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Councillors: Rose Seabourne (Chair) Alfie Best Catherine Bonera Ron Burnett Nick Byrne Lynda Clarkson Liam Cowles Fiona Cross David Daniels Giles Davies Steven Evans Joanne Gauden Karl Gauden Elizabeth Haynes Jon Horlor Nick Horler (until 10.30am) Anthony Hunt (Leader) Gaynor James Jon James Janet Jones (until 10.30am) Mark Jones Peter Jones Rosemary Matthews Susan Morgan Jason O’Connell Amanda Owen Norma Parrish Caroline Price Alan Slade Chris Tew Colette Thomas David Thomas David Williams Lucy Williams Nathan Yeowell Officers: Nigel Aurelius, Deputy Chief Executive Delyth Harries, Monitoring Officer and Assistant Chief Legal Officer Neil Jones, Head of Communications, Engagement and Civil Contingencies Caroline Genever-Jones, Elections and Business Manager Rachel Jowitt, Strategic Director, Economy and Environment Dave Leech, Strategic Director, Adults and Communities Dave Lilly, Director, Financial Services Jason Lewis, Director Corporate Services Lyndon Puddy, Head of Public Services Support Unit Dominique Redman, Team Leader Democratic and Member Services Tom Roberts, Business & Democratic Support Services Manager Jason O’Brien, Strategic Director, Children and Family Services Chris Slade, Assistant Democratic and Member Services Team Leader Rachel Standfield, Principal Planner Alan Vernon-Jones, Welsh Language Officer Stephen Vickers, Chief Executive Adrian Wilcock, Principal Planner Others: Gregor Allan (and Parent), New Inn Primary School Peter Jeffreys, Pontypool Rugby Club Leighton Jones, Pontypool Rugby Club Bryn Parker, Wales Rugby Union
2.1 Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Stuart Ashley, Richard Clark, Sue Malson and Nick Simons.
3.1 The Deputy Monitoring Officer (DMO) advised of the following interests: Agenda Item 11, Torfaen LDP: Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG): - Councillor David Williams had a personal interest as council appointed member of Bron Afon Community Housing and member of The Woodland Trust and Canal Trust. - Councillor Amanda Owen had a personal interest as council appointed member of Bron Afon Community Housing. Agenda Item 13, 3G Pitch in North Torfaen: - Councillor Giles Davies had a personal interest as council appointed Governor of Abersychan Comprehensive School - Councillor Liam Cowles had a personal and prejudicial interest as council appointed Governor of Abersychan Comprehensive and School and he has a brother who attends the school - Councillor Jason O’Connell had a personal and prejudicial interest as his wife works at Abersychan Comprehensive School - Councillor Lynda Clarkson had a personal and prejudicial interests as her nephew’s wife works at the school. - Councillor Colette Thomas had a personal and prejudicial interest as her niece works at Abersychan Comprehensive School - Councillor Chris Tew had a personal and prejudicial interest as he had two children who attended Abersychan Comprehensive School Agenda Item 15, Motions on Notice: - Councillor Joanne Gauden had a personal and prejudicial interest as she works for Trade Union - Councillor Caroline Price had a personal and prejudicial interest as she works for Trade Union. - Councillor Anthony Hunt had a personal interest as he was involved with pay negotiations as part of his WLGA role. 3.2 All members confirmed their interests.
