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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: Members approved the application for shipping containers and a parcel collection locker at the rear of the car park, in line with the officer recommendation. Shipping containers are large steel storage boxes.
Decided: The committee agreed six recommendations and comments for the Council to consider. They ask for future reports to show a year-by-year path to net zero by 2030, with more precise data, and for the results of neighbouring councils' electric vehicle charging trials to be reported back. They also ask officers to help community groups find funding, to keep seeking Safe Routes in Communities funding (for safer walking and cycling routes), and to improve public information on the climate and nature work. The committee also asked for a written update on heritage trails and green energy work, and for copies of an animation and infographic shared with partners during procurement.
Decided: Council approved Councillor Clive Davies, Cabinet Member for Economy and Regeneration and Carbon Management, as a Council member of the Forum for up to three years. It also appointed the 19 applicants listed in Appendix 1 to the Forum for 2025 to 2028.
Decided: The committee approved its forward work programme. The Local Flood Risk Management Strategy moves from 19 November 2025 to February 2026.
RESOLVED to retire into private session in order to receive legal advice pursuant to Paragraph 16 of Schedule 12 to the Local Government Act. Having regard to the relevant paragraphs of the Licensing Authority’s Statement of Licensing Policy and the Statutory Guidance issued under section 182 of the Licensing Act 2000, particularly those identified in the agenda item, and paragraph 2.21, to which it had been referred by counsel for the applicants it was: UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED, having considered all the evidence placed before it, that the application should be granted subject to the licence conditions agreed between the Responsible Authorities and the Applicant. In coming to its decision, the Sub-Committee had made the following findings. • No real evidence of any significance has been placed before the Su-Committee either verbally or in writing of pre-existing crime, disorder or anti-social behaviour at the Tesco store car park. In particular no real evidence has been produced by the police of such problems. • The proposed premises was in proximity to an area identified in the Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy as a crime and disorder hotspot and is close to residential premises. • The applicants had accepted the additional licence conditions proposed by the Responsible Authorities. • The Responsible Authorities do not object to the granting of the application, subject to those licence conditions. • The Sub-Committee had recently granted a licence for another McDonalds elsewhere in the County on the same licence conditions. • No real evidence had been placed before the Sub-Committee demonstrating that those licence conditions had been insufficient to promote the licensing objectives at that other location. In coming to its decision, the Sub-Committee had attached weight to the views of the responsible authorities as set out in the agenda pack and (in the case of the Licensing Authority) at the hearing as well. Whilst acknowledging that the concerns expressed by members of the public in relation to this application were genuine and heartfelt, the Sub-Committee was bound by strict legal requirements when determining applications under the Licensing Act. Issues of need or planning requirements were not matters that the Sub-Committee was able to take into account and the Members noted that it must not duplicate other statutory regimes when determining a premises licence application. The Sub-Committee also noted that concerns and fears about what might happen if an application is granted, which were not supported by real evidence, were not matters that it could properly take into account. The Sub-Committee considered that the evidence placed before it by local residents, was not sufficient to support the concerns and fears that they had raised, or to overcome the weight that it must attach to the views of the responsible authorities. Therefore, on the balance of probabilities, and based on the evidence placed before it, the Sub-Committee was satisfied that to grant the application subject to the agreed licence conditions would not undermine the Licensing objectives and that those agreed conditions were an appropriate and proportionate response to the issues raised by the application. Whilst falling outside the scope of the committee’s formal decision, the Sub-Committee noted the commitment made by the representative of McDonalds to work with local litter picks operating in the vicinity of the premises and urged the applicants to follow through with that commitment.
Decided: Planning permission was granted in line with the officer's recommendation, subject to the conditions in the report and the late observations.
Decided: Planning permission was granted in line with the officer's recommendation, subject to the conditions in the report and the late observations. Delegated authority, meaning power for an officer to act without a further committee vote, was given to the Chief Officer (Place and Growth) to enter a stand-alone Section 106 agreement if one is needed under the approved Habitats Management Plan.
RESOLVED: · That the use of substitute members for the Governance and Audit Committee and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, be approved. · That it be noted that substitute members will be appointed for individual meetings only, following consultation between the Monitoring Officer and the respective local authority and national park authorities.
Decided: The Committee resolved to consider the five published Section 19 reports (Appendices 1 to 5). It agreed to decide whether it had any observations on the process and outcomes of the reports. The minute records that Members proposed inviting Welsh Water to a future Full Council meeting, and the Committee supported this proposal.
Decided: The committee refused the application. It gave two main reasons: the size and location of the solar farm within a Special Landscape Area, a protected area of countryside valued for its scenery, would harm the character and appearance of the landscape, and it would significantly harm the visual amenities of nearby residents, specifically the Wern Newydd property. The refusal also cited policy ADN 2 (criteria 1 and 3), policies PCYFF 3, PCYFF 4 and AMG 2 of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan.
