Agenda item

Following scrutiny, members noted the report

Officers gave members a brief overview of the report and explained that it meets the council’s duty to report on the progress of the corporate plan. Members were reminded that the Council adopted an updated corporate plan for 2024-27, which reflects 9 strategic transformation programmes.

Members were informed that going forward updates will be presented to members on a quarterly basis and officers will make it more succinct due to the length of the report. Officers acknowledged that there is more work to be done on the targets and presentation of the information to make sure it is clear.

Members noted that on page 23 of the report it highlights that funding for the Welsh Coastal Path Maintenance Grant has been received by the council and asked what figure that was.

Members also asked why that money hasn’t been spent on the 2 closed off sections of the Welsh Coastal Path recently at Margam and in Baglan. Members felt it would be more benefit to fix the coastal path rather than use the money on a link to the coastal path when the coastal path doesn't really exist.

Members also raised that on page 32 of the report on energy saving, you know there are some quite staggering sums there that schools have saved by checking their meters and by looking at the money they spend on energy.

Officers were asked, given the large amounts of savings, has this instigated a route and branch review of all school metering and billing at schools in the county borough?

Simon Brennan reported significant progress in recent years regarding school energy management. The energy team has identified discrepancies in billing and metering, which required intensive resource allocation to thoroughly review. Some schools have multiple energy supplies due to historical developments, and unknown supplies have also been discovered.

The work with schools has two main strands:

Energy Efficiency: General improvements and the initiation of the Sparks programme.

Technical Work: Detailed analysis by the energy team to ensure maximum efficiency, including exploring renewable energy options to reduce bills.

Ceri Morris Head of Planning and Public Protection clarified the maintenance of footpath 119, noting it is a relatively low-cost issue. They acknowledged the substantial costs associated with the closure of parts of the Wales Coast Path, particularly around the Quays area, which require significant capital investment due to tidal undermining.

They explained that the maintenance grant for footpath 119 is not suitable for these more substantial works. However, identifying it as part of the Wales Coast Path allows access to the Wales Coast Path maintenance budget, resulting in cost savings by not using the wider public rights of way maintenance budget, which has been reduced over time.

Officers will confirm the actual figure related to this issue after the meeting.

Members were concerned that the council are able to help other paths like the public rights of way by taking money from the Welsh Coastal Path. Members felt that the authority don’t want to be bottom of the condition of the coastal path list.

Members felt it is this a slippery slope if money is taken from the coastal path for other projects within the county borough.

Officers noted members concerns and clarified that one of the criteria for using the Wales Coast Path maintenance budget is that it can be allocated for links to and from the Coastal Path. The footpath was given as an example which provides a link and is one of the first of its kind in Wales. Officers felt this approach is entirely appropriate and ensures that the funds are used effectively.

Members were advised that the team is not misusing the money; and instead utilising the available grant funds in a way that benefits both the Coastal Path and the wider network of public rights of way. This strategy helps maximise the impact of the budget while maintaining the integrity of the Coastal Path.

Members asked if officers are keeping an eye on all other buildings in relation to energy savings to make sure that the electricity bills are monitored and prevent overcharging?

Officers noted that managing energy efficiency across all buildings is highly resource-intensive and requires significant labour and patience due to slow responses from energy companies. However, progress is being made across all buildings within the authority.

Members asked if smart meters work for council buildings.

Officers explained that they use half hourly metering on a lot of the schools and bigger buildings and gives real time information about how that energy is used and it's what the energy companies want as the council is a high-end user.

Members asked if there is going to be a report on the energy auditing work being done and if so what would the timescale be for it.

Officers advised that it is an ongoing process, and they can report at any time giving a position of where the council is. Officers have previously provided a report to Cabinet Members Briefing with a spreadsheet of the top end users and how they are targeting them to make efficiencies.

The Chair felt that committee members would be interested in seeing the ongoing work around efficiency savings and decarbonisation.

