To receive apologies for absence from Members.

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

To receive for approval the minutes of 24/09/2025

(i) Mayor (or person presiding)

(ii) Chief Executive

‘Instances of extreme weather are affecting the Borough more frequently. This can lead to flooding, problems with highways infrastructure and interruptions to essential services, ie – electricity/water.

How resilient is the County Borough in adapting to these events, which could possibly be attributed to Climate Change, and when they occur how effective are we in supporting our communities’.

Motion Title: Ensuring Ethical Investment of Local Government Pension Funds

This Council notes:

1. BCBC employees are able to join the Rhondda Cynon Taf Pension Fund, which,  as part of the Wales Pension Partnership (WPP), manages over £3 billion on behalf of local government employees and retirees.
2. That current investments include holdings in fossil fuel companies, arms manufacturers, and multinational corporations accused of contributing to human rights violations or environmental degradation.
3. That Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) funds have a fiduciary duty to act in the best long-term interests of members, which includes managing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risks.
4. That numerous other public bodies, including city and county councils across the UK, have adopted Responsible Investment policies with stronger commitments to divest from harmful sectors and align with international human rights and climate goals.
5. That the Wales Pension Partnership has adopted a Responsible Investment policy but currently allows fund managers significant discretion over ethical criteria and sector exclusions.

This Council resolves to:

1. Write to the RCT Pension Fund and the Wales Pension Partnership requesting:

o    Greater transparency on current investments, including sector exposure (e.g. fossil fuels, arms, surveillance tech).

o    A strengthened Responsible Investment Policy with clear exclusion criteria for companies involved in:

§  Fossil fuel extraction

§  Arms manufacturing or sales to regimes violating international law

§  Human rights abuses (e.g. violations of UN Global Compact principles)

§  Environmental destruction or systemic deforestation

2. Call on the Pension Committee and Local Pension Board to:

o    Explore options to accelerate decarbonisation of the fund’s portfolio in line with a 1.5°C climate target.

o    Engage with asset managers to develop a plan for phased divestment from the most harmful sectors, where consistent with fiduciary duty.

o    Ensure active member representation in future policy reviews concerning ethical or responsible investment.

3. Support the development of a transparent Ethical Investment Charter for the fund, published annually, reporting on progress toward socially responsible and climate-aligned investments.
4. Send this motion to the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA), urging a coordinated LGPS-wide approach to ethical investment.
5. This Council expresses concern over investments in companies complicit in violence or occupation in Palestine, Myanmar, or other territories subject to international sanction, and urges fund managers to align holdings with international humanitarian and human rights law.

‘This Council recognises the increasing pressures placed upon South Wales Police as a result of hosting major national and international events within Cardiff and the wider region.

Events such as major sporting fixtures, concerts, political summits, and cultural gatherings often require significant additional police presence, planning, and resources, with costs and operational pressures borne locally.

We further note that other UK city-regions notably  Belfast and Edinburgh are recognised by the Home Office as Capital City regions and  receive additional funding and support from the Home Office to reflect the unique policing demands associated with hosting high-profile events.

Currently, South Wales Police does not receive equivalent levels of support, despite facing comparable challenges and resource demands, such as. being the second highest area for Royal vists, Rugby and Cricket Interntional programmes and major concert venues.(TBC)
 
This Council therefore resolves to:

·       Formally call on the UK Government’s Home Office to recognise Cardiff as a City region in the same way as Belfast and Edinburgh for future funding.

·       Write to the Home Secretary and to relevant Welsh Members of Parliament and Members of the Senedd, urging them to support the case for recognition of Cardiff as a city region and call for fair and  sustainable funding for South Wales Police.

·       Request a review of current Home Office funding formulas, to ensure fair and consistent support for all Wales police forces based on event load, city-region status, and policing pressures.

·       Invite the Chief Constable of South Wales Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to present to the Council on the operational and financial impacts of major event policing and to discuss potential joint advocacy efforts.

We believe that a fair and equitable approach to policing resources is essential to maintain community safety, officer wellbeing, and public confidence, and to ensure that South Wales is not disadvantaged in comparison to other UK city-regions’.
 

To consider any item(s) of business in respect of which notice has been given in accordance with Part 4 (paragraph 4) of the Council Procedure Rules and which the person presiding at the meeting is of the opinion should by reason of special circumstances be transacted at the meeting as a matter of urgency. 

The report relating to the following item is not for publication as it contains exempt information as defined in Paragraph 12 of Part 4 and Paragraph 21 of Part 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007.

If following the application of the public interest test that Council resolves pursuant to the Act to consider this item in private, the public will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration.