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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.
Executive Members (with Portfolios): Councillors: Anthony Hunt – Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Leadership Richard Clark – Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children, Families and Education Fiona Cross – Executive Member for Communities David Daniels – Executive Member for Adult Services and Housing Joanne Gauden – Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration Peter Jones – Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Resources Sue Morgan – Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability Mandy Owen – Executive Member for Environment Officers: Justine Cass - Deputy Monitoring Officer and Solicitor John Clements – Team Leader Housing, Safety and Environmental Protection Chris Corten – Complaints and FOI Team Leader Niall Flack - Apprentice Democratic Services Officer Robert Green – Head of Financial Services Gren Ham – Energy and Carbon Reduction Manager Neil Jones - Head of Comms, Elections & Contingencies Dave Leech - Strategic Director for Adults and Communities Jason Lewis – Director Corporate Services Andrew Lovegrove - Strategic Director Resources Richard Marshall – Senior Environmental Health Officer Jason O’Brien – Strategic Director, Children and Family Services Tom Roberts – Business and Democratic Support Services Manager Mark Thomas - Deputy Chief Officer Highways & Climate Change Stephen Vickers – Chief Executive
2.1 There were no apologies received.
3.1 The Deputy Monitoring Officer referred to consultees and stakeholders which were mentioned in Agenda Item 6, Public Space Protection Orders Review and Agenda Item 7, Torfaen’s Local Area Energy Plan, and she referred in particular to the list of interested parties included on page 29 of the agenda, and advised members that if they were a council appointed member of any of the groups listed, they should declare a personal interest. She further advised that if members were to enter into a particular discussion at any point and felt they had an interest, then they should declare the interest at that point. 3.2 There were no declarations of interest.
4.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 8th October 2024 were agreed as a true and accurate record.
5.1 The update on actions were noted. Before moving on to the business set out in the agenda, the Leader referred to the news that following the most recent Estyn Monitoring visit, the council had been removed from the list of Local Authorities causing significant concern. He thanked the Executive Member, Children, Families and Education and officers across the council for their hard work and commented that this was just one stage in the council’s improvement journey.
6.1 The Executive Member Environment introduced the report which informed Cabinet of the findings of a review of the Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for dog controls in Torfaen and sought a decision on whether to extend, vary or discharge the existing order, and she commented as follows: · The existing PSPO created offences for failing to remove dog faeces from any land in Torfaen to which the public has access, allowing a dog to roam without a lead in specified areas, and allowing a dog to enter certain areas where an exclusion applied. · PSPO’s provided a tool to enable councils to manage the anti-social impact of irresponsible dog owners and to help keep areas safe and clean. · The law under which PSPO’s were created required that they were reviewed every 3 years and the existing PSPO for dog controls was due for review. · The report outlined the outcome of a review as to whether the PSPO remained relevant and effective and comprised of public consultation. 6.2 The Team Leader Housing, Safety and Environmental Protection highlighted the key areas of the report and shared the outcome of the consultation exercise. In summary, he comments as follows: · The PSPO for dog controls made in 2022 had been reviewed in accordance with statutory requirements and sought to evaluate the effectiveness and the impact of the PSPO in addressing anti-social behaviour caused by irresponsible dog ownership to recommend a decision as to whether to extend, vary or discharge the order. · The PSPO had been found to provide a proportionate response to deal with dog control issues, and to be a useful tool to assist in delivering important objectives in the council’s County Plan, however, practical matters such as effective enforcement and signage had presented challenges. · A consultation exercise involving statutory consultees, interested parties and the wider community had been carried out to inform the review. · A survey was published on the council’s website on 26 May 2024 and it ran for over four weeks. A high-level summary of the following survey findings was presented in the report and appendices: - 83% were in favour of retaining the dog exclusion areas; - 83.9% were in favour of retaining the dogs on leads areas; - 68.6% didn’t feel that the PSPO didn’t feel that the PSPO was appropriately enforced; - 58% didn’t feel that the PSPO was enough of a deterrent. - Several responders said that they would like further dog exclusions and dogs on leads areas included in the PSPO, whilst fewer responders said they would like more dog friendly spaces; - The overall findings were similar to that of the previous consultation three years ago, namely that there was a perception that the existing PSPO was not