To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest (if any) from Members/Officers in accordance with the provisions of the Members’ Code of Conduct adopted by Council from 1 September 2008.

Cllr Huw David, Leader, declared a personal interest in item 8, Former Ewenny Road Industrial Estate: CCR Funding and Proposed Redevelopment  because he was a member of the Cardiff Capital Region Cabinet and he would be ultimately involved in making a decision on this proposal. He had been appointed to that Cabinet by this authority and therefore was declaring a personal interest. He was also the Chair of the Cardiff Capital Region Transport Authority and was involved in considering ways of progressing the park and ride feature at this site.

Cllr Nicole Burnett, Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help declared a personal interest in item 10, Re-Commissioning Specialist Supported Living Services, because she had co-parenting responsibilities for a child with complex needs going through the transition process.

To receive for approval the Minutes of 09/03/2021 and 06/04/2021

RESOLVED             That the minutes of the 09/03/21 and 06/04/21 be approved as a true and accurate record.

The Interim Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change presented a report providing Cabinet with the background, current position statement and a proposal to recommend to Council the inclusion of a budget of £595,000 within the capital programme for implementing the Smarter Borough – Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) proposal. She explained that the existing CCTV system across the borough had been in service for 20 years, during which time several upgrades had been carried out to keep it operational without incurring large sums of expenditure. The system had now reached the point where the equipment was at the end of its working life and compatibility issues were becoming more and more frequent as replacement parts were no longer being manufactured resulting in cameras being decommissioned.

The Interim Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change explained that the Council’s CCTV service helped the Council and Police perform a one public sector approach to prevent and tackle priority issues such as anti-social behaviour, violence, theft and made a significant impact on residents’ perception of safety. The CCTV provision in Bridgend County Borough had clearly contributed to reducing the overall crime rates in the area and this was evidenced from the incident figures from June 2017 to May 2019 which indicated that the CCTV service provided by BCBC successfully aided the investigation of 1484 incidents in Bridgend, 146 incidents in Maesteg, 89 incidents in Porthcawl, and 29 incidents in Pencoed. The Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) had recently indicated he may be willing to make an ongoing contribution to a sustainable service. Discussions were currently ongoing alongside discussions with Welsh Government and Central Government around a capital contribution towards the Smarter Borough – Closed Circuit Television proposal.

The Head of Partnerships explained that any upgrade of the CCTV provision would be compliant with the Information Commissioner’s Office CCTV Code of Practice and data protection legislation. He outlined the current annual revenue costs of running the 24/7 CCTV service as in paragraph 8.2 of the report. It was anticipated that under the new proposal, the total of the ongoing network, maintenance and software costs would be reduced by £20,000 per annum subject to a successful procurement exercise.

The Head of Partnerships explained a Smart Borough would help the Council monitor and manage resources, with an end goal of saving time and money. Existing networks and services would be made more efficient through the use of digital technologies for the benefit of residents and businesses in the area. These technologies would help deliver better traffic management, smart parking, improved water and waste services, more efficient lighting and energy use in buildings and safer infrastructure, among other benefits. The Council could provide a Wi-Fi service by overlaying Wi-Fi services onto the existing CCTV infrastructure. Adopting a “free and unlimited public usage” model would encourage users to visit the Council’s Wi-Fi landing page to access information and services safely.

The Cabinet Member for Communities thanked the officers for the report and for the news that discussions were ongoing with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 659.

The Interim Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change presented a report providing Cabinet with the background, current position and options to determine the preferred way forward in terms of a pest control service following the previous Cabinet report on 19^th January 2021 when it was agreed to explore further alternative options. Cabinet also approved the suspension of the relevant parts of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules to enter into a short term contract with the current pest control service provider Rentokil whilst further options were being explored. She reported that Rentokil had agreed to extend the current contract until October 2021, they also stated that this was the maximum extension they would agree to under the terms of the current contract.

The Interim Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change explained that in January 2021, Cabinet were presented with three options however the decision taken by Cabinet was to extend the current contract while further options were explored. The ‘Shaping Bridgend’s Future’ 2019 public consultation sought to obtain views on specific budget reduction proposals across Council directorates and included a question to obtain residents’ views on a pest control service. 58% of respondents stated that they were of the view that the Council was not best placed to provide a pest control service. Respondents were asked a supplementary question on whether the council should consider charging for these services and only 16% of respondents to this question stated that the service should continue to be free to residents.

The Interim Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change referred to the requirement for the contractor to respond to all domestic pest control treatment requests within 3 working days. This was not ideal as it required the resident to wait in for the visit as no day or time could be agreed in advance. Due to this, there was a high level of abortive callouts made as a result of residents not being at the property when the pest control technician arrived This was important for a new contract in terms of specification. Indications from the market were that the future contract cost was likely to increase.

