Meetings
Every meeting of Newport City Council's committees. Meetings of the full Council, the Cabinet, scrutiny and planning committees get a plain-language summary once their minutes are published.
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Scrutiny committees question the Cabinet's plans and decisions and can ask them to think again. More in the guide
At its meeting on 8 September 2026 the Performance Scrutiny Committee - People considered the Director of Social Services Annual Report 2025-26 and the draft Youth Work Strategic Plan 2027-2032. The Committee made recommendations on the annual report, including a request for an information report on Newport's exit from a section 33 shared budget agreement, and asked for a site visit to the Information Station. It also agreed to cancel its meeting on 13 April 2027.
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.
The minute records that the Committee was content with both reports. It also asked officers to report on progress of Home Office funding for children on remand in the Mid-Year Report.
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.
On 20 July 2026 the Performance Scrutiny Committee - Place and Corporate considered the end of year reviews for 2025-26 for three corporate service areas: Law and Standards, People, Policy and Transformation, and Finance. Each review reports how the service did against its plan for the year. The Committee made recommendations and requests to officers and Cabinet Members, including on the review of the Council's Constitution (its rulebook), the People Plan, and debt recovery for Adult Social Care. The minutes record these recommendations and requests, not decisions.
On 14 July 2026 the Performance Scrutiny Committee - People considered the 2025-26 end of year reviews for Adult Services and for Prevention and Inclusion. The Committee asked for further information on several points and made recommendations, including on young carers and school governors. The minute records no other decisions, and Councillor T Watkins declared an interest in the Prevention and Inclusion review.
On 6 July 2026 the Performance Scrutiny Committee - Place and Corporate considered the 2025/26 end of year reviews for four service areas: Housing and Communities, Infrastructure, Environment and Public Protection, and Regeneration and Economic Development. Scrutiny means councillors checking how well the council performs. The minute records the Committee's comments, requests and recommendations, including on temporary accommodation for homeless households, communication about street works, and how some performance ratings (RAG, meaning red, amber or green) should be assigned.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee (Partnerships) looked at the Safer Newport Community Safety Partnership Annual Report 2025/26. Scrutiny means the Committee checking the work of the council and its partners. The Committee thanked partners and made recommendations on public perception of crime, rural areas, future reporting of drug-related offence data, and support for the Women's Charter.
The Committee considered a report on young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs) in Newport. The report says the city performs better than the Welsh average at Year 11 and Year 12, and the minute records that the Committee was pleased with the improvement and content with the report, while raising concerns about funding and about young people at risk if entry requirements rise. The Committee also received a routine update on actions, its work programme and outcomes of earlier recommendations.
The meeting considered the draft Newport Library Strategy 2026-2029 and the Committee's work programme and action tracking. On the strategy, the Committee recommended a Fairness and Equalities Impact Assessment (a check on how a decision affects different groups) before it goes to Cabinet, which is the council's senior group of councillors that makes most decisions. It also recommended enough funding for statutory duties and asked for data on library distances. The Committee asked for an extra meeting on 4 October 2026 to receive updates on the Placemaking Plan.
Ystyriodd y Pwyllgor dair eitem: drafft Adroddiad Monitro Blynyddol y Gymraeg 2025-26, drafft Adroddiad Blynyddol Craffu 2025-26, ac adroddiadau'r Cynghorydd Craffu ar gamau gweithredu sy'n aros a'r rhaglen waith ymlaen llaw. Ar adroddiad y Gymraeg ac Adroddiad Blynyddol Craffu, gwnaeth y Pwyllgor sylwadau ac argymhellion, a dywedodd ei fod yn fodlon ar y ddau adroddiad. Ar adroddiadau'r Cynghorydd Craffu, mae'r cofnod yn nodi ceisiadau i Benaethiaid Gwasanaeth fynychu os na cheir ymateb i gamau sy'n aros, ac i'r cyhoedd gael gwybodaeth gliriach amdanynt.
The Performance Scrutiny Committee - Partnerships considered its annual update on Newport Live, the charity that runs the council's leisure, sport and theatre services, covering 2024-25. Members asked for a site visit, asked officers to report better on engagement data for the Momentum initiative, and asked that Newport Live's city events work be shown more clearly in future reports.
It recommended clearer public explanation of the data and that future reports be received as seminars or workshops rather than formal reports. It was also told that its April 2026 meeting has been cancelled for lack of items.
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 report covered actions from earlier meetings, the committee's forward work programme and officers' responses to its recommendations. The minute records no formal decision on the report. It records changes to upcoming meeting dates and that two update reports will be sent to members as information.
The committee scrutinised two reports on pupil attendance and school exclusions for the 2024-25 academic year. It was content with both reports. It asked for safer travel to schools to be considered when planning its 2026-27 work programme, and asked to see the harmful behaviour guidance. Members also received updates on the committee's actions, work programme and outcomes.
A committee of councillors that checks the Council's performance, known as a scrutiny committee, considered an update on recruitment and retention at Newport City Council. It asked for more information on how the new Strategic Recruitment team will measure success, on an Audit Wales review, and on agency spending on schools. It also asked that the action sheet of earlier requests use colour coding to show progress.
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 Council's draft 2026/27 budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan for the services it oversees: Children's, Adult, Prevention and Inclusion, and Education. The minute records that the Committee was content with the draft proposals, apart from the proposed charges for external users of the Centrica respite facilities, which it said were too high.
The committee considered the Council's draft 2026/27 budget and Medium-Term Financial Plan (a forecast of spending and income over several years) as it affects the Place and Corporate services. Councillors questioned officers and agreed five comments to send to Cabinet, which will agree the final budget in February 2026.