To receive apologies for absence from Members.

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members and Officer:-

Apologies for absence were received from the following Members/Officer:-

Councillor JE Lewis

Councillor D Lewis

Councillor P James

Councillor D Sage

Councillor E Venables

Councillor EP Foley

Councillor GW Davies MBE

Councillor D Pugh

Councillor DBF White

R Hemingway

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 item 8, in that she was a Trustee of Y Dderwen Community Enterprise, a Trust established to run the facilities at Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen. Councillor Patel left the meeting whilst this item was being considered.

To receive for approval the minutes of a meeting of Council dated 27 July 2016

RESOLVED:                  That the Minutes of a meeting of Council dated 27 July 2016 be approved as a true and accurate record.

 (i) Mayor (or person presiding)

(ii) Members of the Cabinet

(iii) Chief Executive

The Mayor

The Mayor stated that as we head towards shorter days and darker evenings he hoped that all those present had a good and restful summer.

One of the privileges that he enjoyed as part of his Mayoral year was to be invited to attend any Royal visits that take place within the County Borough.  In the last couple of weeks he and his Consort, had the pleasure of meeting Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester during her visit to the Sandville Self Help Centre.  It was wonderful to visit the centre and witness all the great work that was being done there, and heartening to see how much time the Duchess spent with all the children, ensuring that it was a special day they would never forget.

They also had the pleasure of meeting his Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex on his visit to Parc Prison.  The Earl was visiting the prison as part of the celebration of the diamond anniversary of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme, and he presented certificates to young fathers who have taken part in a unique project which brings together prisoners and their families, and promotes positive family engagement. It was encouraging to learn what a transformative effect this project has had on so many families.

Another privilege that he enjoyed as Mayor, was visiting some of BCB’s local businesses to see what they do and meet their workforce. Therefore, along with Ieuan Sherwood, the Council’s Natural Resources Manager, he was recently taken on an interesting and informative tour of Rockwool in Pencoed. He planned to continue these visits to other businesses over the coming weeks.

Fundraising for his charities continued announced the Mayor, and the next event would be a concert in Brynteg Comprehensive School on Wednesday 12th October.  The event will include local youth choirs and a guest artist. Tickets were £6.00 each and as always can be obtained via Mari Major.

Deputy Leader   

The Deputy Leader advised that Bryntirion Infant School recently achieved the National Quality Award from the Welsh Network of Healthy School Schemes.

This prestigious award is assessed across seven different topics which cover food and fitness, mental and emotional health and wellbeing, personal development and relationships, substance use and misuse, the environment, safety and hygiene. Inspectors have praised the school for the way in which it fully involves pupils in each of these topics, and provided valuable feedback that will help the school maintain and develop their excellent approach.

He was sure Members would join him in offering congratulations to pupils, teachers, governors and staff at Bryntirion Infant School.

The Deputy Leader had been delighted to see some of the best GCSE and A-Level results that Bridgend County Borough has ever had over the summer. GCSE students achieving at least five A* - C grades in both English (or Welsh First Language) and Mathematics increased to 61.1 per cent, which is a 2.3 per cent rise on last year’s results, while 98.3 per cent  ...  view the full minutes text for item 665.

The Leader announced that as colleagues were aware, he was stepping down as Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council, and therefore, this would be the last time that he addressed them in this role.

Having led the Council for over eight years, he believed that he had reached the point where he had achieved all that he could.

The Leader stated that he started work as a fifteen year old teenager, and that he was already almost ten years past the official retirement age now. So with his 74th birthday up and coming, he felt that it was now time to enjoy whatever retirement he may have left.

He had been touched by the sheer number of messages that he had received from colleagues, well-wishers, Welsh Government ministers, fellow Leaders at other authorities and from the many partner organisations that we worked with.

He stated that he had been truly honoured to have led this authority during one of the most difficult periods in local government history.

When the Government’s austerity measures were announced and the full extent of the local government funding shortfalls started to make themselves known, in many ways BCBC was already well prepared.

Other authorities were suddenly faced with having to close down libraries and leisure centres, but thanks to some prudent and forward-thinking by management, the Authority were able to attract fresh investment to transform its sports and swimming centres because we had already formed partnerships with the likes of Halo, etc.

The Leader advised that this approach of effective partnership and collaboration would be increasingly central to how the Council operated in future, especially if the proposals outlined by Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford came into fruition.

None of this is to say that BCBC did not face having to make difficult decisions of course, but Bridgend had certainly been progressive in its adoption of a lot of practices which are now becoming more commonly accepted elsewhere.

