Agenda and draft minutes
Venue: Council Chamber, County Hall, Ruthin
Media
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APOLOGIES Additional documents: |
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DECLARATION OF INTERESTS PDF 69 KB Members to declare any personal or prejudicial interests in any business identified to be considered at this meeting. Additional documents: Minutes: Councillor Huw
Williams declared a personal interest in Item 5 - Denbighshire's Learner
Transport Policy: Non-Statutory
Elements, as he has children that use the school transport provision. Councillor Huw
Hilditch Roberts declared a personal interest in Item 5 - Denbighshire's
Learner Transport Policy: Non-Statutory
Elements, as he is a parent Governor. Councillor Brian
Blakeley declared a personal interest in Item 6 - Progress report on recommendations
stemming from the Llantysilio mountain fire review, as he was a member of the
North Wales Fire and Rescue Board. Councillor Meirick
Lloyd Davies declared a personal interest in Item 5 - Denbighshire's Learner
Transport Policy: Non-Statutory
Elements, as he is a parent Governor. Councillor Meirick
Lloyd Davies declared a personal interest in Item 6 - Progress report on
recommendations stemming from the Llantysilio mountain fire review, as he was a
member of the North Wales Fire and Rescue Board. |
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URGENT MATTERS AS AGREED BY THE CHAIR Notice of items which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency pursuant to Section 100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972. Additional documents: Minutes: No urgent items. |
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To receive the minutes of the Communities Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 23rd January 2020 (copy enclosed). 10.05am – 10.10am Additional documents: Minutes: The minutes of the Communities
Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 23 January 2020 were submitted. Accuracy – Page 10 – Councillor Graham Timms was Chair of
Llangollen 2020 which was a possible beneficiary of the Business Improvement
District. Matters Arising – Page 8 – Matters Arising – An update had been circulated to members
providing the response received from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Page 9 – Well-being of Future Generations Ace in relation to Flood Risk
Management in Denbighshire – Confirmation was provided that 2 areas of funding
had been established- Natural Resource Wales and the Council. Wayne Hope would
be able to aid members for grant funding in relation to flooding in local
areas. Corporate Director: Economy and Public Realm, Graham Boase highlighted a
member workshop would be arranged with regards to recent severe weather that
had been observed in recent months. Page 13 – Broadband and mobile networks in rural areas - The response
from Welsh Government had been circulated to members for information. RESOLVED that, subject to the above, the minutes of the
Communities Scrutiny meeting held on 23 January 2020 be received and approved
as a correct record. |
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DENBIGHSHIRE'S LEARNER TRANSPORT POLICY: NON-STATUTORY ELEMENTS PDF 311 KB To consider a report (copy enclosed) by the Education Planning and Resources Manager which outlines the process followed by the Learner Transport Working Group in reviewing the non-statutory elements of the Council’s Learner Transport Policy, and the outcomes of that review. 10.10am – 10.40am Additional documents:
Minutes: The Lead Member for Education, Children and Young People, Councillor Huw
Hilditch-Roberts, Principal Finance & Assurance Officer Martyn Dodd,
Planning and Resources Manager Ian Land, Principal Manager - Modernising
Education Geraint Davies, Passenger Transport Section Manager Peter Daniels
were all in attendance for the item. Councillor Huw Hilditch-Roberts introduced the report providing
information regarding Denbighshire’s Learner Transport Policy: Non-Statutory
Elements. He stated the report had first appeared at Scrutiny May 2019 for
debate. Since that initial report work had been completed by Officers and the
working group to preserve post-16 school transport. It was explained that Welsh
Government were undertaking a review of the current legislation, which may
result in changes to it once completed. Members heard from the Planning and Resources Manager (PRM) of
the new regulations regarding public service vehicles and their impact on the
discretionary chargeable school transport. During the debate the following points were raised: ·
Confirmation that the authority did provide college
transport. Within the policy, the authority provided suitable transport to the
closest education provision. It was explained that if individuals chose
alternative providers the cost would be reviewed by the authority and the
provider, to establish who would fund transport costs. ·
Concerns regarding overspend on the budget for
learner transport were discussed. The PRM emphasized the legislation stated the
statutory requirement to provide school transport. Thus stating if a child was
eligible for transport to school as an authority we had to provide the service
even if over budget. Members heard that an increase in the school transport
budget for the next year had been approved. ·
If Council policy changed and charged post-16
students the school transport fleet provision would have to be reviewed to
ensure compliance. It would potentially cause issues in availability of
suitable vehicles. ·
Meetings that had been arranged for members of the
Learner Transport Working Group had provided a lot of information and
illustrated to members the position the authority was in. It provided members
with clarity and information on the school transport budget and policy. ·
Within the policy a level of flexibility and
discretion on land borders still applied.
