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Councillors: Rose Seabourne (Chair) Stuart Ashley Nick Byrne Lynda Clarkson Liam Cowles Fiona Cross David Daniels Giles Davies Steven Evans Joanne Gauden Karl Gauden Elizabeth Haynes Jon Horlor Nick Horler Anthony Hunt (Leader) Janet Jones Mark Jones Peter Jones Stuart Keyte Rosemary Matthews Susan Morgan Jason O’Connell Norma Parrish Caroline Price Nicholas Simons Alan Slade Chris Tew Colette Thomas David Thomas Jayne Watkins David Williams Lucy Williams Officers: Rachel Beale, Personal Assistant to the Leader and Deputy Leader Chris Slade, Assistant Democratic and Member Services Team Leader Rhodri Guest, Independent Chair of the Ethics and Standards Committee Christina Harrhy, Acting Director for Economy & Place Delyth Harries, Monitoring Officer and Assistant Chief Legal Officer Dave Leech, Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director for Adults and Communities Jason Lewis, Director Corporate Services & Head of Democratic Services Andrew Lovegrove, Strategic Director Resources Jason O’Brien, Strategic Director, Children and Family Services Tom Roberts, Business & Democratic Support Services Manager Alan Vernon-Jones, Welsh Language Officer Stephen Vickers, Chief Executive Others in attendance in the Public Gallery: Neil Jones, Head of Communications, Elections & Civil Contingencies Rebecca Fahey-Jones, Team Leader, Scrutiny Andrew Powles - Director of Education Pupils and staff from Carreg Lam 2 members of the press and public
2.1 Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Ron Burnett, Catherine Bonera, Richard Clark, Gaynor James, Jon James, Mandy Owen, and Nathan Yeowell.
3.1 There were no interests declared.
4.1 Council confirmed the minutes of the Council meeting held on 8th April 2025 as an accurate record.
5.1 Councillor Lynda Clarkson stated that her name had been omitted from the attendance listed in the minutes, it was agreed that this would be amended. 5.2 Council confirmed the minutes of the Council meeting held on 13th May 2025 as an accurate record subject to the change above.
6.1 Council noted the action sheet.
7.1 Councillor Nick Horler presented a petition on behalf of Torfaen Residents, Liz and Ade Starmore in relation to a request for the installation of a one-way system and speed controls on Old James Street, Blaenavon, as follows: Enough is Enough. Make Old James Street Blaenavon Safe for Our Families and Pets. Old James Street Blaenavon should be a safe place for its residents, a place where children can play, neighbours can walk, and pets can live without constant fear. Instead, it has become a dangerous thoroughfare, with vehicles consistently traveling at high speeds, treating our residential street like a racetrack. This isn't just an inconvenience; it's a daily threat to our safety and peace of mind. The Dangers We Face Every Day: High Speeds and constant risk. As a main route to town, Old James Street sees a relentless flow of traffic, much of it far exceeding safe residential speeds. This turns simple acts like crossing the street or parking on it a hazard. Tragedy Has Already Struck, we have already witnessed the heartbreaking consequences of this dangerous situation. Beloved pets have been hit and killed by speeding vehicles on our street, vehicles have been hit and written off. Each incident is a painful reminder that it is only a matter of time before these tragedies escalate to human injury or worse. Fear for our Children and community: Residents, especially those with children, live with constant anxiety. The thought of a child being struck by a speeding car is an unbearable, yet very real, fear for many of us. Our street should foster community, not fear. Our Clear and Achievable Solution. Prioritise Safety Now! We, the undersigned residents and concerned citizens, urge the Local Council to take immediate and decisive action to reclaim Old James Street for its residents. We specifically call for: 1.Implementation of a one-way Traffic System. This will significantly reduce the volume and complexity of traffic flow, inherently calming speeds and making the street safer for everyone. 2.Installation of Effective Speed Control Measures. This could include speed bumps or other proven traffic calming solutions designed to force drivers to slow down. These are not radical demands; they are sensible, proven solutions to a clear and present danger. Implementing these changes will transform Old James Street from a hazardous cut-through back into a safe, residential street where lives are prioritized over speed. Don't wait for a Catastrophe. Act Now to Protect Our Community! Every day that passes without action increases the risk of a devastating accident. We implore you to listen to our concerns and act proactively to safeguard the residents of Old James Street. 7.2 Council referred the petition to the Executive Member for the Environment, for her to consider, respond and report back in due course.