Decided: Cabinet approved the City Parking Plan and the Parking Policies. It instructed officers to carry out the legal consultations needed to make Traffic Regulation Orders, which are legal orders setting parking and traffic rules, and to make them if there are no unwithdrawn objections.
Decided: Cabinet approved support for the bid to host the 2035 Women's World Cup. It delegated power to the Director of Economic Development, in consultation with the Cabinet Member, the Monitoring Officer and the Section 151 Officer, to deal with further matters arising from the bid.
Decided: The committee accepted the strategy and noted the observations. It expressed concern about the availability of grants for deprived areas such as Gwynedd, and hoped for equality and fairness in how resources are shared across the county. It suggested a clear structure to review progress at the end of the year against the delivery plan.
Decided: The committee accepted the report and noted the observations. It asked the Cabinet Member for Corporate and Legal Services and the Welsh Language to do everything possible, within limits, to keep benefits local, support small companies, create social value and support the Welsh language. It agreed to research the extra financial cost of the net zero target.
Decided: Cabinet reviewed progress and approved the annual report on the council's Climate Change Plan.
Decided: The Committee agreed that the Chairperson will write to the Cabinet Member with the Committee's observations and recommendations on the way forward.
RESOLVED that the Premises Licence be amended to reduce the operating times for licensable activities, to provide for the sale of alcohol Sunday to Wednesday 10.00 – 00.00 and Thursday to Saturday 10.00 – 01.00, with the premises closing half an hour later than those timings, and that the following additional conditions (as agreed between the Premises Licence Holder and the North Wales Police) be added to the licence – 1. Every Friday, Saturday, Sunday (bank holiday) and Monday (bank holiday) door supervision and premises security must be provided by an SIA contractor and must operate from 21:00 until closure and all customers have vacated and dispersed from the vicinity of the premises. 2. There must be a minimum of one member of staff trained and available to download evidence at the request of the Police or an authorised officer at all times the premises are open AND following any incident of crime and disorder AND to assist any requests made by the responsible authorities including the Police. 3. If the premises is unable to provide CCTV at the request of the police or an authorised person, licensable activities are NOT to be undertaken until the request has been fulfilled. This should be interpreted as not being fixed to the date of attendance but rather that licensable activities must cease until the request has been fulfilled, i.e. if a request is made on Monday and CCTV is provided until Friday there should not be any licensable activities between Monday and Friday. 4. A CCTV monitor to be installed at the entrance to the premises to allow active monitoring by SIA security and premises management. 5. CCTV cameras to be installed at all points of entry and exit which will capture the facial images of all people entering and leaving the premises. 6. Premises to be registered with the Information Commissioners Office for the use and provision of CCTV. 7. CCTV to monitor and capture activity at rear points of entry and egress. 8. CCTV cameras to be installed at the rear points of entry and egress which will capture the facial images of all people entering and leaving the premises. 9. CCTV to be fitted which is compliant with guidance by North Wales Police to ensure no dark or hidden areas of the premises. 10. Personal licence holder on duty at the premises at all times when licensable activities take place and to supervise all sales of alcohol. Any nominated responsible person in charge of licensable activities must be a personal licence holder. 11. The premises will only undertake licensable activities when a personal licence holder is actively on duty at the premises. Should there not be a personal licence holder on site then the sale of alcohol at the premises is not permissible. 12. Dispersal Policy that is actively implemented by the premises every evening when the premises concludes licensable activities. This should be logged with North Wales Police and the Licensing authority. It is to be reviewed every six months within a twelve-month period. 13. Incident Action plan process - That an action plan is implemented following any incident at the premises highlighting the incident, action taken, and what will be implemented to reduce the risk of further similar incidents. This will be in addition to an incident logbook utilised at the premises. This should be logged with North Wales Police and the Licensing authority. It is to be reviewed every six months within a twelve-month period. 14. All mangers, supervisors, licence holders and person involved in the sale of alcohol must undergo training with regard to conflict management; the practice of incident scene preservation for the purpose of police investigation; and ensuring the safety of staff and customers. Records of such training must be held on the premises and made available to authorised officers upon reasonable request. 15. In the event that a serious assault is committed on the premises (or appears to have been committed) the management will immediately ensure that: (a) The police (and, where appropriate, the local Ambulance Service) are called without delay; (b) All measures that are reasonably practicable are taken to apprehend any suspects pending the arrival of the Police; (c) The crime scene is preserved so as to enable a full forensic investigation to be carried out by the Police; and (d) Such other measures are taken (as appropriate) to fully protect the safety of all persons present on the premises. 16. Certified first aider on duty at the premises at all times - the premises will only undertake licensable activities when a certified first aider is actively on duty at the premises. Should there not be a certified first aider on site then the premises is to not undertake licensable activities. 