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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’ Annual Letter 2021-22 be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the recommendations made by the October 2022 Grant Panel be endorsed. (b) That the Council instigate a review of the process and policies of Enhancing Pembrokeshire.
RESOLVED (a) That the Officers’ evaluation of the consultation responses received be agreed, as set out in Appendix A. (b) That subject to any minor modifications proposed by Cabinet or by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority on the 26th October 2022, the Cumulative Impact of Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) document (Appendix B) be adopted, as SPG to the current Pembrokeshire County Council Local Development Plan (adopted on 28th February 2013). (c) That authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to make further minor edits, to include taking account of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s consideration of the representations on the Cumulative Impact of Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Guidance. Any proposed changes by either the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority or by Pembrokeshire County Council which are of a substantive nature will be reported back to Cabinet for further consideration.
RESOLVED (a) That the production of the Pembrokeshire LAEP be noted and the intention to work collaboratively with partners through the Public Service Board as we move forward. (b) That authority be delegated to the responsible portfolio holder (presently the Deputy Leader) to determine the appropriate Oversight and Governance arrangements.
RESOLVED (a) That the Section 6 Duty Short Report 2022 be noted; and, subject to any amendments, authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to submit the report to Welsh Government; and (b) That Pembrokeshire County Council’s ongoing commitment to its Biodiversity Duty and the actions to address the nature emergency, be supported.
RESOLVED That the schedule of information for the latest relevant reporting period be noted.
RESOLVED That the revised Records Management Policy be approved.
RESOLVED (a) That the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme in Pembrokeshire, using £275k of the Fund balances to implement the actions in 2b) of this report, be approved. (b) That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance, for: (i) Determining the allocation of funding to implement the actions in 2b) of this report, including deployment of the £100k reserve if necessary. (ii) Administering the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme to implement the actions in 2b) of this report (iii) Approving payments made under the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme to implement the actions in 2b) of this report. (iv) Maintaining a full audit trail of all transactions. (c) That the potential for changing the Pembrokeshire scheme in the future to make it and the schemes operated by Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion more consistent across the region, be noted.
RESOLVED That the scheme for Council Tax discretionary discounts, as set out in Appendix A, be adopted, subject to the following amendments under the heading ‘*Annexes’: Where a person’s main residence includes an annexe that is separately banded for Council tax purposes and thereby attracts a second home premium or empty dwelling premium, that person may apply for a discretionary discount up to the value of the premium. To qualify for the discretionary discount all of the following conditions must be met: · The main residence and the annexe are within common ownership and registered under the same HM Land Registry Title and/or within the curtilage of the same property; · The person paying the Council tax on the main residence must be the person paying the Council tax on the annexe; · The main residence and the annexe are being used for domestic purposes only; · The annexe does not qualify for an existing exemption or exception from Council tax; · The discretionary discount will be restricted to a maximum of two annexes.
RESOLVED That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, to award funding from the Household Support Fund 2022-23 and the Direct Food Support Fund 2022-23.
RESOLVED That the Social Services Compliments and Complaints Report 2021-22 be noted.
RESOLVED (a) That the update on Community Asset Transfer in Sections 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the report be noted. (b) That the Gelliswick Bay Developments Society only be invited to proceed to the next stage of the Community Asset Transfer process in regard to Section 3. (c) That authority for the decision to enter into a lease at an undervalue for those assets identified in Section 4 of the report be delegated to the Director of Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member responsible for Community Asset Transfers. Subject to the Director being satisfied that a disposal will contribute to the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the area and the extent of the undervalue does not exceed £2 million. (d) That these agreements will be subject to compliance with the subsidy control rules and will be subject to a full integrated impact assessment.
