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The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, the councillors who review the council's work, considered a petition on unsafe roads in Wentlooge and agreed to refer it to the Head of Infrastructure for a formal response. It also reviewed the Annual Digital Report 2025-26 and the Strategic Equalities Plan Annual Report 2025-26, asking for further information and making recommendations on both. It agreed a three-month limit for responses to scrutiny recommendations.
At its meeting on 23 July 2026, the Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, which reviews the council's work, considered a petition objecting to a proposed allotment at Groes Road / Ruskin Avenue, Rogerstone, and referred it to the Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Waste and Recycling. It also made comments and recommendations on the Corporate Safeguarding Annual Report 2025-26 and the Anti-Poverty Strategy Annual Report 2025-26.
The Committee considered three items: the draft Welsh Language Annual Monitoring Report 2025-26, the draft Scrutiny Annual Report 2025-26, and the Scrutiny Adviser's reports on outstanding actions and the forward work programme. On the Welsh Language report and the Scrutiny Annual Report, the Committee made comments and recommendations and said it was content with both reports. On the Scrutiny Adviser's reports, the minute records requests that Heads of Service attend if actions remain unanswered and that the public get clearer information about them.
The Committee heard a petition calling for no change to the Old Green roundabout in Newport. The petition says the Council plans to replace the roundabout with a traffic light system. The Committee noted the petition and agreed to refer it to the Cabinet, recommending that the Cabinet refer it to the Welsh Government.
The Committee considered the draft 2026-27 budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan, and the Scrutiny Adviser's reports on actions, the work programme and outcomes. It was content with the draft budget report and asked for Newport's actual inflation figure once confirmed. It also asked for the item due on 30 April to be brought forward if possible.
The Committee considered the Empty Homes Strategy 2025-30, which sets out how the council plans to bring long-term empty homes back into use. It was content with the strategy but recommended a more ambitious reduction target and a progress report next year. The Committee also considered the Scrutiny Adviser's work programme and outcomes report, and some outstanding actions will be chased after the meeting.
The Committee considered the Council's annual Corporate Plan self-assessment for 2024/25, an update to the Corporate Plan for 2025-27, and the annual report on the Strategic Equality Plan for 2024/25. It made recommendations on empty homes, business engagement, performance measures and the equality report, and said it was content with the reports. It also discussed how the Committee's earlier recommendations on the Community Parenting Strategy were handled.
The Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee, a group of councillors that checks the council's work, considered two reports: the Annual Digital Report 2024-25 and the Community Parenting Strategy. For both, the minute records comments and recommendations to officers, and says the committee was content with the report or strategy. Two councillors declared interests in the strategy item.