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Councillors: Rose Seabourne (Chair) Stuart Ashley Alfie Best Nick Byrne Richard Clark (Deputy Leader) Lynda Clarkson Liam Cowles Fiona Cross David Daniels Giles Davies Steven Evans Joanne Gauden Karl Gauden Jon Horlor Nick Horler Anthony Hunt (Leader) Gaynor James Jon James Janet Jones Nick Jones Peter Jones Sue Malson Rosemary Matthews Susan Morgan Norma Parrish Caroline Price Alan Slade Chris Tew Colette Thomas David Thomas Jayne Watkins David Williams Lucy Williams Nathan Yeowell Officers: Nigel Aurelius, Assistant Chief Executive (Resources) Emma Cambray-Stacey, Senior Manager Building Resilient Communities Delyth Harries, Monitoring Officer and Assistant Chief Legal Officer Neil Jones, Head of Communications, Engagement and Civil Contingencies Rachel Jowitt, Chief Officer Neighbourhoods, Planning & Public Protection Jason Lewis, Head of Strategic Human Resources Kath Mitchell, Finance Officer Colin Newell, Commercial Project Manager Dominique Redman, Deputy Team Leader Democratic and Member Services Jason O’Brien, Chief Officer Social Care & Housing Andrew Osborne, Natural Environment Policy and Streetscene Operations Nansi Salkeld, Head of Democratic Services Chris Slade, Senior Business Support Officer (Democratic Services) John Tushingham, Deputy Chief Officer, Education Stephen Vickers, Chief Executive In the Gallery: Ben Jeffries and 1 member of the Press and Public A minute’s silence was held in remembrance of Queen Elizabeth II
2.1 Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Catherine Bonera, Ron Burnett, Elizabeth Haynes, Mark Jones, Mandy Owen and Nicholas Simons.
3.1 The Monitoring Officer and Assistant Chief Legal Officer (MO&ALO) referred to Agenda Item 9, Greenmeadow Community Farm: Rejuvenation for A New Era, and advised members that they should declare an interest if they had any association with the farm, for example, if anyone with whom they had a close personal association works at the farm. She also referred to Agenda Item 11, Adult Recreation Facilities on Land to the North-West of Llantarnam Primary School, and advised members that they should declare an interest if they had any association with Torfaen Leisure Trust. 3.2 The following personal interests were declared: · Councillor Steven Evans, declared a personal interest in relation to Agenda Item 9, Greenmeadow Community Farm: Rejuvenation for a New Era as he was a council appointed member of the Greenmeadow Community Farm Shadow Board. · Councillor Anthony Hunt declared a personal interest in relation to Agenda Item 11, Adult Recreation Facilities on Land to the North-West of Llantarnam Primary School as he was a council appointment member of Torfaen Leisure Trust Board of Trustees. 3.3 The MO&ACLO noted that Councillor Stuart Ashley was not present at the meeting at this point, however, should he join the meeting prior to Agenda Item 9, Greenmeadow Community Farm: Rejuvenation of a New Era, he should declare a personal interest as he was a council appointed member of the Greenmeadow Farm Shadow Board.
4.1 Council confirmed the minutes of the Council meeting held on 26 July 2022 as an accurate record.
5.1 Council noted the action sheet.
6.1 There were no petitions.
7.1 The Presiding Member asked a question on behalf of a member of the public and the reply to this question is set out in Appendix A to these minutes.
8.1 The Leader: · Thanked the Presiding member for her tribute to the late Queen. He also thanked members and staff for their efforts in ensuring the appropriate procedures and memorials were followed and that succession arrangements were carried out. · Informed Members that Ben Jeffries, who had been Chief Executive of Pontypool RFC for 10 years, had announced that he was stepping down. He commented around the progress the club had made during this period and the future of the club which was at the pinnacle of the local rugby pyramid, and as a focal point for wider recognition of Pontypool and regeneration. · Her referred to the famous history of rugby in Pontypool and paid his respects to the late Eddie Butler ‘a Pooler Legend’ who had recently passed away. · In thanking everyone involved with sport in the Borough, offered Ben Jeffries a small token of appreciation of his work and wished him well for the future. He presented Ben with a framed picture of part of the mural on a building front in Pontypool Town Centre, representing the history of Pontypool. 8.2 The Chief Executive had no announcements.