The following declarations were made: Item 5 -Second Home Council Tax – Community Element ‘Enhancing Pembrokeshire’ Grant Awards Councillor Michelle Bateman declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business by virtue of being a Trustee for the VC Gallery. Councillor Alec Cormack declared a personal interest in this item of business by virtue of having two grants awarded within his ward. Councillor Paul Miller declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business by virtue of being a Director of Community Interest Care but has a dispensation to speak but not to vote. Item 7 -Update on the Pembrokeshire Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) Councillor Neil Prior declared an interest in this item of business by virtue of being a Local Authority Appointed Chair of the Public Services Board (PSB). Item 15 -Community Asset Transfer – Update Councillor Guy Woodham declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business by virtue of being a Milford Haven Town Councillor who leads a Working Group regarding The Rath, St Katherine’s Park and land along Hamilton Terrace. Councillor Rhys Sinnett declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business by virtue of being a Milford Haven Town Councillor who is a Member of a Working Group regarding The Rath, St Katherine’s Park and land along Hamilton Terrace.
Moved by Councillor Guy Woodham; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. The vote was taken by way of a show of hands and carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Cabinet Meeting held on 3 October 2022 and the Minutes of the Extraordinary Cabinet Meeting held on 17 October 2022, be approved as a correct record.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’ Annual Letter 2021-22 be noted.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Head of Law and Governance and the Audit, Risk and Counter Fraud Manager which outlined the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales Annual Letter for 2021-22. Councillor Neil Prior, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Improvement and Communities, introduced the report and stated that the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales (PSOW) requested that their annual letter be presented to Cabinet to assist Members in their scrutiny of the Council’s complaints performance. He stated that the number of complaints to the Ombudsman about Local Authorities increased last year and highlighted that the rationale behind that was due to the effect post-Covid, but highlighted that Pembrokeshire County Council received 39 complaints, which was said to be the ninth lowest in Wales. Councillor Neil Prior Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Guy Woodham. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales’ Annual Letter 2021-22 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the recommendations made by the October 2022 Grant Panel be endorsed. (b) That the Council instigate a review of the process and policies of Enhancing Pembrokeshire.
[Having previously declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business, Councillor Michelle Bateman withdrew from the meeting.] Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Community Services and Director of Resources which outlined the Enhancing Pembrokeshire October 2022 Grant Panel recommendations. Councillor Neil Prior, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Improvement and Communities, introduced the report and highlighted how successful the scheme has been, with £3.2 million invested in 185 projects across Pembrokeshire. Councillor Prior then suggested that the grant application process be reviewed, in order to make it easier for local communities to apply for specific grants themselves if they wished to. Councillor Neil Prior Moved the that the recommendations made by the October 2022 Grant Panel be endorsed; and that the Council instigate a review of the process and policies of Enhancing Pembrokeshire. Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. Councillor Jon Harvey echoed Councillor Prior’s comments regarding the success of the scheme and stated that the ability to match fund had been excellent for various community groups. Councillor Harvey also agreed with Councillor Prior in regards to amending the application process to make it more user-friendly and streamlined. Councillor Rhys Sinnett also agreed with the review of the application process. He then sought clarification in regards to how the review would be undertaken. In response, Councillor Prior stated that review of the process would be looked into in due course. He also thanked the Community Safety Poverty and Regeneration Manager for her hard work. Councillor Prior wished for each recommendation to be taken separately, as recommendation B did not relate to a specific project. The vote for Recommendation A, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [7] Abstentions: Councillor Paul Miller [1] There were no votes against. The vote for Recommendation B, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the recommendations made by the October 2022 Grant Panel be endorsed. (b) That the Council instigate a review of the process and policies of Enhancing Pembrokeshire.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Officers’ evaluation of the consultation responses received be agreed, as set out in Appendix A. (b) That subject to any minor modifications proposed by Cabinet or by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority on the 26th October 2022, the Cumulative Impact of Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) document (Appendix B) be adopted, as SPG to the current Pembrokeshire County Council Local Development Plan (adopted on 28th February 2013). (c) That authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to make further minor edits, to include taking account of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s consideration of the representations on the Cumulative Impact of Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Guidance. Any proposed changes by either the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority or by Pembrokeshire County Council which are of a substantive nature will be reported back to Cabinet for further consideration.