8.1 There were no public questions.
9.1 The Leader made the following announcements: • Recently, Reverend Canon Harald Thomas MBE had sadly passed away, his funeral was taking place on Thursday at 1.30pm, at Holy Trinity Church, Pontnewydd. He had been Chaplain to many mayors and a great friend to many in the chamber. He had worked with cadets and local organisations, and would be sadly missed. The Leader passed on his condolences to his friends and family. • Councillor Mandy Owen’s mother had sadly passed away, and he passed on his best wishes to her and her family. • At the recent Estyn Monitoring visit, Estyn confirmed that Cwmbran High School had made significant progress and could be removed out of special measures. The school would now be working to consolidate those improvements and develop ongoing good performance and achievement. He thanked all staff at the school, governors and officers for their efforts in the long and difficult journey. • The Council ensured food safety in Torfaen through the Public Protection Officers who provided advice, conducted inspections, and enforced compliance. In December 2024, the Food Standards Agency audited the service, and it received the highest level of audit assurance for its food standards service, making Torfaen the only Council in Wales to achieve this. He passed on his congratulations to officers for their hard work in delivering the essential services. • He was pleased to meet with pupils of Carreg Lam, the Welsh Immersion Centre at Ysgol Panteg and they told positive stories of how the centre had helped them. The unit helped pupils who wanted to transfer from English-medium education, as well as those at Welsh-medium primary schools who needed additional support with the language. Carreg Lam was on a mission to promote Welsh language education across Torfaen, supporting the Welsh Government targets. Since opening in 2023, the programme had supported over 60 children on their Welsh language journey, and for the first time was operating at full capacity, with all 12 available places filled. • He welcomed the Headteacher of Ysgol Panteg and Carreg Lam, Dr Matthew Williamson-Dicken to give a presentation to Council. 9.2 Dr Matthew Williamson-Dicken and Carys Soper from Carreg Lam gave a detailed presentation to Council regarding the benefits and vision of Carreg Lam. 9.3 Members thanked them for the impressive presentation which showed their commitment, passion and dedication. Members commented that: • Carreg Lam was a great example of the work ongoing to promote the Welsh Language. • It was great to see the work of Carreg Lam which helped build confidence in the children and also helped with the transition from Primary School to Secondary School. • It was pleasing to see the focus on research and best practice. • Members of the Education Scrutiny Committee had carried out a visit to both Ysgol Panteg and Carreg Lam and it was a real pleasure. • Members were encouraged with the take up of Carreg Lam. 9.4 In response to a question asked about how to build confidence among parents and how to encourage children to speak Welsh outside of the school setting, Dr Williamson-Dicken commented that there was a low percentage of Welsh home speakers in Torfaen and if a cold desk based research exercise was carried out it would probably show that only 2% of parents of pupils at Ysgol Panteg could speak Welsh. However, he had attended Welsh school himself with many of the parents and he knew that they could speak Welsh and it was about encouraging them and giving them the confidence to do so. At Ysgol Panteg and Carreg Lam they tried to encourage everyone to speak Welsh and told them not to worry about a bit of slack language and to just give it a go as no one was going to worry if they had a mutation wrong. Ysgol Panteg provided additional support to families, especially parents of children in nursey and they held session for parents to learn basic language with the teachers alongside their children. It was important to signpost those types of initiatives and also support the children who were leaving school to show them where the Welsh opportunities were to continue to use Welsh outside of the school setting.
10.1 Mr Rhodri Guest, Chair of Ethics and Standards Committee presented the annual report as set out in Appendix 1 to the report. 10.2 Council unanimously agreed to note the Annual Report of the Ethics and Standards Committee as set out in the Appendix.
