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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED (i) that the risk appetite statement included in the report supersedes the Council’s existing risk appetite statement dated April 2023. (ii) that the risk appetite statement is reviewed annually. The risk appetite statement would be communicated to all officers via the weekly staff newsletter and cascaded down by Heads of Service.
RESOLVED (i) That Cabinet notes the current budget position and the projected full year forecast to the end of March 2026. (ii) That the grants set out in section 5.1 and Appendix D of the report are noted. (iii) The virements set out in section 5.2 are approved.
RESOLVED (i) That the contents of the report are noted. (ii) That the virements in Section 5 of the report are approved.
RESOLVED to approve the proposal to close the Cradoc campus of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan from the 31st August 2026, with pupils currently attending the Cradoc campus to transfer to the school’s other campuses in Brecon.
RESOLVED to approve the adoption of the Charter for the Rights of the River Wye and tributaries.
RESOLVED (i) To approve and adopt the appendix, Routemap to Net Zero as the Council’s approach for progressing decarbonisation. (ii) To note that based on current resources and national funding constraints, achieving net zero by 2030 is not feasible. (iii) To maintain the institutional target for net zero by 2030, whilst recognising under current constraints the Routemap to Net Zero sets out a route to achieving net zero in 2035, provided external capital support is available from 2030-35 (Period 3). (iv) To ask the Climate & Nature Steering Group to work with portfolio holders to assist with progression towards net zero target by 2035.
None.
The Chair was authorised to sign the minutes of the last meeting held on 24th March 2026 as a correct record.
There were no declarations of interest reported.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (i) that the risk appetite statement included in the report supersedes the Council’s existing risk appetite statement dated April 2023. (ii) that the risk appetite statement is reviewed annually. The risk appetite statement would be communicated to all officers via the weekly staff newsletter and cascaded down by Heads of Service.
Cabinet considered the risk appetite statement which set out the amount and type of planned risk the Council was willing to take to meet strategic objectives and deliver services. The Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Transformation confirmed that the risk that global events could increase inflation and interest rates which would impact the budget was being kept under review. RESOLVED (i) that the risk appetite statement included in the report supersedes the Council’s existing risk appetite statement dated April 2023. (ii) that the risk appetite statement is reviewed annually. The risk appetite statement would be communicated to all officers via the weekly staff newsletter and cascaded down by Heads of Service.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (i) That Cabinet notes the current budget position and the projected full year forecast to the end of March 2026. (ii) That the grants set out in section 5.1 and Appendix D of the report are noted. (iii) The virements set out in section 5.2 are approved.
Cabinet considered the forecast revenue budget outturn for the 2025-26 financial year, based on the full year forecast as at 28th February 2026. An overall underspend position of £3.4 million was currently forecast including a £0.3 million underspend on the HRA and a £0.4 million overspend on Schools Delegated. The forecast outturn for non-ringfenced budgets was an underspend of £3.5 million. 71.7% (£11.5 million) (69.6% - 11.2 million quarter 3) of the agreed cost reductions had been delivered by the end of February. A further 2.6% or £0.4 million are assured of delivery by services within the 2025-26 financial year. £3.1 million (19.9%) are described as unachieved and are at risk of delivery in this year. £0.9 million is being mitigated through alternative delivery plans. As noted in the previous item, the conflict in Iran was impacting on budgets with a request for a virement of £490,000 to a reserve for increased fuel costs. Cabinet noted the two recommendations of the Finance Panel which related to the presentation of date to the Panel and which had been accepted. RESOLVED (i) That Cabinet notes the current budget position and the projected full year forecast to the end of March 2026. (ii) That the grants set out in section 5.1 and Appendix D of the report are noted. (iii) The virements set out in section 5.2 are approved.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (i) That the contents of the report are noted. (ii) That the virements in Section 5 of the report are approved.
Cabinet received an update on the financial position of the Council’s capital programme for 2025/26 as at 28th February 2026. The revised programme at the 28th February 2026 was budgeted at £83.19 million following the successful award of additional grants and the reprofiling of budgets between financial years. Actual spend amounted to £44.21 million, representing 53% of the total budget. Further spending was expected by the end of the financial year but this could be impacted if borrowing costs went up as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. The report also set out requests for virements between budgets. RESOLVED (i) That the contents of the report are noted. (ii) That the virements in Section 5 of the report are approved.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve the proposal to close the Cradoc campus of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan from the 31st August 2026, with pupils currently attending the Cradoc campus to transfer to the school’s other campuses in Brecon.