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Community Services which outlined the Joint Supplementary Planning Guidance on the Cumulative Impact of Wind Turbines. Councillor Jon Harvey, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning and Housing Delivery, introduced the report and stated that the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on the cumulative impact of wind turbines had been jointly prepared by the Council along with Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, and had agreed to go to public consultation by Cabinet in October 2021. The consultation period closed on 15 April 2022. Councillor Harvey stated the report presented the comments received during the consultation period, responses from both Authorities and changes to specific wording of the SPG where appropriate. Councillor Harvey stated that if agreed, the final document would be prepared for adoption by each Authority and would be included in the Council’s Local Development Plan (LDP), with the view to follow necessary procedures to roll it forward, once LDP 2 was adopted. Councillor Harvey then stated that seven representations were received from two organisations, National resources Wales and Stantec and were as follows: a) How National Park purposes are referred to in the document; b) The role of National Park planning policies contained in the National Park Authority’s Local Development Plan 2; c) How cumulative impacts are considered alongside Environmental Impact Assessments; d) How onshore turbines are considered alongside offshore proposals; and e) How the distances used to define search areas for turbines vary from ranges to provision of distances. Councillor Harvey stated that in light of the above representations, minor changes were made to the draft SPG, as outlined in Appendix A to the report. Councillor Jon Harvey Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Rhys Sinnett. Councillor Harvey also stated that there were no further amendments made by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Parks Authority at its meeting on 27 October 2022. The Director of Community Services confirmed this. Councillor Alec Cormack asked Councillor Harvey to confirm that this guidance was not restricting any policy in relation to the planning permission and commissioning of future applications for onshore wind. In response, Councillor Harvey assured Councillor Cormack that this was not the case and that the SPG was related to material consideration of future planning applications. The Head of Planning then confirmed that the SPG was a positive framework for people who wanted to develop wind turbines and was designed to save people time and money when submitting applications in relation to the distances they would have to consider. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the Officers’ evaluation of the consultation responses received be agreed, as set out in Appendix A. (b) That subject to any minor modifications proposed by Cabinet or by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority on the 26th October 2022, the Cumulative Impact of Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) document (Appendix B) be adopted, as SPG to the current Pembrokeshire County Council Local Development Plan (adopted on 28th February 2013). (c) That authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to make further minor edits, to include taking account of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority’s consideration of the representations on the Cumulative Impact of Wind Turbines Supplementary Planning Guidance. Any proposed changes by either the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority or by Pembrokeshire County Council which are of a substantive nature will be reported back to Cabinet for further consideration.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the production of the Pembrokeshire LAEP be noted and the intention to work collaboratively with partners through the Public Service Board as we move forward. (b) That authority be delegated to the responsible portfolio holder (presently the Deputy Leader) to determine the appropriate Oversight and Governance arrangements.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Community Services which outlined an update on the development of the Local Area Energy plan (LAEP). Councillor Paul Miller, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, introduced the report and stated that in May 2019, the Council declared a Climate Emergency, and committed to regional working to support Pembrokeshire’s journey to net zero carbon by 2050. He stated that in September 2021, Welsh Government wrote to all Local Authorities in Wales with a request to work with Welsh Government to design an approach to develop a locally led, pan-Wales understanding of the net zero energy system. Councillor Miller stated that the plan outlined the current position of the County as a whole as well as what investments were required and who would be involved, in order to get Pembrokeshire to a net zero position by 2050. Councillor Paul Miller Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. Councillor Tessa Hodgson sought clarification in regards to the comment from the Director Resources and how the figure for staffing was going to be funded. In response, Councillor Miller stated that