Agenda, decisions and minutes

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting.

There were none.

There were none.

There were no Items selected from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme.

There were no Items selected from the Cabinet Forward Work Programme.

Members considered item 4a from the Scrutiny Forward Work Programme.

Members considered item 4a from the Scrutiny Forward Work Programme.

Following Scrutiny the update was noted.

Simon Brennan Head of Property and Regeneration presented an update on the Levelling up fund projects with the assistance of Chris Saunders Head of Leisure Tourism History and Culture.

Members were advised that there are three Levelling Up Fund (LUF) Projects.

1 The Vale of Neath Heritage Corridor Visitor Attractor which is a package bid in the Vale of Neath, which will deliver two transformational projects:

·       The Gnoll Estate Country Park Heritage and Visitor Infrastructure will invest in the historic estate; visitor offer and establish visitor accommodation in the park.

·       The Waterfall Country Pontneddfechan visitor infrastructure scheme will deliver strategic visitor infrastructure including family friendly accommodation and improved parking.

2 Port Talbot Town Centre Regeneration project will support the regeneration and economic recovery of Port Talbot Town Centre.

3 Newbridge Road Bridge – reopening of Newbridge Bridge, along with improvements to adjoining linkages on Newbridge Road (west) and Riverside Road (east) in the form of a shared pedestrian and cycle track alongside the carriageway.

Members were advised that the Newbridge Road Bridge project is only at the design stage and as a result the council has only been given a limited amount of funding for it but is being progressed by officers.

In relation to the Gnoll scheme, members were advised that it is progressing well.

Officers noted public questions about progressing the new visitor centre, with some feeling the old one was sufficient. However, officers believe the new centre offers a significantly improved, more engaging, and sustainable experience for visitors.

Members were advised that most parks and facilities require a small subsidy, partly due to limited secondary spend as many facilities are outdated or don't meet current needs. Officers believe the new offer could improve sustainability going forward.

Officers explained that the project is split into several sections, improving the visitor offer and consolidating the key heritage features.

Officers advised there had been extensive discussions around potential features. Members were informed that elements not included in the current phase may be considered in future phases, as supporting infrastructure would make them more viable later.

Officers are looking at developing the children’s play offer as a key part of getting people into the park.

Members were advised that the council needs to improve interpretation within the park to help visitors understand its history, purpose, and available facilities.

Officers highlighted the refurbishment of Pond Cottage to create the five-star self-catering holiday cottage and hoped that it will be popular going forward.

Officers advised that the new adventure park and additional facilities for older children are funded through the Levelling Up Fund. The smaller park near the visitor centre will remain unchanged for now, but there are plans to redevelop it in the future. This will depend on the availability of Section 106 funding and the commencement of certain schemes, although a ready-to-go plan is already in place.

Officers felt that the Gnoll is making good progress, and they hope to be complete by September 2025.

They also confirmed that the visitor  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4a

Members Considered performance monitoring item 5 a & b.

Members felt that aligning business plans with the overall strategy improves clarity. However, they were concerned that dividing responsibilities may hinder cross-departmental collaboration. They recalled previous commitments to improve this and asked how it's being implemented, noting that one business plan referenced the issue.

Members noted inconsistencies between Leisure & Culture’s business plans (within the Education directorate) and those of Environmental Services. They highlighted that the former lacks cross-cutting goals and shared objectives, making comparison and monitoring difficult.

Members asked whether this is still an ongoing process and emphasised that business plans are a valuable tool for committee oversight and future monitoring.

Members noted that under the “What didn’t work well” section of the plans, it would be helpful to include a narrative explaining what happened, what didn’t work, and the overall impact going forward. They felt this would provide clearer context and support better understanding and monitoring.

Nicola Pearce, Director for Environment and Regeneration advised that Environment services followed a corporate business plan template, which was flexible for services to adapt if needed. Some sections, such as budget targets and savings, were pre-populated by colleagues in Finance and Corporate Services. Louise McAndrew was specifically noted for her helpful contributions, demonstrating an example of effective cross-departmental collaboration.

Officers explained that they followed that template to ensure that had a consistent approach within the directorate.

Members were informed that each business plan includes a section on the sustainable development principle, with columns addressing the five ways of working. Officers explained their position on each and provided examples, noting these are illustrative rather than exhaustive examples of collaboration.

Examples of collaboration included:

Property and Regeneration: Worked on the Tata Steel transition with third sector organisations, UK and Welsh Governments, businesses, and the private sector.

Engineering and Transport: Referenced coal tip safety work in partnership with the Mine Remediation Authority. NPT was a pilot authority, helping develop the inspection system that led to £180 million in funding for Wales, this funding supports monitoring and response to coal tip issues in the local area.

Officers acknowledged they can't deliver everything alone and regularly collaborate with the private sector, government departments, academia, and the third sector.

They cited recruitment challenges in Building Control as an area that hasn’t worked well. Succession plans are in place across the directorate, and officers are working with the Future of Work team in People and Organisational Services to improve recruitment.

While there have been successes, significant challenges remain in filling roles such as surveyors, architects, project managers, and engineers.

Members were informed that a surveyor post had been advertised three times with no applications. Building Control is now restructuring and exploring alternative approaches. Apprentices are in place, with the aim of developing in-house talent. While this won’t solve immediate recruitment issues, it’s a long-term strategy to address future needs.

Members asked whether staffing issues in Building Control were causing delays. Officers confirmed the service is behind due to recruitment challenges.

While members praised collaboration with external partners, they also asked  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5a

Following Scrutiny the report was noted.

Following Scrutiny the report was noted.

Following Scrutiny the report was noted.

Following Scrutiny the report was noted.

There were none

There were none