Agenda and minutes

Venue: Hybrid Meeting - can be attended via Microsoft Teams or at the General Offices, Ebbw Vale

Contact: Democratic Services  6139

Media

Items
No. Item

1.

Simultaneous Translation

You are welcome to use Welsh at the meeting, a minimum notice period of 3 working days is required should you wish to do so.  A simultaneous translation will be provided if requested.

 

Minutes:

 

It was noted that no requests had been received for the simultaneous translation service.

 

2.

Apologies

To receive.

Minutes:

There were no apologies for absence received.

 

3.

Declarations of Interest and Dispensations

To consider any declaration of interest and dispensations made.

 

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest or dispensations reported.

 

4.

Democratic Arrangements 2022 Onwards pdf icon PDF 521 KB

To consider the report of the Service Manager Performance and Democratic.

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Service Manager Democratic and Performance.

 

It was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED that the report be accepted and the information contained therein relating to the democratic arrangements moving forward be noted.

 

5.

Presiding Member and Deputy Presiding Member

To appoint Presiding Member and Deputy Presiding Member of the Council for 2022/2023.

Minutes:

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor Chris Smith be elected Presiding Member of the Council and that Councillor David Wilkshire be appointed Deputy Presiding Member of the Council for the ensuing year.

 

Upon a vote being taken it was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED accordingly.

 

Councillor Smith, thereupon, took the Chair at this juncture.

 

6.

Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council

To appoint Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council.

Minutes:

It was proposed and seconded that Councillor S. Thomas be elected Leader of the Council and that Councillor H. Cunningham be elected Deputy Leader for the ensuing year.

 

Upon a vote being taken it was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED accordingly.

 

7.

Group Officers

Group Secretaries to report on Group Officers for 2022/2023.

Minutes:

The Labour Group Officers for the ensuing year were reported as follows:

 

Councillor S. Thomas – Leader

Councillor H. Cunningham – Deputy Leader

Councillor T. Smith – Secretary

Councillor C. Smith – Group Chair

Councillor D. Wilkshire – Group Vice-Chair

Councillor P. Baldwin – Treasurer

 

It was reported that the Independent Group Officers for the ensuing year would be:

 

Councillor J. Wilkins - Leader

Councillor W. Hodgins - Deputy Leader

Councillor L. Parsons – Secretary

 

8.

Membership of the Executive

To appoint Membership of the Executive.

Minutes:

Upon a vote being taken it was unanimously RESOLVED that the following be appointed:

 

Leader of the Council/Executive Member - Corporate Overview & Performance

Councillor S. Thomas

 

Deputy Leader of the Council/Executive Member – Place & Environment

Councillor H. Cunningham

 

Executive Member – Place & Regeneration

Councillor J. C. Morgan

 

Executive Member – People & Social Services

Councillor H. Trollope

 

Executive Member – People & Education

Councillor S. Edmunds

 

9.

Chair, Vice-Chair and Membership of Scrutiny Committees

To appoint Chair and Vice-Chair and Members of the Scrutiny Committees.

Minutes:

 

 

It was proposed and seconded that the positions of Chair and Vice-Chair be held by the following and upon a vote being taken this was unanimously RESOLVED:

 

People Scrutiny Committee

Chair             Councillor T. Smith

Vice-Chair    Councillor J. Morgan, J.P.

 

Place Scrutiny Committee

Chair                 Councillor M. Cross

Vice-Chair        Councillor R. Leadbeater

 

Partnerships Scrutiny Committee

Chair                 Councillor W. Hodgins

Vice-Chair        Councillor P. Baldwin

 

Corporate & Performance Scrutiny Committee

Chair              Councillor J. Wilkins

Vice-Chair      Councillor J. Thomas

 

 

FURTHER RESOLVED that the following be appointed:

 

People Scrutiny Committee 

9 Members – Proportionality 6:3

 

1.           Chair -                  Councillor T. Smith

 

2.      Vice Chair -         Councillor J. Morgan, J.P.

 

3.           Councillors          C. Bainton

 

4.                                  D. Bevan

 

5.                                  K. Chaplin

 

6.                                  G. A. Davies

 

7.                                 J. Holt

 

8.                                 G. Thomas

 

9.                                 D. Wilkshire

 

Would also include 2 Members of religious bodies and between 2-5 parent governors with voting rights only when dealing with education matters.