4.1 Council confirmed the minutes of the Council meeting held on 25 April 2023 as an accurate record.
5.1 Council confirmed the minutes of the Council meeting held on 16 May 2023 as an accurate record.
6.1 Council noted the action sheet
7.1 There were no petitions.
8.1 Public Questions with replies are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.
9.1 The Leader: - Informed members of the 24-hour Relay for Life due to be held at Pontypool Park on the weekend which remembered and celebrated those who had battled cancer and to raise funds for Cancer Research UK. - Recognised that it was Mental Health Week from 12-18 June 2023 and that the focus this year was on raising awareness of the sign’s symptoms of testicular cancer. - Congratulated the local Britain’s Got Talent finalist Travis George on his performances on the show throughout the series. He hoped to see go from strength to strength. - Recognised that this week was Green Week which was a weeklong event being held by environmental organisations, including events to raised awareness and engage with the public around climate action, sustainable living and biodiversity. - Referred to Volunteers Week which was held this year between 1-7 June 2023. He thanked Torfaen Voluntary Alliance for their work to recognise voluntary groups during the week. - Recognised that last week was Carers Awareness Week. He thanked all carers who helped others across Torfaen and stated that the council would continue to strive to provide support and advice on their rights. He informed members that Torfaen County Borough Council had recently become the first organisation in Wales to be Carer Friendly Employer Accreditation. - Informed members that this week was Blood Donor Week which was a great chance to highlight the lifesaving difference donating blood could make. He explained that members could visit www.wbs.wales to find out how they could help. - Thanked Cwmbran Community Council for the successful Big Event held over the weekend. He reminded members that Party in Park would be held on Saturday 8 July 2023 with thanks to Pontypool Community Council. - Reminded Members that next week was Armed Forces Week and a Flag Raising Ceremony would be held at the Civic Centre on Monday 19 June 2023 at 10.00am. All Members were welcome. - Congratulated all Torfaen Businesses who were winners at the Monmouthshire and Torfaen business Awards which were held last week at Abergavenny Market Hall on. He looked forward to holding the awards in Torfaen next year and continuing conversations with local businesses who were doing some great work. - Invited Councillor Peter Jones, Executive Member Corporate Governance and Performance to update members on the Council’s efforts to mark Pride Month. Councillor Peter Jones referred to invitations posted on ‘SWOOP’ to the Pride Cymru Parade in Cardiff on 17 June 2023 which celebrated the ongoing commitment to being a proud council. He also referred to an event in Caerphilly on 24 June 2023 and a possible event in Newport, details of which would be circulated when made available. He explained that Officers in the Equality and Cohesion Team were due to hold discussions with community members around the possibility of holding a future event in Torfaen and further details would be provided. He also referred to information being circulated around a ‘Teams background’ for those wishing to support Pride Month in that way. He hoped that these matters reassured members about the council’s commitment to Pride. 9.2 The Leader introduced Year 6 Primary School Pupil Gregor Allan to Council and congratulated him on winning the Young People’s Award at the Celebrating Forces Families Awards. He explained that Gregor wanted to help his younger sister prepare for their father’s tour of duty in the Middle East, so he produced a list of activities and asked the school to set up a club for service children. He thanked Gregor for being a fine example of community action and presented him with a small gift as a token of admiration for what he had done.
10.1 The Leader outlined the report seeking approval to admit as Honorary Freeman of the Borough, Pontypool Rugby Football Club in recognition of their astonishing success this season, of the club’s long history within Welsh rugby and internationally, of their importance to our communities, and as a tribute to the wider sporting community in the Borough. The Leader advised that in recognition of the importance of sport in wider wellbeing, and of the successes of local individuals and clubs, the report also outlined steps to recognise Sporting Achievements within the Borough to promote local athletes and clubs. He explained that following this report, if accepted, work would be done to establish the best method and location for publishing Torfaen Sporting Achievements online. He commented further around the achievements of rugby clubs throughout the borough, and of the huge efforts of volunteers. He spoke about the importance of sport which wasn’t just about physical activity, but also about building skills needed in life and having the ability to work hard in a team. He thanked all of those who played a part in sport in Torfaen. 10.2 Council unanimously agreed: - To award the Freedom of the Borough to Pontypool Rugby Football Club in recognition of their achievements, of their importance to the Borough and as a mark of respect towards the whole Torfaen rugby community. - That work would be done to establish the best method and location for publishing Torfaen Sporting Achievements online to recognise and celebrate the sporting achievements of local clubs and individuals. 10.3 The Leader invited Peter Jeffreys, Leighton Jones and Bryn Parker into the meeting and informed them that Council had agreed to award the Freedom of the Borough to Pontypool Rugby Club in recognition of their achievements. He commended the work of the club and players and advised that a ceremony would be organised to present the club with a scroll awarding them the Freedom of the Borough.
