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Agenda, decisions and minutes

Venue: Remotely via Skype

Contact: Democratic Services  Mark Anthony Galvin

Note: Please note: Due to the current requirement for social distancing this meeting will not be held at its usual location. This will be a virtual meeting and Council Members and Officers will be attending remotely. The meeting will be recorded for subsequent transmission via the Council’s internet site which will be available as soon as practicable after the meeting. If you have any queries regarding this, please contact cabinet_committee@bridgend.gov.uk or tel. 01656 643147 / 643148. 

Media

Items
No. Item

439.

Declarations of Interest

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. 

 

Minutes:

None.

 

440.

To receive announcements from the Mayor Councillor SE Baldwin

Minutes:

The Mayor before making his announcements, advised Council that at the last ordinary Council, he made a point indicating that a Conservative Councillor had made an incorrect statement. The Mayor advised that he was wrong to indicate that Member to be a Conservative Member, when it could have in fact, been any Councillor in attendance at the meeting.

 

The Mayor’s announcement was as follows:-

 

“I would like to say that it has been an absolute pleasure to serve as the Mayor of Bridgend County Borough Council for 2019/2020.    I may not have got everything right throughout my term but everyone makes mistakes.  Well at least I know I do and I’m not afraid to admit to them and learn from them.  The year has not gone as planned, as I am sure you are all aware of with the restrictions imposed on us as part of the Covid19 pandemic and the reason that I have become the longest serving Mayor of Bridgend CBC.

 

I would have liked to do more fundraising events but unfortunately, time and pandemic have not allowed that.  Back in November 2019 I organised very successful afternoon event called ‘Music with the Mayor’ at the Court Colman Manor.  At the event guests were treated to bottomless Prosecco and canapés for the first hour and a half.  Guests were also treated to a musical extravaganza of local musical artists and internationally renowned drag artist ‘Pixie Perez’.  A special thank you to all artists who gave their time free of charge and to the owners of the Court Colman Manor for allowing us to use their venue free of charge. Without the support of my very good friend Ryan Phillips I would never have been able to pull the whole event together.  He worked tirelessly for months to make sure that the event was a success.  Also a thank you to everyone that donated raffle prizes and for those councillors that attended the event.

 

As Bridgend CBC first openly gay Mayor it was important to me to choose a charity that was close to my heart.  I champion equalities and diversity throughout my life not just as a Councillor.  My chosen charity was Pride Cymru and I have had great pleasure informing them that we will be transferring £4954.54 to them to support the fantastic work they do.

 

Throughout my year, I have encouraged Councillors to donate provisions to Bridgend Food Bank at our monthly full council meetings.  I would like to thank all those that have donated in helping Bridgend Food Bank feed those in society that experience such extreme food poverty.  I was particularly impressed by the imagination of those Councillors that put together their reverse advent hampers.  The Food Bank were extremely grateful for all we did for them.

 

As well as attending many events, I set myself the task of improving the way that this Council supported the role of the Mayor.  During my year, I am pleased to say that we introduced a new  ...  view the full minutes text for item 440.

441.

To elect the Mayor for the period to May 2021 in accordance with Section 23(1) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:                      That Councillor K Watts be elected as Mayor for the remainder of the ensuing year, to May 2021.

 

442.

To announce the Mayor's Consort

Minutes:

Councillor Watts announced that his Consort would be Councillor J Williams.

  

443.

To appoint the Deputy Mayor for the period to May 2021 in accordance with Section 24(1) of the Local Government Act 1972.

Minutes:

There were two nominations for Deputy Mayor for the remainder of the ensuing year,  to May 2021, as follows:-

 

Councillor JC Spanswick

Councillor A Hussain

 

A vote was therefore conducted, in order to make an appointment to the position of Deputy Mayor, the result of which was as follows:-

 

Councillor JC Spanswick                           Councillor A Hussain

 

            34 votes                                                    17 votes

 

There were 2 abstentions

RESOLVED:                      That Councillor JC Spanswick be appointed as Deputy Mayor for the ensuing year.

 

444.

To announce the Deputy Mayor's Consort

Minutes:

Councillor Spanswick announced that his consort would be Mrs S Spanswick.

 

445.

To announce the Youth Mayor of the County Borough of Bridgend

Minutes:

RESOLVED:                      That Megan Stone, Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen School, be announced as Youth Mayor of the County Borough for the ensuing year. ( to May 2021).