This attitude was going to become increasingly important as greater emphasis is placed on collaboration with other authorities and organisations. As an Authority, we had to show how we can work together, and the Leader believed that initiatives such as the established Regulatory Services Partnership or the ongoing City Deal demonstrate how this can be achieved as much as our work in setting something up like the Awen Cultural Trust did.

When he considered what else the Council has achieved over the years, there are any number of things that he was proud of, such as the introduction of Extra Care into the area, the striking work that has given a fresh lease of life to Porthcawl Marina or Maesteg’s outdoor market, our recognition of the local armed forces community and much, much more he added.

Notwithstanding the above, the Leader confirmed that perhaps he was most proud of BCBC’s incredibly successful school modernisation programme, the highlight of which was seeing the old school that he himself attended become a new, multi-million pound modern facility. 

When he  ...  view the full minutes text for item 666.

It was moved and duly seconded, that Councillor HJ David be nominated Leader of the Council. As there were no further nominations, it was

RESOLVED:                  That Councillor HJ David be appointed Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council.

The newly elected Leader confirmed that he was very humbled and grateful for the support of Members in his appointment, and that he would be speaking in greater detail regarding this at a future meeting. He added that there was no greater privilege or responsibility in local democracy to take the lead on striving to improve a County Borough’s communities, and to that end, he pledged that he would give his utmost and work with each and every Member of the Authority, in order to not just maintain but to secure further improvements for Bridgend’s citizens and businesses in the future.

  The Chief Executive presented a report, the purpose of which, was to present the Council’s Annual Report 2015-16, which consisted of Appendices A and Appendix B of the report, for Council to consider and approve.

He advised that the report concentrated upon performance for the previous financial year against the Council’s former priorities, with a view to focusing on making improvements. He added that the Annual Report concentrated in the main on the Council’s financial performance as well as performance outcomes and indicators.

The Chief Executive wished Members to note, that the Performance Indicators were just that, ie indicators as opposed to being information that was finite.

He pointed out that there were 58 Commitments contained within the Annual Report and that 76% of these had been fully completed. A further 20% had marginally missed being completed, with only 2 of the 58 not being fulfilled.

He added that the Annual Report also evaluated the Council’s performance against 41 national indicators, this area showed an improving picture when compared to the previous year ie 2014-15. This made for positive reading, in that it reflected that the Council last year were the second most improved local authority in Wales.

The Chief Executive added that the documents attached to the report were important, as they provided citizens and stakeholders with detailed information about the Council’s performance against its planned improvement priorities and outcomes for citizens.

He concluded his submission, by confirming that once approved, the Annual Report would be published on the Council’s website and shared with stakeholders. It would also be translated into welsh. Hard copies of the Report would also be made available to the public in Council’s libraries, with a separate summary of this being prepared to highlight key points in the Council’s performance.

A Member referred to page 23 of the Report and the bottom paragraph of the final column on this page, and asked if the new routes and upgrading of existing routes referred to as part of the Footpath network, were footpaths that could be accessed by the public and Ramblers etc.

The Corporate Director Communities advised that this was the case.

The Member also noted that the document referred to would be made available bilingually and asked how much this would cost to do so. She also asked how much it would cost, as an estimate, to produce reports for all Committees bilingually, should this eventually transpire

The Corporate Director Operational and Partnership Services responded by stating that the Annual Report had not as yet been translated. However, as the Chief Executive had earlier confirmed, this would be undertaken at an approximate cost of £986, though this cost did not include advertisement and web site translation costs. He did not know the answer to the Members second part of the question, though he added that he would endeavor to get an estimate of this, albeit based upon previous Committee send out costs.

A Member referred to page 56 of the report, and the performance indicator  ...  view the full minutes text for item 668.

The Chief Executive submitted a report in order to obtain approval from Council for a revised capital programme for 2016-17 to 2025-26.

By way of background information, he reminded Members that in March 2016, Council approved a capital programme for 2015-16 to 2025-26 of £163.774m, as part of the Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). This was amended through reports to Cabinet and Council in May and July 2016, to reflect funding changes to some schemes, slippage from 2015-16, additional external approvals and new capital investment requirements identified. The latest capital programme as approved by Council, was attached to the report at Appendix 1 for Members information.

