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. 

The following declarations of interest were made and those who declared prejudicial interests where stated, left the meeting whilst the item they declared an interest in, was being considered:-

Councillor Alex Williams – Agenda item 5 – Prejudicial interest as a family member had a second home in the Bridgend County Borough (BCB).

Councillor H Williams – Agenda item 5 – Prejudicial interest

Councillor M Evans – Agenda item 7 – Personal interest as a member of Pencoed Town Council

Councillor N Clarke – Agenda item 5 - Prejudicial interest as a family member has a second home in BCB.

Councillor J Pratt – Agenda item 7 – Personal interest as a member of Porthcawl Town Council

Councillor R Williams – Agenda item 7 – Personal interest as a member of Pencoed Town Council

Councillor S Bletsoe – Agenda item 5 – Prejudicial interest as his paid employment comes from a representative body of people who have second homes in BCB

Councillor T Thomas – Agenda item 5 – Prejudicial interest as he works for an organisation that represents interests of property agents.

Corporate Director – Social Services and Wellbeing – Agenda item 5 – Prejudicial interest. 

(i) Mayor (or person presiding)

(ii) Members of the Cabinet

(iii) Chief Executive

Mayor

We were very saddened to hear of the sudden passing of Clare Drakeford, the wife of Wales's First Minister, Mark Drakeford on the 28 January 2023.

The thoughts of everyone in Bridgend County Borough Council are with the First Minister and the family at this time.

It is also with sadness that I announce after a short illness the unexpected sad passing of Mr Jeff Baker an independent member of Bridgend County Borough Council Standards Committee.

Mr. Baker had been a member of the Committee since 2016 and certainly made a significant contribution to the governance of this Council.

I am sure all members today will extend warmest condolences to Jeff’s wife Janet during very this difficult of times.

It was a pleasure to continue into the New Year with some fantastic examples of the incredible young talent we have here in the County Borough.

I attended His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Mid Glamorgan Awards for the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association for Wales at Pontypridd.

It was a particularly proud moment to see three young people from our Borough being recognised.

Leading Cadet David Morgan and Able Cadet Anna Marie Petter from Porthcawl Sea Cadets Corps.

Cadet Flight Sergeant Scott Jones from No 3 Welsh Wing RAF Air Cadets. Congratulations to all on their achievements.

Together with the Mayor of Porthcawl Town, I accepted an invitation to visit to the Grand Pavilion at Porthcawl where Porthcawl Comprehensive School presented 'Footloose the Musical'

He extended his thanks to all that were involved in the show.

The Mayors Award nomination process has been completed, with the applications all being of a very high standard and worthy of recognition.

We are currently in the process of contacting those who participated in the process to update them on their individual applications.

I wish to introduce you all to this little Red Dragon sitting proudly of front of me, a dragon currently with no name. Can I extend an invitation to you all to nominate a name for this. The cost of which is £1 a go. All proceeds will go towards the Mayor’s Charity. I would like to think the list will be full of all Councillor names and those of Senior Officers within the Authority.

Can I thank Councillor Paula Ford for finding this poor creature? There will be a personal presentation from myself to the individual who picks the correct name.

It is my pleasure to have with us in the Chamber today, two of the Youth Council (YC) representatives, Aspen and Tyler. Each representative then gave a short speech, in turn, on their roles and responsibilities on the YC.

Finally, a timely reminder to those who unfortunately were unable to manage their mobile phones during council business. Your penalty of £10 to the Mayor’s Charity remains unpaid. Interest will be due on any outstanding sums along with a public name and shame list.

Cabinet Member - Regeneration

At the last meeting of full Council, our Chief Executive advised members  ...  view the full minutes text for item 90.

The recent industrial action by the National Education Union resulted in the closure of 23 primary schools, eight secondary schools and two special schools in Bridgend County Borough.

A further 16 primary schools and one special school were only partially open as a result of the industrial action. In total, nine primaries and one secondary school remained open as normal.

