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There is no summary of this meeting yet. Summaries are written once the council publishes the minutes, which are its official record of what a meeting decided. They usually appear a few weeks after the meeting.
Cllr Andrea Lewis declared a personal interest. She is one of the directors of Swansea Community Energy and Enterprise Scheme.
No declarations were made.
Panel agreed the Minutes of the meeting on 21 January 2025 as an accurate record of the meeting.
Letters to Cabinet Members following the meetings on 21 January 2025 and 19 November 2024 and responses were noted.
No questions were received.
Andrea Lewis, Cabinet Member for Service Transformation attended to brief the Panel on this issue and answer the Panel’s questions. Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure responded to some of the Panel’s questions which fell within his portfolio. Discussion Points: · Panel heard Welsh Government wants public bodies to be carbon neutral by 2030 and has introduced ambitious targets. Work to achieve this is challenging for the Council with concerns over resources, technological advancement, skills, supply chain, conflicting pressures and funding. · Panel was informed about the Council’s strategic approach and ongoing work towards improving energy efficiency and building decarbonisation of property assets using the Carbon Reduction Retrofit Contract Framework. This contract is the Council’s primary delivery model towards the building decarbonisation programme across its corporate buildings and schools. The intention is to fund the decarbonisation projects through the Welsh Government Funding Programme but Swansea Council will need to supplement this funding. · Panel asked questions about the programme for changing to LED lighting, grey fleet travel, achieving net zero when electricity still comes via the grid, what natural gas and green gas are, switching from gas boilers to renewable ways of generating heat, energy saving measures eg insulation and glazing, costs of renewable fittings, introducing minimum standards for insulation and funding for air source heat pumps. · Panel also asked how investment in decarbonization in schools is chosen and requested a list of schools that have received green energy infrastructure funding. · Panel asked about progress on the resolution passed a year ago for a commemorative forest. Informed as this sits in Cllr Cyril Anderson’s portfolio, he will provide a written response for circulation to the Panel following the meeting. · Panel stated that when dealing with food waste, you naturally get green gas and methane from it which must be dealt with. Panel queried if there is there a more effective way of dealing with it and possibly using the methane for something. Informed a written response from Cllr Anderson will be circulated to the Panel following the meeting. Actions: · List of schools that have received green energy infrastructure funding to be provided by Cllr Lewis. · Update on progress with commemorative forest to be provided by Cllr Anderson for circulation to the Panel. · Response to query on how methane from food waste is dealt with to be provided by Cllr Anderson for circulation to the Panel.
Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure attended together with relevant officers to update the Panel on this issue and answer questions. Discussion Points: · The Report highlighted completion of the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, which includes a Flood Action Plan and focusses on managing flood risk within Swansea’s communities. The Strategy will be open for public consultation to gather feedback from affected communities and is an opportunity for Members to comment on areas of concern within their wards. · The Report also highlighted the importance of securing funding to effectively manage flood risk in Swansea. · Panel asked questions about the culvert at Blackpill, introduction of TAN 15, funding for flood risk, speeding up the grants process, standards for and safety of attenuation features and working with riparian landlords. · Panel asked for confirmation that smaller units for clearing drains in smaller streets, for example in Mumbles, have to be hired in, possibly from Cardiff, as the Authority has not got one. Officers to provide a written response following the meeting. Actions: · Written response to be provided to Panel regarding operational team’s access to smaller streets for clearing drains.
Carol Morgan, Head of Housing and Public Health together with Tom Price, Divisional Environmental Health Officer and other relevant officers attended to update the Panel on this issue and answer questions. Discussion Points: · The Report provides an annual update on air quality management in Swansea, highlighting progress, challenges and future plans. · Panel informed concentrations of pollutants are improving. Welsh Government has confirmed the Council is compliant with air quality management area standards for the required number of years. The Council is therefore able to initiate the revocation process for this air quality management area and will start gathering data on it this year. · Panel asked questions about making air pollution targets more stringent in the future; if the Clean Air Wales Bill has come in, particularly in relation to wood burners and if Shell Garage in Sketty is a good place for a monitoring station.
Panel considered the work plan and noted items for the next meeting.
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