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Cabinet approved the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026 scheme of delegation and the Annual Equality Report 2025-2026, and recommended to Full Council the interim use of the former St Mary's Primary School site for Greenfield Special School. It also approved the 2025/26 capital budget changes, the repurposing of earmarked reserves and the 2026/27 schools financial risk categories, and noted the Care Inspectorate Wales inspection of the Initial Response Service and the draft Bright Futures Education Strategy, which Full Council will consider in November.
At its meeting, Cabinet considered the Council's quarter 1 performance, risk and finance report, and approved the annual corporate risk report and the annual health and safety enforcement service plan. It also agreed an action plan following Care Inspectorate Wales's May 2026 visit to children's services, and received information reports on Flying Start and local authority school governor appointments.
Cabinet noted and debated the council's progress in bringing empty homes back into use. It also approved the quarter 4 performance, risk and finance report, including moving £1.455 million and £126,000 into reserves, and approved delivery of the £1.5 million Pride in Place Impact Fund and the Food Service Plan 2026/27, noting a resource shortfall for the food plan.
On 1 July 2026 the Cabinet noted and supported two plans to go forward to full Council for approval. These are the annual review of the Statement of Wellbeing and Corporate Wellbeing Plan, and the Annual Delivery Plan 2026/27. The Cabinet also received two reports for information, on local authority governor appointments and children's play areas.
The Cabinet agreed to start the legal process for five changes to traffic rules in Merthyr Tydfil. The fifth would ban loading and unloading outside Cyfarthfa Park Primary School on Brecon Road, and the Cabinet also received an adoption service inspection report for information.
Cancelled
Cabinet considered the Medium-Term Financial Plan for 2026/27 to 2029/30, a four-year budget forecast. The plan projects a budget gap of £18.744 million over the period. Cabinet agreed to recommend the plan and the Capital Strategy to full Council for approval.
It approved and noted the quarter 3 performance, risk and finance report, which projects a net revenue deficit of £643,000 for 2025/26. It received a report on the Adult Services Transformation Programme for information only.
Cabinet considered the council's budget for 2026/27. It accepted the final government funding settlement and recommended to Full Council a net budget of £183.690 million and a 4.95% Council Tax rise. Full Council must set the budget by 11 March 2026.
Cabinet agreed a Buy With Confidence trader approval scheme, new parking restrictions outside Cyfarthfa Park Primary School, and the adoption of seven new roads. It also agreed to begin the process of raising the speed limit to 30mph on four roads, and recommended the Corporate Risk Policy and Strategy to full Council for approval.
Cabinet met on 14 January 2026. It considered the draft 2026/27 revenue budget, which now shows a deficit of £0.509 million, and referred proposed measures to scrutiny committees. It also received four information reports on a children's home inspection, youth services, school results and air quality.
Cabinet considered six substantive reports on 3 December 2025. It noted the Corporate Self-Assessment 2024-25 and agreed to recommend it to Council, and approved progress on the quarter 2 performance, risk and finance monitoring, which projects a deficit. It also approved a lower quorum for the joint committee on adoption and fostering services, set at 40%.
At its meeting on 12 November 2025, Merthyr Tydfil's Cabinet considered three substantive reports. It noted revised assumptions for the 2026/27 budget and recommended the budget timetable to Council, after a request for delegated powers (permission for officers to act without a further Cabinet decision) was removed. It approved a change to the 2025/26 playground programme, replacing Cyfarthfa Park with Glebelands, and received an update on the Empty Property Strategy for information.
On 8 October 2025 Cabinet approved the council's Annual Health and Safety Enforcement Service Plan for 2025/26, and approved the 2025 Annual Monitoring Report on the Local Development Plan for submission to Welsh Government. It also received two reports for information: on the appointment of local authority school governors and on an Estyn inspection of Welsh language immersion arrangements.
Cabinet approved delegated powers for officers to enforce new food promotion, petrol and dangerous substances regulations, an annual equality report, and an application for museum accreditation. It also approved the 2024/25 capital outturn, school financial categories and a new Instrument of Government for Ty Dysgu, and noted a projected £733,000 budget deficit for 2025/26.