The strike marked the first of four planned days of industrial action, with further disruption to services likely to affect schools on Tuesday 14 February, and Wednesday 15 to Thursday 16 March.

On each strike day, schools make a decision on whether they can stay open or not based upon factors such as staff supervision levels, risk assessments, safeguarding and more.

While all schools will aim to inform parents about potential closures at least three working days before any industrial action takes place, some schools may make a decision to remain open or to close on the day of the proposed strike.

If a school has decided to close in advance, pupils who are eligible for free school meals are given a packed lunch the day before the proposed strike.

If a headteacher decides to close a school prior to lunchtime on the day of the strike, eligible pupils will receive a packed lunch to take home with them. 

Unless a school has decided to close prior to the day of planned industrial action, school transport for eligible pupils will continue to run as normal.

However, in the event that a school or year group is forced to close due to staff supervision levels, a responsible adult such as a parent or carer should collect children from primary or additional needs schools. 

Pupils, parents and carers are being kept up to date on latest developments around the industrial action, and schools are liaising with them closely to make sure that everyone is informed.

While the industrial action is underway, the ongoing welfare of local children will remain our top priority.

In other news, members may want to let their constituents know that Bridgend Register Office will host an open day on Saturday 18 February

Since its move into new premises here at the Civic Offices in July 2020, the Register Office has hosted more than 500 ceremonies ranging from weddings, civil partnerships and vow renewals to naming and commitment events.

It has also hosted citizenship ceremonies featuring the High Sheriff of Mid Glamorgan, representatives of the Lord Lieutenant and the Mayor of Bridgend.

The register office now offers a state of the art ceremony room, Swit Pen-y-Bont, which can host up to 50 guests, as well as a purpose-built garden area where people can take photographs to mark their happy event.

At the open day, staff will be available to show people around the new facilities and answer any questions that they may have about the register office and its work, what the booking process is and more.

The event will run from 10am to 1pm, and the facilities are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 91.

The Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change, submitted a report, in order to:

·         provide information to Council on the discretionary powers that the Council has with regards to charging higher amounts of council tax on long term empty homes and second homes;

·         inform Council of the outcome of the recent consultation exercise in respect of charging a council tax premium on long term empty homes and second homes; and

·         seek approval from Council that the proposed council tax premiums, as recommend by cabinet on 17 January 2023, be implemented.

By way of background, she advised that from April this year, Councils in Wales were able to charge higher amounts of up to 300% on top of the standard rate of council tax on long term empty homes and second homes. The discretion given to local authorities to charge a premium is intended to be a tool to help authorities to bring long term empty homes back into use and also to support local authorities in increase in the supply of affordable housing within their areas.

There were exceptions where premiums cannot be charged and these were detailed at paragraph 3.5 of the report.

The report before Members, outlined the options available to the local authority with regards to empty properties. Paragraph 3.10 the report, provided details of those local authorities that have applied a premium in Wales. At the current time 11 of the 22 local authorities do charge a premium, whilst other were currently in the process of reviewing their position on this.

In Bridgend, as at the end of October 2022, there were 701 long term empty homes and the details of where these were and how long they have been empty, was shown at paragraph 3.11 of the report.

The Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change stated that the Empty Homes Strategy for the Council, seeks to reduce empty properties to contribute towards increasing the availability of housing for sale or for rent. Charging a Council Tax premium on empty properties is in line with the aims of this Strategy, explained the Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change.

The report also looked at the proposal to charge a premium on second homes and again details of where this is currently being applied in Wales, was outlined in the report. The Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change drew attention to the fact, that in accordance with the Local Government Finance Act 1992, should a decision be made to apply a premium it could not be applied to this category of homes until April 2024.

The proposal to introduce Council Tax Premiums on long term empty homes and second homes, had been the subject of consultation and the matter was reconsidered by Cabinet in January this year. At that meeting it was decided that Cabinet recommended the implementation of a council tax premium on long term empty homes and second homes, to Council, with the proviso that additional work be carried out regarding second homes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 92.