further discussion was needed in regards to the type of team required to deliver the outlined plan. He highlighted that perhaps some existing resources at the Council’s disposal could be used, but stated that it was an indicative figure only. Councillor Hodgson stated that she was happy to support the recommendation as long as the suggested figure was to be determined at a future date, as she did not want to commit to a revenue budget spend of £250,000. In response, the Director of Resources stated that the outlined figure had been suggested by the Infrastructure and Energy Team as to what they believed would be required to move forward the Council’s entire net zero carbon agenda programmes. Councillor Alec Cormack stated that the Council should lobby Welsh Government in regards to onshore wind, as he believed that the Welsh planning restrictions should be adapted to encourage the rapid adoption of green energy. In response, Councillor Miller stated that he would take on Councillor Cormack’s points regarding energy development, but highlighted that this was a global challenge that required a global response. He also stated that he would be happy to lobby Welsh Government where appropriate. Councillor Jon Harvey agreed with Councillor Miller’s view and went on to thank the Sustainable Development and Energy Manager and his team for the detailed report. He then disagreed with Councillor Cormack’s comment regarding planning restrictions and highlighted that the Future Wales National Action Plan was in favour of renewable energy as well as onshore wind, in the right locations. Councillor Harvey then stated that the plan created a good benchmark in regards to what needed to be achieved. Councillor Miller then highlighted that locations for renewable energy were determined by Pembrokeshire’s poor grid capacity. He stated that this element was being lobbied and highlighted that the right location would make a significant difference in regards to onshore and offshore generation. Councillor Neil Prior also gave thanks to the Sustainable Development and Energy Manager for the report and gave his full support for the inclusion of Recommendation B. Councillor Miller also thanked the Sustainable Development and Energy Manager. The Sustainable Development and Energy Manager then stated that fundamental changes were needed in relation to funding resourcing skills, as well as training and infrastructure and highlighted that the Council could not progress the outlined plan alone. Councillor Miller also stated that by working with international partners in regards to economic development, Pembrokeshire had the opportunity to become a leader in green energy. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED (a) That the production of the Pembrokeshire LAEP be noted and the intention to work collaboratively with partners through the Public Service Board as we move forward. (b) That authority be delegated to the responsible portfolio holder (presently the Deputy Leader) to determine the appropriate Oversight and Governance arrangements.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Section 6 Duty Short Report 2022 be noted; and, subject to any amendments, authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to submit the report to Welsh Government; and (b) That Pembrokeshire County Council’s ongoing commitment to its Biodiversity Duty and the actions to address the nature emergency, be supported.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Community Services which outlined progress towards the Council’s Biodiversity Duty. Councillor Jon Harvey, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Planning and Housing Delivery, introduced the report and stated that The Environment (Wales) Act 2016, placed a duty on the Council to maintain and enhance biodiversity and promote the resilience of ecosystems, which was said to be known as the Section 6 (S6) duty. The Council was required to comply with the S6 duty, which involved reporting the Council’s actions undertaken to embed the considerations of biodiversity and ecosystems into the Council’s thinking and business planning, including any policies, plans, programmes and projects, as well as day to day activities. He stated that the report was the second report prepared for Welsh Government since the Environment (Wales) Act was introduced, and followed on from the last report made in 2019. Councillor Harvey highlighted that a wide range of actions had been undertaken by the Council towards the duty and these were outlined in Appendix A attached to the report. He then thanked the Biodiversity Officer and team for their work on the report. Councillor Jon Harvey Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the Section 6 Duty Short Report 2022 be noted; and, subject to any amendments, authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to submit the report to Welsh Government; and (b) That Pembrokeshire County Council’s ongoing commitment to its Biodiversity Duty and the actions to address the nature emergency, be supported.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the schedule of information for the latest relevant reporting period be noted.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Community Services which outlined acquisitions and disposals in excess of £100,000 which had completed in the 6-month period between 1 April and 30 September 2022. Councillor Paul Miller, the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, introduced the report and highlighted the four domestic purchases, as outlined in the report for noting. Councillor Paul Miller Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the schedule of information for the latest relevant reporting period be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the revised Records Management Policy be approved.