 

446.

To announce the Deputy Youth Mayor of the County Borough of Bridgend.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:                        That Tino Kaseke, Archbishop McGrath School, be announced as Youth Mayor of the County Borough for the ensuing year, ( to May 2021).

 

447.

To elect the Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council

Minutes:

  RESOLVED:                      It was moved, duly seconded and carried by way of assent, that Councillor HJ David be elected as Leader of the Bridgend County Borough Council for the ensuing year,  to May 2021.

 

448.

To receive the report of the Leader

Minutes:

The Leader gave his report as follows:-

 

“I’d like to begin by congratulating Ken and Julia, John and Susan I know they will be outstanding representatives and ambassadors for the County Borough, my thanks to thanking colleagues for returning me as Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council.

 

My public congratulations to Megan and Tino also.

 

This is an extraordinary privilege and responsibility to be Leader, and I pledge to once more give the role my full attention and focus, and to always do my very best for all the people and all the communities we serve.

 

 

In 2019, when I last addressed the annual meeting of Council, I talked about how we were continuing to experience some of the most difficult and challenging times that local government has ever faced.

 

Then, I was referring to austerity, and the profound impact of having to cut £60 million from core council budgets over the space of ten years.

 

Who could have predicted that within just a few months, this scenario, which continues to be the case, would be further compounded by the global outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus?

 

We are all very aware of how this council has once again risen to meet this newest and greatest challenge.

 

The response from the staff of Bridgend County Borough Council has been absolutely remarkable.

 

They have adapted, innovated and persevered under the most difficult of circumstances, and have ensured that this authority has been able to continue to deliver essential services to the people of the county borough.

 

I am certain that members from all parties will want to join me in recognising their efforts, and in offering council staff our sincere gratitude and respect.

 

Secondly, the pandemic has brought together a wide range of organisations and agencies who have worked together to achieve a common aim across our schools and communities.

 

This has included such achievements as setting up six emergency childcare hubs overnight, making sure that more than five-thousand children did not go hungry, turning a council depot into a temporary ambulance station within a few days, setting up Abergarw Manor as a temporary step-down facility for people leaving hospital, and providing 2,300 businesses with more than £28 million in much-needed financial support.

 

We have worked alongside the brilliant BAVO and amazing community groups to support thousands of vulnerable people who were shielding, and set up a viable, locally-managed track, trace and protect system in just two weeks.

 

As challenging, as hard, and in many cases as tragic as the pandemic has been, it has brought out the very best in people, and it is this aspect, above all, which has served as an inspirational reminder of why we are here.

 

Of course, we have also faced the biggest blow of losing the Ford Engine Plant the loss of 1,700 jobs and the loss of more than £250 million per year from the local economy.

 

I previously told the Welsh Affairs Select Committee at the House of Commons that urgent investment and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 448.

449.

The Leader to appoint Members of the Cabinet

Minutes:

RESOLVED:                      The Leader officially appointed the following Members to the Cabinet:-

 

                                           Councillor HM Williams

                                           Councillor D Patel

                                           Councillor N Burnett

                                           Councillor CE Smith

                                           Councillor RE Young

450.

The Leader may announce the Deputy Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council from those Members appointed to the Cabinet and may announce the appointment of Cabinet Members to portfolios

Minutes:

RESOLVED:                      The Leader announced that the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member responsible for Resources for 2020/2021, would be Councillor HM Williams.

 

                                           He added that the following Cabinet Members would be responsible for the undermentioned portfolios:-

 

                                Councillor D Patel – Wellbeing and Future Generations

                                Councillor N Burnett – Social Services and Early Help

                                Councillor CE Smith – Education and Regeneration

                                Councillor RE Young - Communities

 

451.

Proposed Programme of Meetings of the Council and Council Committees pdf icon PDF 72 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Monitoring Officer presented a report, the purpose of which, was to propose a programme of ordinary meetings of the Council and Council Committees for the municipal year October 2020 – April 2021 for approval and to note the programme of meetings for the municipal year May 2021 – April 2022. 

 

The Monitoring Officer announced two changes to the programme of meetings for the year 2020-2021, namely that the meeting of the Subject Overview and Scrutiny Committee dated 25th November now be held on 18th November 2020 and that the Democratic Services Committee dated 22nd October now be held on 4th November 2020.

