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Agenda and minutes

Venue: Committee Rooms 1/2/3, Civic Offices Angel Street Bridgend CF31 4WB. View directions

Contact: Mark Anthony Galvin  Senior Democratic Services Officer - Committees

Items
No. Item

41.

Apologies for Absence

To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Minutes:

 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor KJ Watts

42.

Declarations of Interest

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 (including Whipping declarations)

Minutes:

 

None

43.

Approval of Minutes pdf icon PDF 83 KB

To receive for approval the minutes of the meetings of the Community Environment and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 18 January and 27 February 2016. 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:                  That the Minutes of the following meetings of the Community, Environment & Leisure O&SC be approved as a true and accurate record:-

 

                                       18 January 2016

                                       27 February 2016

44.

Forward Work Programme Update pdf icon PDF 82 KB

Minutes:

 

The Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Regulatory Services submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to present the items due to be considered at the Committee’s next meeting to be held following the Annual meeting of Council.

 

The Scrutiny Officer referred to paragraph 4.1 of the report that detailed in tabular format, the potential items to be considered at the next scheduled meeting and the Invitees due to attend.

 

Paragraph 4.2 of the report also contained a table listing potential items as yet to be decided for the 2016-17 Forward Work Programme. The prioritisation and timings of these would be agreed at the Committee meeting following the Annual meeting of Council.

 

RESOLVED:                  That the Committee noted the list of potential items for the 2016-17 Forward Work Programme, the prioritisation and timings of which would be agreed at the Committee meeting following the Annual meeting of Council.                                  

 

45.

Awen Cultural Trust pdf icon PDF 68 KB

Invitees:

 

Councillor Hywel Williams - Cabinet Member Communities 

Mark Shephard - Corporate Director – Communities

Mark Wilkinson - Group Manager - Learning Disability

Scott Pickrell - Day Services Manager

Richard Hughes - Chief Executive of Awen Trust

Alun Morgan- Chairman of Board of Trustees of Awen Trust

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Chairperson on behalf of the Committee, welcomed the Invitees to the meeting.

 

The Corporate Director Communities submitted a report, the purpose of which was to update the O&S Committee on the progress made by Awen Cultural Trust (the Trust) since it was established to manage a range of cultural services and facilities on behalf of the Council, with effect from 1 October 2015, including an update on the Wood B and B Leaf programmes.

 

He advised Members that the Trust was obviously still in its infancy stages, however, a considerable amount of work had been committed to the continuation of the provision of cultural services. As an independent organisation the Trust is governed by a voluntary board of trustees who have a duty to ensure it is viable and fit for purpose. He confirmed that attached to the report at Appendix 1 was a Service Plan for 2015/17, which included the partnership outcomes framework. The Service Plan would focus in particular, on organisational culture, developing values and behaviours that will underpin the Trust’s commitment to its customers.

 

He added that he also has regular meetings with the Chief Executive of the Trust, in order that the Trust and BCBC succeed in supporting each other as the programme moves forward.

 

He concluded his introduction by advising that Wood B and B Leaf were also developing further under the auspices of the venture.

 

In terms of Wood B and B Leaf, a Member asked if their viability would be sustained under the Trust.

 

The Chief Executive of the Trust, confirmed that both Wood B and B Leaf had integrated well since being transferred to the Trust, with both time and investment having been committed to these initiatives since they had been transferred from BCBC.

 

He confirmed that the cost in terms of budget for the operation of both of these initiatives was the same as had been with the local authority, ie £250k per annum in total for the operation of both entities. Both Wood B and B Leaf were progressing well and starting to generate increased income as a result of operating in a social enterprise environment - things were looking positive for the future. Progression it was anticipated would be incremental rather than accelerated with the needs of the services users always at the heart of what they do.

 

Both Wood-B and B-leaf support the wider functions of the trust – an ethos that works across the organisation. They particularly support Bryngarw Country Park, as well as produce their own products for retail. The Trust were presently looking to increase hours of business for both these projects, in order to promote business further.

 

The Corporate Director Communities reiterated that there had been a very smooth transition of services being transferred from BCBC to the Trust, and relationships with the Trust were very good. Plans were now being looked at to move services forward to the next level in order to increase profit margins etc. He reiterated that budget  ...  view the full minutes text for item 45.

