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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 & 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: Roger Allonby - Joint Director Economy and Place Rachel Beale – Personal Assistant to Leader and Deputy Leader Louise Day – Communications Manager Rob Green – Head of Financial Services Delyth Harries – Monitoring Officer Hayley Hawkins – Solicitor Dave Leech – Deputy Chief Executive and Strategic Director for Adults and Communities Andrew Lovegrove - Strategic Director Resources Gerry Mills - Joint Assistant Director Property Investment and Economic Development Jason O’Brien - Strategic Director for Children and Family Services Stephen Vickers – Chief Executive Other: There was a member of the press in the Public Gallery.
2.1 There were no apologies received.
3.1 There were no interests declared.
4.1 The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 22nd July 2026 were agreed as a true and accurate record.
5.1 The update on actions was noted.
6.1 The Head of Financial Services presented the report and highlighted the following key points: • The report provided the month 4 position for 2026/27 which forecast an overall favourable revenue variance of £237,000. • Children and Family Services was currently forecasting an almost balanced position, continuing the significant financial improvements achieved during the previous year. Of the £608,000 transition funding available, only £147,000 was currently forecast to be required, demonstrating substantial progress towards operating within the service's base budget. • The Adults and Communities Service was forecasting an adverse variance due to higher-than-budgeted demand for adult social care services and increased provider fees, although this was partly offset by additional client income and grant funding. • An adverse variance was also reported within Neighbourhoods and Environment, largely arising from agency staffing costs, increased vehicle hire and repair expenses and a shortfall in trade waste income. • There was an adverse variance within the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, attributable to demand levels exceeding those budgeted for. This would continue to be closely monitored throughout the year. • The favourable position was being significantly supported by a positive variance within capital financing, resulting from higher investment income, increased investment balances, lower borrowing costs than anticipated, and additional grant funding to support borrowing initiative costs. • In relation to the capital programme, the approved budget had been amended to approximately £37.5 million, with forecast expenditure of just over £37 million. A reprofiling exercise had been undertaken to ensure project timetables and expenditure forecasts were realistic, resulting in a number of schemes being moved into future years. • A capital programme variance of £429,000 was reported, representing identified slippage since the reprofiling exercise. Further variances may emerge during the year but efforts would be made to minimise these where possible. • Reserves were forecast to reduce by approximately £6.5 million, reflecting planned and approved use of reserves and giving no cause for concern regarding the Council's financial resilience. • The position of school balances remained positive, with only one school currently forecasting a deficit position, which had improved significantly compared with previous years. Continued monitoring and support would be provided to schools identified as being at risk of moving into deficit. • While the current in-year position was positive and stronger than in recent years, significant medium-term financial challenges remained. Measures had therefore been introduced to strengthen financial discipline across the authority, including tighter controls on recruitment to vacant posts and non-essential expenditure. 6.2 The Leader welcomed the favourable forecast outturn position of £237,000, noting that this represented a variance of less than 0.1% against the overall budget and demonstrated effective financial management. The Leader recognised the positive financial position of schools and acknowledged that this had been achieved through strong financial planning, close working relationships between schools and the Authority, and the ongoing support provided by officers. The Leader stated that it was important to continue monitoring the financial position throughout the year and noted that maintaining a favourable position would provide greater flexibility for future financial decisions. 6.3 The Executive Member for Waste and Sustainability referred to the budget pressures being experienced within waste services and assured Cabinet that action was being taken to reduce reliance on agency staff through targeted recruitment of permanent employees. She commented that investment in the service infrastructure remained a priority, with existing infrastructure increasingly reaching the end of its operational life and requiring ongoing repairs while longer-term improvement plans were progressed. Work was continuing on the development of the new transfer station site and the procurement of replacement vehicles, both of which would help reduce future maintenance and vehicle hire costs. She stated that the service area was also exploring opportunities to improve operational efficiency through digitalisation, including software solutions to optimise collection routes and provide enhanced performance management information. She highlighted that external factors, including periods of hot weather and road closures, had placed additional pressures on service delivery during the year. 6.4 In response to a question by a Cabinet Member on Pay Inflation, the Head of Financial Services stated that the NJC and Chief Officer pay award had now been agreed at 3.3%, against a budget provision of 3.5%, resulting in a small favourable variance and providing additional flexibility within the financial position. The teachers' pay award had not yet been confirmed and would continue to be monitored once further announcements were made. He commented that the decision taken during the budget-setting process to provide additional funding for potential pay award increases above 3% had proved prudent and had helped mitigate financial risk. 6.5 Cabinet agreed to note and approve: • The initial revenue and capital forecasts, and the latest financial standing position. • The additions to the capital programme as set out in the report.