 

RESOLVED:                          That Council:-

 

a.         Approved the proposed programme of Council meetings for 2020/21 set out in paragraph 4.1 of this report;

 

b.         Approved the proposed programme of meetings of Council Committees set out in Appendix 1 to the report (subject to the above amendments);

 

c.         Noted the provisional draft programme of meetings of Council and Council Committees for 2021/22 set out in Appendix 2 to the report;

 

d.         Noted the dates of Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and the Coychurch Crematorium Joint Committee which are also set out in Appendix 1 and 2 of the report, for information purposes.

 

452.

Appointments to the Council Committees and Other Council Bodies in Accordance with the Provisions of the Local Government Act 1972 and the Local Government Act 2000 pdf icon PDF 99 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

The Monitoring Officer presented a report, the purpose of which, was to seek Council approval for the appointment of Overview and Scrutiny Committees and such other Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and bodies as the Council considers appropriate, to deal with matters which are neither reserved to full Council nor are executive functions.

 

She advised that Part 3 of the Council’s Constitution, entitled Responsibility for Council Functions, sets out the Council’s Committees, Sub-Committees, Panels and other bodies currently in place.  Detailed in the report were certain Committees, some of which are governed by provisions of the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011, in terms of their composition and/or appointment of Chairpersons. 

 

The report outlined the process that should be followed in relation to the appointment of Members to the above bodies, but more particularly, to the appointment of Chairpersons and where applicable, Vice-Chairpersons, in accordance with the provisions outlined immediately above.

 

An example of this being, that the appointment of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson of the Audit Committee, would be made at the first Committee meeting after the Annual meeting. These appointments could not be Members from the largest political group of the Council.

 

The current remit and functions of Committees and other bodies of the Council it was proposed, remained unchanged as detailed in Part 3 of the Constitution – Responsibility for Council Functions which was attached at Appendix 1 to the report.

 

Political balance is essential to determine the allocation of seats on Committees. The current political balance of Committees and other bodies was shown at Appendix 2 of the report.

 

The current committee structure was shown at Appendix 3 of the report, while the existing membership of committees which will form the basis of any changes to the membership of the committees was attached at Appendix 4. 

 

RESOLVED:                         That Council :-

 

(1)        Agreed to rename the Audit Committee to the Governance and Audit Committee and approve that the Terms of Reference of the Audit Committee within Part 3 of the Constitution be amended accordingly to reflect the change in name of the Audit Committee in accordance with paragraph 4.2.3 of the report and the removal of the reference to the Whistleblowing Policy in paragraph 4.2.4 of the report;

 

(2)        Appointed the Overview and Scrutiny Committees and such other Committees as the Council considers appropriate to deal with matters which are neither reserved to the Council nor are executive functions;

 

(3)        Determined the size and terms of reference for those Committees as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

 

(4)        Determined the allocation of seats to political groups in accordance with the political balance rules as set out in Appendix 2 of the report;

 

(5)        Determined which political groups represented at Council are entitled to make which appointments of Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairpersons;

 

(6)        Received nominations and appointed Councillors to serve on each of the Committees, Panels and other bodies (as shown as an Appendix to these minutes);

 

           Appeals Panel

           Appointments Committee

           Audit Committee

           Democratic  ...  view the full minutes text for item 452.

453.

Representation on Outside Bodies and other Committees pdf icon PDF 70 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

          The Monitoring Officer submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to seek Council’s approval for the appointment of Members to the South Wales Police and Crime Panel,Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Joint Scrutiny Committee and the South East Wales Strategic Planning Group as set out in the report at Appendix 1, for the ensuing year ie to May 2021.

 

There were two nominations for the appointment to the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Joint Scrutiny Committee, as follows:-

 

Councillor JP Blundell

Councillor M Voisey

 

A vote was therefore conducted, the result of which was as follows:-

 

Councillor JP Blundell                           Councillor M Voisey

 

            30 votes                                             17 votes

 

There were 5 abstentions

 

RESOLVED:                    (1)  That Councillor JP Blundell be appointed to the Cardiff City Deal Joint Scrutiny Committee and that Councillor Alex Williams be appointed the Reserve Member (Councillor Williams was unopposed).

 

                                         (2)  That Councillor RE Young be appointed to the South Wales Police and Crime Panel.

 

                                          (3) That the Chairperson of the Development Control Committee be appointed to the South East Wales Strategic Planning.