robustly enforced. - The highest number of requests for additional dogs on leads areas was in relation to the canal towpath, followed by Pontypool Park, and then the cycle paths. - The highest number of requests for additional dog exclusion areas was in relation to the canal towpath, followed by Pontypool Park. - There were 8 requests for more dog waste bins and 6 requests for better signage. · The Civil Enforcement Team was responsible for enforcing the PSPO for dog controls in Torfaen, and the Environmental Operations Team responded to requests to remove dog faeces from public land. · It was understood that Torfaen was one of only two councils in Wales whose civil enforcement officers carried out a dual role of parking and environmental enforcement. A review of the existing arrangements was currently underway and alternative enforcement models were being considered. This work was expected to conclude within 12 months and would be presented to members thereafter. · Civil Enforcement Officers currently patrolled areas in response to complaints to provide a visual deterrent, and in some instances warning stickers had been displayed to warn that officers were patrolling. · Options being presented to Cabinet were to: - extend the existing PSPO for a further three years. Officers would continue to monitor compliance, and financial implications would remain unaffected; - discharge the PSPO for dog controls, recognising that if the council didn’t have a PSPO in place, there would be limited powers to deal with dog control issues and their associated impact. This could pose a greater risk to public health and safety and nuisance from a possible increase in the presence of dog faeces on public land and dog owners failing to keep their dogs under control in areas where restrictions currently applied. Financial implications could be considerable as the Council could incur the cost of removing the recycling and disposing of existing signage and making good any ground works etc. Additional costs could also be incurred in responding to the likely increase in requests to move dog faeces from public land. There were also reputational and potential mitigation risks associated with discharging the PSPO; and - vary the PSPO for dog controls, and the decision to vary would need to be based on the findings of the review. The response to the public consultation survey was similar to the previous feedback, such as increasing the scope of the PSPO to include additional dog controls on the canal towpath and Pontypool Park. There would be increased resource implications to implement variations to the existing PSPO and the extent of which would depend on the additional restrictions imposed. · In terms of the officer assessment, it was considered that the existing PSPO did strike a balance between the needs and desires of all interested parties and the wider community, however, there was obvious benefit in including new marked sports pitches and new children’s play areas to protect public health and safety and the environment. · Due to potential impact on residents of introducing additional dog exclusion and dogs on leads areas, the suggestions received required further consideration. Officers would undertake an exercise in 2025/26 to assess the potential impacts of the proposals as appropriate to inform any recommendations for future restrictions. 6.3 In summary, members recognised the challenges of enforcement, and they commented around the importance of expectations being measured and balanced. Members recognised that whilst the majority of dog owners were responsible, it would be useful for the review to consider whether dog owners had the means to clean up after their dogs and also whether there was an intention to clean up after their dogs. In addition, and in line with the Canal Strategy, members also felt that it would be useful to provide additional bins along the canal to assist members of the community in doing their part. 6.4 In response to questions asked by members, the following main points were noted: · Officers patrolled areas where there were reports of dog fouling such as sports pitches, however, where officers in uniform were visible, compliance was more likely and therefore it was difficult to catch offenders and issue fines, resulting in a low level of enforcement. This operation was being reviewed to ensure wider environmental enforcement capabilities within the council. · Exemptions were in place for members of the community who were blind or partially sighted and for those with assistance dogs. 6.5 The Leader recognised that the issues discussed created a lot of emotive feeling, and that whilst the majority of dog owners were responsible, there were consequences concerned where dog owners were not responsible, particularly on pitches where children played sport. He welcomed the report, however, he recognised the limitations on enforcement and stated that the councils plea was for people for follow the example of responsible dog owners. 6.7 Cabinet: i) approved a variation to the existing Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) for dog controls in Torfaen to exclude dogs from any marked sports pitches and children’s play areas on public land that have been developed since November 2021. ii) agreed to the Public Protection service exploring and assessing the impacts of suggestions received from the public consultation to introduce additional dog controls in Torfaen and to report the finding to the Executive Member for Environment for consideration.
