To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor D Sage.

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. 

Councillor D Patel declared a prejudicial interest in agenda 14 – Capital Programme 2016-17 to 2025-26 as a Trustee of YDCE which runs the community facilities at Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen.  Councillor Patel withdrew from the meeting during consideration of this item. 

The Chief Executive, Corporate Director Communities, Corporate Education and Family Support, Head of Adult Social Care and Section 151 Officer declared an interest in agenda item no. 19 – Notice of Motion from the Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development and withdrew from the meeting.    

To receive for approval the minutes of a meeting of Council dated 13 April 2016

RESOLVED:           That the minutes of the meeting of Council of 13 April 2016 be approved as a true and accurate record.  

The Mayor announced that these would be his last announcements of his year in office.

He firstly announced with sadness the recent deaths of former Councillors Don Buttle and Bill Evans, both of whom will be sadly missed.  All present stood in silence as a mark of respect. 

The Mayor announced that he and his Consort Mrs Annette Young had been privileged to attend many interesting and informative events, nearly 400 during the year and are very grateful to have been given this wonderful opportunity to represent the County Borough.

 He stated that the last few weeks had been extremely busy and he had the pleasure of hosting the two biggest events on behalf of his charity committee.  The golf day was a great success and he thanked all the teams who played on the day and made a contribution.  He stated that the Gala dinner was held in the Heronstone Hotel this year and he and the Consort had a wonderful evening with family, friends and colleagues.  He thanked everyone who came and made the evening so enjoyable and to his charities for being such a support during fundraising.

The Mayor informed Council that he had recently spent a most interesting day with the South Wales Police as a voluntary guest.  He was escorted by Superintendent Ough and was given a tour of some of the operational units that are based in South Wales; these included the police horses and dogs in Waterton, the armed response and the covert operations team.  The Mayor stated that this had been one of the highlights of his year and he thanked Superintendent Ough for making it so interesting and varied and for being such a good host.

The Mayor announced that he had been trying to visit as many of the organisations that were awarded a Mayor’s citizenship award as time permitted.  He stated that it was lovely to witness at first hand the good works that carried out by willing volunteers of all ages within communities.  He had also recently had the pleasure of meeting a young 9 year boy called Bailey who carried out 100 random acts of kindness and as a result was awarded a young citizen award.  He donated the money that he won to the Bridgend Cats Protection League.  He stated that it was heartening to see that even at such a young age someone was taking an interest in their community and helping others.

The Mayor thanked all Members for the support given during his year in    office, not just to himself but also to his Consort which had been very much appreciated. 

A motion was received, which was duly seconded and carried unanimously, that Councillor R D Jenkins be appointed Mayor for 2016/17.

RESOLVED:               That Councillor R D Jenkins be elected as Mayor for the year 2016/17 and that he be invested at the Civic Inauguration Ceremony on 25 May 2016.

Councillor Jenkins announced that his Consort/Escort for the ensuing year would be his wife Mrs Teresa Jenkins.

A motion was received which was duly seconded, and carried unanimously that Councillor R C Jones be appointed as Deputy Mayor for 2016/17.

RESOLVED:               That Councillor R C Jones be appointed Deputy Mayor for the year 2016/17, and that she be invested at the Civic Inauguration Ceremony on 25 May 2016.

            Councillor Jones announced that her Consort/Escort for the ensuing year would be her sister Mrs Marjorie Griffiths.

There were no announcements. 

(i)            Youth Mayor of the County Borough of Bridgend

(ii)           Deputy Youth Mayor of the County Borough of Bridgend

The Mayor announced that Matthew Van Rooyen would be the Youth Mayor for 2016/17.

The Mayor announced that Iestyn Harries would be the Deputy Youth Mayor for 2016/17.

A motion was received, which was duly seconded and carried unanimously that Councillor M E J Nott be elected as Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council for 2016/17.

RESOLVED:   That Councillor M E J Nott be elected Leader of the Bridgend County Borough Council for the ensuing year.

RESOLVED:           That Council agreed that Cabinet comprise the Leader and six Members for the year 2016/17. 

The Leader announced that the Cabinet for the year 2016/17 would comprise himself and the following six Members:-

Councillor H J David

Councillor C L Reeves

Councillor C E Smith

Councillor H J Townsend

Councillor P J White

Councillor H M Williams.                   

