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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.
The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.
There were no declarations of interest received.
The minutes of the meeting held on 21 November 2024 were approved as a true and accurate record.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. Officers referred to Appendix A on the Quarter 3 report, which outlines forecasted quarter three financial monitoring and the projected year-end position for the current financial year. Officers advised that it is expected that all four sub-committees will utilise their budgets this year. The forecast also indicates a projected surplus of £128,000. The underspends indicated are attributed to a vacant senior accountant post within the CJC, underspend on the planning and programme management, and on consultancy and specialist advisory work not being required and commissioned and some small underspends on office consumables. It was noted that reserves have been accumulating since the beginning of the CJC due to the limited activity that has been progressed. It is anticipated that the reserves will be in the region of £970,000 at the end of this financial year. Following scrutiny, the reports were noted.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. Officers advised that there is a statutory obligation to set the budget before the end of January and that the constituent authorities must be notified of the appropriate levy. There were two options presented for members to consider. The first option outlined a continuity budget, which is a similar position that has been agreed to over the last couple of years. This would present a bit of a standstill in terms of progress and would involve doing the minimum amount of work. The second option is to expand on work streams to enable work to progress and move forward. It was confirmed that the transport workstream has been supported through Welsh Government during the last two years, which has allowed the Regional Transport Plan to move forward. Officers noted the current budget pressures on the constituent authorities and recognised that the authorities are trying to reduce current spend. In terms of the two budget options presented. The first budget is based upon feedback from the work streams and what officers feel is required to deliver on the various elements across the four disciplines. With particular reference to strategic planning, there is a desire from officers that Welsh Government should support this work stream as they have supported the strategic development plan in previous years. The cost of delivering the full work stream is in the region of £600,000. Therefore, officers have concluded that there should be further pursuance and negotiation with Welsh Government before it can be delivered. It was also noted that when the CJC was set up there was an obligation set out for the national parks to contribute towards any planning functions that go on. Officers advised that a three-year plan has been suggested, where there is a contribution from reserves of £153,000 in year 1, £167,000 in year 2 and £182,000 in year three. This will contribute towards managing inflationary items and continuing to hold the levy the same. This will provide an estimated £460,000 in reserves at the end of the three years. This approach is also prudent, in terms of the pressure that may be put on constituent authorities if a higher contribution from reserves is taken in year 1 and then the levy on constituent authorities increases in years 2 and 3. Members queried how confident officers are in terms of the accuracy of the budget, in particular the forecasting of those items that have been consistently underspent in previous years? Officers outlined the starting point for the budget of the CJC and advised that currently there is no clear direction with regards to how active it is going to be and how much progress will take place. The CJC is continually developing and officers need to provide support to ensure that the CJC can deliver items when required and that this is not delayed due to lack of budget provision. Therefore, assumptions were made in previous years with regards to what was required. Further, officers advised that they are not sure that Welsh Government will provide the necessary funding for items to progress as required. If funding is not provided, then strategic planning could require a substantial contribution from the CJC. Whilst officers recognised that there could again be an underspend at the end of the year, the budgets agreed and now recommended could set the CJC in a better position. Further, the budgets have allowed for the levy to be held at the same levy as previous years as opposed to increasing it. Some members expressed their discomfort with the accuracy of the budget, and iterated that if funding is not required for something, then it should not be placed within the budget. Further, some members indicated that the CJC should be considering reducing the levy on local authorities, given that the reserve is 135% of the budget. Officers advised that in terms of managing budgets there is far more sense in being prudent and having incremental movements than significant drifts within the levy. Members noted that when legislation passed by Welsh Government, then the CJC must respond to it and act accordingly. However, it was agreed that the burden this placed on local authorities is a challenge and Welsh Government should understand that Council’s are not able to carry out everything that is required, with the current level of funding available. Officers advised that they would advise the members of the Joint Committee of the comments received by the scrutiny committee on the proposed budget. Following scrutiny, the report was noted.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. Officers provided an overview of the information provided within the agenda pack. Members attention was drawn to the Local Energy Plans (LEAPS), which is the agreed framework to deliver the Regional Energy Strategy. Welsh Government have provided funding for 24 months for a Regional Energy Team to action the Regional Energy Strategy. A strategic approach to managing the LEAPS has been developed, which has given consideration to grid capacity and opportunities from the National Grid electricity distribution. Officers referred to the individual priority schemes which are outlined in the appendices of the report. It was noted that funding of £27,500 from the year 2025-2026 and £3,000 in the current financial year will be sought from the CJC. The key deliverables are outlined within the appendices. Members acknowledged the joint working arrangements across the region and the were pleased to see the progression of projects such as the electric EV and ultra-low emission vehicles. Following scrutiny, members noted the report.
Members considered the report as circulated within the agenda pack. The work on the draft has been completed and presented to members. There are two elements, the draft Regional Transport Plan and the delivery element of the plan. Officers advised that the final consultation was scheduled to commence mid-February. Members were briefly advised of the parallel piece of work which is running along side the development of the RTP in relation to bus franchising. Welsh Government are also carrying out a grants modernisation review in terms of how grants are processed and administered. These two pieces of work could potentially result in additional work for the CJC. Officers drew members attention to the main objectives of the RTP which follow the requirements of the Welsh Transport Strategy. Officers recognised that not all active travel modes will be suitable for everywhere in the region. There are quite a lot of rural communities that require transport due to the location, distance and geography involved. Members were also reminded about the statutory assessments that have to be undertaken in relation to the RTP. Members discussed the need to strength the language used in the RTP around pedestrian and cyclist safety, particularly in the context of highway safety. The importance of including all road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians in policies was emphasised. Members expressed their concern that the current terminology is too car-centric. There was consideration of the South Wales Metro and the Southwest Wales Metro, highlighting the need for concrete actions and work streams to support these projects. There was a concern that the metro's importance was perhaps downplayed in the document, and there was a suggestion to make its critical role more explicit. It was noted that the RPT highlighted the importance of the regional projects and the need for collaboration between local authorities. Members expressed the need for consistent transport policies across the region to improve coordination and effectiveness. Members considered the upcoming consultation process. The plan includes face-to-face sessions in various council areas and targeted campaigns to engage specific groups, such as younger generations and those facing transport inequalities. The importance of reaching out to people who are directly affected by transport issues, such as those using employability schemes and job centres, was also highlighted. It was noted that the RTP points out the role of transport in addressing poverty and enabling access to employment. Members emphasised a requirement to focus transport poverty and how improving transport infrastructure can unlock economic opportunities. The ned for innovative approaches, such as providing bus services before building houses, was also discussed. The potential role of artificial intelligence and other technologies in improving transport systems was acknowledged. Members recognised the need for a comprehensive and flexible transport plan that addresses safety, inclusion, regional collaboration and technological integration. Following scrutiny, members supported the recommendation outlined within the report.
Members considered the report as circulated as a supplement to the agenda pack. It was noted that the corporate well-being objectives have not changed, however the actions for the delivery of them have been revised. Following scrutiny, members supported the recommendation outlined within the report.
Members added the following items for consideration at the next meeting: · Sub-committee update – Economic Wellbeing and Economic Development · Audit Wales – Commentary of Corporate Joint Committee Progress · SWWCJC Annual Report 2024/25 The Forward Work Programme was noted.
There were no urgent items.
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