Loading
The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED; i. To note the progress on the development and delivery of town centre regeneration strategies and placemaking plans in Rhondda Cynon Taf; and ii. To incorporate information on underutilised car parking across town centres in any subsequent updates.
RESOLVED: 1. To note the contents of this report as part of the ongoing work under the remit of the Climate Change Cabinet Sub Committee; 2.To take note of the management processes involved in overseeing the delivery of the Council’s Decarbonisation agenda and observe examples of the work being undertaken to decarbonise the Council’s activities; 3. Receive further reports providing further updates on progress as and when deemed appropriate; 4. That the Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee undertake the Carbon Literacy training (or equivalent); and 5. That correspondence is sent on behalf of the Scrutiny Committee to the Carbon Trust to progress the necessary guidance regarding net zero accreditation.
The Chair welcomed Members and Officers to the virtual Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee.
The Scrutiny Officer referenced the research facilities that were available to Members within the Council Business Unit. Members were advised that if they have any specific queries to email them to the Council’s scrutiny team who would accommodate their requests.
In accordance with the code of conduct, there were no declaration of interest pertaining to the agenda.
The minutes of the hybrid meeting held on the 12th November 2024 were approved as an accurate record.
The Scrutiny Officer referenced the consultation links, which were available through the ‘RCT Scrutiny’ website. Members were reminded that information is provided in respect of relevant consultations for consideration by the Committee, which are circulated on a monthly basis and updated on a fortnightly basis.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED; i. To note the progress on the development and delivery of town centre regeneration strategies and placemaking plans in Rhondda Cynon Taf; and ii. To incorporate information on underutilised car parking across town centres in any subsequent updates.
The Head of Regeneration presented the report of the Director ofProsperity and Development which set out the Council’s progress on developing and delivering town centre regeneration strategies and placemaking plans in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The Head of Regeneration advised that the Council has developed and is delivering tailored regeneration strategies across Porth, Mountain Ash, Pontypridd, and Aberdare, with plans underway for Tonypandy and he provided a summary of each town centre with specific detail on the approaches, achievements, and upcoming projects shaping the future of the town centres. In conclusion, the Head of Regeneration advised that theTonypandy Town Centre Strategy is set to begin development, with a draft strategy being finalised by Spring 2025, followed by public consultation. He added that Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns funding is supporting this effort, which aligns with plans to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) for Tonypandy Members were provided with the opportunity to scrutinise the report and progress on developing and delivering town centre regeneration strategies and placemaking plans in Rhondda Cynon Taf. A Member queried why the quality of the shopping experience is not included in the Town Centre Strategies to ensure a good balance of retail use within each of the town centres and the Member considered that this element should feature strongly within the strategies and was a mised opportunity. The Head of Regeneration agreed that a good balance of retail use attracts both local residents and visitors to our town centres, however, he added that it is difficult for the strategies to dictate what types of retail classes are attributed to each individual premise. He referred to the town centre element of the LDP which would be more applicable in terms of dictating the mix and he also referred to the terms and conditions of the grants the council supports to ensure the use is not detrimental to the town centre. It was agreed that this would be a consideration for the Tonypandy Town Centre Strategy which is currently being developed. A Member identified the importance of the Council keeping residents informed of town centre developments and the delivery of targeted strategies and asked how this information is relayed to local communities. The Head of Regeneration agreed that collaborating with the community on the specific actions the Council is undertaking to create thriving town centres is key and is supported through extensive consultation processes with plans to strengthen this area. Discussions ensued regarding access to the retail area in Aberdare off the A4059 (via the existing grass verge) and to the availability of parent and child specific parking spaces in the car parks across RCT town centres (which it was agreed could be incorporated in subsequent updates on the town centre strategies to the Scrutiny Committee). Another Member asked whether lessons have been learned from the town centre strategies to date that the Council can apply to the development of the smaller