Issue - meetings

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 Paragraph 14, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act, 1972 (as amended).

Consideration was given to report of the Team Manager Streetscene.

The Team Manager Streetscene presented the report which updated Members on current burial capacity across all cemeteries in Blaenau Gwent, and provided information on progress made to redress the issues raised in consideration of the report considered at the February meeting of the Committee.

A Member referred to recent discussions at the Joint Scrutiny (Budget Monitoring) in relation to capital monies identified to undertake improvements to the Borough’s cemeteries, and sought assurance that this money would not be used for the proposals set out in this report.

The Team Leader Streetscene assured that the capital monies referred to by the Member would be utilised for infrastructure improvements in the Borough’s cemeteries.

A discussion ensued when the Officer clarified points raised by Members in relation to potential land acquisition.

A Member referred to the funding requirements highlighted at section 5.2.1 of the report and asked why the figure for 2021/22 had increased from the previous report submitted in February.

In response the Team Leader Estates and Valuations explained that this was in relation to potential CPO’s.  Appendix 1 provided a breakdown of costs.

The Committee AGREED to recommend that the report which contained information relation to the financial/business affairs of persons other than the Authority be accepted and Members support the following:

·        The appointment of external legal advice to provide the necessary legal information necessary to move forward with land acquisition.

·        To support the use of CPO powers to purchase land as required based on the legal advice provided.

·        An application be made to the Council’s Capital programme for funding to support the land purchase costs and cemetery infrastructure works necessary over the next three years 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24.