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The committee scrutinised the Council's Quarter 1 performance report, covering the period to 30 June 2026, and received a presentation on the three-year Capital Programme worth £333 million. Members resolved to scrutinise the performance position, note the Council's ongoing capital investment, and consider whether any matters need further review.
The Chair welcomed attendees and thanked members for their continued commitment and support of the scrutiny process. Members were reminded that the next meeting would take place on Monday 5th October at 10:00am and would consider the Home to School Transport report. The Chair highlighted the importance of the item and encouraged strong member attendance, particularly in person at the Council Chamber, alongside officers, members of the public, and representatives from the Education and Inclusion Scrutiny Committee. The Chair welcomed Paul Griffiths, Neil Griffiths, Martin Hughes and Stephanie Davis to the meeting who were in attendance to support with the reports on the agenda
In accordance with the code of conduct, the following declarations were made: Item 3 Councillor J Edwards, personal interest “my employer is named in the report” Item 3 & 4 Councillor R Lewis, personal interest “some of the projects discussed I may have been part of the decision-making process, during my time as a Cabinet Member”
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 13th July 2026 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
RESOLVED: To approve the minutes of the meeting held on the 13th July 2026 as a true and accurate record of the meeting.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED: 2.1 Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 30th June 2026 (Quarter 1). 2.2 Consider whether they wish to scrutinise in greater depth any matters contained in the report in line with the Terms of Reference of the Committee.
The Service Director Democratic Services, Welsh Language and Communications introduced the Quarter 1 Performance Report, covering the period to 30 June, and advised that the report had previously been considered by Cabinet. Members were informed that the report provided an overview of the Council’s financial and operational performance, including revenue and capital budget monitoring, treasury management indicators, organisational health, strategic risks, and progress against the Corporate Plan Well-being Objectives. It was noted that the report also included a summary of relevant reports considered during the quarter, grouped under the Corporate Plan themes to provide context on progress against the Council’s objectives. Members were invited to scrutinise the information presented and identify any areas they wished to examine in greater detail within the remit of their respective committees. The Director Financial Services & Transformation presented the Quarter 1 Performance Report, highlighting a challenging operating environment and a projected year-end overspend of £1.3 million, primarily within Adult Services, Children’s Services and Additional Learning Needs. Members were advised of ongoing capital investment in schools, highways, flood risk management, housing and regeneration projects. Members were updated on workforce performance, strategic risks and progress against the Council’s Well-being Objectives. Overall progress was reported as positive, supported by continued investment and a range of initiatives delivering benefits across the County Borough. The Chair asked whether any of the capital grant funding streams were at risk following changes within Welsh Government and whether contingency plans were in place. The Service Director - Corporate & Management Accounting advised that ongoing engagement was taking place with Welsh Government regarding both revenue and capital funding. It was noted that many programmes had multi-year approvals in place. In particular, the Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme had approval in principle through to 2033, while other grant programmes operated on varying approval periods ranging from two to four years. The Chair asked for an update on progress to increase Welsh-medium ALN support. Officers confirmed that the Council continued to promote and provide Welsh-medium ALN provision wherever practical and possible. Further updates would be provided through future ALN and Welsh in Education Strategic Plan reporting. The Chair referred to the significant number of Rhondda Cynon Taf residents volunteering for the Tour de France and asked whether volunteers could be involved in legacy planning at an early stage. The Director agreed that this was a positive suggestion and confirmed the matter would be raised with the project team to ensure opportunities to maximise the event’s long-term benefits were considered. The Chair asked how outcomes relating to child poverty would be monitored and reported, and whether this work would be reported separately given its cross-cutting nature. The Director advised that, rather than incorporating the recommendations across the four Well-being Objectives, a standalone progress report would be developed. This would provide an update on all recommendations and was expected to be reported to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee later in the municipal year. The Chair asked whether future performance reports could include information on swimming lessons for neurodivergent children and young people. Officers agreed to raise the matter with the service area and confirmed that consideration would be given to including relevant performance information in future reports. A Member referred to the Strategic Risk Register and asked what actions were being taken to improve school attendance and how successful those actions had been to date. The Director Financial Services and Transformation advised that improving attendance remained a key priority and was being delivered through partnership working between the Local Education Authority and schools. School Improvement Officers were supporting schools through attendance action plans and targeted interventions where