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Councils reported on climate and nature plans this month, including net zero reports in Carmarthenshire and Powys and nature plans in Neath Port Talbot, Caerphilly and Bridgend. Planning committees also dealt with carbon capture, flood-related and biodiversity matters.[4][14][2][12][5][1]
Written in November 2026 from council records since 20 September 2026, open consultations and official sources. Written automatically, then checked: every point names its sources and every figure appears in them. Follow the links to check anything before relying on it.
Every Welsh council has declared or responded to the climate emergency and has plans to cut its own emissions, from buildings, vehicles and the things it buys. Councils also manage flood risk on local rivers and streams.
The Cabinet agrees climate plans; scrutiny committees check progress.
Ask your councillors how the council is doing against its own targets, and respond to its consultations on plans.
| Council | Items | With a decision |
|---|---|---|
| Vale of Glamorgan | 138 | 16 |
| Rhondda Cynon Taf | 55 | 52 |
| Gwynedd | 55 | 52 |
| Pembrokeshire | 43 | 36 |
| Carmarthenshire | 41 | 39 |
| Swansea | 40 | 31 |
| Powys | 40 | 29 |
| Monmouthshire | 38 | 9 |
| Wrexham | 27 | 27 |
| Cardiff | 27 | 24 |
| Conwy | 27 | 24 |
| Denbighshire | 22 | 17 |
| Flintshire | 21 | 11 |
| Newport | 21 | 10 |
| Blaenau Gwent | 17 | 17 |
| Neath Port Talbot | 16 | 9 |
| Caerphilly | 16 | 0 |
| Ceredigion | 9 | 8 |
| Merthyr Tydfil | 8 | 7 |
| Torfaen | 7 | 6 |
| Bridgend | 5 | 0 |
Decided: The Committee asked for a site visit before it decides the application, to consider highway and pedestrian safety. The minute records no decision on the application itself.
Decided: The Committee granted permission, subject to conditions, for the mobile home to be used only by Mr Shaun Stocker and/or Ms Amy Lloyd and any resident dependants. The mobile home must be removed if they stop living there, and within six months the applicant must submit a scheme to deliver a net benefit to biodiversity. An advisory note warns that quarry work nearby may cause noise and dust.
Decided: The committee was minded to grant conditional planning permission. It authorised the Development and Building Control Manager to consider any planning matters raised in public representations received during the publicity period for a departure application, meaning one that does not follow the local plan, and to issue the decision under delegated powers, meaning without a further committee vote.
Decided: Members agreed, by 9 votes to 1, to approve the application, subject to the conditions in the report.
Decided: The Committee noted the contents of the report and supported the proposed priorities for the next reporting period. It also agreed to pass the Committee's thanks to all staff for their work in developing and implementing the Council's Tree Strategy.
Decided: The application was approved, subject to a Section 106 agreement. Before the vote, the report was updated to change the wording of several planning conditions, mainly to correct plan numbers and to change when some information must be submitted or work must start.
RESOLVED: 1. To note the content of the national report published by Audit Wales and seek clarity and further information, as required, from Audit Wales on the content of the report; 2. To note the Council’s response to the recommendation reported by Audit Wales that relates to Councils across Wales, and seek clarity and further information, as required, from the Council; 3. To consider whether there are any matters of a governance, internal control or risk management nature that require further action or attention by the Governance and Audit Committee; and 4. To consider whether there are any matters of a performance nature that require referral to the Council’s Scrutiny Committees.
Decided: Council carried the motion as proposed, without amendment, by 53 votes to 8, with none abstaining. Those against were Cllrs Cowan, Davies, Driscoll, Lancaster, Melbourne, Owen, Topham and Williams. Council formally and publicly endorsed the call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a proposed agreement to plan the end of new fossil fuel exploration and phase out existing production. It called on the Welsh Government to endorse the treaty and speed up investment in clean energy. It reaffirmed the council's commitment to decarbonisation and a carbon neutral city. It resolved to write to the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA, the body that represents Welsh councils) to raise a planned phase out of fossil fuels and to ask it to promote the treaty among its members.
Decided: Members resolved to note the report, including the schedules of works it sets out; to consider whether to scrutinise any further matters, including changes to those schedules; and to receive a further report on the potential use of biodegradable dog fouling waste bags.
Decided: The Sub Committee granted the variation to condition 9, subject to two additional conditions. The first says there will be no exiting from the Westgate Street doors on major event days after 9pm. The second requires a documented door management plan to reduce disturbance to nearby residents, kept on the premises for inspection by authorised officers. The minute also says the Sub Committee resolved to amend the applicant's proposed wording to read “entrance/egress to and from the premises”, but it does not give the full revised condition.
Decided: The Committee recommended that Cabinet apply the precautionary principle. It asked Cabinet to give the greatest weight to protecting the ecosystem of the lakes at Cosmeston Country Park, and no weight to Council income, when considering an aqua park or similar activities there. The Committee voted 6 to 5 in favour. An earlier motion to ban aqua park operations that could expose children to contaminated water was tied at 6 to 6, so the Chair used her casting vote against it and it was not carried.
Decided: The minute records no decision. It records three actions: a written update on common land management, including grazing, tree encroachment and biodiversity impacts; details of the Golden Grove Community Orchard project to be shared with the Panel; and a written response on whether biodiversity grants could be extended beyond Gower.
Decided: It asked service areas and schools to be made aware of the policy and invited to enter into Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with Highways, Transport and Recycling (HTR) for tree inspection and assessment. It also agreed that the highway service will deal with the backlog of work by ranking and prioritising its existing budgets.
Decided: Cabinet noted the 2025/26 budgets and progress against the agreed budget strategy. It approved setting aside £500k in a Council Tax reserve to manage the risk of lower collection rates, and the spending plans for the Natural Flood Management Scheme and the Small Scale Flood Alleviation Scheme. It also approved writing off an irrecoverable Business Rates debt, which is met by the national pool and not by the council.
Decided: The committee approved the annual report and referred it to the full Council.
RESOLVED that the Labour Group nomination for Councillor Edward Skinner to stand on the Climate Change & Nature Emergency Cross Party Advisory Panel be noted.