Agenda item

Council received, as an Appendix to the circulated report, a copy of the Neath Port Talbot Single Integrated Plan Annual Report for 2015/16, which had been commended to Council by the Local Service Board.  Members noted that this was the last report of the Local Service Board, which had now been replaced by the Public Service Board. 

Following the verbal presentation, Members raised the following:-

·                    In relation to Priority 4 Members asked that the Public Service Board look into the provision of better transport, including community transport.  Members felt that, due to the centralisation of many of the Authority’s services, due to budget cuts, the need for improved transport, especially in rural areas was critical.  Could the Public Service Board meet with Community Council representatives to discuss this further.  Officers confirmed that transport was included in the Regional working and that there were comprehensive community transport schemes in the area.  There needed to be a radical approach by Welsh Government to address these issues.

·                    In relation to the Flood Risk Management Plan, Members raised the incidents of flooding which had occurred on the weekend of 2 September 2016 in the Swansea Valley and asked that their thanks be put on record to the staff, the Local Area Coordinator and the emergency services for their assistance, together with the tremendous community effort.  The local Member would be speaking to Joint Resilience regarding the incidents and also invited Cabinet Members and Officers to meet with the residents affected to discuss any outstanding issues.  Members felt that in some areas the lack of riverbed dredging, by Natural Resources Wales, had contributed to the flooding over recent years.  In other areas the topography of the land together with unauthorised excavation works had had a negative impact, this would need to be addressed by Enforcement Officers as appropriate.

RESOLVED:     that the 2015/16 Annual Report of the Single Integrated Plan prepared by the Local Service Board, be endorsed.

THE LEADER THEN DECLARED AN INTEREST