Meetings
Every meeting of Swansea Council's committees. Meetings of the full Council, the Cabinet, scrutiny and planning committees get a plain-language summary once their minutes are published.
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At its meeting on 5 October 2023, Swansea Council approved the Director of Social Services' Annual Report for 2022-23. It also received the Scrutiny Annual Report and a progress report on the Policy Commitments, both for information only. Council adopted an amended motion asking Cabinet for a report on a commemorative woodland.
It resolved that the Council dedicates two footpaths between Cwm Level Road and Dinas Street, Landore, as public paths on its own land. It also noted, for information, a planning appeal decision on four houses at Loughor.
The Panel met on 3 October 2023 to be briefed on water quality and pollution control, and on how the planning system protects nature and biodiversity. The minutes record no decisions. The Panel asked questions and agreed one action: the Cabinet Member will liaise with the Communications Team about publicising how the public can report problems.
The panel considered the 2022/23 capital outturn, which showed a £28.8m underspend to be carried into 2023/24, and the quarter one 2023/24 performance report. The minute records that Cabinet had already approved the carry-over and records no decision by the panel itself. Two letters from the panel to Cabinet Members, dated 19 October 2023, summarise its views.
Cabinet met on 21 September 2023 and approved four local authority school governor appointments and several budget changes. It also approved a shared cost pension scheme, a consultation on merging Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn and Ysgol Crug Glas into one new special school, a £9m rise in the council's share of school building costs, and the sale of the freehold of 254-260 Oxford Street, Swansea. Cabinet gave retrospective approval to Bus Transition Fund agreements that were signed under delegated powers.
The Scrutiny Programme Committee considered Active Travel with the Cabinet Member for Environment & Infrastructure, Councillor Andrew Stevens, and agreed the 2022/23 Scrutiny Annual Report for the Council to note on 5 October. It also agreed the membership of Scrutiny panels and working groups. The Chair will write to the Cabinet Member with the Committee's views.
The Panel considered how looked after children are supported in school, and followed up ten education recommendations first made by an earlier Cabinet committee. The minutes record no decision on the two main reports, only that the Panel will receive a further update on the recommendations in 12 months.
The Child and Family Services Scrutiny Performance Panel heard a video presentation from young carers and discussed the Adolescent Strategy and Action Plan. The Panel agreed the minutes of its 2 August 2023 meeting and considered its work plan. The minutes record no decisions on the two main items, only questions and discussion.
Full Council met on 7 September 2023. Members adopted a Community / Town Council Size Policy for the Local Democracy and Boundary Commission review of community boundaries, and approved the Swansea Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Strategy 2023-2026. They agreed to cut the Governance & Audit Committee from 15 to 12 members, re-appointed two lay members of the Standards Committee, and adopted a revised Petitions Scheme with amendments.
The committee approved two planning applications: a 20-metre 5G mast on Trallwn Road, Llansamlet, and 35 apartments and 8 townhouses on Plot D5b in the SA1 Swansea Waterfront development, the latter subject to a section 106 agreement (a legal agreement between the council and the developer). It also received a report on an appeal against a refused application at Trehafod, Cockett, which a Planning Inspector allowed.
The Panel reviewed the Adult Services performance report for July 2023 and a report on the Council's response to the Audit Wales report 'A missed opportunity' on social enterprises. The minutes record actions to add more information on safeguarding referrals and Deprivation of Liberty to future reports, and to bring an update on social enterprises to the work plan for January 2024. The Panel's views were sent to Cabinet Members in a letter dated 2 October 2023.
The Panel, the new merged scrutiny panel for Service Improvement, Regeneration and Finance, met to review the 2022/23 revenue outturn for the Council and the Housing Revenue Account, the Annual Performance Monitoring Report and the Annual Review of Performance, and to hear an update on Copr Bay. The minutes record no decisions on the reports; the Panel's requests and concerns were set out in letters to Cabinet members. Scrutiny is the process by which councillors who are not in the Cabinet examine the Council's work.
The Adult Services Scrutiny Performance Panel met on 7 August 2023 and discussed three items: the Wales Audit Office report 'Together We Can' on community resilience and self-reliance, the Tackling Poverty Service grants report for 2022-23, and additional information on direct payments. The minutes record discussion only, with one decision: the Panel added a briefing on Llais to its work plan. The Panel's views were sent to Cabinet Members in a letter dated 29 August 2023.
The Panel considered the Annual Wellbeing Report for 2022/23 and plans for in-house children's residential care, including an update on Ty Nant. The minutes record no formal decision on either report, but the Panel agreed to hold a session on qualitative auditing and to include it in reports each quarter.
The Planning Committee considered a draft Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) on converting traditional rural buildings to other uses. SPG is extra guidance that explains how the council's Local Development Plan (LDP) policies are applied. The Committee approved the draft for a six-week public consultation, running to 6 October 2023, with a final version to come back to the Committee in late 2023.