The Chief Executive confirmed that reports to Cabinet and Council in May, highlighted that Officers were working with the Welsh Government on updating the project costs and funding profiles for individual schemes in the 21st Century Schools Programme. Where changes had been identified following rigorous feasibility work, revised Strategic Outline Programmes (SOPs) had been submitted to Welsh Government for approval for additional funding to meet the increased costs. However, as stated in the May reports, this also required the Council to provide additional matched funding to enable the schemes to be completed. Approval was provided for additional funding for Mynydd Cynffig Primary school in July 2016, and a report was presented to Cabinet in September outlining a virement of £1.2 million from the 21^st Century Schools scheme to provide for children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to the Garw Valley South scheme. There was one further scheme within Band A of the 21st Century Schools Programme, where the total scheme envelope had increased from the current profile in the capital programme, and further detail on this scheme was contained in the report. In addition, there were a number of other schemes which required amendment or consolidation within the capital programme, and these were also detailed in the report (as shown below). The Chief Executive gave an explanation as to the reasons why this had been deemed necessary:-

Schemes

·         Pencoed Primary School

·         Garw Valley South Primary School

·         Multi-Purpose Hub at Coleg Cymunedol y Dderwen (CCYD)

·         Community Route between Pencoed and Heol y Cyw

·         Land at Aberfield Playing Fields

A Member referred to paragraph 4.5 of the report and the Community Route between Pencoed and Heol y Cyw, and asked Officers for an explanation where the Section 106 monies so referred to originated from, as the route was currently being used by large wood chip lorries going to/coming from Heol y Cyw (Rockwool site). He specifically asked if the road improvement scheme was in any way linked to this.

The Corporate Director Communities confirmed that a report on this issue had been presented to a meeting of Cabinet in September 2016, and he explained that the original agreement related to a specific element of the community route introduced in 2008, and that the Section 106 Agreement in respect of this had been previously agreed with Rockwool.

   RESOLVED:                   That Council approved the revised Capital Programme as  ...  view the full minutes text for item 669.

The Chief Executive presented a report, the purpose of which, was to comply with the requirement of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy ‘ Treasury Management in the Public Services: Code of Practice’ (the Code) to report an overview of treasury activities for the preceding financial year. The item also reported on the actual Treasury Management and Prudential Indicators for 2015-16.

He confirmed that the Council’s Treasury Management activities were regulated by the Local Government Act 2003 which provides the powers to borrow and invest as well as providing controls and limits on this activity. The Local Authorities (Capital Finance and Accounting) (Wales) Regulations 2003 as amended, develops the controls and powers within the Act. This requires the Council to undertake any borrowing activity with regard to the CIPFA Prudential Code for Capital Finance in Local Authorities and to operate the overall treasury function with regard to the CIPFA Code of Practice for Treasury Management in the Public Services.

The Chief Executive confirmed that the Annual Report covered the following areas for the period 205-16:-

•           The Council’s  treasury position

•           Treasury Risk Management

•           Borrowing Strategy & Outturn

•           Investment Strategy & Outturn

•           Performance Measurement

•           Review of the Treasury Management Strategy

•           Reporting Arrangements

•           Treasury Management and Prudential Indicators

Paragraph 4.1.1 then detailed in tabular form, the treasury position for 2015-16. The figures shown in this table and throughout the report were based on the actual amounts borrowed and invested, and so may differ from those in the Statement of Accounts which included accrued interest or were stated at fair value in different instances.

The Chief Executive then gave a breakdown and explanation of the information detailed in the above mentioned table, along the lines as was detailed in paragraphs 4.1.3 to 4.1.5. He informed Members, that the Council’s Treasury Management function had been reviewed by the Council’s External Auditors, Wales Audit Office, during their 2015-16 annual audit, and no adjustments relating to treasury management had been identified. Furthermore he added, Internal Audit had carried out their own audit of this area of work, and as a result, they had given an opinion of substantial assurance in respect of the Treasury Management function.

The Chief Executive then gave a resume of the subsequent sections of the report which related to:-

1.    Treasury Risk Management;

2.    Borrowing Strategy and Outturn 2015-16;

3.    Investment Strategy and Outturn 2015-16;

4.    Performance Management 2015-16;

5.    Review of the Treasury Management Strategy 2015-16; and

6.    Reporting Arrangements 2015-16

He then advised Council that the Treasury Management Code and Prudential Code, required the Council to set and report on a number of Treasury Management and Prudential Indicators. Details were shown in Appendix A of the estimated indicators for 2015-16, as detailed in the Treasury Management Strategy 2015-16 approved by Council on 25 February 2015, the revised projection (where applicable) as set out in the Treasury Management Strategy 2016-17 approved by Council on 10 March 2016, and the actual indicators for 2015-16. The  ...  view the full minutes text for item 670.

The Monitoring Officer submitted a report, the purpose of which, was to inform Members of any information reports presented for noting since the last ordinary meeting. 

RESOLVED:                    That Council noted the report, and in particular, the information report detailed in paragraph 4.1 of the covering report.

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