46.

Social Housing Allocation Policy and Common Housing Register Update Report - Housing Solution Interview, Housing Registration and Nomination Processes pdf icon PDF 154 KB

Invitees:

 

Joanne Ginn - Housing Solutions Team Leader

Councillor Hywel Williams - Cabinet Member for Communities

Stephen Cook, Chief Executive Valleys to Coast 

Elizabeth Willington - Housing Manager, Valleys to Coast

Jenny Williams -  Housing Manager, Wales and West

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

 

The Chairperson explained that in relation to this item, each of the Invitees from the different organisations would be invited to the meeting in turn to respond to questions from Members, in relation to the above topic.

 

The first representative to be invited to the meeting was the Housing Solutions Team Leader from BCBC.

 

The Chairperson advised that there was some concern regarding the way the different organisations followed the processes and procedures of the Common Housing Register, developed by BCBC in partnership with the 4 local Registered Landlords, ie Valleys to Coast (V2C), Linc Cymru, Hafod and Wales and West Housing Association.

 

The report confirmed that V2C were able to allocate up to 25% of their vacancies through their own allocation policy, as set out in the Deed of Stock Transfer. For all other RSL’s, they offer 100% nomination rights to the Council.

 

He added that he also had some concerns over how RSL’s were monitored and scrutinised in relation to the criteria that should be followed in respect of the allocation of  RSL housing accommodation up to the percentages agreed upon. If this was not being achieved, he added that people hoping to secure housing association accommodation, were then left with the option of taking up accommodation from a Private Landlord.

 

A Member confirmed that he was concerned that the Council were not having their full agreed nomination rights with regard to Social Housing Allocation under an agreement with V2C, ie that the local authority would have 75% of these rights with V2C having 25%. With all other RSL’s the Council had 100% nomination rights. He was particularly concerned that this was not taking place in his Ward, where there seemed to be a considerable number of empty properties. He estimated that V2C controlled approximately 7,000 dwellings, and therefore, he asked how many of these were empty and an explanation as to the reasons why they were unoccupied.

 

The Housing Solutions Team Leader confirmed that there seemed to be a common theme in relation to ‘voids’ under the Common Housing Register, though she could not give a specific answer to the Members question in respect of how many properties were empty and the reasons for this, adding that V2C would probably be able to comment on this when their representatives join the meeting. Mostly it was due to the fact that the properties required some work, i.e. re-decorating or something of a more structural nature, which often took longer so inevitably due to this, there would always be a case of some properties being empty at any given time

 

Monthly housing meetings were convened with V2C, and the 4 other RSL’s attended these meetings also.

 

The Chairperson referred to paragraph 4.13 on page 51 of the report, and asked the Invitee what was the definition of a void property.

 

The Housing Solutions Team Leader advised that in terms of Social Housing controlled by the Council through RSL’s, the Council viewed a void property as a property that was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46.

47.

Urgent Items

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.

Minutes:

 

None

48.

Nomination to Standing Budget Research and Evaluation Panel pdf icon PDF 64 KB

Minutes:

 

The Assistant Chief Executive Legal and Regulatory Services submitted a report, requesting Committee to nominate the Chairperson and one other Member of the Committee onto the standing Budget Research & Evaluation Panel and to nominate a further Member as a reserve.

 

RESOLVED:                That Councillor JC Spanswick and Councillor CA Green be appointed on to the Budget Research and Evaluation Panel, with Councillor RM James (Reserve) being appointed as the Reserve Member.

 

49.

Exclusion of the Public

The minutes relating to the following item are not for publication as they contain  exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 of Part 4 and Paragraph 21 of Part 5, 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 Cabinet resolves pursuant to the Act to consider this item in private, the public will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration.

Minutes:

 

RESOLVED:                That under Section 100A (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007, the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as it contained exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 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.

 

 

Minute No:                   Summary of Item:

 

       *                             Approval of Exempt Minutes

 

50.

Approval of Exempt Minutes

To receive for approval the exempt minutes of the Community Environment & Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee of 27 January 2016.   

 

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