·
Discussions with housing had taken place.
Communication with housing and the homelessness team continued. The discretion
element of the policy had allowed a child to continue to receive transport to
their school even if they moved away from the area. All individual cases were
examined and all options explored. Decisions would be made by the Head of
Service to offer school transport, with each case been assessed on its own
merits. The Chair thanked all the Officers for the detailed report. It was
therefore: Resolved: - subject to the above observations – (i)
to endorse the Working Group’s
recommendation that there should be no change to the non-statutory elements
presently in the Learner Transport Policy; (ii)
that, in line with the Chair of the Woking
Group’s suggestion, the Working Group should not be disbanded and that the
Authority keep a watching brief over the next 12 months on the impact of the
Public Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) and the Welsh Government’s
review of Post 16 Learner Travel, both of which will have significant bearing
on post-16 transport discussions; and (iii)
provide the Committee with a report in due
course on the impact of the above on the Council’s learner transport policy and
associated budget.
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At this juncture it was agreed to vary the order of the Agenda. Additional documents: |
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TOURISM SIGNAGE STRATEGY FOR DENBIGHSHIRE PDF 231 KB To consider a report (copy enclosed) by the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager which seeks the Committee’s observations on the development of a Tourism Signage Strategy for Denbighshire, and updates members on current tourism signage schemes. 11.30am – 12pm Additional documents:
Minutes: The Leader, Councillor Hugh Evans, Traffic, Parking and Road Safety
Manager, Mike Jones and Team Leader - Tourism, Marketing & Events and Peter
McDermott were in attendance for the item. The Leader, Councillor Hugh Evans, introduced the report (previously
circulated) to provide information regarding the development of the Tourism
Signage Strategy, including an update on ongoing tourism signage schemes. Members heard the report had highlighted the need to address the Tourism
Signage within Denbighshire. Tourism is very important to Denbighshire, a large
amount of time and work had been invested by officers. It was highlighted that
the report was outdated as the remaining funding for the Vale of Clwyd signage
to be erected on the A55 had been agreed by Strategic Investment Group. The
Leader welcomed the establishment of a working group to develop a follow-on
Tourism Signage Strategy with a view to directing tourists to all parts of the
county. Concerns were raised over the finance for the strategy, would high
expectations be attainable from the private sector and the strategy be aligned
to the Wales Way. The Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager (TTPR) explained the remit
of the Working group to the committee. Members from each of the member area
groups had been invited to attend the group. The intention of the group had
been to oversee the development of the Tourism Signage strategy. The 5 proposed
objectives of the strategy, outlined within the report would be monitored by
the Working group. Members were provided an overview of the Wales Way from the Team Leader
- Tourism, Marketing & Events (TLTME). It was confirmed Denbighshire was
included in the North Wales Way with all other Authorities in North Wales.
Emphasis was given to the importance of partnership working with the other
authorities. Promoting Wales and its attractions through the North Wales Way
information was being undertaken to encourage tourists to visit Wales. Discussions took place regarding the signage from the A55 towards Rhyl.
The TTPR confirmed that numerous options had been explored by officers. It was
explained that numerous complaints had been received from Dyserth
residents about traffic. Officers agreed signage for Rhyl from Junction 31
would increase traffic passing through Dyserth and
thus increase complaints. It was explained officers had looked at other
solutions. The proposed new signage scheme will allow the public to get to a
destination and onto a tourist attraction. Signage for charging points in car parks had not been included in the
design of the new tourist signage, the TTPR confirmed it may be included in
future discussions. Charging stations for smart cars was supported by smart
technology that included maps which included charging stations, it was felt
that this was adequate for the current demand.
