(i) Mayor (or person presiding)

(ii) Members of the Cabinet

(iii) Interim Chief Executive

Mayor

The Mayor informed Council of the engagements which he and his Consort had attended in the past month which included a charity concert in aid of young carers held at the Sony Theatre, Bridgend, a thanksgiving service marking 30 years since the inception of the Sandville Self Help Trust, the annual Winter Olympage Games and the presentation of certificates at the Military Preparation College awards.  In addition, the Mayor and Consort had also attended the Porthcawl School production of the show ‘Oliver’, the Holocaust service in Cardiff, building excellence awards, Citizenship awards judging, the Launch of the Welsh veterans awards Cardiff, Reading café at Bryntirion infants and the Employment Bridgend Launch. 

Deputy Leader

The Deputy Leader informed Council of the progress being made to create a new community facility at the Nantymoel Boys and Girls Club, which involved the creation of a charitable trust, with the facility being launched officially later this week.  The facility will provide a permanent base for the community policing team and will also act as the Ogmore Heritage Centre and a visitor attraction to link Bryngarw Country Park via the new Ogmore Heritage Trail.  Bike hire facilities would also be provided at Bryngarw and voice-app information displays along the trail.  He stated that the site of the former Berwyn Centre would also be the location for new public artwork and community seating. 

Cabinet Member Communities    

The Cabinet Member Communities informed Council that Porthcawl residents are being invited to attend a drop-in information session where they can help influence the next phase of work on the town’s flood defences.  Participants will be able to ask questions and offer feedback on the proposals, which support Bridgend County Borough Council’s wider regeneration plans for the town.  The drop-in information session will take place at the Grand Pavilion on Thursday 28 February between 1pm - 7pm. 

He also informed Council that the annual Local Authority Building Control Building Excellence Awards were marked recently to highlight excellent examples of safe, sustainable, innovative high-quality development within the County Borough.  He stated that the Building Control team carry out 7,000 inspections every year and the winners will now go forward to the South Wales regional awards to be held in April.

He hoped Members will welcome the Smart Energy Plan which was approved by Cabinet yesterday.  He stated that the County Borough will be one of only three areas chosen by the UK Government to pioneer low carbon energy schemes with it being estimated that up to £7.4bn could swell the local economy by 2050.  Projects under development include a Bridgend heat network connecting homes and public buildings, and the Caerau Minewater scheme which involves using underground water as a heat source to warm homes in the Llynfi Valley.  The Council is the first local authority in Wales to develop such an energy strategy and is intended to act as a catalyst for Bridgend County Borough to grow into a low carbon innovation zone and work has been undertaken with the Energy Systems Catapult to trial a type of advanced home energy management control, and this could become a common household feature over the next decade.

Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help

The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early Help announced the recent death of Cefn Cribwr Mr Clive Richards who had recently attended the Cabinet Committee Corporate Parenting meeting to discuss his experiences as a long-term foster carer for the authority.  A letter of condolence would be sent to the family of Mr Richards on behalf of the Council.

He also informed Members of the work which has taken place to establish dementia-friendly communities where people are more understanding, tolerant and supportive of the condition.  He was delighted to inform Members that six teenagers from Archbishop McGrath in Brackla had taken the initiative to lead a drive to make their community more accommodating for people living with dementia, completing specialist training, resulting in them becoming recognised as Dementia Champions by the Alzheimer’s Society.  The students are putting this training to good use by raising awareness among their classmates, local businesses and residents.  They had held a local information session and have partnered with the East Integrated Community Network Team, which compromises of staff from the council and ABMU, to hold further sessions and help spread awareness.  He was delighted to hear young people getting involved in in the Dementia Friendly initiative and hoped that Members will show them their support when they visit the Council in March to help mark World Social Work day.

Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations

The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations was delighted with the results of recent public consultation over proposals for establishing a learning resource centre at Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Calon Y Cymoedd for pupils with autistic spectrum disorders.  Consultation was overwhelmingly in favour of developing a facility for pupils with ASD, with Estyn commenting that the proposals demonstrate a clear rationale.  This will be the first Welsh medium primary in the County Borough to feature such a facility and with one already established at Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Llangynwyd, pupils will be able to transition seamlessly while continuing to receive their education in the language of their choice.  She commented that for children with ASD, this is going to be of huge support and will help ease the stress of such change.

The Cabinet Member Wellbeing and Future Generations announced that arrangements are underway for the implementation of the Welsh Government’s new Childcare Offer scheme in Bridgend County Borough. 

Designed to provide financial support towards childcare costs for working parents, the scheme is going to offer thirty hours a week of funded childcare and early education for up to forty-eight weeks of the year.  It will be available to eligible working parents from the term after a child’s third birthday until the September following their fourth birthday.  As children can start school from three-years-old in the County Borough, the biggest benefit of the scheme will be that the offer also extends to childcare during nine weeks of school holidays.  The start date for the scheme will be announced very soon, Members will receive a further update once final details have been confirmed.

Cabinet Member Education and Regeneration

The Cabinet Member Education and Regeneration updated Members on the latest developments with the Watersports Centre in Rest Bay, construction of the centre well underway, and the processing of all submissions received from prospective tenants of the new café bistro, which is based upstairs, and the ice cream kiosk downstairs have been completed, with preferred bids identified.  He would keep Members informed of developments. 

The Cabinet Member Education and Regeneration congratulated budding documentary film makers from Ysgol Bryn Castell who have been working alongside Film Cymru to create a short piece of work about democracy, and are now in the running for a national award.  He stated that their efforts will receive a prestigious screening at the Leicester Square Odeon in London next month where they have been nominated for ‘Best Documentary’ at the ‘Into Film’ awards.  Their film follows a group of young people who outline changes that they intend to make in their lives and follows them as they visit the Council offices to discuss how they can achieve this with Councillors and MPs, and includes a musical interlude.

He announced that Members will be aware that Estyn are due to carry out an inspection of how Bridgend County Borough Council supports schools and the delivery of education.  Their officials are at the Council this week for the preliminary inspection, and will be returning in March to carry out a full inspection.  He commented that education remains one of the main priorities of this Council, and it is proud of the way in which local schools are supported.  Members would receive further details regarding the inspection as soon as the findings are known.

Interim Chief Executive

The Interim Chief Executive announced that the Auditor General had advised that it would be very difficult to plan ahead in the event of a no deal Brexit and accordingly he had established a Project Board to consider those risks.