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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED (a) That the Notice of Motion be not adopted, but, pending the outcome of Recommendation (c) below, that the Director of Community Services be asked to seek advance approval from Cabinet for any disposal of land or buildings where he is minded not to advertise the sale publicly. (b) That the outcomes and recommendations from the external review of strategic asset management be reported to Cabinet. (c) That the report to Cabinet include a review of the disposals policy.
RESOLVED (a) That the draft regional Investment Plan be approved and authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services, subject to liaison with the Director of Resources and the Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change, to agree such changes to the draft Regional Investment Plan as are considered appropriate, prior to submission of the Regional Investment Plan to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) by the Council of the City and County of Swansea on or before 1 August 2022. (b) That the summary budget for Pembrokeshire be noted. (c) That the Integrated Impact Assessment be noted. (d) That annual reports be received on progress in the implementation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Pembrokeshire.
RESOLVED (a) That the allocation of funding be agreed under the Discretionary Scheme set out at section 3 (ii) (a), and that authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to award grant funding for food support as referenced in that section. (b) That the approach set out at section 3 (ii) (c) be agreed with regard to the allocation of the remaining funding, and that authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance. For the avoidance of doubt, this delegation would include the ability to make grant funding awards.
There were no declarations of interest.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the Notice of Motion be not adopted, but, pending the outcome of Recommendation (c) below, that the Director of Community Services be asked to seek advance approval from Cabinet for any disposal of land or buildings where he is minded not to advertise the sale publicly. (b) That the outcomes and recommendations from the external review of strategic asset management be reported to Cabinet. (c) That the report to Cabinet include a review of the disposals policy.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Community Services which outlined recommendations from the Policy and Pre-decision Overview and Scrutiny Committee in respect of a Notice of Motion submitted by Councillor John Cole to Council on 9 December 2021 in the following terms: When Council decides that an asset of any kind under the Council’s portfolio are surplus to requirement. Then those assets are disposed of by advertising to the greatest audience possible. Also any assets of the council delegated to be disposed of, are subject to the same conditions. In this way the Council would be showing diligence that the best price available is received. That the relevant scrutiny committee are informed of developments throughout the disposal. Councillor Paul Miller Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Michelle Bateman. Councillor Paul Miller, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, introduced the report and stated that the Notice of Motion was to ensure that the Council achieves best value in regards to land and property. Councillor Miller then highlighted that it was often more complicated, as there were occasions where the Council would not receive the highest price for such assets. He then stated that the disposal of assets should be advertised and that the Council should seek the best price available. Councillor Alec Cormack stated his support for the idea behind the Notice of Motion and highlighted recommendation (c) as being a good idea. Councillor Cormack then proposed an Amendment to the recommendation to the effect that the Notice of Motion be not adopted, but, pending the outcome of Recommendation (c) below, that the Director of Community Services be asked to seek advance approval from Cabinet for any disposal of land or buildings where he is minded not to advertise the sale publicly. He highlighted that this would cover the interim period in regards to a potential review of the disposals policy. Seconded by Councillor Guy Woodham. Councillor Guy Woodham sought clarification in regards to what would be considered a disposal case that would not be advertised to the public. In response, the Director of Community Services stated that the default position was to advertise and highlighted that it was rare for a case not to be advertised, however, there were some circumstances that would cause this, such as specific policies. He then made reference to Council previously resolving that the Housing Revenue Account should have opportunity to consider appropriate sales in advance of Council going to the market. The Director stated that such a case would be referred to the District Valuer in order to ensure the best value. The Chief Property Officer confirmed that if a business approached the Council and sought to purchase a freehold or leasehold property for residential use, that specific case would not be appropriate to advertise. Councillor Woodham highlighted the need for transparency and that it was important for the public to be aware of land being disposed of, as it would ultimately avoid any potential misunderstandings. The Chief Property Officer agreed with Councillor Woodham, but highlighted that with advertising transfers such as land sales, for example, it could create expectations that anyone could make an offer on a property or freehold, when realistically it would not be appropriate. Councillor Woodham clarified that such matters would be referred to Cabinet, in order to ensure full transparency, as well as the reasons behind why a disposal was not advertised, for the benefit of the public. [At this juncture, Cabinet adjourned for 15 minutes due to technical issues.] Councillor Miller welcomed the work the Property Team was carrying out and stated that Cabinet being able to scrutinise certain disposals was a positive exercise, prior to a formal review of the Disposals Policy. The vote for the Amendment, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Tessa Hodgson and Guy Woodham [5] There were no votes against or abstentions. The vote for the Substantive Motion, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was then taken and deemed carried. RESOLVED (a) That the Notice of Motion be not adopted, but, pending the outcome of Recommendation (c) below, that the Director of Community Services be asked to seek advance approval from Cabinet for any disposal of land or buildings where he is minded not to advertise the sale publicly. (b) That the outcomes and recommendations from the external review of strategic asset management be reported to Cabinet. (c) That the report to Cabinet include a review of the disposals policy.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the draft regional Investment Plan be approved and authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services, subject to liaison with the Director of Resources and the Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change, to agree such changes to the draft Regional Investment Plan as are considered appropriate, prior to submission of the Regional Investment Plan to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) by the Council of the City and County of Swansea on or before 1 August 2022. (b) That the summary budget for Pembrokeshire be noted. (c) That the Integrated Impact Assessment be noted. (d) That annual reports be received on progress in the implementation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Pembrokeshire.
