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The Committee pre-scrutinised the Community Infrastructure Levy Annual Monitoring Report and the draft Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Strategy 2026/30 before they go to Cabinet and a Cabinet Sub Committee. Members agreed to send their comments to both bodies, and the Vice Chair said Members want the Strategy to include more targets and clearer benefits for the community.
The committee scrutinised the first year of the Affordable Warmth Strategy 2025-2030, which aims to reduce fuel poverty and improve home energy efficiency. Members asked for comparative data, ward-level figures and a map of homes with low energy ratings. Officers said further data could be brought to committee and that they would check some points after the meeting.
Members scrutinised the two-year progress report on the Council's 2024-26 Flood Action Plan, including delivery, funding and staff recruitment. Members resolved to give comments to help draft the updated 2026-28 plan, which will go to Cabinet in July 2026.
The Committee met to scrutinise the Council's Heritage Strategy 2025-2030 and its maintenance of green spaces, including grass cutting, litter and fly tipping. Members resolved to note the green spaces report and to receive a further report on biodegradable dog fouling bags. The Chair also asked for further reports on war memorials, fly tipping fines and the cost of clearing fly tipping.
The committee scrutinised progress on town centre regeneration, the Highways Investment Scheme and the review of 20mph default speed limits. Scrutiny means the committee checks the Council's work, and on each item members resolved to scrutinise the update or the objections, while officers agreed to answer several questions in writing after the meeting.
Members carried out pre-scrutiny, which means checking proposals before a decision is made, on the Council's Section 6 Biodiversity Duty Action Plan and the RCT Peatland Programme. Their comments will go to the Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation Cabinet Sub Committee on 18 December 2025. Members also questioned officers on the Standardisation of Refuse Collections Policy and resolved to consider the report and whether to scrutinise it further.
The Committee will send its comments to Cabinet on 24 November 2025. It also scrutinised the Town Centre Events Programme, and Members noted their views on road closure charges for community events.
The committee also scrutinised the Council's flood alleviation programme and how it performed during Storm Bert in November 2024.
This was the committee's first meeting of 2025-26. Members questioned the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services, Youth Participation and Climate Change on decisions made between 16 March and 17 July 2025. They also reviewed a proposal to return 26 roads from the 20mph default limit to 30mph, and agreed to arrange a briefing and bring an interim report on Frontline Services, including grass cutting and hedge maintenance.
This scrutiny committee, a group of councillors who check the council's work, questioned the Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure, Councillor A Crimmings, on the switch to black bag waste collection, fly tipping, dog waste and the Heritage Strategy.
The Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee met virtually on 5 February 2025 and considered three reports: the Local Area Energy Plan for the county borough, the review of the Welsh Government's 20mph default speed limit, and the Council's move to ultra-low emission vehicles. Members agreed to scrutinise the energy plan and 20mph updates, with officers returning to report on the 20mph review once it is complete, and noted the fleet report. One councillor declared a personal interest in the fleet item.
The committee considered progress on town centre regeneration strategies and placemaking plans, and an update on the Council's Decarbonisation Strategy and Action Plan. On town centres, it noted progress and agreed that information on underutilised car parking would be included in later updates. On decarbonisation, it noted the update, agreed that the committee should undertake Carbon Literacy training, and asked for a letter to be sent to the Carbon Trust about net zero accreditation guidance.
The Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee met on 12 November 2024. It pre-scrutinised the Community Infrastructure Levy Annual Monitoring Report and agreed to send its comments to Cabinet, which considers the report on 20 November 2024. It also scrutinised an update on the council's highways infrastructure and the spending needed to maintain it.
The Climate Change, Frontline Services & Prosperity Scrutiny Committee met online on 16 September 2024. Scrutiny committees are groups of councillors who check the council's work. The committee acknowledged its 2024-25 work programme and, as a consultee, considered the draft Heritage Strategy for Rhondda Cynon Taf. Its comments will feed into the draft strategy, and the public consultation closes on 25 September 2024.
The committee questioned the Cabinet Member for Development and Prosperity on decisions taken from May 2023 to March 2024. It also received reports on recycling performance, heritage services and public rights of way.
The Climate Change, Frontline Services and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee (a committee that checks the council's work) met on 1 February 2024. It considered five items: progress on the council's climate change strategy, electric vehicle charging in council buildings and car parks, the first six months of the 20mph speed limit, the Highways Investment Scheme, and the Shared Prosperity Fund and Levelling Up Fund. Members noted most reports, asked for further reports on EV charging and the 20mph scheme, and agreed to scrutinise highways spending in more depth.
Pre-scrutiny means councillors examine a plan before the decision-maker, here Cabinet, considers it. The committee resolved to comment and send its feedback to Cabinet at its meeting on 24 January 2024.
The committee considered the responses to the public consultation on the draft Local Flood Risk Management Strategy, progress on town centre strategies, and the Council's Corporate Decarbonisation Strategy and Action Plan. Members agreed to scrutinise the flood consultation report and recommended a targeted consultation later in the process. On town centres and decarbonisation, they noted progress and asked for further updates.
Members agreed to receive further reports on several topics, and their comments on the CIL report will go to Cabinet on 23 October 2023.
The committee held its first meeting of the 2023-24 year on 27 June 2023. Members approved the Forward Work Programme, which is the list of topics the committee plans to examine this year, after suggesting two changes to future reports. No declarations of interest were recorded.
Members considered the results of public engagement on the flood risk strategy review, heritage services and a recycling update, and they agreed to pass their comments on flood risk into the revised strategy. Members agreed to acknowledge the heritage update, while the recycling report was for information only.
The Committee considered the feedback from an informal engagement exercise on a draft regeneration strategy for Aberdare town centre, and members asked about links to out-of-town stores, conservation and the Market Charter. It also received an update on public rights of way, and members asked about maintenance, barbed wire and the unclear legal status of some old paths. The minutes record that members acknowledged the Aberdare report, agreed that their comments would help shape the strategy, and asked for annual updates on rights of way.
Members noted the reports and asked for further updates on each item.
The committee reviewed three items: an update on the council's electric vehicle charging strategy, comments on a draft tree, woodland and hedgerow strategy, and progress on the Porth Town Centre Strategy. Members noted the electric vehicle update and asked for further updates, and agreed that their comments on the tree strategy go to Cabinet on 12 December 2022. On Porth, members asked for a progress report once the development is complete and a further report six months later.
The committee considered three reports: progress on the Action for Nature wildlife plan, recycling performance for 2021/22, and a review of mainstream school transport. Members noted the biodiversity and recycling updates. They asked for further reports on council land used for allotments and on transport for post-16 pupils in Welsh-medium education.
At its first meeting on 29 September 2022, the Climate Change, Frontline Services and Prosperity Scrutiny Committee approved its 2022-23 work programme and agreed to respond to the WelTAG 2022 transport guidance consultation by 3 November 2022. Members also discussed the National Transport Delivery Plan, endorsed the Community Infrastructure Levy monitoring report and an electric vehicle charging plan, and noted an update on green waste collections.