7.1 The Executive Member for Economy, Skills and Regeneration introduced the report and made the following comments: • The report was seeking approval to appoint Willmott Dixon as the Strategic Development and Investment Partner for both Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent County Borough Councils, subject to the completion of procurement and legal assurance processes. • Both councils shared ambitions to address inequalities within their communities, with regeneration projects aligned to the Marmot principles and the wellbeing objectives set out within the County Plan playing a key role in supporting economic growth. • The proposed strategic partnership would provide an important mechanism for delivering regeneration ambitions, accelerating development opportunities, maximising external funding, supporting the provision of quality housing, and creating higher-skilled employment opportunities. • Approval had previously been granted to enter into a partnership arrangement with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council to procure a long-term development partner capable of providing the commercial expertise and capacity required to deliver a shared regeneration vision. • Following a procurement process involving two developers, Willmott Dixon had been identified as the preferred Strategic Development and Investment Partner. • If appointed, Willmott Dixon would work with both councils to develop a pipeline of potential projects, prepare business cases and costings, engage stakeholders, identify investment and external funding opportunities, and establish proposals for the future management of completed assets. • All proposed programmes and projects would be subject to the appropriate governance and decision-making processes within each authority, with individual councils retaining responsibility for approving and progressing any future developments. 7.2 The Strategic Director for Resources added the following information: • This was one of the first joint procurements undertaken by both councils to secure a strategic development partner and that a comprehensive procurement process had been completed to identify a partner with the necessary expertise and understanding of the councils’ ambitions and challenges. • Clear requirements had been established from the outset regarding the skills, experience and support expected from the development partner in delivering shared regeneration objectives. • It was noted the significant work undertaken by officers throughout the procurement process, with particular thanks expressed to those who had led and supported the exercise to ensure a robust and thorough evaluation process. • The selected partner had demonstrated a strong understanding of the challenges facing both councils, their shared economic history and their commitment to delivering their respective growth and regeneration plans. • Willmott Dixon had expressed enthusiasm for the opportunity and that preparatory mobilisation activities were already being discussed to enable the partnership to commence promptly, subject to the necessary approvals being obtained. 7.3 In response to a question asked by a Cabinet Member regarding the robustness of clawback arrangements and the ability to recover public funds should this become necessary, Members were advised by the Strategic Director for Resources that clear contractual arrangements would be in place with Willmott Dixon, setting out the requirements and deliverables expected through the partnership. It was explained that the decision being sought at this stage related to entering into the partnership, with individual projects requiring separate business cases, funding approvals and Cabinet decisions before progressing. Members were informed that the partner would be required to develop investment-grade business cases and detailed proposals, which would be subject to further scrutiny and governance processes. Assurance was provided that appropriate mechanisms existed to safeguard the Council’s investment and enable the recovery of funds if required, and confidence was expressed that the partnership would deliver value for money. 7.4 Cabinet agreed: • That authority be delegated to the Chief Executive (until the Joint Strategic Director Economy and Place is in post), in consultation with the Cabinet Member Economy and Place, Blaenau Gwent and Executive Member Economy, Skills and Regeneration, Torfaen to appoint Willmott Dixon by Direct Award under the Pagabo Developer Led Framework Lot 1b, as the Strategic Development and Investment Partner for Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen County Borough Councils, subject to final procurement and legal assurance. • To negotiate and agree all the associated requirements to establish the commercial relationship with Willmott Dixon at a cost of up to £300,000 (plus VAT) over a 12-month period.
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