The Senior Manager Building Resilient Communities (SMBRC) outlined the report which: · presented the business case for investment into Greenmeadow Community Farm that will enable the farm to operate as a viable business without subsidy and to ask Council to note the position for 2022/23; · requested that Council approves use of the £500,000 already proposed within the capital programme to undertake the proposals for Greenmeadow Community Farm set out in the report. · requested that Council approves a further commitment of £1,267,500 through prudential borrowing to undertake the proposals for Greenmeadow Community Farm set out in the report. · Noted that the farm will be closed in Autumn 2022 until Spring 2023 and the financial implications of this. 9.2 Councillor Fiona Cross, Executive Member Children, Families and Communities, thanked officers for their work in finding a viable business proposal which presented members with a number of options. She felt that the options presented to council were bold and exciting and would allow the farm to invest in itself. 9.3 In summary, members supported the proposals set out in the report, however, some members expressed concerns in relation to previous decisions taken by Cabinet and Council around cutting the budget of the farm and felt that the council had done a ‘U-Turn’. Questions were asked around lessons learned by the Executive in terms of budget setting going forward; confidence in visitor numbers contained within the report being achievable; consultation work carried out; affordability for local families; opportunities for the more peripheral elements of the farm and biodiversity and green objectives; and the support of the Greenmeadow Farm Shadow Board. 9.4 In response to comments and questions by members, Councillor Cross stated that previous decisions would have been based on managing budgets and issues at that time. She stated that the farm previously sat under Social Services portfolio and it wasn’t getting as much attention as it needed, however, it now sat under Communities portfolio which provided a distinct identity, with a team of people and a clear focus on what needed to be done to move forward with the project at pace. 9.5 In summary, officers responded to questions asked by members as follows: · Figures contained in the report around visitor numbers were very conservative. · A consultancy firm had been appointed and had carried out considerable work around customer wishes and market research in terms of what the farm currently offered and what the farm could offer in the future. · There was a strong will to support the farm and investment was needed for the farm to offer its full potential. · There was a strong desire to support schools and residents in the local area · Families in poverty would be identified through various channels and supported. Appropriate rates would be charged and options to support identified groups of people would be considered, such as providing them with a loyalty card which could be loaded with discounts or other offers 9.6 The Leader referred the green objectives and he commented around recovery post covid with the use of outdoor space and physical activity being key. He also commented around the story of food production and climate change and engaging with the community which he felt were key narratives that the farm could play a big part in. He also commented around the importance of attracting visitors and interlinking the farm with other attractions in the Borough such as the Canal, and the World Heritage Site. 9.7 Further to the suggestion of a Tourism Officer who could link up the historic sites and projects within the Borough, the Leader explained that efforts on the issue of tourism were currently being considered and he suggested that a report back to council on the matter could be received at a future meeting. 9.8 Cllr Cross appreciated the extent of the site at Greenmeadow Farm and stated that the community would always be consulted with. She stated that she was proud of the history in Torfaen and that she would always be ambitious and look for more, especially in terms of tourism in the community that could lead to other areas in the borough. 9.9 The Presiding Member thanked officers for the report commenting that she was excited and pleased with the content. 9.10 Council unanimously agreed to: · Approve use of the £500,000 already proposed within the capital programme to undertake the proposals for Greenmeadow Community Farm set out in the report. · Approve a further commitment of £1,267,500 through prudential borrowing to undertake the proposals for Greenmeadow Community Farm set out in the report. · Note the temporary closure for works to be undertaken in 2022/23 and the impact of this on the financial position for 2022/23
10.1 The Chief Officer, Neighbourhoods, Planning & Public Protection (CONP&PP) outlined the report proposing closure of the project. 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 Some members referred to concerns they had previously expressed in relation to this project. They felt that their opinions had been ignored and that the project was ‘too much on a knife edge’ and they asked who be apologising and taking responsibility for the loss of money. In summary, officers responded as follows: · Torfaen was not the first Council to take forward a solar farm project on a landfill site and other neighbouring authorities had done this successfully. · The business case stacked up at the time and the preferred bidder’s tender was viable and fully compliant with requirements, however the preferred bidder then changed their method statement. · Efforts were being made to be innovative and the CONP&PP had no intention of bringing forward a scheme that she did not believe was viable and she was deeply sorry to bring the report to council today. · If a decision was made to test what the preferred bidder was saying about geological issues at the site, further assessments would be need to be undertaken which would require additional funding. · The market had now changed and solar panel providers who were primarily based in China wanted big schemes rather than small schemes. This meant that additional funds would need to be incurred in order to move forward and this was not the best use of council resources. The Leader referred to the climate emergency that had been declared and he commented that the requirements of the Council’s promise around renewable energy could not be met unless the Council were prepared to take risks. He commented around the importance of the timeline stating that it wasn’t a matter of the original case not being viable, it was a matter of changes being made in between and that the only logical choice now, was to put a stop to the project rather than continue any further and he was sorry that this was the case. Some members felt that the council should put pressure on Welsh Government in relation to the difficulties faced by the council in achieving net zero targets. The CONP&PP agreed that there were significant concerns in relation the difficulties surrounding renewable energy schemes and the ability for the Council to progress. The Leader was happy to write to Western Power to seek a discussion around this and he was sure that neighbouring local authorities across South East Wales would be happy to join in with these discussions around the ability to make progress with renewable energy and the ability to provide reasonably priced power. Councillor David Daniels, Executive Member Adult Services & Housing, referred to points he had raised at Cabinet previously around energy security and that there was a need for more local, homegrown projects to avoid being reliant on foreign energy and high carbon projects. He stated that when he made these points, the project was viable. He referred to climate change and biodiversity and the importance of the council meeting its climate change targets. He stressed the importance such projects going forward which would help the council meet energy security goals. He was disappointed that this project hadn’t been able to progress, and he commented that it should not deter the council from achieving climate change going forward. 10.7 Council unanimously agreed to approve that the solar farm project is concluded as outlined in the report.
