Agenda and minutes

No apologies were received.

i.      Condolences were extended to Councillor Wyn Evans and family on the loss of his father.

ii.     Condolences were extended to the family of  Deio Evans, a former employee of the Highways and Environmental Services who has recently passed away.

iii.    Best wishes were extended to Ken Griffiths, Team Leader- Street Works on his retirement following 47 years of service to the County Council in Ceredigion. 

iv.   Best wishes were also extended to Gerwyn Jones, Corporate Manager: Environmental Services as he leaves his role with the authority. He was thanked for his excellent work and wished well for the future.

v.     Congratulations were extended to George Ryley, Corporate Manager: Procurement & Payments, who was recently shortlisted as ‘Individual of the Year’ at the 2023/24 GO Awards Wales. In addition, best wishes were extended to him on his retirement from his current post following 27 years of service.

i.      Councillors Bryan Davies, Gareth Davies and Matthew Vaux declared a personal and prejudicial interest in relation to item 118, confirming that they had been granted dispensation to speak and vote on this matter by the Ethics and Standards Committee.

ii.     Councillor Catrin M S. Davies declared a personal and prejudicial interest in relation to item 118, confirming that she had been granted dispensation to speak in relation to Long Term Properties and to speak and vote in relation to second homes by the Ethics and Standards Committee.

iii.    Councillors Rhodri Evans and Gareth Lloyd declared a personal and prejudicial interest in relation to item 118. Both had been granted dispensation to speak and vote on this matter by the Ethics and Standards Committee.

To confirm as a true record the Minutes of the previous Meeting of the Cabinet held on 7 November 2023.

Matters arising: There were no matters arising from the minutes.

None.

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DECISION:

1.    To approve the Respite and Day Opportunities Report and Action Plan as outlined by Practice Solutions Limited.

2.    To approve that a Development Group oversee the delivery of the Action Plan in conjunction with the TAW Programme Board and the Healthier Ceredigion Strategic Group.

3.    To develop and agree a resource schedule and robust programme plan to support and ensure that capacity is identified to lead on this significant transformation programme.

4.    To return to the Healthier Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee with an Annual Progress report.

5.    To note the feedback from the Healthier Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee and agree that a Members Workshop be arranged in early 2024 at one of the Local Authority’s Centres.

Reason for the decision:

To enable the Authority to progress with the re-design of Respite and Day Opportunities in line with the Through Age Wellbeing Strategy.

DECISION:

1.    On the matter of Council Tax Premiums applicable to Long Term Empty Properties, Cabinet recommends to Full Council that the existing 25% Council Tax Premium should increase, with effect from 01/04/24, to:

a)    100% for Properties that have been Long Term Empty Properties for up to and including 5 years.

b)    150% for Properties that have been Long Term Empty Properties for over 5 years and up to and including 10 years.

c)    200% for Properties that have been Long Term Empty Properties for over 10 years.

with all time periods including the initial continuous period of 12 months for a dwelling to become defined as a ‘Long Term Empty Property’ by virtue of it being unoccupied and substantially unfurnished.

2.    On the matter of Council Tax Premiums applicable to Second Homes, Cabinet recommends to Full Council that the existing 25% Council Tax Premium should increase to:

a)    100% to take effect from 01/04/24 and then

b)    150% to take effect from 01/04/25.

3.    To recommend to Full Council that any potential financial considerations arising from the consideration of these recommendations should be dealt with as a separate matter at a separate future meeting after 14/12/23.

Reason for the decision:

·       To inform Full Council of the Cabinet’s view on the matter of Council Tax premiums applicable to Long Term Empty Properties and Second Homes in Ceredigion.

·       To aim to bring Long Term Empty properties back into use to provide safe, secure and affordable homes and to aim to increase the supply of affordable housing and to enhance the sustainability of local communities in Ceredigion.

The report (Appendix B1 and B2) relating to the item above is not for publication as it contains exempt information as defined in paragraph 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007. If, following the application of the Public Interest Test, the Council resolves to consider this item in private, the public and press will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration, in accordance with Section 100B(2) of the Act.

Members will be requested, when dealing with the items, to consider whether to exclude the public and press from the Meeting.

The report relating to item 119 on the agenda, Appendix B1 and B2, is not for publication as it contains exempt information as defined in paragraph 12 and 13 of Part 4 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 as amended by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) (Wales) Order 2007. If, following the application of the Public Interest Test, the Council resolves to consider this item in private, the public and press will be excluded from the meeting during such consideration, in accordance with Section 100B(2) of the Act.

Members were requested, when dealing with the item, to consider whether to exclude the public and press from the Meeting.

DECISION:

Not to exclude the public and press from the meeting.

Reason for the decision:

The document was not discussed in public.

Cabinet noted the report.

Cabinet noted the report.

Cabinet noted the report.

Cabinet noted the report.

Cabinet noted the report and the feedback from the Healthier Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Cabinet noted the report.

Cabinet noted the report.

Cabinet noted the report and the feedback from the Healthier Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Cabinet noted the report and the feedback from the Healthier Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Cabinet noted the report.

None.