necessary. External support had also been commissioned to help schools improve attendance. Members were informed that attendance levels were showing gradual improvement overall, although attendance among more vulnerable learners and those eligible for free school meals remained a particular challenge. It was noted that attendance improvement actions formed part of the People and Communities Action Plan, and some schools had achieved recognition through attendance improvement awards. A Member asked whether increasing pressures relating to poverty, housing and social care were being considered collectively across service areas rather than as separate issues, and whether there were opportunities for earlier intervention. The Director confirmed that services worked collaboratively across the Council, including Social Care, Education and Community Services, to identify and support vulnerable individuals and families. Members were advised that vulnerability profiling was undertaken to help identify emerging issues at an early stage, enabling coordinated interventions and wraparound support from multiple services where required. The Director highlighted that this approach was intended to prevent difficulties from escalating and to provide appropriate support at the earliest opportunity. A Member referred to the Council’s investment in extra care housing, residential dementia care facilities and day care provision and asked whether current capacity was sufficient to meet existing and future demand for dementia care. The Director for Financial Services and Transformation advised that service planning was informed by long-term demographic and health projections, which indicated increasing levels of dementia and other complex health conditions over the coming years. Members were informed that investment in extra care provision formed a key part of the Council’s strategy to meet future demand and ensure services remained sustainable. The Director Community and Children’s Finance Services added that current developments were based on sufficiency planning assessments, which were reviewed periodically, and that flexibility existed within arrangements with third-sector care providers to respond to changing needs. The Member acknowledged the difficulty in predicting future demand but stressed the importance of continuing to plan strategically for an ageing population and increasing dementia-related needs. Concerns were raised regarding community cohesion, particularly the availability of PCSOs in some areas, partnership working with social housing providers, and how these challenges were being reflected in the Council’s strategic planning. Members were informed that collaborative arrangements with the police, registered social landlords and the third sector generally worked well, despite the challenges faced. It was noted that work with young people through schools also contributed to promoting responsible citizenship and stronger communities. Officers advised that a dedicated team within Community Services coordinated this work and offered to provide Members with further information on the strategic approach and future direction of travel. In response, the Member welcomed the assurances provided but highlighted concerns regarding the cumulative impact of police resource reductions, pressures on social housing providers, planning decisions and future development growth, stressing the importance of the Council remaining responsive to emerging community issues. RESOLVED: 2.1 Scrutinise the Council’s financial and operational performance position as at 30th June 2026 (Quarter 1). 2.2 Consider whether they wish to scrutinise in greater depth any matters contained in the report in line with the Terms of Reference of the Committee.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED to: 2.1 Note the Council’s on-going programme of capital investment in assets and infrastructure across the County Borough. 2.2 Consider whether there are any areas that require further review in line with the Terms of Reference of the Committee
The Service Director, Corporate and Management Accounting, presented a report providing an overview of the Council’s Capital Programme and the governance arrangements in place to manage its delivery. Members were advised that the current three-year Capital Programme totalled £333 million and represented significant investment across key service areas, including schools, highways, regeneration, housing, social care and community assets throughout the County Borough. Members were informed that the programme was supported through a combination of external grant funding, Council resources and earmarked reserves, with robust governance, project management and reporting arrangements in place to oversee delivery. The presentation highlighted the scale of investment being undertaken, the importance of long-term capital planning and the Council’s approach to ensuring projects were delivered in line with corporate priorities and available funding. Following conclusion of the presentation, Members were invited to ask questions The Chair highlighted that earmarked reserves were frequently discussed within local communities and asked for an explanation of how reserves were built up, managed and used to support the Council’s Capital Programme. The Service Director, Corporate and Management Accounting, explained that earmarked reserves were allocated to specific capital projects and committed when contracts were agreed, even though expenditure on those projects could take place over several years. Members heard that reserves were continually reviewed and replenished through the Council’s revenue and capital budget monitoring processes. Additional grant funding secured for projects could release previously allocated reserves for use elsewhere. Members were further advised that reserves were therefore managed through an ongoing cycle of investment, expenditure and replenishment, with close links between revenue and capital planning. It was noted that strong financial management and successful external funding bids helped maintain reserves and support future capital investment priorities. A Member observed