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 set out in Appendix 2 of this report.