11.1 The Group Leader, Natural Environment Policy & Streetscene Operations (NEP&SO)), highlighted the key areas of the report which: · outlined proposals to develop adult recreation facilities on land to the north-west of Llantarnam Primary School, also known as the playing field at the former Llantarnam Comprehensive School. · sought permission to agree preparation and submission of Planning and Sustainable Drainage Approval Body (SAB) applications, preparation of detailed design and tender documents and open procurement via Proactis and Sell2Wales. · provided delegated authority for the Chief Officer, Neighbourhoods, Planning and Public Protection to award a contract to deliver the project, subject to tenders being within the allocated budget, which includes S.106 funding together with other external funding secured to cover any shortfalls. · Asked Council to agree that a joint decision on future management of the completed facility be delegated to Chief Officer NSPPP and Chief Officer Education. 11.2 Officers responded to questions and comments by members, and in summary, the following main points were made: · The CONP&PP had formally submitted an apology for the delays experienced with this project which were due to capacity within the Engineering Team. A commitment had been made to deliver a scheme on the site and this would be prioritised. · In response to concerns raised around the planning process and the scheme put forward today not being the scheme originally proposed, the CONP&PP would ask Richard Lewis, Head of Development Management to provide a response in writing to all members. · With reference to consultation with local residents, the project had not yet reached planning application stage, the scheme would be taken forward through the usual process as set out within the report which would be subject to wide public consultation. · In terms of the Future Generations Act, there was a need to consider a number of objectives and to provide recreation for the population and to also maximise biodiversity. The pitch proposed within the scheme won’t occupy all of the green space within that area. · Traffic management and access to Llantarnam Primary School would be considered as part of the design of the scheme. · It was suggested to officers that consideration should be given to carrying out an ecological impact assessment to demonstrate how the council was looking to meet objectives in terms of biodiversity and the recreational facilities within that area. · No decision had been made on the future management of the facility. Officers were keen to talk to anyone who would like to manage the facility going forward. 11.3 Due to his concerns around consultation and future management of the project Councillor Slade proposed a motion to delete paragraph 8.1.3 ‘agrees a joint decision on future management of the completed facility be delegated to Chief Officer NSPPP and Chief Officer Education’ from the recommendations. 11.4 The motion was seconded. 11.5 The majority of members voting against removing paragraph 8.1.3 from the recommendation. Therefore, the motion proposed by Councillor Slade was not carried. 11.6 Council agreed, with the majority voting in favour, to: · approve the preparation and submission of planning and SAB applications, preparation of detailed design and tender documents and open procurement via Proactis and Sell2Wales. · To provide delegated authority for the Chief Officer, Neighbourhoods, Planning and Public Protection to award a contract to deliver the project, subject to tenders being within the allocated budget which includes S.106 funding together with other external funding secured to cover any shortfalls. · Agreed a joint decision on future management of the completed facility be delegated to the Chief Officer Neighbourhoods, Planning & Public Protection and the Chief Officer Education.