Cabinet considered a report by the Interim Data Protection Officer which outlined the revised Records Management Policy. Councillor Neil Prior, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Improvement and Communities, highlighted that the report had been through the Overview and Scrutiny process. In regards to freedom of information requests and Portable Document Formats (PDF’s), Councillor Prior explained that the Council had been given accessibility guidelines by Welsh Government which allowed the Public to access information on the website, but highlighted that PDF documents were not the most accessible. Councillor Prior then highlighted that the Council was reviewing the issue and the intention was to move to HTML links instead. He also thanked the Data Protection Officer for his work on the report. Councillor Neil Prior Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Jon Harvey. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That the revised Records Management Policy be approved.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme in Pembrokeshire, using £275k of the Fund balances to implement the actions in 2b) of this report, be approved. (b) That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance, for: (i) Determining the allocation of funding to implement the actions in 2b) of this report, including deployment of the £100k reserve if necessary. (ii) Administering the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme to implement the actions in 2b) of this report (iii) Approving payments made under the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme to implement the actions in 2b) of this report. (iv) Maintaining a full audit trail of all transactions. (c) That the potential for changing the Pembrokeshire scheme in the future to make it and the schemes operated by Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion more consistent across the region, be noted.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Education and the Director of Social Services and Housing which outlined the use of Welsh Church Act Fund monies for the alleviation of poverty in Pembrokeshire. Councillor Alec Cormack, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance, introduced the report and stated that the Welsh Church Act Fund was established from the proceeds and assets of the disestablishment of the Church in Wales. He stated that these assets were distributed evenly amongst the former County Councils in Wales, then divided between the Welsh Unitary Authorities when they were formed in 1996. Councillor Cormack stated that the Fund balances were held and invested by Carmarthenshire County Council, with the annual return on investments and rental income resulting in around £30k per annum being allocated to Pembrokeshire County Council. However, he stated that applications to the Fund in Pembrokeshire had been low for a number of years, therefore there was said to be a current balance of around £445k held by the Council, with a small number of existing commitments. Councillor Cormack stated that due to the ongoing cost of living crisis, it was decided in July 2022 by Cabinet that £635k of the discretionary element of the cost of living support scheme would be allocated to the Public Service Board to address poverty in the County generally, including child poverty. He then stated that it must be a top priority of the Council to assist the residents who were most affected by the cost of living crisis. Councillor Cormack then highlighted that the outlined recommendation added at least £300k to the £635k that had been allocated by Cabinet in July, and stated that it was both necessary and proportionate. Councillor Alec Cormack Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Paul Miller. Councillor Rhys Sinnett made reference to the Fund balance and believed that the recommendation should reflect the use of £275k from the fund, rather than £300k. Councillor Cormack agreed and amended his Motion to the effect that the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme in Pembrokeshire, using £275k of the Fund balances to implement the actions in 2b) of this report, be approved. Councillor Paul Miller supported the amended wording. Councillor Tessa Hodgson wished for assurance from Councillor Cormack that she would be included in conversations regarding future delegated decisions on the matter, as it was closely linked to her Cabinet portfolio. Councillor Cormack assured that he would do so. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme in Pembrokeshire, using £275k of the Fund balances to implement the actions in 2b) of this report, be approved. (b) That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Finance, for: (i) Determining the allocation of funding to implement the actions in 2b) of this report, including deployment of the £100k reserve if necessary. (ii) Administering the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme to implement the actions in 2b) of this report (iii) Approving payments made under the temporary enhanced criteria for the scheme to implement the actions in 2b) of this report. (iv) Maintaining a full audit trail of all transactions. (c) That the potential for changing the Pembrokeshire scheme in the future to make it and the schemes operated by Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion more consistent across the region, be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the scheme for Council Tax discretionary discounts, as set out in Appendix A, be adopted, subject to the following amendments under the heading ‘*Annexes’: Where a person’s main residence includes an annexe that is separately banded for Council tax purposes and thereby attracts a second home premium or empty dwelling premium, that person may apply for a discretionary discount up to the value of the premium. To qualify for the discretionary discount all of the following conditions must be met: · The main residence and the annexe are within common ownership and registered under the same HM Land Registry Title and/or within the curtilage of the same property; · The person paying the Council tax on the main residence must be the person paying the Council tax on the annexe; · The main residence and the annexe are being used for domestic purposes only; · The annexe does not qualify for an existing exemption or exception from Council tax; · The discretionary discount will be restricted to a maximum of two annexes.