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The committee considered the 2025 council housing tenant satisfaction survey and asked for a progress report in six months. It also noted the Audit Wales review of the road maintenance programme and the council's management response, and it agreed its forward work programme.
The Committee considered two reports from the Head of Highways and Environmental Services: the 2025/26 performance review of the waste and recycling service, and a review of charges for recycling containers. For containers, it asked officers to explore more options, including 'swap out' sites, and to give clearer financial information before any charging proposal goes to Cabinet. It also agreed its forward work programme, with some additions and a wider scope for the road maintenance review.
The Communities Scrutiny Committee held a special meeting on 29 July 2026 to review a call-in of a decision by the Head of Housing and Communities Service to approve submitting a planning application for a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site. A call-in lets non-Cabinet councillors ask scrutiny to review a decision before it takes effect. The Committee resolved to refer the decision back to the decision maker, recommending that it be treated as a key decision for Cabinet, and recommended that Cabinet should be the decision maker on the planning application.
The Communities Scrutiny Committee met on 2 July 2026. It appointed Councillor Cheryl Williams as Vice-Chair for 2026 to 2027, reviewed how the council checks temporary accommodation for homeless people, and agreed changes to its forward work programme. On accommodation, the Committee said the checks and the Rapid Rehousing Plan were satisfactory and asked for a further report within three months on provider compliance.
Cancelled
The committee considered a report on how well Denbighshire's parking enforcement works, and options to increase it, including two more Civil Enforcement Officers. Members asked for longer-term car park data, more targeted enforcement, and better ways for the public to report parking problems. The committee also agreed its forward work programme.
The Communities Scrutiny Committee considered how Denbighshire checks temporary accommodation for homeless people, the performance of the Youth Service, and its own work programme. The Committee confirmed that the council's policies and checks for temporary accommodation were satisfactory and asked for a further report within six months. It also agreed its work programme and asked for an update on the Youth Service in November 2026.
The committee considered three items: a site assessment for a permanent Gypsy and Traveller site, the proposed council rent rise for 2026/27, and its forward work programme. On the site, members did not accept that Site A was the only suitable option, and asked officers to look at another site. The committee noted the rent report and recommended it to Cabinet, and agreed its work programme.
The Committee considered three reports on 16 October 2025 and agreed its forward work programme. It noted the plans for the Royal Alexandra Hospital development in Rhyl, and asked that its concerns on the proposed public toilet savings go to Cabinet before any decision. It also recommended that local ward members be consulted before any change to end of lane waste collections.
The committee considered a Gypsy and Traveller site assessment, the planning compliance function, and a proposed enclosed beaver trial at Green Gates Nature Reserve, St Asaph, and agreed its forward work programme. On the Gypsy and Traveller site it met in private and asked for more work with local members before making any recommendation. On planning compliance it agreed to keep the current Charter and asked for an options appraisal on more staff within six months, and on the beaver trial it confirmed it had read the papers, with no vote on the project itself recorded.
The Communities Scrutiny Committee met on 26 June 2025 and appointed Councillor Brian Jones as Vice-Chair. It supported a plan to raise Council Tax premiums on long-term empty homes and add two relief categories for new owners, and the plan goes to full Council on 8 July 2025. It agreed two recommendations on end of lane waste collections and asked for a further waste policy report, and it asked for a business case on the size of the parking enforcement team.
The committee considered a report on the support available to council tenants during a power cut or other emergency, and noted it. It also noted its forward work programme and deferred the appointment of a Vice-Chair until 26 June 2025.
The committee scrutinised the Draft Local Toilet Strategy and the savings proposal for public toilets, which the report says would close toilets in towns with no identified need. It noted the options for each toilet and recommended further talks with town and community councils. It also deferred the vice-chair appointment to 15 May 2025 and received an update on Rhyl regeneration, with a further report to follow.