 

454.

To invest the Mayor of Bridgend County Borough Council for 2020/21

Minutes:

Following Council having approved the nomination of Councillor K Watts as Mayor of Bridgend County Borough for the year 2020/2021, Councillor Watts was invited by the outgoing Mayor to formally accept the Office of Mayor. Councillor Watts verbally accepted the office of Mayor and recited the following oath :

 

“I Kenneth Watts, do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second.”

 

Councillor SE Baldwin extended his congratulations to the incoming Mayor.

455.

To invest the Mayor's Consort

Minutes:

Councillor J Williams having been named as Mayor’s consort for the year 2020/21, was invited by the outgoing Mayor, to formally accept the position of consort.

 

Councillor Julia Williams verbally accepted the position of Mayor’s Consort, as follows:-

 

“It gives me great pleasure in accepting the position of Mayor’s Consort.” 

 

Councillor SE Baldwin extended his congratulations to the incoming Mayor’s Consort.

 

456.

To receive announcements from the newly elected Mayor

Minutes:

Councillor K Watts, the newly elected Mayor, gave his announcement as follows:-

 

“Mr. Mayor, Councillors, guests and family who, thanks to the wonders of modern technology can all be ‘virtually’ present.

 

Naturally, I am very proud and honoured to have been elected to the office of Mayor for the County Borough of Bridgend, something I never truly expected to happen. To expand on how much this means to me and its unexpected reality, I need to provide some background as to how I, an Englishman, has come to this.

 

But, before I proceed further, I have to say how even more honoured and proud I am by a certain person agreeing to be my consort especially when one considers the news she received only this time last year and the subsequent impact this has had on her. I can only admire her strength and determination given the circumstances surrounding her decision confirming what a special lady she is.

 

So, it is with great pride and pleasure when I say to you that Councillor. Julia Williams has agreed to be my consort.

 

So back to what this honour means to me.

 

I first came to South Wales in 1964 as an 18 year old courting a young Welsh girl from the Garw Valley who was later to become my wife.

 

At that time the coal tips were still very evident and the dead river ran black. My future mother in law, although not a councillor was very vocal on the issue of cleaning up the mess left by the coal industry in which her husband, my future father in law, had worked all his life. Coming from England both the situation and the devastation wreaked by the industry made a lasting impression on me. But, of even greater impact over the years since then has been the subsequent clean up carried out by the then Ogwr Borough Council and now by the Bridgend County Borough Council. To me this is even more impressive considering the point from which the recovery of the Garw Valley had to start.

 

If someone had said to me then back in the 60’s I would become the Mayor of Bridgend County (then Ogwr Borough Council) I would have thought them deluded! As would my in laws!  I didn’t have a political bone in my body.

 

Sadly, none of those I have mentioned are here to see this day other than, I’m pleased to say, my children and grandchildren.

 

But having subsequently moved to South Wales in 1976 I was later to become involved in local matters in Porthcawl. Having seen what could be done in the Garw Valley, then why not elsewhere, so here I am today.

 

As we know things are at last beginning to move in Porthcawl.

 

My year in office, in fact one of only 8 months, will be shorter than normal and clearly required to be conducted in a totally different way to that previously experienced by my predecessors. Given the circumstances,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 456.

457.

To invest the Deputy Mayor of Bridgend County Borough Council for 2020/21

Minutes:

Following Council having approved to Invest Councillor JC Spanswick as Deputy Mayor of Bridgend County Borough for the year 2020/2021, Councillor Spanswick was invited by the outgoing Mayor to formally accept the Office of Deputy Mayor.

 

Councillor Spanswick confirmed that he was both pleased and honoured to accept the role of Deputy Mayor for the year 2020/2021.

 

Councillor SE Baldwin extended his congratulations to the incoming Deputy Mayor.

 

458.

To invest the Deputy Mayor's Consort

Minutes:

Mrs S Spanswick having been named as Deputy Mayor’s consort for the year 2020/21, was invited by the outgoing Mayor, to formally accept the position of consort.

 

Mrs S Spanswick verbally accepted the position of Deputy Mayor’s Consort, as follows:-

 

“It gives me great pleasure in accepting the position of Deputy Mayor’s Consort.” 

 

Councillor SE Baldwin extended his congratulations to the incoming Deputy Mayor’s Consort.

 

 

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