 

1.      Mr. T. Baxter                Diocesan Education Body    

                                                (R.C. Church)

 

2.      Mr. T. Pritchard             (Church in Wales)

 

3.      Vacant                            Youth Forum Representative

                  

Place Scrutiny Committee 

9 Members – Proportionality 6:3

 

1.      Chair -                  Councillor M. Cross

 

2.      Vice Chair -         Councillor R. Leadbeater

 

3.      Councillors          P. Baldwin

 

4.                                  S. Behr

 

5.                                  J. Gardner

 

6.                                  J. Hill

 

7.                                  J. Holt

 

8.                                  J. P. Morgan

 

9.                                  D. Rowberry

                  

Partnerships Scrutiny Committee 

9 Members – Proportionality 6:3

 

1.      Chair -                  Councillor W. Hodgins

 

2.      Vice Chair -         Councillor P. Baldwin

 

3.     Councillors            K. Chaplin

 

4.                                   D. Davies

 

5.                                   E. Jones

 

6.                                   L. Parsons

 

7.                                   C. Smith

 

8.                                   L. Winnett

 

9.                                   D. Woods

 

                              

Corporate & Performance Scrutiny Committee –

9 Members – Proportionality 6:3

 

1.           Chair -                 Councillor J. Wilkins

 

2.      Vice Chair -         Councillor J. Thomas

 

3.      Councillors          C. Bainton

 

4.                                  M. Day

 

5.                                  G. Humphreys

 

6.                                  E. Jones

 

7.                                  R. Leadbeater

 

8.                                  C. Smith

 

9.                                  T. Smith

           

10.

Council's Representatives on Other Bodies

To appoint Council's Representatives to the following Other Bodies:

 

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority;

Cardiff Capital City Region City Deal

Gwent Police and Crime Panel;

Silent Valley Waste Services Limited;

South Wales Fire and Rescue Authority; and

Tai Calon Board

 

Minutes:

Upon a vote being taken it was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED that the following be appointed:-

 

Brecon Beacons National Park – National Park Authority & Site Visits

Councillor P. Baldwin

 

Cardiff Capital Region City Deal Cabinet

Leader of the Council

 

Gwent Police Crime Panel

Councillor G. A. Davies

Councillor J. Thomas

 

Silent Valley Waste Services Ltd

Non Executive

Councillor T. Smith

Councillor L. Winnett

 

South Wales Fire Authority

Councillor J. Morgan, J.P.

 

Tai Calon Board

Councillor S. Behr

Councillor E. Jones

 

Member Champion – Armed Forces

Councillor D. Bevan

 

11.

Annual Cycle of Meetings 2022/2023 pdf icon PDF 476 KB

To consider the joint Officers’ report.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members considered the joint officers’ report.

 

It was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED that the report be accepted and Option 1 be endorsed, namely that:

 

(i)           The proposed annual cycle of meetings 2022/2023 attached at Appendix 1 be approved.

 

(ii)         The decision making process to deal with any urgent business during the August recess be approved:

 

a.   the Leader and Deputy Leader in conjunction with appropriate Executive Members and Officers deal with any urgent items from 1st - 31st August 2022 (i.e. a Special Meeting of the Executive would be convened at short notice recognising that the matter was urgent and the call-in procedure would apply).  The Chief Executive / Head of Paid Service in conjunction with the Leadership would determine if a matter was urgent; and

 

decisions should be limited to urgent matters and recorded on a decision schedule presented to the next Ordinary Meeting of the Council.  No controversial or sensitive matters should be dealt with during this period.

12.

PART 2 BUSINESS

13.

Report of the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales 2022/23 pdf icon PDF 717 KB

To consider the report of the Head of Organisational Development.

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the report of the Head of Organisational Development.

 

It was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED that the report be accepted and the determinations in the final IRPW Annual Report for 2022/2023 be noted.

 

14.

Exempt Item

To receive and consider the following report which in the opinion of the proper officer is an exempt item taking into account consideration of the public interest test and that the press and public should be excluded from the meeting (the reason for the decision for the exemption is available on a schedule maintained by the proper officer).

Minutes:

To receive and consider the following report which in the opinion of the proper officer was an exempt item taking into account consideration of the public interest test and that the press and public should be excluded from the meeting (the reasons for the decisions for the exemption was available on a schedule maintained by the proper officer).

 

15.

Senior Staffing Report

To consider the report of the Interim Chief Executive.

Minutes:

All officers apart from the Interim Chief Executive, Chief Officer Resources, Head of Legal and Corporate Compliance, Head of Organisational Development and the Democratic and Committee Support Officer left the  meeting whilst this item of business was considered.

 

Having regard to the views expressed by the Proper Officer regarding the public interest test, that on balance, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information and that the report should be exempt.

 

RESOLVED that the public be excluded whilst this item of business is transacted as it is likely there would be a disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraphs 12 & 13, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, 1972 (as amended).

 

Consideration was given to the report of the Interim Chief Executive.

 

It was unanimously,

 

RESOLVED that the report which related to staffing matters be accepted and Option 1 be endorsed, namely that Council approve the mutual termination of the officer named in the report with effect from the 31st May 2022.