Agenda item

That the report be noted.

Members received an overview of the circulated report.

 

Audit Wales highlighted that the Council does not have a current vision and plan for managing its assets or timely and comprehensive monitoring arrangements. This conclusion was reached as the Council, at the time of the work, had not yet set out an updated vision and ambition for the strategic use of its assets.

 

The asset delivery action plan, should combine the scale of the poor condition and associated costs of maintaining its assets and  present significant risks.

 

Audit Wales highlighted they issued three recommendations to the Council to address some of these weaknesses that had been identified.

The first recommendation related to the strategic asset management vision and strategy. Audit Wales stated that in developing its new Corporate Asset Management Strategy, the Council should put the sustainable development principle at the heart of its considerations setting out its long-term vision and outcomes it wanted to achieve over the short, medium and longer term.

 

Recommendation two addressed strategic asset management planning and delivery, and once the Council had agreed its new Corporate Asset Management Strategy, it should develop the supporting arrangements to ensure that it has sufficient corporate oversight and a consistent approach to the delivery of its asset objective across the organisation.

The third recommendation made related to strategic asset management and governance.  Audit Wales stated that the Council needs to be able to understand the progress its asset management strategy and arrangements were making and how those were helping to deliver and achieve its well-being objectives, assuring itself that its current governance arrangements were sufficient to effectively monitor its progress.

The Council needs to develop and communicate regular progress monitoring reports, develop a broader set of asset related measures and look for opportunities to benchmark itself against other organisations.

 

Council Officers mentioned that in terms of recommendation one, officers completed the revised asset management plan in April 2024, it was a little delayed for several reasons, including Covid, where staff were diverted from the strategic work to undertaking a range of other tasks.

 

There have been some recruitment issues within the service area for the last several years, particularly around the difficulty of recruiting within the current salary bands, in terms of surveyors the capacity was 66%.  Work on the Strategy was completed in April 2024 and set for the next five years.

Officers mentioned in relation to Recommendation two, they currently run with an Organisational Development Board and that was looking at a holistic view, of the way that the authority manages all its assets, which includes property, Information Technology and Human Resources. Officers mentioned that the group meets quarterly and deals with the operational property issues. In addition, Officers mentioned that a group will be set up in relation to Strategic Asset Management. Officers highlighted in terms of the non-operational property, that would be reported through the property performance reports. The non-operational property reports would be produced around May 2025. Officers highlighted in terms of governance, all decision making would go through either corporate leadership team, strategic leadership team and then on through the Cabinet process.

In relation to recommendation three, Officers mentioned the property performance would go through a property performance report, which happens every 12 months.

 

Members asked in relation to the Asset Management Strategy, who was paying for the work in relation to the contamination at Baglan Energy Park?

Officers stated the Energy Park was currently owned by Welsh Government, which was acquired approximately 18 months ago. Officers mentioned there was a significant level of contamination both on the surface and in the groundwater. Welsh Government had been working on the remediation plan that takes a significant amount of ground testing and groundwater testing. Officers explained the remediation plan would be available by 2026, with a view to start to undertake the work in 2027.

Members asked what it means by a key site for strategic employment?

Officers explained it was seen by Welsh Government and NPTCBC as one of the key sites across Wales with potential to add significant numbers of jobs to the area. There were ongoing discussions with interested parties and hopefully this will bring more information in the future.

Members asked in terms of Wild Fox Resort, has the work started.

Officers stated that they were hoping to be on site in 2024 but were confident to be on site within the next 12 months.

Members highlighted the scale of the poor condition and associated costs of maintaining its assets remain key financial risks for the Council and asked were they recognised.

Members asked were they recognised on Neath Port Talbots Strategic risk register or other high level risk registers.

Officers stated yes.

 

Members noted that it was helpful to see the audit report which entails a lot of detail.

Members asked how they were going to monitor the delivery of some of the actions within the asset management asset plan e.g. the SMART objectives to support economic recovery in response to COVID-19 pandemic, also as a committee, how will members get the assurances that this would be monitored and track delivery.

 

Officers explained in terms of the wider economic recovery post COVID, the authority was currently producing and will take forward in approximately 6 to 8 weeks. The new Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy from Neath Port Talbot, that sits within the framework of a few other documents. Officers highlighted they were the Regional Economic Framework, that was a Welsh Government produced document, the Regional Economic Delivery Plan that was a plan that covers the South West Wales region, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

 

Members asked when the Committee would get to look at the plan.

Officers mentioned it would be in approximately 8 weeks.

 

Members asked in relation to the various Committees and Organisational Development Board, how would Officers anticipate them reporting back to Governance and Audit Committee to feel assured.

Officers explained there were mechanisms in place to ensure they were being delivered.

 

RESOLVED:

 

That the report be noted