Confirmation that the Council’s approval for the funding had only just been
agreed. Members heard the approval notification had not been discussed with
Town, City and Community Council’s to date. Communication with Welsh Government
for work timescales would take place with the aim to have a timescale in place
by the summer of 2020. The Chair stated the trunk road passed through a number of local wards,
it was suggested that the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agency (NMWTRA) be
involved in the Working group along with the members. The importance of the working group to examine
and explore members’ concerns including funding and budgets was
emphasised. The Leader supported the suggestion of using symbols on tourist signs from the Trunk Road could be an area for the working group to look at. A letter could be sent to the Welsh Government asking for the policy to ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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At this juncture
(11.35 a.m.) there was a 15 minute break. The meeting
reconvened at 11.50 a.m. |
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PROGRESS REPORT ON RECOMMENDATIONS STEMMING FROM THE LLANTYSILIO MOUNTAIN FIRE REVIEW PDF 200 KB To consider a report (copy enclosed) by the Countryside and Heritage Services Manager which outlines the progress made by the Council and its partner agencies/organisations with respect of implementing the Committee’s recommendations following its review of the fire incident and its impact 10.40am – 11.15am Additional documents:
Minutes: The Head of Planning and Public Protection, Emlyn Jones, Senior
Countryside Officer, David Shiel and Natural Resources Wales representatives
Nick Thomas and Rhys Ellis were in attendance for the item. The Head of Planning and Public
Protection (HPPP) guided members through the report (previously circulated)
providing an update on the progress made against the recommendations made by
Communities Scrutiny Committee in relation to the review into the Llantysilio Mountain Fire of Summer 2018. The report was provided as per the
Committee’s request. The Natural Resources Wales
(NRW) representative updated members on the work that had been completed by NRW
at the site and the options for further work to be completed. A review of the
options to restore the area had been completed.
Meetings had taken place with land owners. A meeting with graziers had
been scheduled prior to work commencing in the spring. Agreement to employ a moorland officer had
been reached and funding approved from Denbighshire and NRW. The post holder
would monitor work at the site and work with local landowners and
graziers. Members wanted to thank NRW
for the funding partnership to recruit a moorland officer for the site. Members
expressed disappointment that the Fire and Rescue Authority had not agreed to
financially contribute towards the moorland officer post. Officers emphasised
the Fire Service had requested to participate in the training and support of
the new post holder, but could not financially contribute to the role.
Confirmation that no direct approach to other local authorities to aid the
funding for the post had been made. Members raised concerns of ‘fencing’ areas in the area. It was
emphasised that communication with the graziers needed to take place. The
relationship with the graziers would be of high importance. The involvement of
the graziers with the restoration of the land was seen as vital. It was
highlighted the problems faced by the graziers at the time and following the
fire had been extremely challenging. The decision on fencing areas was a proposal for sections of the land,
but no decision had been reached. It was explained the difficulties in fencing
on common lands as a Section 194 agreement from Welsh Government would need to
be obtained. It was the opinion of NRW to refrain from fencing areas of land,
dependant on discussions with the graziers. Concerns on the level of vegetation
in areas of the mountain were discussed. It was confirmed that certain areas
had been damaged more than others. A number of different techniques and methods
to regain and nurture the vegetation were planned and would be trialled.
Certain areas would take a long time to repair and develop. The HPPP explained the importance of the working group to monitor and
review work done at the site to restore the land and grazing of the land. It
was the opinion of NRW that in time further grazing of the land be observed.
