Head of Regeneration, Investment & Housing introduced the report. In response to the questions from Committee Members, it was noted: · Demand for one-bedroom accommodation remained the most significant pressure, with 1,355 applications identified as have a one-bedroom need as of August 2026. · The Housing Register has 2,240 active applications as of September 2026. · Affordability pressures within the mortgage and private rental markets are contributing to housing need. · Policy seeks to ensure that limited resources are prioritised towards applicants with the greatest housing need whilst improving clarity around allocation decisions. · Housing developments are being planned in accordance with identified strategic housing need; however, increasing demands continues to outpace supply. · Priority banding is determined by assessed housing need and household circumstances rather than the size of accommodation required. · Applications are reviewed on an annual cycle. · Application processing times are influenced by a range of factors, and officers work with applicants to explore all appropriate housing and support options. · Most wards have HMO based emergency accommodation provision; however, no further expansion is currently planned. · Information regarding land allocation and delivery rate within current LDP was provided by Planning Services Manager. · £5.7M has been secured through the Social Housing Grant programme and £400,000 through the Trasnsitional Accommodation Capital Programme, with a range of other viability grants available to support housing development and delivery. · Lead responsibility for anti-social behaviour sits with landlords, the Police and Community Safety services. Housing support services can contribute to partnership interventions. · Housing service responsibilities are largely defined by legislation. · Housing Solution Officers are proactive in working with private rental sector. · Verified rough sleeper figures currently being reviewed. · Information presented reflects self-declarations made by applicants as part of their applications, with evidence required to support the assessment of housing need. · Support-to-Move applications are initially assessed by COTS, with DFGs considered where appropriate. · Mutual exchange actively promoted. · 125 people in temporary accommodation (as of date of meeting). · There is general support for the Policy from partners, with community consultation receiving over 90% positive responses. · Subject to approval, the Policy is expected to be implemented from November 2026 and promoted through the Living Merthyr website and social media channels. Applicants affected by banding changes will also be notified in writing. · Housing Register Officers also based at Town Centre Hub 4 days a week. · Living Merthyr Tydfil Partnership consists of Merthyr Tydfil CBC and local RSLs, with sometimes guests attending. Members acknowledged the considerable challenges facing housing services which the public may not always realise, often dealing with very difficult circumstances and thanked officers for the excellent work in supporting vulnerable residents and managing increasingly complex housing pressures. Committee Members supported the strong Policy.
Cllr D Jones introduced the report. In response to the questions, it was noted: · Work has commenced on the replacement Local Development Plan, including an upcoming call for candidate sites to inform future land allocations. · Members received an update regarding conservation arrangements with Caerphilly CBC. · The significant resource implications associated with managing listed buildings were acknowledged. · Ongoing recruitment challenges within the Planning Enforcement function and the impact of staffing constraints on enforcement activities discussed. · Financial, legal and practical challenges associated with intervention measures for listed buildings recognised. · Members expressed concerns regarding the identification of property owners and the enforcement of required works to listed buildings. · It was noted that a building raised during previous workshops and committee discussions has subsequently been purchased privately and is being brought forward for development. · Changes in legislation, including ecological assessments, alongside the increasing complexity of applications have contributed to longer determination times. · A significant proportion of appeals upheld in favour of applicants have arisen from HMO applications where the original decision differed from the officer recommendation. · Members highlighted the need to balance planning policy requirements with local knowledge and community concerns when determining applications and considering appeals. · The importance of ensuring Members received appropriate planning training, particularly in response to legislative changes was emphasised. Committee Members supported the report and recognised the positive performance achieved by the Planning Service despite resource pressures and thanked officers for their good work.
Cllr D Jones introduced the report. In response to the questions, it was noted: · One of the main barriers to increasing food waste participation is the residual capacity available within wheeled bins, reducing incentive for household to utilise the food waste recycling service. · From October 2026, residents will be able to present paper and cardboard together as part of the recycling collection service. · Food waste tonnage remains a key factor in improving overall recycling performance. · Members were advised of recent health and safety concerns relating to incorrectly disposed sharps associated with weight-loss medication, which had resulted in needle-stick incidents involving collection staff. · Areas with lower participation rates are being targeted through focused engagement and education activity. · A new dedicated display vehicle is expected to be operational from November 2026 to support recycling awareness campaigns and community engagement. · Recycling wardens undertake education, monitoring and enforcement activities, with enforcement letters issued in accordance with established procedures. · The need to continue to promote the importance of food waste recycling and behavioural change to improve recycling performance was acknowledged. · Officers advised that opportunities to develop a nappy recycling service had previously been explored through a proposed facility in Hirwaun; however, following changes in site ownership, no feasible recycling solution is currently available. · Container/facility provision is regularly evaluated to ensure they remain fit for purpose and support recycling performance. · Any changes in resident behaviour and participation would be reflected through trends in recycling tonnage and associated performance data. · The issue of refuse collection frequency as part of wider recycling performance, waste reduction and service delivery was discussed. Committee Members were happy with the report recognised that food waste participation is a big problem. Members praised the significant resident engagement and thanked officers for their continued efforts to increase recycling participation.
Chair referred to the FWP and next meeting items. Members clarified the topics listed under items for consideration section.
No referrals had been received.
Members were advised that the Annual Scrutiny Report and Scrutiny Self-Evaluation Briefing are expected to be included for Full Council in October. Chair also advised communications have gone out for public representative co-opted vacancies.
The Chair advised that there was no other business deemed urgent.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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