12.1 The Chief Officer, Social Care & Housing (COSC&H), outlined the report which advised Members of the content of the report of the Chief Officer, Social Care and Housing, as Statutory Director of Social Services, on the effectiveness of social services for the year 2021/22, prior to publication in October 2022. 12.2 Councillor David Daniels commended the work of staff within social care during such a difficult period of their careers. In summary, he commented around the significant challenges around housing and adult services recruitment. He felt that adult services required a ‘radical rethink’ as the current system was not sustainable, and he informed members that he was in talks with Welsh Government and Welsh Local Government Association regarding this. 12.3 In response to concerns raised by members around domiciliary care, the COSC&H explained that this was a regional and a national issue. He stated that the authority was highly dependent on packages of domiciliary care from private providers and going forward this needed to be reviewed. The workforce / ongoing recruitment issues were highlighted as an issue and considerable work around this had been undertaken regionally and within the Workforce Development Board, and consideration was being given to matters such as fees and allowances for workers within the domiciliary care market, and how to encourage and recruit into the market making this line of work more attractive with improved career development. The COSC&H also commented on the worki being undertaken within adult social care with an aim to having a greater level of control in terms of demand at the “front door”. Relationships were being built with the community’s directorate in order to build upon community resilience and to enable communities to resolve some of their own issues without the need for escalating support. The links with the community’s directorate were already very strong. 12.4 The Leader thanked officers and the dedicated staff in social care. He stated that members had a wealth of knowledge within their communities around how community organisations and the strength in communities could be utilised to help with social care. He suggested having a joint Members Seminar between communities and social care at some point this year to discuss some of these issues and how members could assist. 12.5 Some members had recently visited Ty Glas y Dorlan, a multipurpose wellbeing hub, and felt that representatives from this impressive facility should attend the future seminar to provide information on the model. 12.6 Members commended the report making particular reference to the use of quotes, tables, pictures and testimonies which they felt were important to include in such a report. Members also recognised the falling numbers of looked after children and they thanked officers for their work. 12.7 Council unanimously agreed to: · note the content of the report attached as Appendix one; and · support the publication of the report
13.1 The Democratic Services Project Officer informed Council of the following changes agreed by the Chief Executive and the Leader, under delegated powers, to members nominated to serve on the Torfaen Leisure Trust Board of Trustees and the Congress Theatre Management Board at the AGM in May this year: · Councillor Rose Seabourne to replace Councillor Richard Clark on the Torfaen Leisure Trust Board of Trustees; and · Councillor Steven Evans to replace Councillor Dave Thomas on the Congress Theatre Management Board. 13.2 Council unanimously agreed to note the changes to the outside body nomination for the remainder of the 2022/23 municipal year.
14.1 Councillor Alfie Best proposed the following motion: This Council: · is concerned about the number of cases reported to the RSPCA each year, regarding pets given as prizes via fairgrounds, social media and other channels in Wales · is concerned for the welfare of those animals that are being given as prizes · recognises that many cases of pets being as prizes may go unreported each year in Wales · supports a move to ban the giving of live animals as prizes, in any form, on Torfaen County Borough Council land. Councillor Alfie Best proposed that Council agreed to: · ban outright the giving of live animals as prizes, in any form, on Torfaen County Borough Council land. · write to the Welsh Government, urging an outright ban on the giving of live animals as prizes on both public and private land in Wales. 14.2 The motion was seconded. 14.3 In response to a question asked in relation to awareness of this happening on any land under Torfaen County Borough Council ownership, Councillor Best stated that he wasn’t aware of any cases where this was happening, however, he felt it was important to propose this motion. 14.4 Council agreed, with the majority voting in favour, to support the motion. 14.5 The Leader proposed the following motion on behalf of Councillor Elizabeth Haynes who had given her apologies for the meeting: ‘This council agrees to light up 3 buildings across the borough (the boat house at the Boating Lake, the Civic Centre in Pontypool & one in the North of Torfaen) with Pink & Blue lights during Baby Loss Awareness week of 9th to 15th October 2022. RATIONALE Baby loss awareness week is 9th to 15th October this year. Its aim is to light up important buildings throughout the country to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss. For the last 2 years, Council has supported the motions I have submitted on behalf of a resident. Again, this year, I am asking for Council to agree to light up 3 areas across Torfaen during Baby loss awareness week. INFORMATION Baby Loss Awareness Week – Break the silence around baby loss (babyloss-awareness.org) Baby Loss Awareness Week – Break the silence around baby loss Baby Loss Awareness Week is now in its 20th year. Baby Loss Awareness Week is a wonderful opportunity to bring us together as a community and give anyone touched by pregnancy and baby loss a safe and supportive space to share their experiences and feel that they are not alone babyloss-awareness.org’ 14.6 The Leader proposed that the Council supports Baby Loss Awareness Week by lighting up the 3 buildings in Torfaen every subsequent year. 14.7 The motion was seconded. 14.8 Council unanimously agreed to support the motion.
16.1 Member questions with replies are set out in Appendix A to these minutes.
17.1 The next meeting was scheduled for Tuesday 25 October 2022 at 10:00am.
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.
Declarations are read from the minutes once they are published.
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