Cabinet considered the outcome of the statutory objection period to the proposal to close the Cradoc campus of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan. The report set out the one objection received and the Council’s response. Having considered the objection received, the recommendation was to proceed with the implementation of the proposal to close the Cradoc campus of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan from the 31st of August 2026 as outlined in the Statutory Notice for the reasons set out in the report. County Councillor David Meredith spoke as the Chair of Governors of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan. He requested an urgent meeting of Education officers with the Headteacher and Governors to explore how the school would operate over two sites. He sought an assurance that there would be no further delays to the development of the new school. He also asked for urgent clarification on the future of the pre school setting at Cradoc campus and congratulated the staff for the excellent inspection report they had received. The Director Education confirmed that a meeting had been arranged. The Cabinet Member for a Learning Powys gave his commitment to ensuring that the new school was built as soon as possible. RESOLVED to approve the proposal to close the Cradoc campus of Ysgol Golwg Pen y Fan from the 31st August 2026, with pupils currently attending the Cradoc campus to transfer to the school’s other campuses in Brecon.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to approve the adoption of the Charter for the Rights of the River Wye and tributaries.
Cabinet considered adopting the Charter for the Rights of the River Wye as a statement of Powys County Council’s commitment to the river’s protection and restoration. The Charter had been developed collaboratively by the Wye Catchment Nutrient Management Board and the River Wye Catchment Partnership, with input from legal and environmental experts and the support of statutory bodies. Herefordshire Council, Monmouthshire Council and the Forest of Dean Council were also being asked to adopt the Charter. Adoption of the Charter positioned Powys as a leader in environmental stewardship and supported the council’s commitment to nature recovery and climate resilience. Cabinet welcomed the collaborative approach being taken and expressed the hope that it could be adopted for other rivers. RESOLVED to approve the adoption of the Charter for the Rights of the River Wye and tributaries.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED (i) To approve and adopt the appendix, Routemap to Net Zero as the Council’s approach for progressing decarbonisation. (ii) To note that based on current resources and national funding constraints, achieving net zero by 2030 is not feasible. (iii) To maintain the institutional target for net zero by 2030, whilst recognising under current constraints the Routemap to Net Zero sets out a route to achieving net zero in 2035, provided external capital support is available from 2030-35 (Period 3). (iv) To ask the Climate & Nature Steering Group to work with portfolio holders to assist with progression towards net zero target by 2035.
Cabinet considered the Net Zero Routemap for Powys County Council which outlined the key challenges and actions required to decarbonise the Council. The Council’s capacity to reach Net Zero by 2030 based on current resources and performance was assessed as being unachievable without significant additional resources from Welsh Government. A meeting was being sought with the new Welsh Government minister. The Routemap indicated that a 40% reduction by 2030 was achievable if appropriate action was taken by all services and that Net-Zero by 2035 was achievable provided there was sufficient capital support from Welsh Government. The Routemap was divided into a series of time periods with a target reduction in emissions and actions to deliver this for each period. County Councillor Jeremy Brignell-Thorp, the Chair of the Climate and Nature Steering Group, noted that the Routemap would require SMART targets that would enable the Steering Group to monitor progress. Cabinet noted that significant capital investment of approximately £18million to improve the carbon and energy performance of the Council’s property estate and fleet, supported in part by external grant funding. These works were expected to deliver an estimated 10% reduction in corporate emissions over the next five years and generate annual energy efficiency savings of around £2.2m. Investment would also support the growth of the green economy. Cabinet also noted the recommendations of the Economy Residents and Communities Scrutiny Committee and the suggested responses. RESOLVED (i) To approve and adopt the appendix, Routemap to Net Zero as the Council’s approach for progressing decarbonisation. (ii) To note that based on current resources and national funding constraints, achieving net zero by 2030 is not feasible. (iii) To maintain the institutional target for net zero by 2030, whilst recognising under current constraints the Routemap to Net Zero sets out a route to achieving net zero in 2035, provided external capital support is available from 2030-35 (Period 3). (iv) To ask the Climate & Nature Steering Group to work with portfolio holders to assist with progression towards net zero target by 2035.
Cabinet received the Corporate Safeguarding Board activity report. The report set out the Council’s response to the Gwynedd Child Practice Review which had highlighted the need to listen to the voice of the child.
Cabinet noted the delegated decisions taken since the last meeting.
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Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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