11.1 The Director of Corporate Services outlined the report which sought approval of Council’s revised Contract Procedure Rules which were attached at appendix 1 of the report. 11.2 Council unanimously agreed to approve the revised Contract Procedure Rules for implementation and agreed to give delegated authority to the Monitoring Officer to add the revised Contract Procedure Rules to the Constitution.
12.1 The Business and Democratic Support Services Manager outlined the report which sought approval to make some minor changes to the Adults & Communities and the Economy & Environment Scrutiny Committees. 12.2 Council unanimously agreed to approve the changes to the Scrutiny Committee Portfolios as set out in Appendix 1 of the report and agreed to delegate authority to the Monitoring Officer in consultation with the Members Constitution Working Party to make the changes required to the Council’s Constitution.
13.1 The Welsh Language Officer (WLO) outlined the report seeking approval of the Annual Report and progress on its Welsh language commitments during the financial year 2024/25. He explained that the Annual Report attached as an Appendix to the report would be published on the council’s website no later than the 30 June 2025 as per the statutory requirement. 13.2 The Executive Member for Corporate Governance and Resources thanked the Officer for presenting the annual monitoring report for 2024/25 and commented that there were many activities happening throughout the year to promote the Welsh language services and culture. The Council was actively recruiting and training more Welsh speakers within the workforce to help deliver Welsh language services where needed. There had been an increase in the number of jobs requiring Welsh skills to over 15% which was an increase in 5% over the previous year. Of those who had completed their language skills on IFOR, there were 33 Welsh speakers across the 5 directorates in the Council. He encouraged members and staff to complete their Welsh language skills on IFOR if they had not already done so. He stated that the Adult and Communities directorate had worked hard to increase the Welsh language offer in a reasonable and proportionate manner, working with the digital team to find innovative ways to increase capacity and retain accuracy and consistency within current resources. He concluded by saying that the Council had a Welsh language team that they could be proud of, who offered advice and high quality translations across the Council and to it partners. 13.3 The Leader gave thanks to staff for their flexibility in coming forward and helping to deliver the Welsh language duties, which was an example of staff going above and beyond the call of duty. 13.4 Council unanimously agreed that the Annual Report 2024/25 is approved and publicised in line with the Welsh Language Standards.
14.1 Councillor Jayne Watkins proposed the following motion: DEVOLUTION OF THE CROWN ESTATE This council notes: • The Crown Estate controls vast areas of Welsh land and sea, including 65% · of the foreshore and riverbed and over 50,000 acres of land. • While it profits from offshore wind and other developments in Wales, up to · 75% of its revenue goes directly to the UK Treasury, leaving Wales with no · say over how its resources are used. • The value of Crown Estate holdings in Wales has risen from £96m in 2020 · to over £853m in 2023. • Scotland secured control of its Crown Estate in 2016, and the Scottish · Government block grant was consequently reduced accordingly. • A YouGov poll taken in spring 2023 showed that 75% of Welsh voters were · in favour of Wales taking control of the management and assets of the Welsh · Crown Estate rather than it remaining in the hands of the UK Treasury. This council believes in the principle of subsidiarity, with decision-making and control held at the closest possible level to citizens. If the Subsidiarity Principle applies in the case of the Crown Estates, the devolution of Crown Estates assets to Wales should include substantial devolution of onshore assets to Local Government. This council also wishes to understand more fully the implications of Devolution of the Crown Estate on the Welsh Block Grant. Therefore, this Council resolves to ask the Leader to write to the UK and Welsh Governments setting out our belief in the principles above and seeking clarity in relation to the possible implications for the Welsh Block Grant and investment. 14.2 The motion was seconded. 14.3 Some Members asked what the advantages of the motion was as they noted that the block grant in Scotland was reduced accordingly. They also asked if the motion was approved, would anything change as a result, or was it a symbolic gesture. 