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Resources and the Head of Procurement and Customer Services which outlined a revision to the Council Tax Discretionary Discount Scheme. Councillor Alec Cormack, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance, introduced the report and stated that a policy had been approved by Cabinet in April 2019 and there had been no changes to that policy or the conditions which had been applied in considering applications, since its adoption. Councillor Cormack then highlighted that since the introduction of the Second Homes and Long Term Empty Dwelling Council Tax premiums, the Council had received a number of representations from Council Tax payers who had annexes on their properties but, as they were separate to the main dwelling, they attracted Council Tax and therefore the second homes or empty dwelling premium. He explained further that this matter had been considered at length by the Council Tax Working Group in 2021 and at its meeting in July 2022, it was proposed that the Council Tax Discretionary Discount Scheme would be amended to allow such annexes to be exempt from either of the premiums with effect from 1 April 2022. Councillor Alec Cormack Moved the Recommendation subject to the amendment outlined in relation to Annexes; Seconded by Councillor Neil Prior. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That the scheme for Council Tax discretionary discounts, as set out in Appendix A, be adopted, subject to the following amendments under the heading ‘*Annexes’: Where a person’s main residence includes an annexe that is separately banded for Council tax purposes and thereby attracts a second home premium or empty dwelling premium, that person may apply for a discretionary discount up to the value of the premium. To qualify for the discretionary discount all of the following conditions must be met: · The main residence and the annexe are within common ownership and registered under the same HM Land Registry Title and/or within the curtilage of the same property; · The person paying the Council tax on the main residence must be the person paying the Council tax on the annexe; · The main residence and the annexe are being used for domestic purposes only; · The annexe does not qualify for an existing exemption or exception from Council tax; · The discretionary discount will be restricted to a maximum of two annexes.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, to award funding from the Household Support Fund 2022-23 and the Direct Food Support Fund 2022-23.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Social Services and Housing and Director of Resources which outlined the Household Support Grant awarded to the WLGA by the Welsh Government to alleviate food poverty and support households. Councillor Tessa Hodgson, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Social Care and Safeguarding, introduced the report and stated that an allocation had been received from the Household Support Grant of £38,446 revenue, as well as also receiving an allocation from the Direct Food Support Fund of £14,443 revenue and £4,270 capital. Councillor Tessa Hodgson Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. Councillor Hodgson also wished to note that under the ‘Conclusions’ section in the report, it should be amended to ‘in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding’. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey, Tessa Hodgson, Neil Prior, Rhys Sinnett and Guy Woodham [9] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED That authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, to award funding from the Household Support Fund 2022-23 and the Direct Food Support Fund 2022-23.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the Social Services Compliments and Complaints Report 2021-22 be noted.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Social Services and Housing and the Audit, Risk and Counter Fraud Manager which outlined the Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014. Councillor Tessa Hodgson, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Social Care and Safeguarding, introduced the report and stated that in accordance with the Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014, each local authority must prepare an annual report on its performance in the handling and investigation of complaints. She highlighted that Appendix A outlined the Council’s compliance with the regulations, a summary of the compliments the Council had received as well as how to learn from complaints and improve the Council’s service delivery. Councillor Tessa Hodgson Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. Councillor Neil Prior sought clarification in regards to future budget challenges and how they may impact the Council in regards to complaints received. In response, Councillor Hodgson stated that she hoped that complaints would not increase in the future and highlighted that the teams across Social Services were working extremely hard to provide first rate services to people across Pembrokeshire. She stated, however, that those teams were under pressure in regards to budget, staffing pressures, retention and recruitment. Councillor Hodgson then made reference to the importance of complaints in relation to improving the service. Councillor Rhys Sinnett agreed with Councillor Hodgson in terms of managing expectations across all Cabinet portfolios, in regards to the current financial pressures the Council was experiencing. He stated that complaints did provide an opportunity to improve certain systems and processes. Councillor Alec Cormack sought clarification in regards to how the ‘Team Around the Family’ service area had received such a high volume of compliments, as outlined in Appendix A. In response, Councillor Hodgson stated that this particular service area provided low level intervention for families and stated that they had positive feedback in the last year. The Director of Social Care and Housing stated that the intervention and work carried out with families was received warmly and lessened isolation during a very difficult period. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Social Services Compliments and Complaints Report 2021-22 be noted.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the update on Community Asset Transfer in Sections 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the report be noted. (b) That the Gelliswick Bay Developments Society only be invited to proceed to the next stage of the Community Asset Transfer process in regard to Section 3. (c) That authority for the decision to enter into a lease at an undervalue for those assets identified in Section 4 of the report be delegated to the Director of Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member responsible for Community Asset Transfers. Subject to the Director being satisfied that a disposal will contribute to the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the area and the extent of the undervalue does not exceed £2 million. (d) That these agreements will be subject to compliance with the subsidy control rules and will be subject to a full integrated impact assessment.
[Having previously declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item of business, Councillors Guy Woodham and Rhys Sinnett withdrew from the meeting [Councillor Tessa Hodgson declared a personal interest in this item of business by virtue of having a family member being involved with the Gelliswick Bay application.] Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Community Services which outlined an update on Community Asset Transfer. Councillor Paul Miller, the Deputy Leader the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, introduced the report and stated that the report outlined a detailed list of proposed transfers currently being discussed with Town and Community Councils. In regards to the Gelliswick Bay applications, Councillor Miller stated that one of the proposals was stronger and more sustainable in regards to community development. Councillor Miller highlighted that on the basis of one proposal potentially providing a long lasting legacy, and if the applicant could demonstrate confidence at the next full business case stage, then it could be explored further and supported. Councillor Paul Miller Moved the Recommendation as set out in the report together with the following additional point: that the Gelliswick Bay Developments Society only be invited to proceed to the next stage of the Community Asset Transfer process in regard to Section 3; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. Councillor Alec Cormack sought clarification in regards to the timeline of negotiations of Community Asset Transfers. He also required clarification in regards to the freehold of play parks. In response to the first point, Councillor Miller stated that negotiations depended on the pace of delivery and how quickly applications were processed. He highlighted that he was keen to address the pace around the process, as well as review and enhance resourcing within the property function along with its policies. In relation to the second point, the Chief Property Officer explained that a 125 year lease was offered in order to protect the Council’s asset. She explained that if the asset ceased to be used for its intended purpose, then it would simply revert back to the Council and would be held on the system as a finance lease, where it would not be valued on a day to day basis for financial statements. At this juncture, Councillor Tessa Hodgson stated that the additional recommendation related to her family member, Councillor Viv Stoddart, who was involved with the Gelliswick Bay application. She then declared a personal interest and she advised that she would abstain from voting. Councillor Neil Prior welcomed the approach by Councillor Miller and stated that reviewing the process was a huge piece of work, but would appreciate seeing applications moving along quicker and stated his support for this way forward. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey and Neil Prior [6] Abstentions: Councillor Tessa Hodgson [1] There were no votes against. RESOLVED (a) That the update on Community Asset Transfer in Sections 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the report be noted. (b) That the Gelliswick Bay Developments Society only be invited to proceed to the next stage of the Community Asset Transfer process in regard to Section 3. (c) That authority for the decision to enter into a lease at an undervalue for those assets identified in Section 4 of the report be delegated to the Director of Community Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member responsible for Community Asset Transfers. Subject to the Director being satisfied that a disposal will contribute to the promotion or improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the area and the extent of the undervalue does not exceed £2 million. (d) That these agreements will be subject to compliance with the subsidy control rules and will be subject to a full integrated impact assessment.
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.
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