17. Bleeding control kits - The premises to utilise bleeding control kits at the premises and that staff are certified trained in utilising said kits. 18. The rear point of entry and egress to the premises is to only be used for deliveries before 18:00 and for evacuation of the premises in the event of a fire or major/serious incident which will be reported to the responsible authorities including North Wales Police. 19. The gate/door at the rear point of entry to be fitted with a high frequency alarm which will have the capacity to record when it has been opened and for the opening to be recorded by the premises including date; time; reason; and by who. All recordings to be made available to police or an authorised person. 20. Customers not to be ejected from premises or to be permitted to leave the premises by rear points of entry and egress, unless in the evacuation of the premises in the event of a fire or major/serious incident. 21. The gate/door at the rear point of entry to be compliant with fire regulation standards. 22. Management hierarchy and chain of command with contact details to be kept on site and to be sent to North Wales Police and the Licensing Authority. Any updates will be shared with North Wales Police and responsible authorities immediately. This must include anyone who may be responsible or tasked for enforcing the premises licence conditions and promoting the four licensing objectives; keyholders; managers and associates of the premises who have access to the premises CCTV system. 23. From 21:00 – All drinks must be served or decanted into polycarbonate/ toughened / safety glass, containers. All drinking vessels used in the venue shall be made from a sustainable material other than glass. All drinks in glass bottles are to be decanted into a non-glass containers or non-glass carafes prior to being served, with the exception of champagne or bottles of spirits with a minimum size of 70cl. 24. The premises shall join the local Pubwatch or other local crime reduction scheme approved by the police, and any local radio scheme if available. 25. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 23:00 all customers entering the premises shall have their ID scanned on entry, save for when a biometric scanning system is in place. The details recorded shall include a live facial image capture of the customer and capture the photographic identification produced. The details recorded by the ID scanner system shall be made available to the Police and the local authority upon request. 26. The Designated Premises Supervisor and SIA registered door supervisor must be trained to use the ID scan system. Training records shall be kept and made available for inspection upon request. 27. Customer smoking shall only be permitted in the rear beer garden. The Legal Adviser conveyed the Sub Committee’s decision to all parties present and reported on the reasons for the decision as follows – Members had carefully considered the application and representations submitted in this case and were satisfied that the licensing objectives were engaged and that there was a need for action to be taken. The issues brought forward by the North Wales Police were extensive and extremely serious in their nature. Members gave particular weight to the appointment of Abbie Nelson as the Designated Premises Supervisor and acknowledged her experience and knowledge in managing other licensed premises. The appointment of Ms. Nelson had been crucial in members’ determination not to revoke or suspend the licence in this case. The Sub Committee believed the proposed additional licence conditions agreed between the Premises Licence Holder and the North Wales Police (alongside the existing licence conditions) were extensive enough to provide reassurance to the licensing authority moving forwards, and resolved to impose those conditions on the licence. Members also welcomed the voluntary measure to close the premises for a month and saw that as an opportunity for the business to reset and receive training, providing reassurance to the Sub Committee that the premises would be managed more effectively moving forwards. In terms of the other voluntary measures, members welcomed the Designated Premises Supervisor considering conditions of entry once she had the opportunity to review the situation but did not wish to impose a condition to that affect at this time. In terms of the opening hours, the evidence provided showed that incidents increased over the hours that the premises were open, and members were cognisant of the issues raised by the North Wales Police. However, they sought to balance the requirements of the business and the night-time economy in Rhyl more generally and the licensing objectives. Accordingly, members determined that it would be reasonable and proportionate to amend the hours for licensable activities, to provide for the sale of alcohol between 10.00 – 00.00 Sunday to Wednesday with the premises closing half an hour later, and on Thursday to Saturday between 10.00 – 01.00, with the premises closing half an hour later. There was a right of appeal against the Licensing Sub Committee’s decision to the Magistrates’ Court within twenty-one days. The meeting concluded at 4.00 pm.
RESOLVED: (a) That the review of the Section 19 Flood Investigation Reports for publication be approved; (b) That the refreshed Local Flood Risk Management Strategy (LFRMS) once the final consultation responses have been incorporated and the strategy is formally published be approved; (c) That the North Wales SuDS Guide to assist in developing a greater understanding of Sustainable Drainage Approval Body (SAB) application requirements be approved; and (d) That the Highway Drainage policy as presented in the report be approved.
Decided: The Cabinet accepted the report. The minute notes that the Scrutiny Committee's comments were included, but the report was not changed as a result.
Decided: The Cabinet accepted the report.
Decided: Cabinet endorsed the scrutiny group's report and its recommendations.