The committee reviewed the recycling and waste collection service, the Car Park Investment Plan, the Housing and Homelessness Strategy Action Plan, council house disposals and its work programme. It agreed to bring a further waste update back on 15 May and to consult all members on changes to the end of lane collection policy. It also noted the car park plan, received and approved the housing action plan, received the disposals report and agreed its work programme with two changes.
The Communities Scrutiny Committee considered planning enforcement, the proposed 2.7% council housing rent rise for 2025/26, and its work programme. It endorsed a revised planning compliance charter and asked that local members receive updates on enforcement notices in their wards. The minute records that it agreed the content of the rent report and commended the housing service's work.
The committee scrutinised the new weekly trollibocs recycling service, which has caused missed collections since its June launch, and the extra vehicles and staff planned to fix it. It asked for a member briefing and a report back in early 2025. It also agreed its forward work programme, with changes to several items.
The committee appointed Councillor Karen Edwards as Vice-Chair for 2024/25 and considered four reports: the Single Access Route to Housing (SARTH), the council's housing register service; tree maintenance and management; highway grids and gullies; and the Local Area Energy Plan. It was assured that SARTH was meeting expectations, noted the tree report, confirmed its approach to highway drainage, gave feedback on the energy plan and agreed its forward work programme.
Cancelled
The Committee considered a report on the housing maintenance voids process, which covers how empty council homes are prepared for new tenants, and asked for further reports on empty properties and council tax, and on selling ex-council homes. It also agreed its forward work programme, with three extra items added.
The committee looked at a proposal to remove the council's budget for public toilets, and asked for a fuller report before Cabinet decides. It also received an update on the Rhyl Regeneration Programme and asked for a further update in October 2024. It agreed its forward work programme.
The Committee considered the draft Car Park Investment Plan for 2024 to 2029, a five-year programme of repairs, resurfacing and new facilities for the council's car parks. Members noted the plan and asked for an annual review. The Committee also considered two housing reports on tenancy management and tenant satisfaction, and noted both.
Five councillors had called in the decision, a process that asks scrutiny to review it before it takes effect. The Committee voted eight to two, with one abstention, to refer the decision back to Cabinet and to recommend that it be postponed until alternative funding had been explored.
The Committee considered the proposed rent increase for council housing tenants in 2024/25 and reviewed its forward work programme. It agreed the content of the rent report and commended the positive work carried out. It deferred the Rhyl regeneration item to a later meeting.
The committee discussed three reports on 19 October 2023: proposed car park tariff increases, progress on the new waste service, and a revised Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment. It supported the car park increases subject to further work, acknowledged progress on the waste service, and recommended that Cabinet approve the revised Gypsy and Traveller assessment for resubmission to Welsh Government.
The Committee considered an update on how adult social care has engaged with Care Forum Wales and care providers over care fees. It confirmed it had read the report and asked for a further update in six months. It also confirmed its forward work programme and heard feedback from committee representatives.
The committee appointed Councillor Karen Edwards as Vice Chair and received an update on the new waste service, including the new collection for absorbent hygiene products and changes for households that receive a non-standard collection. It also appointed Councillor Jon Harland to a service challenge group and received its forward work programme.
The Communities Scrutiny Committee considered a draft Tourism Signage Plan for Denbighshire and a report on flood risk management. The committee asked for a progress report on the tourism plan in six months and agreed to support a new council working group on the flood risk strategy. It also confirmed its forward work programme and appointed three members to Service Challenge Groups.
The committee considered three reports: the mistreatment of dogs and dog sales, the Denbighshire Moorlands Project, and the remodelling of the waste service. It supported the council's work on dog breeding, endorsed progress on the moorland project and asked officers to keep local councillors updated. It noted progress on the new waste service, with deliveries of new containers from November 2023 and kerbside sorting from March 2024.
The Committee reviewed a 'call-in', a request for scrutiny to look again at a decision before it takes effect, of Cabinet's decision to accept all the recommendations of the Regional Fee Setting Group on care fees. It decided not to refer that decision back to Cabinet, so Cabinet can now put it into effect. It also deferred a report on the mistreatment of dogs and confirmed its work programme.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.