(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 of A-Level students bucked the national trend and passed their exams, 76.6 percent of which achieved grades of A* to C, which was again an increase on last year. This was a fantastic result and one which demonstrated the ongoing importance of BCBC’s school modernisation programme, and he  extended his thanks to all concerned.

 

Estyn praised two local primary schools for best practice recently. St Mary’s RC Primary was singled out for its innovative teaching techniques which are designed to develop thinking and memory skills.

 

One of the Welsh Government’s curriculum ‘pioneer’ schools, St Mary’s has been working with the University of Exeter since 2012 and contributes to its research in the field of cognitive development. Estyn has commented that the work has the potential to have a significant impact on standards, that a common language of learning has been employed, that pupils completing Key Stage Two are mature and sophisticated learners, and that the school’s monitoring processes indicate that pupils’ rate of progress as they move through the school is transformational.

 

On entry to the Foundation Phase, 17% of pupils have low levels of English and only 76% at expected levels in literacy and numeracy. By the end of Key Stage Two, 98% achieved at least the expected levels.

 

Meanwhile, Brackla Primary School had been praised for using family engagement to drive up standards in literacy and numeracy. The school holds family workshops focusing on the teaching of reading and mental calculations, and has forged links with Bridgend College to offer free basic and advanced literacy and numeracy classes for parents. Estyn has commented that family engagement is now a fully embedded whole-school strategy, and has helped break down barriers to learning with improvements in school attendance as well as performance.

 

This is pioneering stuff, and I’m sure that members will congratulate the hard work and innovation that is taking place at both schools.

 

Finally, the Deputy Leader reminded Members that around 3,000 children and adults representing local schools, colleges and clubs will be taking part in a ‘proclamation procession’ through Bridgend town centre this Saturday.

This will mark the official countdown to the Urdd National Eisteddfod which is being held in the County Borough next summer.

 

The colourful parade will start at 11:30am and will feature marching brass and samba bands, circus performers and more. It will move from Bridgend College through the town to Newbridge Fields, where there will be lots of entertainment, activities and stalls for people to enjoy up until about 2:30pm.

 

The Urdd National Eisteddfod will offer a unique opportunity to showcase our heritage, our future, and the amazing talents of our young people, and is expected to attract up to 100,000 visitors in total, so he was sure Members would give this important event their support.

 

Cabinet Member Communities

 

The Cabinet Member Communities announced that the Council was working alongside traders within Bridgend town centre and South Wales Police on a new initiative that was designed to combat anti-social and criminal behaviour.

 

Called the Database and Intranet for Safer Communities, or DISC for short, this online system provides pubs, clubs and shops with a way of identifying shoplifters, vandals and other offenders by means of a rogue’s gallery that they can securely access.

 

This could be used to alert other businesses of any issues that may be taking place, enable businesses to share missing person alerts or news of any upcoming events in the town centre, keep everyone updated on latest criminal tactics or report incidents of suspicious behaviour, the use of fake IDs, graffiti, vandalism and more.

 

Nearly 40 businesses have signed up to the initiative, which can be accessed either through a computer or via a smartphone ‘app’.

 

This initiative had already proven to be effective in reducing crime at other town centres in areas such as Cardiff, Newport, Barry and Merthyr, and could also be used to share missing person alerts and news of any upcoming events in the town centre.

 

The Cabinet Member was sure that Members would agree, that this is a very welcome addition which will make Bridgend town centre even safer for traders and shoppers alike. It was also an excellent use of modern technology, and would greatly assist the work of the Police in preventing crime.

 

Funding was in place to introduce this in Maesteg and Porthcawl over the next few months, and she hoped that this would prove to be a big success.

 

 

Cabinet Member Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing

 

The Cabinet Member Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing advised Members at the last meeting of Council, that as part of plans for establishing new Extra Care facilities in Maesteg and at Ynysawdre, an open day was due to be held.

 

This took place recently at the Heronston Hotel and he was happy to report that it was a big success.

 

The event was well-attended and included 21 families as well as a number of carers who were there to represent 12 of our existing residents.

 

They were able to view a short film made especially for the event by the Council’s Communications and Adult Social Care teams which explained what Extra Care is and why we want to establish two new homes. It also gave residents of existing homes run in Newport by Linc Cymru a chance to describe their own experiences of Extra Care.

 

There were a number of positive comments at the end of the event. One attendee stated that they found the proposals “very interesting”. The layout of the buildings appeared to provide for companionship and independence with integration into the community. He confirmed that he looked forward to seeing this venture in operation. Another person commented that “I was very impressed with the new Extra Care facilities, and think it will benefit residents in the future with a lot more independence and privacy.”

 

The Cabinet Member Adult Social Care and Health and Wellbeing was sure that Members with long memories will know that this was a far cry from the reaction to the first time Extra Care was introduced in the County Borough at Troed Y Ton, and was a sure sign of how this modern way of caring has been accepted and acknowledge as the future of care in the County Borough.

 

He was looking forward to seeing the plans for the new Extra Care facilities develop, and would bring Members some further news in the not too distant future.

 

Cabinet Member Children’s Social Services and Equalities

 

The Cabinet Member Children’s Social Services and Equalities confirmed that next Monday will be World Mental Health Day, and this would be marked by Mental Health Matters Wales in Bridgend County Borough in two different ways.

 

Firstly, Carnegie Hall will host an exhibition of words and imagery on 8 October. Called ‘Living with Mental Illness’, this will raise awareness of the everyday issues faced by people affected by mental health.

