In the last 7 days (since Saturday 22 June 2024), the council has held the following meetings:

Weekly Planning Lists Committee - Friday 28 June 2024

The Weekly Planning Lists committee met to discuss 39 planning applications. They approved 36 applications, deferred a decision on 2, and refused 1 application.

Decision on Application for Ty Sign Farm

The committee refused an application for the erection of a detached dwelling and garage and formation of new vehicular access at Ty Sign Farm. The refusal was based on the proposal's siting, design, and scale, which were deemed detrimental to the visual amenities and character of the area. This decision was in line with the policies of the Caerphilly Local Development Plan.

The proposal by virtue of the siting, design and scale of the development would result in an incongruous form of development that would be detrimental to the visual amenities and character of the area contrary to policies...

— Section 9, Page 35 of the Public reports pack 28th-Jun-2024 12.00 Weekly Planning Lists

Deferral of Decision on Application for Land at Former Windsor Colliery

A decision on an application for the erection of a detached dwelling and all associated works on land at the former Windsor Colliery was deferred pending a site visit.

Deferral of Decision on Application for Land North East of Glen View

The committee deferred a decision on an application for the erection of two detached dwellings on land to the North East of Glen View, also pending a site visit.

Approvals

The committee approved the other 36 applications on the agenda. You can find details of all the applications considered in the Public reports pack 28th-Jun-2024 12.00 Weekly Planning Lists.

Corporate and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday 25 June 2024

The Corporate and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee met to discuss two items: the Welsh Language Standards Annual Report, and the Town Centre Regeneration progress report. No decisions were made at this meeting.

Welsh Language Standards

The committee received a report on the Council's performance against the Welsh Language Standards in 2023-24. The report showed that the Council has made good progress in implementing the Standards. Customer satisfaction with the Council’s Welsh language services has increased, with 98% of respondents to a recent survey expressing satisfaction. However, there is a need to improve the availability of Welsh language services online.

We are committed to promoting the Welsh language and ensuring that our residents can access our services in the language of their choice. We have made good progress in implementing the Welsh Language Standards but recognise that there is always more that we can do.

Town Centre Regeneration Update

The committee received a report on the progress of the regeneration of Caerphilly town centre. The report provided an update on the development of a new masterplan for the town centre and the delivery of key projects, such as the new transport interchange. The next steps include developing a new business case for the town centre and identifying funding opportunities.

The regeneration of Caerphilly town centre is a key priority for the Council. We are committed to working with our partners to deliver a town centre that is vibrant, prosperous and a great place to live, work and visit.

Corporate and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday 25 June 2024

The Corporate and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee also received an update on the Council’s performance in the first quarter of 2024/25. They reviewed the Council’s performance management framework and the Forward Work Programme for 2024-25.

Council Performance

The committee discussed the Council’s performance in Quarter 1 of 2024/25. The performance report showed the Council performing well in some areas but identified several areas where performance is below target. These areas included the time taken to process some benefits claims and the percentage of calls to the council's contact centre answered within 60 seconds.

The percentage of Housing Benefit new claims processed within 10 working days is currently at 78% against a 90% target... The main reason for claims exceeding the target timescales is awaiting information from customers and other agencies.

The committee heard that the Council is working to improve performance in these areas.

Performance Management Framework

The committee reviewed the Council's performance management framework, which sets out how the Council measures its performance and reports on its progress. Several members expressed concerns about the level of detail in some performance reports, suggesting that they could be shorter and focus on key issues. The committee agreed that the current framework was broadly fit for purpose but asked officers to consider the comments made about the level of detail in reports.

Forward Work Programme

The committee considered the Forward Work Programme for 2024-25, which sets out the key issues and decisions that will be considered by the committee over the coming year. There were no changes to the work programme, which had been agreed at the previous meeting.

Cancelled Meetings

Two meetings were scheduled but were cancelled:

• Cabinet - Wednesday 26 June 2024
• Unspecified Committee - Thursday 27 June 2024