Agenda and draft minutes

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To receive the minutes of the meeting of County Council held on 7 September 2021 (copy attached).

The minutes of Full Council held on 7 September 2021 were submitted.

RESOLVED that the minutes of Full Council held on 7 September 2021 be confirmed as a correct record.

To consider a report by the Flood Risk Engineer, Wayne Hope, into the investigation of the flooding on 9^th February 2020 (copy attached).

The Lead Member for Waste, Transport and the Environment, Councillor Brian Jones, introduced the 9 February 2020 Flood Event - Section 19 Flood Investigation Report.

On the 9th of February 2020, extensive flooding occurred across Denbighshire as a result of Storm Ciara. Council officers, as well as officers from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, had since carried out investigations into the flooding to understand the reason why the flooding occurred, the likelihood of it happening again and to assess whether measures could be put in place to reduce flooding in future.

Keith Ivens of NRW commenced with the queries raised regarding St. Asaph.  He confirmed that the event in February 2020 had been an extreme event.  The new defences were constructed, built and designed on a 1 in 100 year standard of protection including allowance for climate change.  What had been seen in the event analysis in Appendix B was a hydrological analysis of occurrences due to Storm Ciara.

Storm Ciara was estimated to be a 1 in 250 / 1 in 300 year event at peak flow. Immediately after the event it had been queried why there had been overtopping in one particular location.  Extensive discussions had taken place with the designers, and an extensive post event modelling carried out with the designers to understand what happened in that location.  It had been resolved with the designers which had led to the works which were currently being carried out in St. Asaph.  The community of St. Asaph had very good protection and 370 properties had been protected which would have been flooded otherwise. 

Failure of water level recorder in St. Asaph under the A55.  The type of equipment installed at that location was a pressure transducer which was set with an upper and lower limit, but it had exceeded the upper limit. The pressure transducer was still in place but an additional downward facing ultrasonic level sensor was now situated on the new Spring Gardens Bridge which allowed NRW to monitor water levels and that fed into the flood forecasting model for the River Elwy

Protection of rural communities - Wigfair and Lower Denbigh Road area had been looked at as part of the St. Asaph scheme to ascertain if some of the properties along that area could be included within the scheme.   At that point it had been decided it would not be possible to include the properties, as it would make the scheme uneconomical and therefore, could not take that forward.  A number of the properties  were offered and provided with property level protection. 

There was a question mark around reviewing flood map outlines around those areas.  Over the last 12/18 months NRW had been working with Welsh Government to review, update and replace the old flood maps that were available and new flood maps called Flood Risk Assessment Wales were released earlier this year which looked at all the flooding from surface water, river flooding, none main river flooding all in one location.

Property level protection was in the NRW 1-5 year recommendation.   There had been a property level protection pilot running in Llanfair TH.  Results of the pilot would be assessed and would then look at other small and rural communities which would not benefit from a larger scheme and also look at other alternatives with property level protection being one of those. 

Inevitably it was always difficult in smaller more rural communities to achieve the cost benefits to address and design a larger scheme which was why NRW assessed alternative options.  NRW looked at trying to achieve  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Notice of Motion put forward by Councillor Paul Penlington on behalf of the Plaid Group for consideration by Full Council (copy attached).

Notice of Motion put forward by Councillor Paul Penlington on behalf of the Plaid Cymru Group for consideration by Full Council:

‘In order to reduce staff shortages, and to ensure our most frail and vulnerable citizens are properly cared for, this council writes to the UK Gov asking that social care workers are urgently designated as skilled workers so they meet the entry requirements of the post-Brexit points-based immigration system introduced in January 2021.’

The Lead Member for Well-being and Independence, Councillor Bobby Feely responded.  Councillor Feeley thanked the Plaid Cymru Group for presenting the Notice of Motion at Full Council as it highlighted the alarming shortage of social care workers.  The legislation referred to was yet another obstacle to add to the difficulties of recruiting and retaining social care staff at this time, not only in Denbighshire but across Wales and the UK. 

Councillor Feeley expressed outrage that social care workers were not designated as skilled workers and as a consequence did not meet the entry requirements of the post-brexit points based immigration system introduced in January 2021 referred to in the Notice of Motion. 

The Notice of Motion had given Councillor Feeley the opportunity to inform members about the hard work which had gone on in the background as soon as the Governments intentions were publicised.  DCC Cabinet and Officers as far back as 2019 had been engaged in discussions with the Welsh Government and the Home Office on this point. 

Through the Welsh Local Government Association and the Association of Director of Social Services Cymru, DCC contributed to and endorsed the Welsh NHS Confederation Policy response to the UK Government future skills based immigration system, the White Paper, which was in September, 2019.  The report highlighted that the new laws would have a negative impact on the social care workforce which had already been experiencing serious shortages and difficulties in recruiting new staff.   Councillor Feeley confirmed she would share the report with all members following the Full Council meeting. 

In addition, the Director of Social Services, Nicola Stubbins, in her role as President of the Association of Director of Social Services Cymru at that time issued a press statement in September of last year calling for care workers to be included on the shortage occupation list.  Again, Councillor Feeley confirmed she would share a copy of the press statement with all members following the Full Council meeting.

Despite all of these efforts, the new immigration system was introduced without designating social care workforce as skilled and I am not hopeful that Denbighshire alone now calling on the UK Government would have the desired effect.    

Councillor Feeley gave Full Council her assurance that DCC through Officers and Members were working with Welsh Government and Westminster on the bigger issue of how to have a social care system which was dignified and sustainable and acknowledged the valuable role of all those who worked in the sector. 

Councillor Paul Penlington proposed the Notice of Motion, seconded by Councillor Meirick Lloyd Davies.

At this juncture, Councillor Paul Penlington requested a recorded vote.  The Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services confirmed that 5 members present were required to support a recorded vote.  6 Members raised their hands in support of a recorded vote.

The vote took place and the result was as follows –

FOR – Councillors Brian Blakeley, Joan Butterfield, Ellie Chard, Ann Davies, Meirick Lloyd Davies, Hugh Evans, Bobby Feeley, Huw Hilditch-Roberts, Alan Hughes, Alan James (Chair),Brian Jones, Pat Jones, Gwyneth Kensler, Richard Mainon, Christine Marston, Barry Mellor, Melvyn Mile, Bob Murray, Merfyn Parry, Paul Penlington, Peter Prendergast,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

To consider the Council’s forward work programme (copy attached).

The Head of Legal, HR and Democratic Services introduced the Council’s Forward Work Programme, together with the Council Briefing Forward Work Programme (previously circulated).

7 December 2021 –

(i)            Population Needs Assessment

(ii)           Younger Peoples Champion

(iii)          New Ways of Working

8 November 2021 -  Council Briefing taking place

Extra Council Briefing taking place in November but date to be confirmed.

25 January 2022 – Budget setting report

22 February 2022 – Council Tax matters to issue council tax bills

RESOLVED that, subject to the above, the Council and Council Briefing Forward Work Programme be approved and noted.