The cabinet member for Climate Change and Economic Growth, Cllr. Jeremy Hurley explained that smart meters don’t always work in rural areas as they can’t always connect. Connectivity would need to be checked first if using on council buildings.

The chair asked where officers are in terms of completing place plan work for Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe. Members wanted to know when they would be coming to cabinet for sign off and then implemented.

Officers explained that they drafted some place plans for discussion and consulted with members, local groups, and businesses. After receiving significant feedback, they redrafted the plans and sought further funding from the Welsh Government to continue working with the consultants called the urbanists. This work will be presented once all the new plans have been drafted.

Officers explained that only six place plans were initially allowed to ensure a geographical spread, as required by the Welsh Government. The remaining plans will be addressed later. These place plans enable towns to secure funding from the Welsh Government for local projects.

To address the areas not included in the initial plans, funds like SPF were set up to target other villages and towns. The goal is to have a place plan for all larger conurbations.

Members inquired about the Levelling Up Fund projects, including Gnoll Park and Pontneddfechan. They noted ongoing complications with Pontneddfechan and asked if it is currently on track or if there is uncertainty about its future.

Officers are in regular contact with the local landowner, lawyers, and involved individuals, seeking a full response each week. They are awaiting a revised valuation from the other side, who have indicated they are willing to proceed if the valuation is acceptable.

Officers are hopeful for a firm response before Christmas, as they have prepared everything else for the project. They are ready to proceed once they receive the necessary confirmations.

Members were informed that planning notices are up for the Princess Royal Theatre, indicating progress on the Port Talbot project. Additionally, in Gnoll Park, the old visitor centre has been demolished, and work on the new visitor centre has begun.

Members were happy with the progress at the Gnoll and noted that it is a month in front of schedule at the moment and its foundations and steel have gone up.

Members noted that on page 29 of the half-yearly summary, the percentage of people satisfied with their local area as a place to live is marked as green despite no data being available for the last two years. They questioned if this can be reported as a green status and suggested officers find another way to present these performance measures. Other measures in the report also lack data but are marked as on track.

Officers acknowledged feedback from previous scrutiny committees. They noted that while some measures haven't achieved savings, the work is progressing as part of the strategic priorities. More information will be available by quarter three. They thanked the committee for their feedback.

The chair referenced the performance measure on the percentage of waste reused, recycled or composted and inquired if recent Cabinet decisions on the waste strategy impact the target of reaching 70% recycling, or if the existing measures are sufficient to achieve this goal.

Members asked for some feedback on this as they understand officers will be having to review some of the waste plans following the rejection of the three weekly collections and the charging for green waste proposals.

Officers confirmed that the recent decisions will likely have an impact and are under review. Members were reminded that this is a retrospective report, and the decisions were made after its completion. An update will be provided in quarter three.

Mike Roberts, Head of Streetscene, explained that NRW has changed the accountancy rules for performance measures this year. Previously, recycling was counted when waste was sent to a plant. Now, it is only counted when it comes out of the plant. This change means some material currently in plants can't be counted yet. as it is waiting to be processed. Officers are uncertain about the amount of material collected in March will be processed before year end which may again affect figures. They are currently examining this issue.  A further update on material waiting to be processed and will be provide in the third quarter. The chair found the information about the change in the data gathering process very useful and noted its potential impact.

Members observed that due to the rapidly changing landscape and the challenges with the current budget process, many reports quickly become outdated and lose relevance. They questioned the effectiveness of such reports under these circumstances.

Officers acknowledged the issue and explained that the 2022-2027 corporate plan was heavily focused on COVID recovery, which necessitated a mid-term update. They recognized the challenge of keeping plans and strategies current, as things often change by the time they are finalised.

Officers suggested streamlining priorities in the corporate plan to focus on overarching goals, with specific details coming from service-level delivery plans. They acknowledged the challenge of producing numerous plans in an ever-changing landscape.

The chair noted the value of retrospectively reviewing plans to see how expectations matched reality. This hindsight can provide a helpful perspective, even if reports are slightly delayed.

The report was noted.

 

 

Following scrutiny, members noted the report