11.1 The Principal Planner (PP) outlined the report seeking approval for the adoption of the ‘Sustainable Locations’ SPG following consideration of comments received; and to agree a six-week stakeholder/public consultation on the draft ‘Biodiversity, Ecosystem Resilience and Development’ SPG and the draft ‘Green Infrastructure’ SPG. 11.2 Members asked questions around the dangers of placing further requirements upon developers, and whether this could have a negative impact on the liability of sites due to extra costs involved in the application process. Officers commented around the marginal costs and the importance of good, sustainable development, explaining that the creation of strong SPG would give more certainty to the market and help inform their planning from the beginning of the process, particularly in relation to maintaining green infrastructure and in light of the climate change emergency. 11.3 Members referred to the informative Member Seminar held on SPG and praised officers for their efforts in relation to this piece of work. 11.4 Council unanimously agreed to: 1. Resolve to adopt the ‘Sustainable Locations’ SPG (attached at Appendix 2); 2. Agree to delegate to the Head of Planning and Development: - a. any final minor amendments / corrections to the text of the adopted ‘Sustainable Locations’ SPG prior to publication; and b. any factual updates of the adopted ‘Sustainable Locations’ SPG over time, as necessary. 3. Agree the draft ‘Biodiversity, Ecosystem Resilience and Development’ and ‘Green Infrastructure’ SPGs (attached at Appendices 3 and 4) for publication and six weeks stakeholder / public consultation; 4. Delegate any final minor amendments / corrections to the draft ‘Biodiversity, Ecosystem Resilience and Development’ and ‘Green Infrastructure’ SPGs before publication to the Head of Planning and Development; 5. Note that reports to consider any comments received on the draft ‘Biodiversity, Ecosystem Resilience and Development’ and ‘Green Infrastructure’ SPGs alongside any recommended changes will be presented back to Council in due course. 6. Note that reports to consider any comments received on the draft ‘Biodiversity, Ecosystem Resilience and Development’ and ‘Green Infrastructure’ SPGs alongside any recommended changes will be presented back to Council in due course.
12.1 The Welsh Language Officer (WLO) outlined the report seeking approval of the Annual Report - progress on its Welsh language commitments during the financial year 2022/23. He explained that the Annual Report included as Appendix 1 to the report would be published on the council’s website no later than the 30 June 2023 (Statutory requirement). 12.2 Members recognised the volume of work involved in complying with the Welsh Language Standards and commended the work of the WLO. 12.3 There were no objections against the content of the report, and so the following recommendation was approved: - That the Annual Report 2022/23 is approved and publicised in line with the Welsh Language Standards.
Councillors Lynda Clarkson, Liam Cowles, Jason O’Connell, Chris Tew and Colette Thomas left the meeting for this item due to the Personal and Prejudicial interests they had declared under Agenda Item 3. 13.1 The Head of Public Services Support Unit outlined the report seeking Council’s approval to commence a project to create a 3G pitch at Abersychan School and to allocate £2.3M of the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) funding to this specific project. 13.2 The Leader commented around the importance of such facilities to help sports teams in the Borough move forward. He also echoed his earlier comments around the importance of sport and improving health and wellbeing. 13.3 Members welcomed the provision of a 3G pitch in the north of the borough and looked forward to seeing it in use. 13.4 Council unanimously agreed to approve the commencement of a project to create a 3G pitch at Abersychan School and to allocate £2.3M of the SPF funding to this specific project.
14.1 The Elections Manager (EM) outlined the report providing a response to the petition received by Council on 25 April 2023 from a Torfaen resident to consider changing the voting systems from First Past the Post (FPTP) to the Single Transferable Vote (STV). The EM explained that the ability for local authorities to change its voting system for election was legislated for in the Local Government & Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (the Act) which enabled local authorities to choose whether to retain the FPTP or move to a system of STV. She stated that a Members Seminar was held on the 15th May 2023 to inform members of the differences in the Voting Systems. Members views were sought via email and Members voted on whether they wished to support the petition further and commence a consultation process. The EM informed Council that 28 out of 40 Members responded and unanimously voted not to pursue the request to change the voting systems in Torfaen. 14.2 Council unanimously agreed that, due to a lack of support from Members, the request to change the voting systems in Torfaen is not pursued.