14.4 The Leader responded by stating that if the value increased it would be a benefit to Wales and also explained that the principle of sovereignty was that the power be controlled as close to the origins as possible. It was unlikely to have big net benefit but on balance was the right thing to do. The motion was directed to him as Leader and he would lobby the UK Government and Welsh Government, but nothing would necessarily change as a result of the motion as the Government did not have to accept the calls from Local Government to action it. 14.5 Other Members added that all other 21 Local Authorities in Wales had passed a motion to support this and 75% of Welsh people were also calling for it. 14.6 Councillor Nick Horler called for a recorded vote, this was supported. 14.7 A recorded vote was taken, with members voting as shown in the table below, with all 30 members voting in favour of the motion. Council unanimously agreed to support the motion: COUNCILLOR FOR AGAINST Stuart Ashley P Nick Byrne P Lynda Clarkson P Liam Cowles P Fiona Cross P David Daniels P Steven Evans P Joanne Gauden P Karl Gauden P Nick Horlor P Jon Horlor P Anthony Hunt P Janet Jones P Mark Jones P Peter Jones P Stuart Keyte P Rosemary Matthews P Sue Morgan P Jason O’Connell P Norma Parrish P Caroline Price P Rose Seabourne P Nicholas Simons P Alan Slade P Chris Tew P Colette Thomas P David Thomas P Jayne Watkins P David Williams P Lucy Williams P 14.8 Councillor Nick Bryne proposed the following motion: TRADING STANDARDS – RAISING AWARENESS AND SPREADING BEST PRACTICE This council notes: • That rogue traders, offering services such as roofing, driveways, gardening, · typically provide low estimates, and once work has started, they vastly increase the price of the job, do not complete the job or complete it to a substandard quality. Work can be of extremely poor quality and they often provide false contact information and can be difficult to trace. • That the impact on people impacted by these traders can be profound, losing them money, leaving them with unfinished or substandard work or products, and impacting their self-confidence. • That efforts to clamp down on rogue traders also benefits reputable businesses, enabling them to thrive by preventing them being undercut for jobs by those not operating fairly. This council therefore resolves to raise awareness and promote advice to help protect residents, especially the most vulnerable in our communities, who are at greater risk from falling victim to rogue traders. Council also resolves to keep abreast of best practice elsewhere in dealing with rogue traders. Residents can report traders to our Trading Standards service, via the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133, who will provide appropriate advice on how to deal with their complaint. If they so choose, potential scams, and work they are dissatisfied with or was not carried out at all, can be reported anonymously. All complaints reported to the Citizen's Advice Helpline are reviewed by Trading Standards. Officers will assess the information to determine whether a breach of trading standards law is likely to have occurred and to decide whether to investigate. Where an investigation is deemed to not be appropriate, advice may be provided to the resident to help them obtain redress. Investigations are carried out by officers into cases of malpractice, including rogue traders, scams and doorstep crime. This may involve working with partner organisations, including other local authorities and the Police. 14.9 The motion was seconded. 14.10 The motion was welcomed and supported with Members commenting that the Council should do its best to protect its residents as some works such as roofing were difficult to check whether a good job had been carried out or not. 14.11 A Member asked whether the motion should outline more details on what the Council was going to do to raise awareness and provide advice, the Leader agreed to bring a report back to Council on that particular aspect. 14.12 Councillor Nick Byrne, called for a recorded vote, this was supported. 14.13 A recorded vote was taken, with members voting as shown in the table below, with all 30 members voting in favour of the motion. Council unanimously agreed to support the motion: COUNCILLOR FOR AGAINST Stuart Ashley P Nick Byrne P Lynda Clarkson P Liam Cowles P Fiona Cross P David Daniels P Steven Evans P Joanne Gauden P Karl Gauden P Nick Horlor P Jon Horlor P Anthony Hunt P Janet Jones P Mark Jones P Peter Jones P Stuart Keyte P Rosemary Matthews P Sue Morgan P Jason O’Connell P Norma Parrish P Caroline Price P Rose Seabourne P Nicholas Simons P Alan Slade P Chris Tew P Colette Thomas P David Thomas P Jayne Watkins P David Williams P Lucy Williams P
15.1 Member questions with replies are set out in Appendix B to these minutes.
16.1 Council unanimously agreed to note the Cabinet Decisions.
17.1 Council unanimously agreed to note the Cabinet Decisions.
18.1 The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday 22 July 2025 at 10.00am.
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