The Leader announced that the Deputy Leader for the year 2016/17 would be Councillor H J David and the following Members appointed to the following portfolios:-

Councillor H J David – Deputy Leader & Cabinet Member Education

Councillor C L Reeves – Cabinet Member Communities

Councillor C E Smith – Cabinet Member Regeneration & Economic Development 

Councillor H J Townsend – Cabinet Member Children’s Social Services and Equalities

Councillor P J White – Adult Social Care & Health & Wellbeing  

Councillor H M Williams - Resources.  

The Leader thanked all colleagues for returning him as Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, which would be the ninth time that he will have served as Leader.  He stated that he had never taken the position for granted, and as always, considered it to be an honour and a privilege, especially so when he considered that he had now spent the best part of a full decade serving in this capacity.  He informed Members that he would use the experience gained during this time to continue to perform the role to the very best of his abilities.

The Leader commented that local government continues to face highly significant challenges and that the last few years have been extremely difficult, not least because the biggest cuts in local government funding have been witnessed.  The Leader stated that he was proud of the way in which the Council has met these challenges head-on and that a number of tough decisions had been necessary, many of which have been unpopular.  He informed Members that the Council had not shied away from making them, and the Council is now well versed in finding new ways of delivering essential services against a backdrop of diminishing resources.

The Leader informed Members that the Council has made great strides in its efforts to transform Bridgend County Borough Council into a smaller, more efficient organisation, and the actions that have been taken are yielding strong results.  This was best evidenced by the most recent national performance indicators for the authority, which has confirmed that Bridgend County Borough Council is the fifth most improved council in Wales as well as the ninth best performing authority.

The Leader stated that Members will already be aware of the ongoing commitment towards providing children with modern learning environments, and how the school modernisation programme is continuing to provide facilities such as the new Coety Primary or the Bryncethin Campus.  He informed Members that the latest statistics suggest that educational standards in Bridgend County Borough are also improving at a faster rate than anywhere else in Wales.  Impressive increases had been seen in the Foundation Phase and across Key Stages Two to Four that have all been well above the Wales average.  Similarly, school attendance has dramatically improved with a 95.1% primary school rate and a 94.3% secondary school rate.  Residents have returned the fourth highest satisfaction rate in Wales for how education is provided in the county borough.  In addition, the Council is third in Wales for delivering positive learner outcomes for children who receive free school meals.  This success has been acknowledged by the Education Minister Huw Lewis acknowledged who had stated that the Council is ‘galloping away with the free school meals agenda’ and also said that ‘this has been a fantastic year for Bridgend.’

The Leader was also pleased to see that the Council has performed faster and more efficiently when it comes to safeguarding and family support assessments.  There had been a 30% reduction in the number  ...  view the full minutes text for item 622.

The Section 151 Officer sought approval for a revised capital programme for 2016-17 to 2025-26. 

He reported that Council at its meeting in March 2016 had approved a capital programme for 2016-17 to 2025-26 of £163.774M as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS).  However since that approval, a small number of schemes had been identified that require approval for inclusion in the capital programme. 

He reported that an opportunity had arisen as part of the works to external envelope of the Civic Offices to install a Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system on the roof of the Civic Offices at an estimated cost of £40k, including fees and contingency.  He stated that the solar panels will generate a small amount of electricity for the Civic Offices which will reduce the amount of electricity purchased from the grid, in addition to a 50% return on electricity generated through the Feed In Tariff.  He informed Council that funding for the scheme would be ring fenced from the underspend on the Resources Directorate revenue budget in 2015-16 and will be transferred to an earmarked reserve and used to provide a revenue contribution to capital in 2016-17.

The Section 151 Officer reported that the Digital Transformation programme supports the new corporate priority of making smarter use of resources and is integral to achieving a number of budget reductions in the Medium Term Financial Strategy.  He stated that digital technology presented an opportunity to improve citizens’ access to services and engagement, thereby reducing operating costs.  The Section 151 Officer informed Council that moving to a digital operating model would enable more cost effective, integrated and modern ways of working.  He stated that the Council would be required to go out to tender to secure the digital platform.  He also stated that it would be prudent to budget for up to £2.5M in order to cover all potential costs, although this may be revised once the tender process has been completed.  The cost of the capital element of the digital transformation project would be funded from earmarked reserves at year end from corporate underspends.

