Agenda and minutes

Venue: Remotely via Teams

Items
No. Item

1.

Chairs Announcements

Minutes:

The Committee was informed of an error in the following report on the Cabinet Board Agenda:

 

·        Agenda Item 8 – Key Performance Indicators 2019/2020 – Quarter 1 (1 April 2021 – 30 June 2021)

 

It was noted that the title of the report should read ‘Key Performance Indicators 2020/2021 – Quarter 1 (1 April 2021 – 30 June 2021)’

Following the update, Members noted the error.

 

2.

Declarations of interest

Minutes:

The following Members made a declaration of interest:

 

Cllr. S. Rahaman -                           Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 – Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he owns a local business within the County Borough which received grant support.

 

Cllr. S. Pursey -                              Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he is a Trustee of Taibach Community Library which has received grant support.

 

Cllr. S. Knoyle -                              Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he is the Director of Glynneath RFC Limited and also has a local business within the County Borough which has received grant support.

 

Cllr. R. Taylor -                               Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as she is a Trustee of Taibach Community Library which has received grant support.

 

Cllr. D. Cawsey -                            Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he is a Trustee and Non-executive Director of various charities and organisations that received grant support.

 

Cllr. S. Hunt -                                  Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he is a member and Chairman of various charities and organisations that received grant support.

 

Cllr. H. James -                               Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he is Chair of the Neath Port Authority which received grant support.

 

Cllr. N. Hunt -                                  Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he owns a local business within the County Borough which received grant support.

 

Cllr. C. Jones -                                Re. Cabinet Board Agenda Item 7 - Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present, as he is an official at Alltwen RFC and owns a local business within the County Borough which received grant support.

3.

Minutes of Previous Meeting pdf icon PDF 155 KB

·        30 July 2021

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 30 July 2021 were approved.

4.

Report on Community Benefits pdf icon PDF 347 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members were provided with a report on outputs and results from the delivery of community benefits through the construction phase of Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School.

It was stated that all of the Councils construction projects were linked to the South Wales Contractors Regional Framework; and all had contractual community benefits within the construction projects. It was mentioned that they were based around targeted recruitment and training; for example taking on local unemployed people, providing work experience opportunities, taking on local apprenticeships using the local supply chain and supporting community initiatives.

Officers explained that they decided to use Cefn Saeson Comprehensive School as an example because despite the pandemic, they had overachieved on all of their targets; apart from the school engagement target which was difficult to achieve due to the pandemic. It was highlighted that this target was hoped to be achieved by the end of next year.

A discussion took place in regards to the sustainability of the projects. It was noted that the Council part funded the shared apprenticeship scheme, which has enabled work experience and shared apprenticeships to be completed; this has provided individuals with opportunities to obtain local jobs as they had been upskilled and trained to do so. Members were informed that long term unemployed individuals had been taken on via the Workways and Communities for Work Project; the contractor had also worked with local social enterprises including Women’s Aid social enterprise arm, Thrive, and given them employment opportunities.

The Committee noted the report.

 

5.

Rhondda Tunnel Society Presentation pdf icon PDF 9 MB

Minutes:

It was confirmed that the Rhondda Tunnel Society Presentation would be deferred to a future meeting of the Committee due to unforeseen circumstances.

6.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny

To select appropriate items from the Cabinet Board agenda for pre-decision scrutiny (reports enclosed for Scrutiny Members)

Minutes:

Commercial Property Grant: 23 Church Place, Neath, SA11 3LL

The Committee received a report regarding the proposal to part fund improvements to the external appearance of the commercial property 23 Church Place, Neath, SA11 3LL.

It was explained that this grant would physically enhance the character of Church Place and the Neath Conservation Area, as the existing rendering was in poor condition and had become a safety hazard to pedestrians due to the rendering crumbling and falling to the street. Officers added that the grant would be used to re-render the Old Market Street and side elevations of the building.