towns and villages in the future. The Head of Regeneration referred to the town centre strategies for Porth and Mountain Ash in particular, and the importance of reviewing the strategies to date to ensure they have aligned with the needs and aspirations of the local community and stakeholders. With an ageing population the importance of green spaces and seating areas are an important part of the strategies, a Member asked if these are matters for consideration as the strategies are being developed. The Head of Regeneration advised Members that a series of interventions are being introduced in respect of green spaces with the support of innovative design and this will be built in going forward. He referred to the Marks and Spencer’s development in Pontypridd which as other town centre strategies will include enhancing green infrastructure with tree planting and biodiversity initiatives. In addition, the Chair commented whether there is value in transforming vacant or derelict properties into vibrant spaces for high-quality retail offerings rather than demolishing them. Another Member queried whether there is evidence of diminishing anti-social behaviour in town centres due to the mix of commercial and residential spaces which is contributing to the overall improvement of the townscape and whether this is regularly reported. The Head of Regeneration advised that anti-social behaviour is monitored and reported across all town centres but the correlation between the introduction of residential spaces is currently unknown. With regards to local lettings policies being introduced into town centres, the Head of Regeneration advised that the most appropriate tenure for the particular town centre should be pursued. He also agreed that striking a balance with the offer of supporting housing/residential development in town centres is key. In the case of proposals for private rented accommodation, the Council would look to achieve the highest quality accommodation as possible and work with local private registered landlords to achieve the best mix of tenants, to take advantage of town centre transport links and active travel routes. The Chair referred to the Integrated Primary Care facility in Mountain Ash which is a state-of-the-art healthcare centre and centrally located and suggested that there may have been value in replicating this development in the town centre square in Tonypandy by bringing together the health services such as the surgery and dentist. He suggested that there may have been missed opportunities in Tonypandy and areas that could have been identified for further retail development in the area. He wondered whether this could be avoided in the future. The Chair also asked whether there is evidence to support the suggestion of increased footfall with the new Primary Care facility in Mountain Ash and whether the increase has in any way supported the town centre? The Head of Regeneration advised of the benefits of bringing together new facilities to increase footfall, attracting residents and tourists to our town centres by offering enhanced services and although footfall is recorded, it is difficult to attribute trends in footfall to a specific development. A Member queried whether there are any specific plans for the Nixon’s Club in Mountain Ash town centre as it is a significant and imposing building and as the strategy for Mountain Ash has been in place for some time. The Member suggested developing small indoor market stalls with short term contracts on the ground floor of the larger buildings within the town which often remain vacant, to encourage new businesses. The Head of Regeneration confirmed there were no immediate plans for the building as referred to by the Member. He also agreed that the ‘pop up’ spaces can encourage new businesses across town centres and such initiatives can support local businesses in capitalising on opportunities which can also be supported by Welsh Government. In conclusion, the Chair asked how the Council is promoting the grants amongst business owners and tenants. The Head of Regeneration advised that the Council works well with local businesses and the Council’s town centre and grants teams work collaboratively to letter drop and approach businesses to foster partnerships and support growth. Following discussion, Members RESOLVED; i. To note the progress on the development and delivery of town centre regeneration strategies and placemaking plans in Rhondda Cynon Taf; and ii. To incorporate information on underutilised car parking across town centres in any subsequent updates.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 1. To note the contents of this report as part of the ongoing work under the remit of the Climate Change Cabinet Sub Committee; 2.To take note of the management processes involved in overseeing the delivery of the Council’s Decarbonisation agenda and observe examples of the work being undertaken to decarbonise the Council’s activities; 3. Receive further reports providing further updates on progress as and when deemed appropriate; 4. That the Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee undertake the Carbon Literacy training (or equivalent); and 5. That correspondence is sent on behalf of the Scrutiny Committee to the Carbon Trust to progress the necessary guidance regarding net zero accreditation.
