Agenda and minutes

No apologies for absence were received.

Members are reminded of their personal responsibility to declare any personal and prejudicial interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government and Finance Act 1992 relating to Council Tax, the Local Government Act 2000, the Council’s Constitution and the Members Code of Conduct

Note:

(a)  Members are reminded that they must identify the item number and subject matter that their interest relates to and signify the nature of the personal interest and

(b)  Where Members withdraw from a Meeting as a consequence of the disclosure of a prejudicial interest they must notify the Chair when they leave

No Declarations of Interest were made.

To consider report of the Chief Executive

State of the Council Debate – 2016/2017

Councillor B Toomey Leader of the Council gave the following address to the Council:

The Budget for 2017/18 has once again been set in an extremely challenging financial climate as a result of unrelenting and continued punitive measures imposed by Central UK Government.

Local Government in Wales is yet again faced with unprecedented funding reductions with Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council’s funding for 2017/18 reduced by 0.5% or £446,000 in cash terms against a backdrop of rising inflation and additional burdens.

Despite this we continue to provide vital services and we have protected those in greatest need, all our departments do the very best they can under very difficult circumstances, and, in many cases are the envy of our colleagues across Wales, for example:

The Local Resilience Unit (Emergency Planning) has again been approached by Cardiff City Council and Welsh Government to help support the Planning and Preparing for the UEFA Champions League Finals Held in The Principality Stadium in June. This follows on from the good work undertaken by the Resilience Unit during the NATO Summit in 2014.

Working in collaboration with Welsh Government the Resilience Unit helped develop a Pan Wales Strategic Training package/ qualification back in 2016, this will be shortly delivered throughout the UK, as Best Practise.

The Council’s Planning and Countryside Division continues to lead the way as the top performing planning authority in Wales. This has seen permission granted for the construction of a new bus station and public realm improvements at the former Police Station and Hollies Health Centre site.

The division also continues to support the leisure and tourism sector by granting permission for the construction of 23 additional mountain bike trails to support Bike Park Wales’ further expansion plans, and redevelopment of Rock UK to provide short stay accommodation and conference facilities.

100 open market houses have been permitted across the County Borough over the last year, along with 50 affordable houses.  The County Borough’s rich heritage stock continues to be restored and conserved, with Listed Building Consent being granted at 115 High Street and St John’s Church. 

Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council is the first Local Authority in Wales to use the Google Trekker Loan Programme following a successful bid by the Planning and Countryside department, which allows people to virtually view local landscape and heritage along trails and paths on Google Street View.

The Housing Renewal Team continues to attract significant inward investment for the benefit of Merthyr Tydfil citizens. In 2016/17, the Team secured £850,000 of inward investment from a variety of sources to fund free external wall insulation and other energy efficiency measures to 90 homes located at Penybryn.

This year also marks the end of the Council’s very successful Renewal Area Programme which has seen three Wards benefit from over £23M of direct grant investment from Welsh Government since 2001, which in turn stimulated a further £70M of additional investment through the Council, the private sector and our  ...  view the full minutes text for item 870.

To consider report of the Chief Executive

Resolved that:

(a)  The formal Statutory Council Tax resolutions 2017/18 as outlined in Appendix 1 and summarised in Paragraph 5.1 of the report be noted and approved

(b)  The South Wales Police Authority approved precept for 2017/18 of £3,943,507 for the Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council area be noted

(c)  The Bedlinog Community Council approved precept for 2017/18 of £20,500 for the Community Council area be noted

(d)   The Welsh Government 2017/18 Non Domestic Rate for Wales of 49.9 pence in the £ be noted

Goitre Primary School

A Member advised the Council that at it’s last ESTYN Inspection Goitre Primary School were judged as requiring significant improvement.  ESTYN had now completed a monitoring Inspection and judged that they had made good progress and so they had taken them out of the category of concern.  This was excellent news for the Gurnos and a credit to pupils and staff and the community.

No Communications were received from Her Worship the Mayor.