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 of children placed on the Child Protection Register along with significant reductions in the numbers of looked-after children, referrals to social services and more.

The Leader announced that at the other end of the spectrum, despite increasing demand for adult social care services, there was a 40.8% increase in the number of people who have been able to continue to live at home thanks to support from the community resources team.  There had also been recorded a reduction in the number of people requiring support within the community as well as within residential care homes.

The Leader announced that just 13% of all waste was sent to landfill last year against a Welsh average of 29%, making the Council the fourth best area in Wales.  However, he reminded Members that the way in which waste is collected, processed and recycled needs to change in order to meet strict new targets.  He stated that the public consultation on this drew the largest response for any the Council has carried out to date.  The plans that have come out of that process are currently under development, and will be presented in greater detail in due course.

The Leader announced that across the County Borough, there is a multi- million pound regeneration programme in place, which is continuing to deliver major projects such as a replacement car park and affordable accommodation at the Rhiw in Bridgend, or the refurbishment and relaunch of the Pilot Lookout Tower, Customs House, former Knight’s Arms Public House and Grade II listed Jennings Building at Porthcawl.

The Leader announced that in terms of planning and property, the Council is the best in Wales for the speed with which all planning applications are determined as well as how quickly enforcement action is undertaken.  He stated that more than £10million in capital receipts for the sale of surplus assets had been delivered.  The Wales Audit Office had commented that the Council has an effective approach to corporate asset management, and is on course to achieve its long term goals.  The Wales Audit Office had also found that the Council has an effective corporate framework in place for financial planning, effective financial controls, strong financial management and a good track record of spending to budget.  The Wales Audit Office had recognised that 28 areas of good practice had been identified within Legal and Regulatory Services. 

The Wales Audit Office had concluded from its corporate assessment that the authority has effective governance arrangements.  It also stated that Cabinet Members are fully engaged in developing vision and options for change and the Council’s performance management arrangements are helping to drive improvement in key service areas.  The corporate assessment also stated that while the Council faced significant financial challenges, it has sound financial and asset management arrangements in place which will help resilience being maintained.  The Leader stated that despite the financial constraints placed upon the Council, it has achieved a lot that it can be rightly proud of.

The Leader informed Members that looking towards the future, the Council has identified supporting a successful economy, helping people to be more self-reliant and a smarter use of resources as being the key activities that will enable the Council to operate effectively, support improvement and deliver change.  He announced that the Medium Term Financial Strategy, Corporate Plan and Change Programme are all in place to drive this forward as the Council seeks to deliver further multi-million pound savings through internal efficiencies, collaborative projects, contract renegotiations and the transfer of specific services to partner organisations.

The Leader informed Council that preparations are underway to transfer staff based at Ravens Court over to the Civic Offices, and it was hoped that some excellent news could be delivered on how the Ravens Court premises will be used in future.

The Leader also announced that the Council remains ambitious for the County Borough, and over the coming year will be investing in a number of significant initiatives.  These include new sea defences at Porthcawl, developing Maesteg Town Hall into a cultural hub and library, creating two new Extra Care facilities for the County Borough at Maesteg and Ynysawdre, establishing a new household recycling centre at Pyle, and improving traffic and transport safety outside eleven local schools.  The Council will also be carrying out key works such as strengthening the A4061 bridge in the Ogmore Valley, refurbishing buildings at Heronsbridge to enable the provision of 52-week residential services for children with disabilities, modernising the Homecare service with new technology, and developing a new state of the art system that has the potential to cheaply heat local homes and businesses.

The Leader informed Council that the budget for highways repairs has been maintained, as have Disabled Facility Grants and Housing Renewal Schemes.  The budget for match-funding initiatives proposed by town and community councils has been increased in order to support the transfer of community assets.  He stated the Council will continue to find new ways of meeting the needs of local communities, and where possible will draw on the strengths and abilities that they already possess. 

The Leader informed Council that the Regulatory Services partnership with Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan was now well established, and Awen’s management of the cultural hubs and libraries is making great progress.  He continued to have high hopes for Awen, and wanted it to be able to deliver the same kind of success and benefits that are being seen via the innovative partnership with Halo Leisure, which has been a huge success.

The Leader informed Council that he is ably backed by his Cabinet colleagues and as always was grateful for their unwavering support, and he acknowledged their dedication and commitment.  He stated there would be some changes to the Cabinet structure for the year ahead, in that Councillor Mike Gregory would no longer serve as a Cabinet portfolio holder.  He publicly thanked him for his valuable contribution and selfless public service.  He and fellow Cabinet Members are extremely grateful to Councillor Gregory for the support and advice he has provided.  Councillor Gregory had contributed hugely towards the Council, and the Leader was sure that Members would join him in recognising and applauding this.

The Leader announced that taking over the Resources Portfolio will be Councillor Hywel Williams, who has done sterling work over the last year with the Communities portfolio.  He stated that Councillor Ceri Reeves will be joining Cabinet for the first time to handle the Communities portfolio, and he had every confidence in her ability to look after this important area of the Council’s work.  With no further changes, Councillor Phil White will continue to be responsible for adult social services, Councillor Charles Smith will look after regeneration and economic development, and Councillor Hailey Townsend will be responsible for children’s social services and equalities issues.  Finally, Councillor Huw David will continue to serve as Deputy Leader, and will have a special responsibility for schools and educational issues.  The Leader was confident that this team will be able to continue the good work that has already taken place, and will help steer the authority through the challenges that lay before the Council with a steady hand.

The Leader thanked the outgoing Mayor, Councillor Richard Young, his consort Mrs Annette Young, Youth Mayor Daniel Butlin and Deputy Youth Mayor Cari Burns for carrying out their duties in such a professional manner.  The Leader also added his appreciation for the work that all elected Members perform in representing the communities that make up Bridgend County Borough and who are united in their commitment towards working for the benefit of the residents whom they serve. 

The Leader added that he would like nothing better than to be able to stand before Members and say that the year ahead is going to be easy, but unfortunately, did not think that was going to be the case.  He believed that Bridgend County Borough Council is in a state of positive evolution, with it visibly becoming a fitter, more efficient organisation, seeking out and discovering new ways of providing the kinds of services that people rely on.  He stated that the Council already possesses the drive, determination, ambition, skills and experience that this process requires and that by working together, the Council can continue to transform even while moving forward, and ensure that the authority reaches its destination prepared, equipped and ready to tackle what lay ahead.