The Interim Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change explained that the Operational Manager for Customer Services liaised with the other 21 Welsh local authorities to identify what domestic pest control service was offered to their residents. From the 21 authorities that were contacted, apart from two further options that were identified in Bridgend, no authority provided any further alternative options as most either provide a full chargeable service, or did not provide a service at all. The Interim Chief Officer Finance, Performance and Change outlined the five options for consideration.

The Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations thanked the officers for their work and said that she would prefer an option that was free. Of the 5 options, 2 contained charging and she would prefer those 2 not to be taken forward as there should be a free pest control service. The consultation was pre  ...  view the full minutes text for item 660.

The Corporate Director Communities presented a report seeking Cabinet approval to publish the Replacement Local Development Plan Deposit Draft (LDPDD) for public consultation in June 2021 for a period of 8 weeks in accordance with the Development Agreement approved by Council and Welsh Government in October 2020.

The Corporate Director Communities explained that the LDPDD had been prepared by Bridgend County Borough Council to underpin preparation of the Replacement LDP 2018-2033. The document was subject to public consultation in accordance with Regulation 17 of the Town and Country Planning (Local Development Plan) (Wales) Regulations 2005. Once finalised and adopted, the Replacement LDP would replace the existing LDP (2006-2021) as the statutory Development Plan for the County Borough. She stressed that this was a consultation document and all comments received would be given due consideration before a finalised version would be sent to Welsh Government for adoption. There would then be a Welsh Government examination held in public and they would scrutinise the document again. At this stage the Inspector could add or remove parts to the plan and they would then report back with the plan they wished the Council to adopt. It would then be for full Council to adopt the LDP or not. 

The Group Manager for Planning and Development Services explained for those not familiar with the process that the LDP was a high level strategy that must be produced by the Council. It put into land use terms the overall aims and aspirations of the authority and the objectives of the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and priorities of the Bridgend Public Services Board’s Well-being Plan. It was a significant, essential piece of work without which the authority would be open to speculative developments and planning by appeal.

The Strategic Planning and Transportation Manager outlined some of the other aspects that would be delivered by the replacement LDP including sustainable places through place making. The LDP would seek to deliver zero carbon homes supporting the decarbonisation strategy. He added that the material weight attached to the existing LDP would progressively diminish from 2021 placing the Council in a position where it would be open to challenge from the development industry. It was therefore imperative that they continued with the replacement LDP. He explained the structure of the document and outlined the various components. 

The Cabinet Member for Social Services and Early Help appreciated the substantial volume of work that had gone into the document since first discussed at Development Control Committee. She could see the emphasis on building new communities and addressing the need for more houses within the communities. There were schemes that could be controversial to some residents but she stressed that this was the consultation phase. She asked for reassurance that they would be investing in the communities they already had as well as investing in new ones and if the Council would be working on housing needs in an holistic way. Demographics were changing with more single people and they  ...  view the full minutes text for item 661.

The Corporate Director Communities presented a report seeking Cabinet authorisation to use Planning Performance Agreements (PPAs) with developers as part of a system of cost recovery in dealing with mainly major development proposals and to introduce additional cost recovery measures. She explained that PPAs were widely used across the UK and were accepted by house builders and developers alike. 

The Group Manager Planning and Development Services outlined the report and what it hoped to achieve. A PPA should be viewed as an efficiency tool, which provided a clear timeframe to progress significant development proposals with associated economic benefits as well as where necessary additional resource was provided to ensure service continuity. He stressed that a PPA should not be considered as a means of ‘buying’ a planning consent or circumventing the normal planning process.

The Group Manager Planning and Development Services explained that Bridgend had seen a number of large development proposals coming forward over the last year, for example, the expansion of the WEPA paper mill in Maesteg was a significant project with subsequent economic benefits both locally and regionally. This application tested the teams quite considerably from pre-application through to post decision and at one point required full time input for a number of officers. In this case, the project was time sensitive but was delivered on time following the grant of planning permission although other work streams within the service were delayed as a result. The use of a PPA in this circumstance would provide an agreed framework for the processing of the application from pre-application stage through to the discharge of conditions as well as the potential to secure additional resource to assist in covering those staff members fully engaged on the project.

The Group Manager Planning and Development Services explained that PPAs would be used for larger development schemes but could also be used for any type of development that required an extraordinary response from the LPA. This could include renewable energy schemes or essential development on sensitive sites. PPAs could also be used as part of a response to consultations on Developments of National Significance (DNS) applications. These applications were submitted to and determined by the Welsh Ministers via the Planning Inspectorate, which took most of the planning fee. In this case, the local authority would be a statutory consultee and would be responsible for discharging the conditions and any subsequent enforcement. It was essential therefore that any costs incurred by securing critical advice could be recovered from the developer.