The Corporate Director – Communities presented a report, the purpose of which, was to advise Members of Bridgend County Borough Council’s successful application for Listed Building Consent Delegation and to approve necessary changes to the Constitution and Officer Scheme of Delegation to proceed with the determination of applications for listed building consent for Grade II buildings without the need for referral to Welsh Ministers.

She explained that at a meeting of the Development Control Committee on 9 January 2023, at the request of Cadw, Members of the Development Control Committee were advised that notification had been received from Cadw that it was minded to grant Listed Building Consent Delegation subject to acceptance of a number of requirements. The requirements are set out in full in the report to Development Control Committee, that was attached at Appendix A to the report.

The Corporate Director – Communities added that on 17 January 2023, Bridgend County Borough Council received confirmation from Cadw of its intention to award delegation from 1st February 2023 in the form of a signed Direction. This was attached at Appendix B to the report.

The Council has the authority to determine applications for Listed Building Consent, but subject to the requirement to notify Welsh Ministers in line with Section 13 of the Act.

The Constitution would however, now require a change to the delegation, to add that the Committee can determine applications for Listed Building Consent for Grade II buildings without the need for referral to Welsh Ministers, if it has on any application for Listed Building Consent received and adhered to the advice of the Senior Conservation and Design Officer Moira Lucas.

Similarly, the Corporate Director – Communities stated, that the existing Scheme of Officer Delegation also includes powers for Officers, where appropriate, to determine applications for Listed Building Consent subject to the requirement to notify Welsh Ministers in line with Section 13 of the Act.

The Council’s Scheme of Delegation will require a change to add that these Officers can determine applications for Listed Building Consent for Grade II buildings without the need for referral to Welsh Ministers, if it has on any application for Listed Building Consent received and adhered to the advice of the Senior Conservation and Design Officer Moira Lucas.

The suggested amendment to the wording of the provision of that part of the Constitution affected by the change, was detailed in paragraph 4.5 of the report.

The Corporate Director – Communities added that, the Scheme of Delegation contained presently a delegated power for officers to determine      applications for listed building consent except applications falling within any of the categories of excepted applications from time to time prescribed by the Council (paragraph 6.1(b)). Officers are also given (paragraph 6(1)(c)) delegated powers to determine planning applications in accordance with the scheme approved for the time being by the Council. The suggested amendment is to add the words “and listed building consent applications” into paragraph 6(1)(c) in the Scheme of Delegation was therefore recommended.

Following consideration  ...  view the full minutes text for item 93.

The Corporate Director – Communities submitted a report, the purpose of which was to   seek Council approval to consolidate the balance on the Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) Metro Plus Scheme capital budgets in the capital programme against the Porthcawl Metrolink scheme and vire funding from the Porthcawl Regeneration scheme, to meet the additional costs resulting from the tender process for the Metrolink Scheme, subject to Cabinet’s recommendation on this matter dated 7 February 2023.

She explained that the Porthcawl Metrolink project is the provision of a modern bus facility within the heart of the Porthcawl Regeneration area offering a multi bay, fully enclosed building with room for a concessionary stand.

           Cardiff City Region (CCR) through its Metro programme, together with Welsh Government (WG), provide the principal funding mechanism for large strategic transport projects within the region. This included the Porthcawl Metrolink bus facility which, as well as being an important regional strategic transport facility on the South Wales Metro, is also a key piece of infrastructure within the Porthcawl Regeneration site. Without the Metrolink facility the regeneration programme will not be able to proceed as per the approved strategy by facilitating more sustainable modes of transport. 

The Corporate Director – Communities reminded Council that there were currently two Metro schemes presently included in the Capita Programme, as detailed in paragraph as detailed in paragraph 3.4 of the report.

An informal agreement as expanded upon in the report, required that the contract for the Metrolink be let before the end of March 2023 and demonstrable progress be made, in order to retain the funding for spend in 2023-24 until the completion of the project.  As such, if the contract was not awarded by the end of March 2023 there is a significant risk that all unspent regional funding of £2,707,000 will be lost. 