7.1 The Executive Member Waste & Sustainability introduced the report and made the following comments: · The catastrophic floodings in Spain was just one of the nature and climate crisis being witnessed, and councils along with other public bodies in Wales had a duty to improve long term well-being and to protect the planet through the Well-Being and Future Generations Act. · Importantly, the Council had a clear obligation to protect future generations from the effect of pollution and climate change, and this could only be done if the council worked in a planned way, with others, to respond to the climate emergency. · As well as decarbonising the council’s own estates and activities, the council had an important role to play in supporting the borough’s wider net zero journey. · Key sources of emissions in the borough didn’t just come from council activities, they came from homes, transport and businesses, and everyone had a part to play in the collective challenge. · Welsh Government had funded Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP’s) for each council area, and the Torfaen LAEP set out the challenge of how the council transitioned its energy systems to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and identified some of the initial steps needing to be taken by the council and key stakeholders. · The report set out the position based on modelling and analysis that had been based on standardised guidance, and informed the LAEP’s short to mid-term action plan for 2024-2030. Definitive targets for 2050 were not set at this stage. Each local authority’s LAEP would be aggregated together to inform a national energy plan, and the council would be responsible for a number of local actions that also critically supported regional and national actions. Some of this could be delivered within existing resources, however, resource implications would need to be reevaluated and reassessed as the plan matured. · The Plan set out challenges and opportunities in relation to energy. However, this was a rapidly moving context and technological changes and new solutions were always developing. The plan maintained the flexibility to respond to those developments. · Transforming the approach to energy could seem very daunting, however, progress was already being made in tackling all aspects of climate and nature emergency. The council took its leadership role very seriously, and efforts would not be slackened. 7.2 The Deputy Director Highways and Climate Change outlined the report which asked Cabinet to note Torfaen’s LAEP and subject to available resources, to endorse the actions for the Council set out in the LAEP’s short to mid-term action plan (2024- 30). He commented as follows: · The scope of the LAEP was the supply and consumption of energy within Torfaen’s boundaries. The plan included three main objectives – an overview of Torfaen’s current energy system, a range of future scenarios for net zero local energy systems, and a short and medium term action plan to ensure that early progress could be made in facilitating the eventual net zero energy system. · There were five proposals for Torfaen’s future energy systems – improving energy efficiency of existing buildings, decarbonising transport, decarbonising energy, deploying onshore renewables, and reinforcing and transitioning energy networks. Under each proposal it specified short to medium term action plans. There were 60 actions set out in the plan, 20 of which sat with Torfaen and progress was already being made on these. · Consultation had been developed collaboratively and workshops had been held with key organisations and individuals identified as key contributors in terms of understanding and influencing Torfaen’s energy system. · Many of the local actions were already underway and would be delivered with existing resources and funding, including external funding. There would be a need to reassess resources as the plan matured and the actions developed. · With regards to the emerging technology of hydrogen and how that would impact energy systems and transport systems, officers were working closely with national providers to understand how this would transition into the energy system. Any actions would only be taken forward once the required resources were in place. 7.3 The Leader welcomed the report and commented around the importance of having an energy plan to direct efforts and to become more sustainable. He recognised that the climate emergency was sometimes frustrating, inconvenient and costly, however, it was important that all levels of government did what they could to play their part in becoming more sustainable and avoiding the increasing dramatic climate catastrophes. 7.3 Cabinet agreed to: note Torfaen’s LAEP and subject to available resources, to endorse the actions for the Council set out in the LAEP’s short to mid-term action plan (2024- 30).
. Annual Complaints Report 2023/24 8.1 The Executive Member Corporate Governance and Resources introduced the report and made the following comments: · The increase in complaints from 160 in 2023 to 248 in 2023/24 could by and large be attributed to a review of how contacts were categorised as complaints. The review was completed midway through 2022/23 and the annual report for 2023/24 was the first to fully reflect these changes. · The review had been undertaken and implemented to ensure that as a council, accountability and transparency across the council’s complaints process could be strengthened for residents. · The Complaints Team was notified of 155 compliments across the authority, which was an increase from 110 from the previous year. · The number of complaints escalated to the Ombudsman for Wales had decreased from 18 to 14. Only 6% of complaints made to the authority went to the Ombudsman, compared to 11% the previous year. · The lowest number of complainants contacting the Ombudsman was achieved at 0.15 per 1,000 complaints. Given the overall increase in the number of complaints, this indicated that processes were robust and effective in final resolution. · A copy of the report had been presented to Governance and Audit Committee on 3 October 2024 in line with the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 and the committee raised no concerns. · The Corporate Complaints Team would continue to work closely with the Ombudsman’s office and colleagues to ensure that complaints were handled effectively and provided valuable insights and learning. · He thanked the Complaints and FOI Team Leader for their work. 8.2 The Complaints and FOI Team Leader outlined the report which provided Cabinet with an overview of the complaints performance for the financial year 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024 and formally presented the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales’ Annual Letter to Cabinet. In summary, he commented as follows: · The report reflected the updated way of categorising complaints for the first full year. · There had been an increase in contacts overall, however, it was positive that people were aware of the process and how to make contact. · Despite the increase in contacts, the 95% response target had been exceeded at 96.2%. In order to achieve this, the team had worked closely with departments across the authority to deal with corporate and social care complaints, along with FOI and EIR requests. · There was a decrease in the number of complaints that went on to the Ombudsman as the final step in the complaints process, despite the elevated number of complaints recorded. This was a positive reflection of the complaints resolution and handling processes that were in place. · The increase in compliments showed what was going well in contrast to what wasn’t going well from the complaints that were received, and managers and officers were encouraged to make the team aware as and when they were fed into departments to ensure that they could be logged and included within the report. · The Team would continue to work with departments and teams to increase abilities to learn from the complaints being received. · To improve accessibility, the Team would be promoting some basic literature to members of the public around how to access the complaints process and raise complaints. Raising awareness amongst staff was also important and options around learning packages that could be rolled out across the authority were being considered. 8.3 The Leader thanked the team for their hard work. 8.4 Cabinet noted the information presented in the report and agreed to continue to support the central Complaints and FOI Team.
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