that the term “reserves” could be misleading to the public, as it often created the impression that the Council was holding large amounts of unallocated money. The member suggested that an alternative description might better reflect that much of the funding had already been earmarked for specific purposes. The Service Director, Corporate and Management Accounting, acknowledged the point and explained that earmarked reserves were effectively savings set aside for specific future expenditure and capital projects. He noted that the term “reserves” could lead to misunderstandings, as the funding was often already committed to approved schemes rather than being available for general spending. A Member asked how the Council engaged with residents in determining capital investment priorities and how the public was informed about the decision-making process. The Service Director, Corporate and Management Accounting, advised that capital investment priorities formed part of the Council’s annual budget consultation process. Members were informed that proposed priorities were published as part of the budget consultation documentation and that engagement activities took place with a range of stakeholders, including schools, leisure centres, libraries and community groups, enabling residents to contribute their views. Members highlighted the importance of effective communication and public engagement in relation to the Council’s budget consultation process, noting that there may be opportunities to improve public understanding and participation. The Service Director, Corporate and Management Accounting, acknowledged that there was always scope to strengthen communication and engagement arrangements. He advised that Members’ comments would be considered as part of planning for the next budget consultation process, with officers reviewing how public engagement could be further enhanced. A Member sought assurance on how external factors, such as inflation, construction costs, climate-related impacts and other unforeseen pressures, could affect the delivery of capital projects and how flexible the programme was in responding to such challenges. The Service Director, Corporate and Management Accounting advised that external pressures continued to have a significant impact on capital projects, particularly through increases in construction and materials costs. However, the three-year nature of the Capital Programme provided flexibility to reprofile expenditure, adjust project timescales and move funding between years where necessary to maintain project delivery and respond to changing circumstances. A Member welcomed the presentations and information provided, noting that understanding the Council’s finances and reserves required ongoing engagement and explanation, even for elected Members. The Member commented that this highlighted the challenge of communicating complex financial matters to residents and improving public understanding of how Council finances operated. The Member also paid tribute to officers for their effective financial management of the Council’s resources, particularly in ensuring that funding was available to respond to unexpected events such as flooding and wildfires. It was noted that reserves played an important role in enabling the Council to respond to emergencies and maintain service delivery, and appreciation was expressed for the work undertaken by officers in managing these resources responsibly. Members commented on the importance of communicating the Council’s financial position and the purpose of reserves more effectively to the public. Positive feedback was provided on the explanatory videos produced by the Council as part of previous budget consultations, which were considered helpful in explaining complex financial concepts. Members suggested that these resources should be reused and promoted more widely to improve public understanding. In response, officers welcomed the feedback and acknowledged the ongoing challenge of communicating financial information in an accessible way. It was noted that the Council would continue to build on previous communication and engagement initiatives as part of future budget consultations and would seek further opportunities to raise awareness of the wide range of services delivered by the Council and the role that financial planning, reserves and capital investment play in supporting them. Members also expressed their appreciation for the work of officers in managing the Council’s finances and securing external funding to support service delivery and investment priorities. RESOLVED to: 2.1 Note the Council’s on-going programme of capital investment in assets and infrastructure across the County Borough. 2.2 Consider whether there are any areas that require further review in line with the Terms of Reference of the Committee
The Chair thanked officers for the comprehensive Quarter 1 Performance Report, noting the breadth and depth of information provided and highlighting the significant amount of work being undertaken across the Council. It was recognised that the report demonstrated the scale of activity and performance monitoring taking place across the Authority. The Chair also thanked the Service Director, Corporate and Management Accounting, for the presentation on the Capital Programme. It was noted that the Council continued to deliver substantial investment across communities throughout the County Borough, with Members recognising the effective management and oversight of capital projects and the benefits being delivered through those investments.
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.
J Edwards: Personal interest on Quarter 1 Performance Report
My employer is named in the report.
R Lewis: Personal interest on Quarter 1 Performance Report
Some projects discussed may have involved decision-making while they were a Cabinet Member.
R Lewis: Personal interest on Capital Programme - Capital Investment Priorities
Some projects discussed may have involved decision-making while they were a Cabinet Member.
Lists the council's current councillors only. Co-opted members, officers and former councillors aren't shown.