The Corporate Director – Communities added, that remaining Metro funding allocated to the Penprysg project will also have to be spent by 31 March 2023, or this will also have to be returned to CCR.  This project was the subject of an unsuccessful Levelling Up Fund (LUF) bid in 2022 and further progress on this scheme is limited until further funding opportunities are investigated.  However, it is intended to submit the scheme for future CCR Metro programme funding in 2023-24.

She explained that through the tender process undertaken, the highest scoring bidder had submitted a tender with a value which is considerably above the original estimated costs.  The factors involved with the higher than expected bid, included significant increases in the cost of materials and labour since the estimated cost was calculated.

Procurement advice given, was that it is not possible to re-visit the tender evaluation or award the contract to a lower cost bidder, on the basis that there is no additional funding available as doing so would breach transparency and equal treatment requirement.  It would be unlawful to award the contract to anyone other than the bidder assessed to offer the most economically advantageous tender  ...  view the full minutes text for item 94.

The Chief Officer Legal and Regulatory Services, HR and Corporate Policy, reported on the Information Report which had been published since the last meeting of Council.

RESOLVED:                                       That Council acknowledged the publication of the document listed in the report.

Councillor Tim Thomas to the Cabinet Member - Education

Is the Cabinet Member for Education satisfied that enough is being done to ensure children, school staff and members of the public are safe during times when pupils are dropped off at and picked up from school. If not, what needs to be done?

Councillor Tim Thomas to the Cabinet Member – Education

Is the Cabinet Member for Education satisfied that enough is being done to ensure children, school staff and members of the public are safe during times when pupils are dropped off at and picked up from school. If not, what needs to be done?

Response

• The Learner Travel Statutory Provision and Operational Guidance 2014 outlines the statutory responsibility of parents as follows:

o   It is for parents to decide at what age it would be appropriate for their child to walk unaccompanied to school.

o   In the event of a child not being eligible to receive free transport and having to walk to school, it will be for parents to make suitable travel arrangements for their children between home and school.

·         All schools have traffic management arrangements in place.

·         The local authority continues to work with its schools to ensure individual traffic management plans are appropriate and that all reasonable measures are taken to ensure children and adults are safe when accessing individual sites.

·         The Schools Transport Advisory Group (STAG) meets regularly to consider the management of school sites.  STAG also considers the areas outside and in the immediate vicinity of schools.

·         The local authority has recently appointed a Schools Transport Advisor to support school site safety and to support future school modernisation projects.

·         The use of the local authority’s camera car ‘Roly Patroly’ is prioritised around schools on a rolling programme to tackle dangerous and illegal parking outside schools.

·         Enforcement of the existing restrictions outside the schools will be subject to resources, and Roly Patroly can, when resources allow, enforce on parking restrictions where there are traffic orders in place (such as bus stops, zigzag markings, ‘School Keep Clear’ zones and yellow lines).

·         However, it is important to note that the local authority is limited in respect of how it can enforce statutory highways requirements as this is largely the responsibility of South Wales Police.  Local authority officers can only enforce the limited parking restrictions as identified in the bullet point above.

·         Many schools work closely with their school communities to develop innovative solutions to ensure pupil safety on the journey to school, for example, the ‘walking bus’ developed by Pencoed Primary School.

·         There are currently 14 active crossing patrols in the vicinity of our schools at peak times.

·         The Road Safety Team also offers Kerbcraft training and cycle training for schools.

·         The local authority continues to invest in pedestrian safety arrangements (such as formal pedestrian crossings).

·         The local authority has invested significantly in active travel arrangements across Bridgend.  Over the years, the local authority has been creating routes that enable and encourage school children to walk or cycle to school.  This is funded under the Welsh Government ‘Safe Routes to Schools’ and ‘Safe Routes in Communities’ programmes. 

·         ‘Safe Routes to Schools’ schemes are different from active travel routes. The two categories of scheme serve different purposes of journey, although in some areas, active travel routes serve journeys to school  ...  view the full minutes text for item 96.

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. 

None.