The Council approved a new Council Tax Base figure for 2025/26, adopted a new policy on Rate Relief, discussed the performance of the Library Service against the Welsh Public Library Standards, discussed proposed changes to Health and Safety enforcement, adopted a new policy on compliance and enforcement, and agreed the adoption of a new Gambling Act Licensing Policy.

Council Tax Base for 2025/26

The Council discussed a Committee Report that set out the proposed new Council Tax Base figure for the 2025/26 financial year. The Council Tax Base is a calculation of the total number of Band D equivalent properties within the Authority, and it is used to set the Council Tax rate for that financial year. An Integrated Impact Assessment was provided for this report.

The Council approved the proposed Council Tax base figure of 18,898.13 for Merthyr Tydfil Council as a whole and 1,191.20 for the area covered by the Bedlinog and Trelewis Community Council.

Policy on the Award of: Mandatory and Discretionary Rate Relief, Hardship Relief & Section 44A Part Occupied Relief

The Council considered a Committee Report proposing the adoption of a new Policy on the Award of Mandatory and Discretionary Rate Relief, Hardship Relief, and Section 44A Part Occupied Relief. The policy is intended to update existing policies to comply with new legislation, provide a framework for the administration and control of relief awards, and ensure that rate relief is awarded equitably and in accordance with best practice. The report also contained an Integrated Impact Assessment of the new policy.

The new policy will replace both the Non-Domestic Hardship Relief Policy adopted in 2012 and the Non-Domestic Discretionary Rate Relief Policy adopted in 2015. It also takes into account recent legislative changes relating to the relief of unoccupied properties. The main legislative change is that Charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs that are claiming relief in respect of unoccupied properties will be required to provide more evidence to demonstrate that the property is genuinely being used for charitable purposes.

In particular, the new policy states that:

A written explanation and declaration will be required from the ratepayer, particularly if they have not previously occupied the property. The ratepayer should be able to explain why the property is unoccupied and how (and when) it is intended to be occupied in future, related to their charitable purposes. The local authority may request any further evidence that is considered appropriate in support of the explanation provided. This will enable the local authority to consider whether the explanation given is compatible with the property.

The Council adopted the new policy.

Welsh Public Library Standards

The Council discussed a Committee Report on the performance of the Merthyr Tydfil Library Service against the Welsh Public Library Standards. The report was prepared to comply with the Council's statutory duty to ratify the service's annual submission to Welsh Government and contained an Integrated Impact Assessment and two appendices: the submission to Welsh Government (Appendix 1) and the assessment of the Library Service's performance by independent assessors (Appendix 2).

The Library Service is currently being run by Merthyr Tydfil Leisure Trust, but the Council remains responsible for the service. During 2023/24, the service has been severely affected by financial difficulties at the Trust, resulting in a 30% reduction in both staffing levels and opening hours across the library service. Stock purchasing has also been significantly reduced.

The independent assessors concluded that:

The situation in Merthyr Tydfil Libraries is a source of serious concern. ... Staff are undoubtedly doing their best in a challenging situation, but a 30% reduction in staffing and opening hours, along with a drastic cut in the number of resources purchased per capita, will inevitably result in a deterioration of the service offered to local communities. Little detail is provided in the return about plans for the future direction of the service. However, if customer satisfaction and support for the library service decline as a result of these cuts, it may take many years to recover.

They identified a number of key concerns, including:

• The service no longer meets the target for up-to-date and appropriate reading material, and has fallen into the bottom quartile of Welsh Library Authorities for this measure
• The service no longer meets the target for total staff per capita and qualified staff per capita
• The service no longer meets the target for opening hours per capita
• The service no longer meets the target to provide access to their strategy, policies, objectives and vision online
• Event attendance has been severely reduced as a result of the cuts to staffing levels

The assessors noted that the service is meeting the target for the percentage of the materials budget spent on Welsh language resources.

The Council ratified the annual submission to Welsh Government.

Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Delegations and Indemnity

The Council considered a Committee Report proposing the adoption of new procedures for the designation of officers as Health and Safety Inspectors.

The report states that:

The Council is an enforcing authority and to meet its duty under S18 (4)(a) of the Act to "make adequate arrangements for enforcement” seeks to appoint suitably qualified Officers as inspectors.

It is proposed that the Head of Public Protection and the Environmental Health Manager will be given delegated power to designate suitably qualified officers as inspectors. In addition, the new procedures will provide an indemnity to officers carrying out their duties as inspectors.

The Council adopted the proposed new procedures.

Public Protection Compliance and Enforcement Policy

The Council considered a Committee Report proposing the adoption of a new Public Protection Compliance and Enforcement Policy. The policy will apply to all of the services within the Public Protection portfolio, which includes Environmental Health, Licensing, Community Safety, and Trading Standards. The report contained an Integrated Impact Assessment of the proposed new policy.

The policy is intended to establish a uniform and consistent approach to enforcement, and it aims to comply with the Regulators Code. In particular, the Council states that:

The services within Public Protection aim to promote the health, safety, social and economic wellbeing of the public and improve environmental conditions by information, licensing, advice and regulation/action. They aim to safeguard the public from those that deliberately flout the law or fail to address public safety. They also aim to assist legitimate businesses in meeting their legal obligations within a fair, competitive marketplace.

The Council adopted the proposed new policy.

Review of Statement of Licensing Principles 2025-28 under the Gambling Act 2005

The Council considered a Committee Report proposing the adoption of a new Statement of Licensing Principles under the Gambling Act 2005. The policy is intended to set out how the Council will regulate gambling, and it is a requirement of the Gambling Act that the Council produce a new policy at least every three years. The report was accompanied by an Integrated Impact Assessment and the draft policy (Appendix 1).

The Gambling Commission is currently undertaking a number of consultations that may result in changes to gambling legislation. These changes will not be complete in time for the Council to take them into account when producing the new policy. The Commission has therefore recommended that the Council make no material changes to its existing policy, and the draft policy is largely unchanged from the existing one. However, the report does note that the Council will revise the policy again to take into account any changes to legislation.

The report also reiterates that the Council will continue to adopt a 'no casinos' resolution for the lifetime of the new policy. This resolution is in line with previous Council decisions, and it means that the Council will not grant a licence for a casino to operate within the County Borough.

The Council adopted the proposed new policy and agreed to adopt a 'no casinos' resolution for its lifetime.