The Section 151 Officer reported that the Vibrant and Viable Places (VVP) regeneration scheme covers the provision of a multi-storey car park and commercial and residential properties totalling £9.6M, £6.7M of which would be incurred by the Council, funded from Welsh Government grant, Section 106 and other funding sources.  He stated that the capital programme currently includes the full scheme cost, including match funding and external funding.  As Coastal Housing would be incurring expenditure from both Social Housing Grant and their own resources of almost £3M, the capital programme had been updated to remove this element as the spend would not pass through the authority. 

The Section 151 Officer also reported that minor works are planned to the North locality hub based at Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen as the current configuration was not fit for purpose and did not allow for effective locality based working.  It was proposed that work be undertaken  ...  view the full minutes text for item 623.

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report, which proposed a programme of ordinary meetings of the Council and Council Committees for the municipal year May 2016 - May 2017, for Council approval.

He informed Council that the approval of the programme of ordinary meetings of Council and its Committees was required in accordance with the Council’s Constitution.

The Monitoring Officer confirmed the proposed dates for meetings of Council and the suggested Programme of Council Committee Meetings.  He requested that Council note the meeting dates for Cabinet, Cabinet Committees and Cabinet’s Joint Committee.     

RESOLVED:               That Council:-

(1)      Approved the proposed Programme of Council Meetings set out in Paragraph 4.1 of the report.

(2)       Approved the proposed Programme of Meetings of Council Committees set out in Appendix 1 of the report.

(3)        Noted the proposed dates of Cabinet, Cabinet     Committees and Cabinet’s Joint Committee for information purposes, also contained in Appendix 1 of the report.

The Monitoring Officer reported on the determinations and recommendations contained within the February 2016 Annual Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales in respect of the level and range of remuneration the Authority must make available to its Members for the 2016/17 municipal year.

The Monitoring Officer informed Council that the Panel had during 2015 met with the Chairpersons and/or Heads of Democratic Services of all local authorities in Wales to discuss the impact of their draft recommendations and to explain their rationale for their proposals.

The Monitoring officer reported that the maximum number of Council Members eligible for the payment of senior salaries in Bridgend is 18 not including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor.  He outlined the roles of Members within the Authority in receipt of remuneration.  He stated that any senior or civic salary is inclusive of the basic salary allocated to all elected Members. 

The Monitoring Officer reported that the Panel had determined from spring 2016 there would be no increase in the level of basic salary – Determination 1 and for the holders of Senior Salaries payments would be in line with Determination 2.  The Monitoring Officer stated that the Panel had concluded that Executive Members should be considered as working the equivalent of up to 40 hours per week.  The Panel had determined that the Leader and Deputy Leader’s remuneration would remain unchanged; however it would be for individual authorities to decide the level at which cabinet Members be paid from either of the two senior salary levels, Level 1 - £29,000 or Level 2 - £26,100.  The Monitoring Officer requested Council to approve that this level of remuneration remains at Level 1 for 2016-17.  

The Monitoring Officer also reported that the Panel had continued to take the view that the responsibility and function of chairing a committee was not generally influenced by the population of the authority, but recognised that the specific responsibility and workload of some chairs was greater than others.  This had been reflected by the introduction of two levels of remuneration for chairs of committees; Level 1 - £22,000 or Level 2 - £20,000.  The Monitoring Officer requested Council to approve that this level of remuneration remains at Level 1 for 2016-17. 

The Monitoring Officer reported that the Panel had previously determined that Council must make a senior salary available to the leader of the largest group representing at least 10% of the Council before qualifying for a senior salary.  The Panel had determined that there would be one level of salary applicable to this role at £22,000 and requested that this level of remuneration continue for 2016-17.

The Monitoring Officer also reported that the Panel had determined (Determination 3) that civic salaries are paid and that the level of remuneration is decided by Councils after taking into account the anticipated workloads of the roles, with 3 Levels being applicable to the roles of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.  He stated that the current Mayor and Deputy Mayor receive Level 2  ...  view the full minutes text for item 625.

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

He reported that Council is required by legislation and the provisions of Part 4 of the Rules of Procedure (Council Procedure Rules) of the Constitution, to undertake arrangements which will continue to facilitate and carry out the decision making processes of the Authority. 

