Agenda item

To receive an update on the following priority areas –

(a)  Mental well-being – Public Health Wales Officer

(b)  Community Empowerment (including update on digital infrastructure) - Nicola Kneale

(c)  Environmental Resilience (including agreement of environmental commitments) - Justin Hanson / Helen Millband

2:35pm – 3:05pm

The board were updated on the priority areas for the PSB –

(a)  Mental well-being – the PSB were informed that Louise Woodfine (Consultant for central area) had been appointed as the new representative from Public Health Wales. However due to prior engagements she could not attend the meeting.  Further discussion on priority lead required at a future meeting.

(b)  Community Empowerment (including update on digital infrastructure) – Nicola Kneale updated the board on the work which was carried out. The connectivity schemes which were currently ongoing were highlighted –

·         The Welsh Government full fibre rollout was ending in June 2022,

·         Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) aimed to install full fibre broadband to public buildings. Openreach would then connect premises along the route and in the vicinity of the public buildings. However there were some concerns with progress as it was ending in September 2021, the matter was being explored by the North Wales Economic Ambition Board (NWEAB).

·         UK Government’s Gigabit Project, initially announced in the spring 2020 Budget but held back by delays and revisions. It was based on the government's pledge to ensure 85% of UK properties have access to gigabit broadband by 2025, there were up to 234,000 rural Welsh premises in scope.

·         There would be few properties who would not be able to access superfast broadband, these properties would be designated as ‘white properties’. The NWEAB would also be addressing these properties through the Last Few Percent project.

·         Community Fibre Partnership, used the Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme and was a UK-wide government subsidy scheme to provide future-proof full fibre connections for homes and businesses. However there were some challenges as some rural areas would not be able to consolidate these vouchers to fund the implementation of fibre in some communities.

·         The Installation of fibre was expensive, so those properties that are especially difficult to reach are unlikely to be included in Openreach upgrades and the funding available from CFPs will be insufficient. Without a commitment of external investment in these hard-to-reach areas, they’re unlikely to be upgraded for some time.

The board thanked Nicola for an update on the complex matter. Graham Boase (DCC) suggested that the PSB could look at connectivity as a priority, as it impacts all organisations. He realised that the PSB could not actually implement work, however it could influence organisations who carried out the aforementioned work, and challenge the organisations on whether the work was carried out. Doing this could progress work along.

Discussed there could be a role for third sector organisations to help mobilise communities to obtain support and funding to improve connectivity.

Satellite broadband was raised and how the technology had been developed, and could likely be an only option which was viable for some of the rural areas in Wales.

(c)  Environmental Resilience – Jason Hanson (NRW) presented the PSB with a presentation highlighting work which had been carried out with regards to the environmental resilience priority.

The sub group reviewed all priorities at the end of last year, following the PSB’s request to do so. The sub group met twice since the last PSB meeting. There was a focus mainly on reviewing and amending priority 1, the environmental policy statement. The six priorities were –

1.    Work with our PSB partners to develop an environmental policy statement , so that we’re all working to the same goals

2.    Work with communities to develop environmental pledges and green changes that could be made to reduce our impact on the environment

3.    Look at environmental issues affecting the region that cannot be fixed by ourselves, like sea defences and reducing the amount of packaging in our shopping.

4.    Look at our procurement process and identify how we can maximise community benefits from building developments (eg through Section 106 agreements)

5.    Work with our planning teams to make sure environmental issues are looked at when planning new developments

6.    NEW  Green spaces linked to Covid recovery

Jason Hanson (NRW) to circulate the revised commitments to the board and requested that feedback is provided by the 15^th October. Following the feedback officers would look at reviewing the sub group membership and requested that members nominate a representative from their organisation (if not already represented on the group)...

RESOLVED that,

(a)  the Public Services Board note the updates on the priority areas

(b)  Board members feedback any comment to the revised environmental commitment’s by 15^th October 2021.

(c)  Board members provide nominations for the environment sub-group by 15^th October 2021