Strategic Regeneration programme: scrutiny and committee recommendations
Decided: After questioning the Executive Member and officers, the committee made six recommendations. (1) Members should get more detailed, regular updates on projects, including progress against milestones, risks, funding and timescales, and quicker warning when a project faces sudden risk of delay, cost pressure or funding change. (2) Communication with residents should be a priority, with clear and timely information on project phases, milestones and timelines, and a clear statement where changes result from value engineering (cutting scope or cost to stay within budget). (3) Communication should be clearer about funding sources, investment secured, any competitive process and benefits delivered, including that many schemes combine Council money with Welsh Government, UK Government and other external funding. (4) Consultation should be more inclusive, proactive and accessible, with events outside core working hours, such as evenings and weekends, and feedback reported back to communities. (5) The Executive Member should arrange an all-member seminar with the Council's new development and investment partner. (6) Post-project evaluation should be built into the programme to test whether projects delivered their intended outcomes, community benefits and value for money, and to record lessons learned. Members also asked for future reports to carry more detail on progress, risks, funding and milestones before the committee considers them. The minute does not record whether the recommendations were accepted.