Cabinet

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.

1. Annual Health and Safety Enforcement Service Plan 2025/26

   Decided

   The Cabinet approved the Health and Safety Enforcement Service Plan 2025/26. It noted the challenges in the plan that may hinder full delivery.

   Why

   The council must make adequate arrangements to enforce health and safety law in workplaces, under Section 18(4) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The plan sets out how the Environmental Health team will do this, and it reviews 2024/25, when the team carried out 20 proactive inspection visits and received 21 notifications of workplace injuries and dangerous occurrences. The report says the team has about 0.8 full-time equivalent staff, which is unlikely to be adequate, and that a database problem makes annual returns to the Health and Safety Executive difficult.

   Based on the minutes, Committee Report, Appendix 1

2. Decided

   Cabinet approved the 2025 Annual Monitoring Report for submission to Welsh Government.

   Why

   The council must monitor its Local Development Plan, which sets where homes and businesses can be built, and send an Annual Monitoring Report to Welsh Government by the end of October. The report finds that housing completions are more than 30% below the level needed at this point, and that targets for employment land, jobs, priority open spaces and renewable heat have not been met. Because of these findings, further research will start straight away and feed into the full review of the plan, with a review report due in early 2026.

   Based on the minutes, Committee Report, iia

3. Appointment of local authority school governors

   Decided

   The Cabinet received the report for information.

   Why

   The council appoints its own representatives, known as local authority governors, to school governing bodies, which oversee the running of schools. The Governor Appointment Panel met on 9 September 2025 and agreed to appoint 19 local authority governors for four-year terms, and all vacancies are now filled.

   Based on the minutes, Committee Report

4. Estyn inspection of Welsh language immersion arrangements

   Decided

   The Cabinet received the report for information.

   Why

   Welsh language immersion is intensive Welsh teaching for pupils who are new to Welsh-medium education, and Estyn, the education inspectorate for Wales, inspected the council's arrangements in July 2025. Inspectors found no cause for significant concern, and noted strengths such as a clear long-term vision and an inclusive ethos, while finding inconsistent practice and gaps in staff training. The report sets out two recommendations, to strengthen self-evaluation and to provide professional learning for staff, and notes that the council will need revenue funding to staff a planned immersion class because grant funding is uncertain.

   Based on the minutes, Committee Report

Written by AI from the council's minutes and reports. Sentences with a number or name that can't be found in those papers are removed automatically, but mistakes are still possible. Councils publish no word-for-word record of meetings, so this says what was decided and why. Read the official papers to be sure.

1. 1

   Apologies for Absence

   Minute

   No apologies for absence were received.

2. 2

   Declaration of Interest

   Minute

   No Declarations on Interest were received.

3. 3

   Minutes of meeting Wednesday, 10 September 2025 of Cabinet

   Minute

   The Minutes of the previous meeting held on the 10th September 2025 were accepted as a true and accurate record

   Papers: Minutes
4. 4

   Annual Health and Safety Enforcement Service Plan 2025/26

   Decision as recorded

   Resolved that:- 2.1 The Health and Safety Enforcement Service Plan 2025/26 be approved. 2.2 The challenges highlighted within the Plan that may hinder delivery of the full Service Plan, be noted.

   Minute

   Presented by Councillor Declan Sammon. Comments were made thanking the Officers and their Team for the Report. Resolved that:- 2.1 The Health and Safety Enforcement Service Plan 2025/26 be approved. 2.2 The challenges highlighted within the Plan that may hinder delivery of the full Service Plan, be noted.

   Part of an issue followed across 2 meetings

   Papers: Committee Report, Appendix 1, iia
5. 5

   Merthyr Tydfil Replacement Local Development Plan 2016-2031 – Annual Monitoring report 2025

   Decision as recorded

   Resolved that:- 2.1 The 2025 Replacement Local Development Plan 2016-2031 AMR is approved for submission to Welsh Government.

   Minute

   Presented by Councillor David Jones. Resolved that:- 2.1 The 2025 Replacement Local Development Plan 2016-2031 AMR is approved for submission to Welsh Government.

   Part of an issue followed across 3 meetings

   Papers: Committee Report, iia
6. 6

   Appointment of LA Governors

   Decision as recorded

   Resolved that: The report for Information be received.

   Minute

   Resolved that: The report for Information be received.

   Part of an issue followed across 4 meetings

   Papers: Committee Report
7. 7

   Estyn Inspection for Welsh Language Immersion Arrangements

   Decision as recorded

   Resolved that: The report for Information be received.

   Minute

   Resolved that: The report for Information be received.

   Papers: Committee Report
8. 8

   Any other item deemed urgent by the Chair

   Minute

   The Chair advised that there was no other business deemed urgent.

   Part of an issue followed across 4 meetings

Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.

The minutes record no declarations of interest.

• Brent Carter, ChairLabourPresent
• David Jones, Vice-ChairLabourPresent
• Anna Williams- Price, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Declan Sammon, Committee MemberDowlais and Pant Community IndependentsPresent
• Gareth Lewis, Committee MemberLabourPresent
• Geraint Thomas, OthermbrsIndependentRecorded
• Jamie Scriven, Committee MemberIndependentPresent
• Lisa Mytton, OthermbrsIndependentRecorded
• Louise Minett-Vokes, Committee MemberLabourPresent

Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.