He added that when the LDP was renewed and adopted an increase in planning apps for strategic sites was expected. They needed to be able to manage these applications as effectively as possible in addition to the day to day applications.

The Group Manager Planning and Development Services outlined the proposed changes to the current paid pre-application advice service and the additional services added in response to public demand. 

The Cabinet Member for Communities added that the PPAs had been in existence for a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 662.

The Corporate Director for Communities presented a report, the purpose of which, was to update Cabinet on the progress that has been made in order to bring forward a mixed use regeneration of the former Ewenny Road Industrial Estate, Maesteg, and to seek approval to progress with the due diligence stage of a grant funding application in order to secure Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) funding for necessary infrastructure and remediation works. The report also provided an update on the ongoing relationship with Pontardawe Coal & Metals Company Limited (PCMCL) and the joint aim of the parties to facilitate the remediation, marketing and sale of land at Ewenny Road (Former Cooper Standard Site), Ewenny Industrial Estate, Maesteg.

She explained that he former Ewenny Road Industrial Estate site is a 19.71 acre vacant parcel of land that is owned in part by BCBC and in part by PCMCL. PCMCL are a subsidiary of Clowes Development (UK) Ltd, a substantial family owned property development and investment company based in Derby. 

BCBC owned 7.52 acres (Former Cooper Standard Site) whilst PCMCL own 12.19 acres (Former Budel Pac Cosi Site), with this reflecting an ownership split by acreage of circa 40 percent BCBC and 60 percent PCMCL owned land. Both parties have previously completed demolition and site clearance work in readiness for development although the lack of viability has resulted in the entire 19.71 acre site remaining vacant and in a state of dereliction.

Following an assessment of the application the Development Control Committee resolved to approve the application subject to finalising the planning obligations. This initial proposal was subsequently revised in an attempt to improve the viability of the scheme and this Committee resolved to grant planning permission for this revised scheme in June 2016. Terms were also previously agreed with PCMCL for the disposal of the BCBC owned land and these were authorised by Cabinet on the 10th May 2016.

The Corporate Director – Communities then outlined certain information, as alluded to in the report, of further works that were now needed at this site, so as to improve it. Given the costs associated with these works the development of the area, was not now financially viable without additional funding support she added.

In September 2020 the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Housing Viability Gap Fund was launched. This fund is a £35 million targeted housing investment programme designed to overcome evidenced market failures relating to financial viability across South East Wales. Officers had worked collaboratively with PCMCL to prepare a comprehensive suite of application documents and put the scheme forward for consideration as part of this fund.

Following a period of evaluation by CCR and CBRE, a report to the CCR Cabinet on 15th March 2021 identified an indicative schedule of sites that had been shortlisted for funding, with the Former Ewenny Road Industrial Estate, having been shortlisted for £3.5 million of funding.

The Corporate Director for Communities continued, by advising that the CCR Viability Gap Fund is intended to unlock housing led development  ...  view the full minutes text for item 663.

The Corporate Director for Communities presented a report, so as to request approval to participating in and hosting the Dogs Trust Mini Snoopy Trail in Porthcawl in 2022; to enter into an agreement between the Dogs Trust Trustee Limited and Dogs Trust Promotions Limited and Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC), and to outline the associated cost for the Local Authority.

The background of the report, confirmed that Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) had been approached by the Corporate Development Team of the Dogs Trust, to host a mini trail in Porthcawl to be run as an extension of the main Cardiff Dogs Trail with Snoopy in 2022.  The current proposed timeframe was for a 10 week period from March to June 2022, though this could change depending on circumstances nearer the time.

She explained that the proposal builds on the Wild in Art trail model and is well-established having, to date, delivered over 50 trails around the world. A recent example was the Cardiff Snowdogs trails in 2017, which attracted 350k visitors across the 10 week period and generated £10.5m for the local economy. The project was looking to expand satellite trails of 6 or more Snoopy sculptures across the region.

The Dogs Trail proposal fulfils a number of the Council’s corporate well-being objectives, especially in relation to supporting the local economy. One of the three overarching priorities in the Bridgend destination Management Plan 2018 – 2022, was to raise the profile and attract more visitors to Bridgend County Borough by promoting the Bridgend County Borough through targeted Public Relations (PR) and marketing and developing a diverse portfolio of events, to include attracting new events of regional or national significance.

The proposal would be run as an extension of the main Cardiff trail, with easy access for visitors and a minimum of 6 sculptures within the destination.  This would be cited so as to create at least a half a day visit.