The Director of Corporate Estates introduced his report to provide an update to the Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee on the Council’s Decarbonisation Strategy and Action Plan for the period of 2023 to 2025. The Head of Energy & Carbon Reduction and the Principal Carbon Reduction Officer provided the update to Members who had the opportunity to scrutinise the management processes involved in overseeing the delivery of the Council’s decarbonisation agenda and observe examples of the work being undertaken to decarbonise the Council’s activities. The Vice Chair noted that since the adoption of the strategy in March 2023, noteworthy progress against the 46 actions has been made with 12 having been completed; 31 on target; 1 not on target and 2 having missed the target. She added that this should be communicated on social media and shared with residents via the Council website. The Principal Carbon Reduction Officer agreed that the Council should address its celebrations in respect of decarbonisation. The temporary Head of Operational Energy referred to a recent audit report which highlighted the same issue, the lack of publicity surrounding the Council’s achievements in this area. He added that the Council has invested over £12M in the last 10 years on decarbonisation assets such as installing roof mounted solar on viable buildings, including all schools. He advised that an outreach programme is underway and includes visits to schools to promote the good work of the Council in this area. Another Member raised a concern that residents may not be aware if issues relating to the Climate Change and Decarbonisation agenda and what it means to them and therefore he applauded the education across schools through the outreach project which is beneficial to all residents of RCT. He also referred to the missed target in relation to the peatlands which he considered crucial to the local authority as a natural flood management, he queried why the target had been missed. In response, the Principal Carbon Reduction Officer advised that the missed target is due to an external provider issue where an expert in their field has been engaged to undertake an indepth study. It was agreed that an update regarding the state of tree felling in Tonypandy would be relayed to the Chair following the meeting. In respect of a discussion on the possible exemption of electric cars on the highways such as the A470 and M4 with 50mph restrictions as an incentive for more residents to invest in electric vehicles, the Director of Corporate Estates advised that the speed limit is set and enforced by Welsh Government. He added that he would seek further advice from colleagues in Highways and Public Health & Protection regarding the air pollution aspect of the 50mph restrictions and report back to committee. (Members were also advised that a review on the 20/30mph would also be reported to Committee at its next meeting in February 2025). In response to a query regarding monitoring and applying for Welsh Government grants, the temporary Head of Operational Energy confirmed that the Council does monitor and apply for relevant grants issued by Welsh Government and has been successful in achieving grants towards initiatives such as solar farm and the hydro scheme as well as supporting community schemes. He added that the catalogue of grants applied for and acquired by the Council is logged and recorded on a monthly basis by a dedicated council officer. A Member queried whether all the EV charging points intwo EVC locations in Beddau (at Beddau CC & Tynant Road Car Park) were actually in operation. The temporary Head of Operational Energy confirmed that there are 150 charging points situated across RCT and are set out on the Council webpage under the Campaigns section (Climate Change RCT). He further added that he would make specific enquiries regarding the EV charging points referred to in Beddau and respond directly to the Member. With regards to action S1 which represents an action ‘Not on Target’, the Chair enquired whether the Carbon Trust had responded with guidance for suppliers on how to achieve net zero accreditation and whether it could be followed up if it remained an outstanding action. It was agreed that this would be investigated so that the best course of action can be taken. The Director of Corporate Estates confirmed that any updates to the Action Plan would be reported to the subsequent Committee in February and that any relevant training on the Climate Change and Decarbonisation agenda would be discussed with members of the Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee as appropriate. Following discussion, Members RESOLVED: 1. To note the contents of this report as part of the ongoing work under the remit of the Climate Change Cabinet Sub Committee; 2.To take note of the management processes involved in overseeing the delivery of the Council’s Decarbonisation agenda and observe examples of the work being undertaken to decarbonise the Council’s activities; 3. Receive further reports providing further updates on progress as and when deemed appropriate; 4. That the Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee undertake the Carbon Literacy training (or equivalent); and 5. That correspondence is sent on behalf of the Scrutiny Committee to the Carbon Trust to progress the necessary guidance regarding net zero accreditation.
The Chair thanked Officers for providing their reports and Members for their contribution to the meeting. He referred to the additional information requested by Members regarding the two EVC locations in Beddau, of the communication to the Carbon Trust regarding the guidance to progress the outstanding action and of the request for the Climate Change Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee to undertake the Carbon Literacy training as part of the Committee’s forward work programme. The Chair wished everyone a very happy Christmas and reminded Members that the next meeting will be held on the 5th February 2025.
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.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.