The Partnerships Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to meet on 11 September 2025 to discuss the Conwy and Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership, the North Wales Economic Ambition Board, and the North Wales Regional Partnership Board, and to review its work programme. The committee was also scheduled to receive feedback from committee representatives on various council boards and groups.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in the Council Chamber, County Hall, Ruthin and by video conference. Councillor Joan Butterfield, Chair of the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to chair the meeting.

Conwy & Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership Annual Report

The committee was scheduled to consider the annual update report for April 2024 to March 2025 from the Conwy and Denbighshire Community Safety Partnership (CSP). The CSP aims to reduce crime and disorder in the area by working in partnership. The report included performance and statistical updates, as well as planned partnership activities for 2025-2026.

The three priority areas for 2024-2025 were:

• Working in partnership to reduce crime and disorder
• Working in partnership to reduce reoffending
• Local priorities

According to the report, all three priority areas were classified as Good in terms of joint partnership working. On the statistical summary, two areas were Good and one was Acceptable .

The report noted that in 4 of the 12 crime and incident categories, 2024/25 recorded the lowest year-to-date volumes in Denbighshire in comparison to the previous two years. However, Burglary – Business & Community, Robbery and Theft and Handling volumes were higher than the previous two years.

The report also detailed work planned for 2025-2026, including:

• Continued delivery of the Serious Violence Duty and Prevention Projects
• A problem solving approach to antisocial behaviour
• Supporting the Build part of the initiative in West Rhyl
• Promoting the 'We don't buy crime' initiative

The report included detail on the financial sources of the partnership, noting that it receives no direct grant funding to manage or allocate, and that funding from the Home Office and Welsh Government is given directly to the North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner to commission crime and disorder services and projects across North Wales.

North Wales Economic Ambition Board

The Partnerships Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to consider the Quarter 4 and Annual Report 2024/25 of the North Wales Economic Ambition Board.

According to the report, in December 2020, Denbighshire County Council approved the Final Growth Deal with the UK and Welsh Governments and agreed to enter into a governance agreement as the basis upon which the work of the board in delivering the Growth Vision and Growth Deal would be governed.

The report stated that during Quarter 4, the Economic Ambition Board approved the Outline Business Case for Responsible Adventure, the Full Business Cases for Cydnerth and Parc Bryn Cegin, as well as the change requests for the Glynllifon Rural Economy project and for the EEOC OpTIC refurbishment. The £4.43m funding agreement for the Tourism Talent Network project was also signed.

The report also noted that six projects were reported as red at the end of Quarter 4 and were under review:

• Connecting the Last Few %
• Full Fibre
• NEW-H2
• Trawsfynydd
• Holyhead Gateway
• Kinmel Studios

The Annual Report looked back on the progress made over the last year by Ambition North Wales, and focussed on the Growth Deal, but also reported on the Corporate Joint Committee, Regional Skills Partnership, and other funding streams including Shared Prosperity and Local Area Energy Plans.

North Wales Regional Partnership Board Annual Report

The Partnerships Scrutiny Committee was scheduled to consider a report summarising the work of the North Wales Regional Partnership Board during 2024/25.

The report stated that all Regional Partnership Boards in Wales publish annual reports to showcase their progress in integrating health and social care services and improving the wellbeing of their populations, and that the annual report is a statutory requirement under the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014.

The report highlighted the crucial role and scope of work for the Regional Partnership Board as being to:

• Ensure that there is an agreed shared strategic vision and a clear direction of travel for service development and integration of health, care and wellbeing
• Ensure that there are shared plans and strategies in place for delivering on the objectives
• Lead a strategic approach to communicating and publicising the direction of travel and the progress made
• Ensure that the ways of working of the Board are upheld
• Maintain an effective overview of the resources allocated to deliver on its strategic objectives
• Report to the Regional Leadership Group on progress, key issues and exceptions, escalating any barriers to progress within the RPB for resolution
• Ensure that statutory requirements are prepared and delivered as required by Welsh Government

The report detailed achievements, challenges, and future priorities, and included information on community based care, home from hospital, supporting families, promoting good emotional health and well-being, and integrated system enablers.

Scrutiny Work Programme

The committee was scheduled to review its draft forward work programme. The report asked the Partnerships Scrutiny Committee to reflect on how scrutiny can support the delivery of the council's corporate plan and its aim of becoming Net Carbon Zero and Ecologically Positive by 2030, whilst also prioritising matters which the committee deems important to scrutinise.

The report noted that the Welsh Government and Audit Wales have highlighted the need to strengthen scrutiny's role across local government and public services in Wales, including utilising scrutiny as a means of engaging with residents and service-users.

The report included a copy of the Cabinet's forward work programme, and a table summarising recent committee resolutions and advising members on progress with their implementation.

The report also included a copy of the 'member's proposal form' which councillors can use to suggest topics for scrutiny.

The draft forward work programme included the following items:

• Communication and support to community and voluntary organisations within Denbighshire
• Denbigh Health and Social Care and the Rebalancing of Social Care Agenda
• Removing Profit from the Care of Children Looked After
• Joint Conwy & Denbighshire Youth Justice Service
• Annual Report on Adult Safeguarding 2025/26
• Community Safety Partnership
• North Wales Regional Partnership Board Annual Report 2025/26
• North Wales Economic Ambition Board Annual Report 2025/26
• Contaminated Land