The Monitoring Officer 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.  He set out the current remit and functions of Committees and other bodies of the Council.  He stated that political balance was essential to determine the allocation of seats on Committees and other bodies and he set out the current political balance calculations.  He also set out the current committee structure and the composition of the existing membership of Committees which would form the basis of any changes to the membership of Committees put forward by political group Leaders.  Changes in Committee memberships were tabled for Members information.

RESOLVED:             That Council:-

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

(2)  Approved the terms and reference and size of Committees, Sub-Committees and other bodies as set out in Appendix 1 of the report;

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

(4)  Approved the nominations to serve on each of the Committees, Panels and other bodies; 

(5)  Received nominations and appointed the Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of the following Committees, Panels and other bodies (as indicated) with it being noted that the Audit Committee at its first scheduled meeting will appoint a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson:                     

Appeals Panel –

Chairperson - Councillor J R McCarthy

Vice-Chairperson - Councillor J E Lewis

Licensing and Licensing Act 2003 Committee

Chairperson - Councillor R Williams

Vice-Chairperson - Councillor D R W Lewis

Development Control Committee

Chairperson - Councillor M Thomas

Vice-Chairperson - Councillor G Thomas

Town and Community Council Forum

Chairperson - Councillor M E J Nott

Vice-Chairperson - Councillor C E Smith

Democratic Services Committee

Chairperson - Councillor J H Tildesley

(6)  Received the following nominations and appointed the undermentioned Chairpersons to the Overview and Scrutiny Committees:

Adult Social Care – Councillor D Sage

Children and Young People – Councillor E P Foley

Community  Environment & Leisure – Councillor J C Spanswick

Corporate Resources & Improvement – Councillor M Reeves

Partnerships & Governance – Councillor N Clarke

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report which sought Council’s approval for the appointment of Members to the South Wales Police and Crime Panel and the South East Wales Strategic Planning Group.

RESOLVED:               That Council approved the following nominations to the bodies listed below:-

South Wales Police and Crime Panel – Councillor R Young

South East Wales Strategic Planning Group – Chairperson of the Development Control Committee

"This Council believes that the County of Bridgend will be stronger, safer and better off by a referendum result in favour of remaining in the European Union"

The Mayor asked the Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development, Councillor C E Smith to propose a Notice of Motion. 

The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development informed Council that its Constitution permits resolutions to be presented to Council which have to be of concern to the County Borough of Bridgend.     

He proposed that Bridgend County Borough Council formally records its support for remaining in the European Union.  He stated that the EU has had a massive beneficial impact on the area, and there would be significant consequences if this was to cease.  He informed Council that Wales receives £490 million from the EU under the Rural Development Plan. Together with co-financing from the Welsh Government, this formed a major programme of investment totalling around £900 million for rural communities across Wales.

The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development informed Council that the Local Investment Fund supported 248 business-led initiatives and paid out £1.4 million which coupled with private sector investment to total £2.2 million.  This translated as support for 159 enterprises in Bridgend, financial assistance to 47 individuals starting up new enterprises, support for one social enterprise, the creation of nearly 400 new jobs and the safeguarding of a further 1,600 jobs.

He informed Members that the last Rural Development Programme saw an investment of approximately £6 million into rural Bridgend over six years, which meant that for every £1 invested, a further £9 was attracted. He stated that the Green Shoots scheme had created 45 jobs, supported 74 existing micro enterprises, assisted 46 new start-ups, brought forward three centres for rural excellence, and provided financial support for 185 community led projects.

The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development informed Council that over half of the County Borough’s wards are classed as rural, with the Rural Development Programme being administered locally which has a wide expertise and who decide on local priorities.  This partnership approach with local input is the actual way in which Brussels operates.  He stated that regional policy takes approximately half the EU budget.

The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development informed Council that in respect of trade, living in a market of 500 million people was not a threat, but an opportunity.  He stated that the alternatives to the single market involve less trade and would make the UK worse off.  He informed Council that that the County Borough has a long-standing relationship with large, globally recognised companies that depend on international trade such as Sony, Ford, Biomet, Spectrum Technologies, Airbornes Systems, CGI and Rockwool.  He stated that in addition to the names the majority of citizens will be familiar with, there are also a number of smaller, lesser known companies who have expanded into the area and which are just as important.  He highlighted the example of Grupo Interpack, a company based in Madrid since 1971, which has expanded all across Europe and in 2005 set up Espack Eurologistica in Bridgend with the help of the Council’s Economic Development Team.  This company have since  ...  view the full minutes text for item 628.