Cabinet considered a joint report by the Director of Community Services and the Director of Resources which outlined the draft regional Investment Plan for South West Wales, which set out how the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF) would be used in the region between 2022/23 and 2024/25. Councillor Paul Miller, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Place, the Region and Climate Change, introduced the report and stated that the proposed Regional Investment Plan set out how the Council would use and manage the Shared Prosperity Fund in relation to Pembrokeshire as well as the Authorities in Swansea, Carmarthen and Neath Port Talbot. He highlighted that the plan focused on the priorities within the Government framework and that there was flexibility available in regards to the development of the bid process. Councillor Paul Miller Moved the Recommendation; Seconded by Councillor Alec Cormack. Councillor Cormack stated his support and highlighted that it was a sensible way of ensuring Pembrokeshire’s share of the fund. Councillor Miller stated that Cabinet Members had been involved in the process from the start, and were therefore aware of the details. He then stated that the flexibility of the plan allowed the Officers to set priorities and aspirations that linked to the wider strategies of the Council. He highlighted that the Council would make local communities aware of the details of the scheme and how funding could be received. The External Funding Manager and Brexit Lead Officer then stated that there would be various changes within the plan, which would act as a means to address potential concerns in Pembrokeshire, such as including that money would be available to meet the skills needs of emerging industries. He highlighted that these changes would allow the Council scope within the plan to ensure the ability to deliver certain projects. Councillor Miller then highlighted the involvement from various departments within the Council and stated that it was reassuring how easily the priorities of the Council were outlined. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Tessa Hodgson and Guy Woodham [5] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the draft regional Investment Plan be approved and authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services, subject to liaison with the Director of Resources and the Cabinet Member for Place, the Region and Climate Change, to agree such changes to the draft Regional Investment Plan as are considered appropriate, prior to submission of the Regional Investment Plan to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) by the Council of the City and County of Swansea on or before 1 August 2022. (b) That the summary budget for Pembrokeshire be noted. (c) That the Integrated Impact Assessment be noted. (d) That annual reports be received on progress in the implementation of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Pembrokeshire.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (a) That the allocation of funding be agreed under the Discretionary Scheme set out at section 3 (ii) (a), and that authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to award grant funding for food support as referenced in that section. (b) That the approach set out at section 3 (ii) (c) be agreed with regard to the allocation of the remaining funding, and that authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance. For the avoidance of doubt, this delegation would include the ability to make grant funding awards.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Social Services and Housing which outlined proposals in respect of distributing the discretionary element of the Cost of Living Support Scheme. Councillor Alec Cormack, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Corporate Finance, introduced the report and stated that Welsh Government had announced a package of measures to provide immediate support to households, to deal with the impact of increasing energy and other costs. He stated that eligible households in Council Tax Bands A to D were provided a cost of living payment under this new discretionary scheme. Pembrokeshire County Council had been allocated £930,477 to distribute the scheme and would allow the Council complete autonomy to target funds to best support residents in need with living costs. Councillor Cormack then highlighted that Welsh Government had set a deadline of September 2023 for the delivery of the scheme and that the bulk of the scheme be delivered as soon as was practicably possible. For this reason, Councillor Cormack stated it had not been possible to conduct a wide engagement with stakeholders on how funding should be allocated. He then made reference to Recommendations (a) and (c), and suggested that they would allow the Council to find a balance between speed of delivery and ensuring funds for those suffering the most. Councillor Cormack stated that he strongly supported the mechanism set out at section 3 (ii) (c) of the report and wished to ensure that the allocation of the funding received was targeted to those in need. In regards to Recommendation (b) of the report, Councillor Cormack explained that the sum of £50 had been chosen to give to Council Tax Band E, as an extension of the support previously given to those in Bands A to D in February 2022. He highlighted that this was the largest sum that could be paid to that many households and still leave funds for additional distributions. Councillor Cormack stated that he understood the logic, but suggested that some households in Band E would not class themselves as in need of support, if at all. He then highlighted the need to prioritise and target the limited funds where it would be most impactful and stated that he did not believe that giving money to all households was a targeted approach. Councillor Alec Cormack Moved the Recommendations (a) and (c) only; Seconded by Councillor Tessa Hodgson. Councillor Hodgson thanked Councillor Cormack for his work on the report. She stated that the proposed funds were limited and wished to ensure that they were used in the best way possible. She highlighted that it was important to consult with key partners in the third sector in order to identify families and individuals who were most in need. Councillor Michelle Bateman stated that she was in support of the recommendation and that it was important that the funds were targeted to ensure best use. She then suggested a conversation with Pembrokeshire College to explore whether any 16 or 17 year olds would be an additional need, in order to potentially support them with the outlined funding. Councillor Cormack agreed. Councillor Miller highlighted that it would not be an easy task to distribute the funds equitably and fairly and suggested it would take time to find the most suitable approach. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Tessa Hodgson and Guy Woodham [5] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED (a) That the allocation of funding be agreed under the Discretionary Scheme set out at section 3 (ii) (a), and that authority be delegated to the Director of Community Services to award grant funding for food support as referenced in that section. (b) That the approach set out at section 3 (ii) (c) be agreed with regard to the allocation of the remaining funding, and that authority be delegated to the Director of Social Services and Housing in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance. For the avoidance of doubt, this delegation would include the ability to make grant funding awards.
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