Cabinet met on 9 July 2025 to consider reports on empty homes, the 2024-25 budget, children in care, play, health and social care, byways, and a new Welsh-medium primary school. Its main decisions were to approve a new site for the third Welsh-medium primary school, a new Regional Partnership Agreement for older people's care, and traffic orders on several byways. It also approved how the 2024-25 budget surplus is spent.
Cabinet met on 11 June 2025. It approved a Welsh language policy for internal use, a library strategy for 2025 to 2030, the annual corporate risk report for 2024/25 and the Food Service Plan for 2025/26. It also approved or noted plans for forward work programmes and resident consultation, and recommended the outline Transformation Programme to Council for approval.
Cabinet approved budget changes for capital projects, the reinstatement and release of earmarked reserves, delegated enforcement powers for new consumer and single-use vape laws, the quarter 4 corporate risk report, a new Instrument of Government for Taf Bargoed Learning Partnership, and a change to how Additional Support funding is delegated to schools. The meeting, held on 14 May 2025, considered seven items, and no declarations of interest were recorded.
The Cabinet met on 2 April 2025 to consider budget monitoring, capital monitoring, the Medium-Term Financial Plan, well-being and performance documents, school learning resource base classes, young carers and direct payments. It agreed to accept the Month 11 revenue budget report, approve budget virements and ask managers to address projected deficits, and it noted the capital monitoring report and approved budget amendments for core-funded projects. It also noted the well-being and performance documents and received the information reports on young carers and direct payments.
Cabinet considered the future of school improvement services for Merthyr Tydfil. It approved a new local school improvement team and a regional approach to professional learning, with new governance arrangements, and noted the financial position. It also gave the Director of Education delegated authority, in consultation with the portfolio member, to act on these matters.
The Cabinet met on 5 March 2025 to consider the council's 2025/26 budget, an annual equality report and several other reports. It recommended a 5.5% council tax rise and a £172.513 million budget to the full Council, and approved a rise in school meal prices and changes to teaching cost funding.
Cancelled
On 5 February 2025 the Cabinet approved the results of the 2025/26 budget consultation, which asked residents about Council Tax and service priorities. It also approved progress on corporate risk, accepted the quarter 3 revenue and quarter 2 capital monitoring reports, and approved a new school governing body structure and statutory notice for two Learning Resource Bases. The Cabinet also adopted a Charter for families bereaved by public tragedy, joined the Healthy Travel Network, and noted a Care Inspectorate Wales report on the fostering service.
Cabinet met on 8 January 2025 and noted the council's revised 2025/26 budget gap of £5.983 million after the provisional Welsh Government settlement. It approved the 2023/24 corporate risk report and the risk register, and recommended the corporate self-assessment to full Council for approval. It also noted and debated the Ombudsman's annual letter, received reports on the local development plan and youth services, and held a private session with no minute published.
Cabinet adopted the Labour Group's political priorities for 2024 to 2027 as guiding principles for the council. It approved a new 12-place Welsh-medium learning resource base at Ysgol Gymraeg Rhyd Y Grug from September 2025, and a regional memorandum of understanding on care for older people. It also agreed to give public notice of three traffic regulation orders and received two reports for information.
Cabinet agreed the first steps towards a new model for school improvement services, following a Welsh Government review. Members approved developing four core elements of a new model, with further reports on costs and final models due in Spring 2025, and gave the Director of Education delegated authority to act with the portfolio member.
Cabinet accepted a report projecting a £647,000 budget deficit for 2024/25 and approved managers' urgent action to close it. It also approved licensing delegations under the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017, endorsed the Local Area Energy Plan and appointed named consultants as Proper Officers for communicable disease control.
Cabinet met on 2 October 2024. It approved changes to two school finance policies and the financial risk categories for schools, after comments on school balances and the budget setting process. It also received three information reports: a basic income pilot for care leavers, young people's participation, and the closure of the Ty Gwyn day service.
The Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a 12-place Welsh-medium learning resource base for pupils with additional learning needs at Ysgol Gymraeg Rhyd Y Grug. It approved a £255 fee for food hygiene re-rating visits and gave officers delegated powers over food hygiene and special procedures licence fees. It also received three information reports on children's services, early years and school governors.
Cancelled