Reference was made to the target areas of the Commercial Property Grant; one of which was specific commercial centres. It was confirmed that the grant could be offered to various commercial centres across the whole of the County Borough; however they had to be in a significant visual area. Members were informed that the idea of the Commercial Property Grant was to improve the streetscene, therefore the buildings that were very visible to the public.

Members queried what the finish of the building was going to look like, and highlighted the importance of the visual appearance of Neath Conservation Area. Officers confirmed that they will liaise with colleagues in the Planning Service to ensure that the new rendering fitted in with the conservation area.

Following scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposal to be considered by the Cabinet Board.

Covid-19 Grant Support for Local Businesses from March 2020 to Present

(Cllr. S.Rahaman, Cllr. N.Hunt, Cllr. S.Knoyle and Cllr. C.Jones re-affirmed their interest at this point and withdrew from the meeting)

An update report was provided to Members on the activities of the Economic Development Service in processing Covid-19 financial assistance to local businesses from March 2020 to August 2021.

It was noted that in March 2020, the UK Government announced that the Country would be entering a lockdown; following this Welsh Government announced that they would be using a non-domestic rate system to deliver emergency grant payments to businesses across Wales. Officers confirmed that at that time, to qualify for grant support, business needed to either be in receipt of small business rates relief, be operating within the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors or be a registered charity or community sports club; initially these grants were in the region of £10k and £25k, and the level of support was dependant on the rateable value of their property.

Members were informed that it quickly became apparent that there was going to be a huge demand on services, in terms of providing advice and guidance to local businesses to help them access the relevant support; in response to this, three members of the Economic Development Team were immediately assigned to support the Business Rates Team. It was stated that this enabled the Business Rates Team to concentrate on processing the grants and providing payments to businesses as efficiently as possible; the Economic Development Team focused on fielding all  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

7.

Forward Work Programme 2021/22 pdf icon PDF 220 KB

Minutes:

Members noted the Regeneration and Sustainable Development Scrutiny Forward Work Programme for 2021/22.

 

8.

Urgent items

(whether public or exempt) at the discretion of the Chairman pursuant to Section 100B (4) (b) of the Local Government Act 1972

Minutes:

Because of the need to deal now with the matters contained in Minute No. 11 below, the Chairperson agreed that these could be raised at today’ s meeting as urgent items pursuant to Statutory Instrument No.2290 (as amended).

 

Reason for Urgency:

Due to the time element.

 

9.

Access to Meetings

To resolve to exclude the public for the following item(s) pursuant to Section 100A(4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972 and the relevant exempt paragraphs of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

Minutes:

RESOLVED:

that pursuant to Section 100A(4) and (5) of the Local Government Act 1972, the public be excluded for the following items of business which involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 14 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the above Act.

 

10.

Pre-Decision Scrutiny of Private Item/s

To select appropriate items from the Private Cabinet Board agenda for pre-decision scrutiny (reports enclosed for Scrutiny Members)

Minutes:

The Committee scrutinised the following private Cabinet Board item:

Proposed acquisition of Land and Domestic Garage at the Junction of A48 and Water Street, Margam for the proposed Footpath/Cycleway Scheme linking Eglwys Nunydd and St David's Park, Margam

Members were provided with a report regarding the proposed acquisition of Land and Domestic Garage at the Junction of A48 and Water Street, Margam for the proposed Footpath/Cycleway Scheme linking Eglwys Nunydd and St David's Park, Margam.

Following scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposal to be considered by the Cabinet Board.

 

11.

Proposed Disposal of Land at Harbourside to NPT College together with the proposed Acquisition of Land at Fabian Way from Welsh Government

Minutes:

Members were provided with a report which detailed the proposed disposal of Land at Harbourside to NPT College together with the proposed Acquisition of Land at Fabian Way from Welsh Government.

 

Following scrutiny, the Committee was supportive of the proposal to be considered by the Cabinet Board.