The Cabinet of Caerphilly Council met on 17 September 2025 to discuss a range of issues, including additional learning provision, school inspection outcomes, a public space protection order, and budget monitoring. The Cabinet was also scheduled to note the Cabinet Forward Work Programme. The meeting was held at Penallta House and via Microsoft Teams.

Here's a summary of the topics that were listed for discussion:

Revenue Budget Monitoring

The Cabinet were scheduled to review the Whole-Authority Revenue Budget Monitoring Report Quarter One, which provided details of the projected whole-authority revenue budget expenditure for the 2025/26 financial year as at 30 June 2025.

The report noted that the projected 2025/26 revenue outturn position was an overspend of £2.780m. This was based on actual income and expenditure from the first quarter of the year, combined with forecast information. The report highlighted that the 2025/26 budget included £12.921m of permanent savings and a £5.3m in year savings target for the transformation programme, and that monitoring savings delivery would be critical.

The report broke down the projected outturn position by directorate:

• Education and Social Services were projecting an underspend of £2.005m.
• Housing and Environment were projecting an overspend of £0.494m.
• Corporate and Regeneration were projecting an overspend of £0.003m.
• Miscellaneous Finance was forecasting a net overspend of £4.288m.

The report also provided a summary of savings delivery for 2025/26, assessing savings based on whether they were fully achieved, forecast to be achieved, considered to have some deliverability risk, or assessed as having significant deliverability risk.

Specialist Additional Learning Provision

The Cabinet was scheduled to discuss a report regarding the development of specialist additional learning provision for children with additional learning needs (ALN) across the County Borough. The report sought endorsement to proceed to Statutory Notice in relation to the proposal for the development of specialist resource bases (SRBs).

The report stated that the council had identified the need to develop further SRB provision for learners with ALN, and that approval to proceed to consultation was received from Cabinet on 21 May 2025. The formal consultation ran between 2 June 2025 and 13 July 2025.

The report detailed a proposal to establish new specialist resource bases at:

• Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni (2 classes)
• Idris Davies 3-18 School (3 classes over 2 years with capacity for maximum 30 in total)
• Rhiw Syr Dafydd Primary (1 class with capacity of 8 -10)
• St Helens RC Primary (1 class with capacity of 8-10)
• One other primary school to be determined (1 class with capacity of 8-10)

The report stated that all the provisions would be managed by the Headteacher and Governing Body of the schools on behalf of the Local Authority (LA), and that admission for children whose needs require such additional learning provision (ALP) is the responsibility of the LA who is the decision maker.

The report also summarised the responses received during the consultation period, and included a formal response from Estyn.

Estyn Inspection Outcomes

The Cabinet was scheduled to receive an update on the judgements made by Estyn inspection teams of Caerphilly schools from January 2022 to July 2025. The report was intended to provide details of the schools inspected, the dates on which the inspections took place, and the follow up category.

The report noted that Estyn's approach to inspection in schools and Pupil Referral Units across Wales, changed to no longer focus on a grading, detailing instead how well providers are helping a child to learn. This means that inspection reports no longer include summative gradings (e.g. 'Excellent', 'Good' or 'Adequate').

The report included a table summarising the recommendations for each Caerphilly school inspected.

The report also provided a comparison with the profile across the region and Wales using published reports only.

Public Space Protection Order

The Cabinet was scheduled to consider a report seeking agreement to implement a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to restrict vehicular access along Cefn Brithdir for a period of 3 years.

The report noted that the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 brought in a new power for local authorities to deal with anti-social behaviour problems in a geographical area by imposing conditions on the use of an area. The aim is to ensure that the law-abiding majority can use and enjoy public spaces, safe from anti-social behaviour.

The report stated that the previous PSPO, implemented in 2018, was demonstrably effective in mitigating fly-tipping incidents across the Cefn Brithdir ridge, and that its expiry has coincided with a resurgence of illegal disposal of waste (fly tipping), reinforcing the need for renewed action.

The report also noted that the accumulation of fly-tipped waste poses a significant threat to the local environment, including degradation of the natural landscape and harm to native wildlife.

The report detailed the consultations that had taken place with relevant departments within the Council as well as the local community and other stakeholders on the likely effect of making the Order.

Full Moon Recycling and Waste Transfer Station

The Cabinet was scheduled to discuss a report seeking approval to undertake essential maintenance works at Full Moon Recycling and Waste Transfer Station funded from the Extended Producer Responsibility allocated funding.

The report noted that on 18 September 2024, Cabinet approved the Council's Waste and Recycling Strategy and Outline Business Case (OBC). The Strategy outlined the requirement for a new depot and recyclable bulking/transfer facility infrastructure to support the transition to a blueprint compliant recycling collection service as well as future proofing operations such that operational services are no longer delivered from Tir-y-Berth depot. Full Moon Waste Transfer Station will continue to receive, bulk and haul residual waste.

The report stated that there are urgent repairs required to replace the drainage and concrete hard standing at Full Moon due to the drainage system collapsing, and that the estimated cost for the works is £324,029 and the projected timescale for completion of the works is circa 11 weeks. During this time the site will be unavailable to take receipt of recycling and residual waste from the Authority's waste collection service, and therefore contingency disposal arrangements are required which come with associated costs of circa £135,367. The Household Recycling Centre which is co-located at Full Moon will be unaffected and will remain open to the public.

The report also noted that following the full emptying of the recycling and waste transfer halls in Full Moon a full structural inspection of the buildings has been undertaken, and that the results of the surveys indicate that one of the buildings has significantly defective steel columns and the building will need replacing.