Councillors Joanne Gauden and Caroline Price left the meeting for this item due to the Personal and Prejudicial interests they had declared under Agenda Item 3. 15.1 Councillor Nathan Yeowell proposed the following motion on behalf of Councillor Karl Gauden: ‘This council notes: Local government has endured central government funding cuts of more than 50% since 2010. Between 2010 and 2020, councils lost 60p out of every £1 they have received from central government. Councils across England are now facing a collective funding gap of £2.4bn for the financial year 2023/24 and a cumulative funding gap of £4.08bn for 2024/25 according to UNISON research. Councils led the way in efforts against the Covid-19 pandemic, providing a huge range of services and support for our communities. Local government has shown more than ever how indispensable it is. But Covid has led to a massive increase in expenditure and loss of income, and as we emerge from the pandemic, local authorities and schools need far more support from Westminster. Recent funding announcements from the Government relating to schools did nothing to help. Council and school workers kept our communities safe through the pandemic, often putting themselves at considerable risk as they work to protect public health, provide quality housing, ensure our children continue to be educated, and look after older and vulnerable people. Since 2010, the local government workforce has endured years of pay restraint with the majority of pay points losing at least 25 per cent of their value since 2009/10. Staff are now facing the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, with inflation hitting 10% and many having to make impossible choices between food, heating and other essentials. This is a terrible situation for anyone to find themselves in. At the same time, workers have experienced ever-increasing workloads and persistent job insecurity. Across the UK, 900,000 jobs have been lost in local government since June 2010 – a reduction of more than 30 per cent. Local government has arguably been hit by more severe job losses than any other part of the public sector. There has been a disproportionate impact on women, with women making up more than three-quarters of the local government workforce. Recent research shows that if the Government were to fully fund the unions’ 2023 pay claim, around half of the money would be recouped thanks to increased tax revenue, reduced expenditure on benefits and tax credits, and increased consumer spending in the local economy. This council believes: Our workers are public service super-heroes. They keep our communities clean and safe, look after those in need and keep our towns and cities running. Without the professionalism and dedication of our staff, the council services our residents rely on would not be deliverable. Local government workers deserve a proper real-terms pay increase. The Government needs to take responsibility and fully fund this increase; it should not put the burden on local authorities whose funding has been cut to the bone and who were not offered adequate support through the Covid-19 pandemic. This council resolves to: Support the pay claim submitted by UNISON, GMB and Unite on behalf of council and school workers, for an increase of RPI + 2% Call on the Local Government Association to make urgent representations to central government to fund the NJC pay claim Write to the Chancellor and Secretary of State to call for a pay increase for local government workers to be funded with new money from central government Meet with local NJC union representatives to convey support for the pay claim and consider practical ways in which the council can support the campaign Encourage all local government workers to join a union.’ 15.2 The motion was seconded. 15.3 In response to questions asked by Members around responsibilities of Welsh Government for public sector pay, the Leader clarified that The National Council’s Employer’s Bill is the negotiator at UK level and therefore it is a treasurer responsibility. 15.4 The Executive Member, Resources commented around staff deserving and warranting these kinds of living wages, and also the impact on the ability to recruit and retain staff, meaning the services provided by the council were dependent on the council being able to pay the appropriate living wages. 15.5 Council unanimously agreed to support the motion. 15.6 Councillor Alfie Best proposed the following motion: ‘This Council Believes: Torfaen County Borough Council believes that as a local authority we have a crucial role to play in improving the mental health of everyone in our borough and tackling some of the widest and most entrenched inequalities in health. We have a fundamental role to play in addressing inequality and enhancing mental health outcomes for men in our communities. Suicide is the biggest cause of death in men under the age of 50 and around three quarters of deaths from suicides each year are men. Men are less likely to seek help, only 36% of referrals to NHS talking therapies are for men. We believe that mental health issues are not adequately addressed for men and boys due to cultural, societal, and historical factors, that a collaborative approach involving community stakeholders and public services can effectively address the unique mental health needs of men and boys in our community and that we all, as councillors, have a role to play in championing mental health. This Council Resolves to: - Ensure all our frontline staff are mental health first aid trained; - Bring together all partners to ensure there is a joined up and coherent strategy and that services and approaches are delivered in an integrated way; - Provide training for Council members and staff on the unique aspects of men's mental health, so that we can lead by example in promoting understanding and reducing stigma; - Commit to appoint an elected member as ‘mental health champion’ across the Council; - Seek to identify a member of staff within the Council to act as ‘lead officer’ for mental health, subject to discussions with human resources; - Run a mental health in men awareness week campaign in November to coincide with International Men’s Day.’ 15.7 The motion was seconded 15.8 Councillor Nathan Yeowell spoke of his personal experiences in relation to this motion and commented around the importance of generating an inclusive environment and championing this matter. 15.9 Council unanimously agreed to support the motion.
16.1 Member questions with replies are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.
17.1 Council unanimously agreed to note the Cabinet Decisions.
18.1 The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday 18 July 2023 at 10:00am.
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.
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