The new Moorland Officer post would aid to build good relationships with
graziers and facilitate working with Denbighshire and other agencies. The new
post would provide the graziers with a key link to Denbighshire and NRW to
communicate any concerns or observations. Following discussion the Committee: Resolved: (i)
subject to the above observations to
acknowledge the progress made to date in implementing the Committee’s
recommendations following its inquiry into the fire on Llantysilio
Mountain and its impact; (ii)
confirmed that as part of their
consideration they had read, understood and taken into account the Well-being
Impact Assessment (WIA) on the Moorland Management and Wildfire Prevention
Project (Appendix 2 to the report); and (iii) that representations ... view the full minutes text for item 7. |
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To consider a report (copy enclosed) by the Head of Highways, Facilities and Environmental Services which presents the findings of the Wales Audit Office’s (WAO) review of the Council’s approach in relation to applying the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 to its proposed changes to the waste collection service, along with the Council’s response to the WAO’s findings. 12pm – 12.30pm Additional documents: Minutes: The Lead Member for Waste, Transport and Environment, Councillor Brian
Jones, Head of Highways and Environmental Services, Tony Ward and Wales Audit
Office (WAO) representative Jeremy Evans were in attendance for the item. Head of Highways, Facilities & Environmental Services (HHFES) introduced the report (previously circulated)
to provide information regarding the report by the WAO on the steps the Council
was taking to revise household waste collection and how those steps supported
the corporate priority of delivering an attractive and protected environment
and aligned with the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations
(Wales) Act 2015. The WAO report outlined some areas of improvement, the HHFES stated his
role was to respond to those highlighted areas. The proposed improvements had
been considered, with some elements already being worked upon. One concern had
been the current budget, funding for improvement would be difficult. Work would
be completed within the current waste service resources and budget. Jeremy Evans (WAO) explained to members the reason why the report had
been produced. He stated a number of positives had been observed during the
report these included; potential wider benefits, established collaborations and
involvement of local residents. The areas of improvement that had been
suggested had included a longer term strategy. During discussion the following points were raised: ·
Communication was vital to the delivery of the
changes to the service. Involvement with residents and other organisations
would be important to the smooth transition. ·
Educating children from a young age was agreed to
be vital in the understanding of the importance of recycling and the reduction
of plastic use and the Council’s carbon footprint. Key working with schools
would be required. ·
Waste from schools needed to be reviewed to work
more effectively, with better recycling. It was confirmed a website which
provided information on where Denbighshire waste goes existed. The HHES would
clarify that the link for the website was available through Denbighshire County
Council Website.
The committee thanked the WAO officer and
the HHFES for the positive report and welcomed the report on the strategy when
completed. At the conclusion of the discussion the Committee: Resolved: - following consideration of the findings
of the Wales Audit Office (WAO) and subject to the above observations, to
confirm that it was satisfied with the Council’s response to the suggested
opportunities for improvement identified within the WAO’s report. |
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SCRUTINY WORK PROGRAMME PDF 151 KB To consider a report by the Scrutiny Coordinator (copy enclosed) seeking a review of the committee’s forward work programme and updating members on relevant issues. 12.30pm – 12.45pm Additional documents:
Minutes: The Scrutiny
Co-ordinator submitted a report (previously circulated) seeking members’ review
of the Committee’s work programme and provided an update on relevant issues. Discussion focused
on the following – ·
The
next scheduled meeting on 7 May 2020, had 3 items on the Forward work programme
at present. The next meeting had capacity for a further one item to be added.
Lead Members were to be invited. ·
The
meeting of Chairs and Vice Chairs was due to take place the following week and
may propose an agenda item for the forthcoming meeting. The Scrutiny
Co-ordinator reminded members of the scrutiny proposal form (Appendix 2 previously
circulated) and advised that any proposals should be sent to her directly, so
these could be considered by the Scrutiny Chairs and Vice Chairs Group for
inclusion on the forward work programme. The Scrutiny
Co-ordinator asked members for requests for social media coverage, the
committee agreed the following –
RESOLVED
that, subject to the above, the forward work programme as detailed in Appendix
1 to the report be approved. |
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FEEDBACK FROM COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVES To receive any updates from Committee representatives on various Council Boards and Groups Additional documents: Minutes: No feedback. |
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The meeting concluded
at 1.05 p.m. |