In addition to the community, tourism and economic benefits, there was an extensive Learning programme associated with the project which aims to engage with 130 schools across the South Wales region, many of which will be within the Bridgend County Borough.

The Corporate Director for Communities Dogs Trail project team would manage all aspects of trail planning and delivery, with no requirement for BCBC to be heavily involved, other than to assist in recruiting learning programme participants and facilitating liaison with various Council departments in relation to the trail.

BCBC was required to enter into a Sponsorship Agreement with Dogs Trust Trustee Limited and Dogs Trust Promotions Limited. Negotiations were currently taking place with the relevant parties over the terms of this Sponsorship Agreement, she added.

If, following negotiations, final terms cannot be agreed between the parties or any perceived risks to BCBC exist that cannot be removed or mitigated, then BCBC will not be proceeding in taking part in this event, further added the Corporate Director for Communities.

She concluded her submission, by confirming the report’s financial  ...  view the full minutes text for item 664.

The Corporate Director for Social Services and Wellbeing submitted a report, in order to:-

·         Request Cabinet approval to implement the proposed recommissioning plan for Specialist Supported Living services, for people with a learning disability, across Bridgend County Borough;

·         Request Cabinet approval for Bridgend County Borough Council (the Council) to undertake a procurement exercise to invite tenders to establish a Framework Agreement of commissioned specialist service providers;

·         Seek authority to vary the current contract in place at Clos Penglyn, which is a supported living service commissioned for people with a learning disability and complex challenging behaviour, including autistic spectrum conditions, by extending the existing terms for a further 7 months, in accordance with Contract Procedure Rule (CPR) 3.2.9.3

She commenced by stating that since 2015, in collaboration with colleagues in health, the Council had procured three specialist supported living services for people with learning disabilities. These services were based in houses named Clos Penglyn, Condors Rest and Viesther, known collectively as the Closer to Home project, and were occupied by eleven individuals. 

The aim of the Closer to Home project was to provide local, specialist supported living services for people who have a learning disability and a high level of health and social care needs, and who would otherwise live outside of their local area in more specialist residential provision. All the people who lived in these schemes, had their own tenancy and bespoke support arrangements designed around their individual needs.

The Corporate Director for Social Services and Wellbeing confirmed that there were also operational and strategic groups which overseen the day to day management of the schemes and the strategic direction of the Closer to Home project.

Following an in-depth review of the generic schemes in 2018-19 conducted by the Council’s Adult Social Care Transformation and Review team on the effectiveness of service delivery and outcomes, it was concluded that three of the schemes reviewed at 19 Glyn Y Mel, Pencoed, Tregroes Bungalow, Pencoed and 107 Cwrt Coed Parc, Maesteg would be more suitable for inclusion within a specialist service arrangement, due to the needs of the seven individuals living in them. It was decided to group all six schemes together under the Closer to Home service category.  These schemes also had a common characteristic, in that there was an element of funding from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board in each of them.

She advised that it has been agreed with the Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board that a refreshed Closer to Home Commissioning Strategy was needed and a new planning group has been developed to progress the needs analysis and develop the optimal accommodation and care and support services.  

Turning to the present situation, the Corporate Director for Social Services and Wellbeing, confirmed that a market testing event took place on 19 April 2021 where attendee providers gave very positive feedback on how the Council’s supported living schemes had been recommissioned in 2020.  It was clear from this meeting that the preferred option for recommissioning Specialist Supported  ...  view the full minutes text for item 665.

The Corporate Director for Education and Family Support submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to seek approval from Cabinet for the appointment of local authority governors to the school governing bodies listed at paragraph 4.1. of the report

By way of background, he advised that in accordance with the Council’s ‘Guidance on the appointment of local education authority governors’ approved by Cabinet on 14 October 2008, officers had considered applications received for current and forthcoming vacancies for local authority governor positions on school governing bodies (see paragraph 4.1 and Appendix A, to the report).

For the two schools in the table shown in the report, the two applicants met the approved criteria for appointment as local authority governors and there was no competition for these vacancies. These candidates were therefore subsequently appointed.

The Corporate Director for Education and Family Support, confirmed that there were however, still 28 vacancies that needed to be filled in 20 schools, as illustrated in the attached Appendix.

The Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, extended his thanks to all those who had volunteered and encouraged other community minded people, to consider showing an interest in applying for the vacancies that presently remained unfilled. He hoped that these would continue to be filled in due course, he added.

RESOLVED:                 That Cabinet approved the appointments identified at paragraph 4.1 of the report.

To consider any items of business that by reason of special circumstances the chairperson is of the opinion should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency in accordance with paragraph 2.4 (e) of the Cabinet Procedure Rules within the Constitution.

None