 

MHM Wales were also holding two events for World Mental Health Day, one on the 8 October 2016 and another on the 10 October 2016.

 

Secondly, Mental Health Matters Wales will be based at the Civic Offices on 10 October with an information stand based within the customer services centre. They’ll be raising awareness and offering expert advice and support to staff and visitors to the Council

 

The Cabinet Member Children’s Social Services and Equalities was sure that Members would show their support for both of these events.

 

Cabinet  Member Resources

 

The Cabinet Member Resources advised Members that as part of BCBC’s  efforts to mark this year’s Local Democracy Week, two free events were being organised, designed to inform people on what it means to be a County Borough Councillor, how different Council departments function and more besides.

 

The response had for these evenings had been excellent, and almost a hundred people have registered for the two sessions. They were intended to be suitable for people with no political experience as well as members of parties or independent candidates.

 

When the Council held a similar event in 2011, he had been reliably informed that around 10 of the attendees went on to become Councillors and are still here with us today, including Cabinet Member Councillor Reeves.

 

The sessions will be held here in the Council Chamber at 6pm on 11 and 12 October, and he was sure they would offer an excellent way of enhancing people’s understanding of local democracy in the Bridgend County Borough.

 

Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development

 

The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development advised that work was underway at the Jennings Building in Porthcawl on an eight-month project that is creating create jobs, delivering new waterfront facilities and bringing the prominent Grade II listed building back into public use.

Workers from Wales-based developers ABA Holdings have started transforming the Jennings Building and Customs House the Council granted a long-term lease on the property.

 

The ground floor will offer several new commercial units including a 5,000 sq ft theatre-style kitchen restaurant and bar complete with a full-height atrium, and the upper level will feature 13 ‘live-work’ units complete with loft bedrooms that will enable occupants to live and work on site.

 

 All 13 of the live-work units have already been taken up, and the businesses that will occupy the restaurant and other commercial units will be announced as soon as negotiations are complete.

 

More than 30 jobs will be created during the construction phase of the project, and when complete, a further 50 positions will be established throughout the revamped premises.

 

ABA Holdings have demonstrated a strong track record when it comes to redeveloping listed and historic buildings, especially with their work on the Grade II Pump House in Barry, or the redevelopment at St Fagans’ National History Museum.

 

The Cabinet Member Regeneration and Economic Development had every confidence that the new-look Jennings Building and Customs House was going to be a first-class facility within Porthcawl’s harbour quarter, and will serve in the future as a major focal point for visitors, tourists and residents alike.

 

Chief Executive

 

The Chief Executive announced that almost 180 representatives of the local business community gathered recently for the 2016 Bridgend Business Forum Awards. This was the fourth time that the awards have been staged and he was happy to report that it was a major success.

The Bridgend Business of the Year award was presented to The Food Shed, an enterprise that offers a meal delivery service across Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot. They helped support healthy and independent living and have developed a partnership with HMI Parc Prison to provide training, qualifications and work experience to prisoners to help them with employment opportunities on release, so this was a well-deserved award.

Among the other awards was a new category called The Patron’s Commendation Award which was presented to long-standing local business Spectrum Technologies by the Patron of the Bridgend Business Forum, Carwyn Jones AM.

 

The awards demonstrated what a rich and diverse range of businesses we have here in the County Borough, both older organisations and newer enterprises, and he congratulated everyone who helped to organise the event.

 

The Chief Executive also drew Members’ attention to several important consultations that are due to close between now and December.

 

They include the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, the Household Waste additional allowance scheme, the Bridgend Town Centre access survey, a Childcare sufficiency assessment and Understanding demand for Welsh medium education.

 

In addition the Authority would be opening its budget consultation on line today and in libraries, following up in a few days time with a children’s version of the survey to ensure the Council picked up younger residents.  This was all in addition to the citizens panel, public meetings and on line discussions.

 

More details are featured in the edition of BridgeMembers which Members will have received before today’s meeting.

 

He hoped that Members would encourage their constituents to take part in these consultations so they can have their say.

 

Local Government Secretary Mark Drakeford outlined his vision for the future of local government at the Senedd yesterday, with a clear move towards service delivery on a regional and partnership basis.

 

Two potential models were currently being looked at, one that is based around city regions and which covers strategic transport, land-use planning and economic development, and another that is aligned to health boards for services such as educational improvement, social services and public protection.

 

That of course still didn’t address a fundamental issue for Bridgend, as these footprints are mutually exclusive for us. More problematic is that our successful and well established education collaboration and our public protection collaboration are consistent with the city region footprint whilst the social care collaboration is not.

 

This does cause confusion and uncertainty for staff and BCBC’s partners, and he was aware that Cabinet were intending to highlight these points with both the minister and the WLGA. 

 

Notwithstanding that, the thrust towards regional collaboration is entirely consistent with what BCBC had been doing and proposes to continue to do, in order to deliver the best possible outcomes for its citizens.

 

Monitoring Officer

 

The Monitoring Officer announced that with the consent of the Chairperson of the Committee, it was proposed to amend future dates/times of meetings of the Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee, as follows:-

 

Present Date:                                          Proposed Revised Date:

 

8 November 2016 - 10.00am                 15 November 2016 – 2.00pm

21 February 2017 – 10.00am                 7 February 2017 – 2.00pm

21 March 2017 – 10.00am                     13 March 2017 – 2.00pm

 

He added that the meeting scheduled for 14 December 2016 at 10.00am would remain unaltered