Agenda and decisions

Cabinet - Wednesday, 21st May, 2025 4.30 pm

Venue: Steve Greenslade Room, County Hall, Usk

Contact: Democratic Services

Media

Items
No.	Item
1.	Apologies for Absence Decision: County Councillors: Mary Ann Brocklesby and Catrin Maby.
2.	Declarations of Interest Decision: None received.
3.	PLACEMAKING GRANT PROGRAMME 2025/26-2026/27 PDF 350 KB Division/Wards Affected: ABERGAVENNY, CALDICOT, CHEPSTOW, MAGOR WITH UNDY, MONMOUTH, USK Purpose: This report seeks Cabinet’s agreement to an indicative programme for delivery of town centre regeneration projects in Monmouthshire in 2025/26 and 2026/27 using funding allocated from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Placemaking Grant Author: Daniel Fordham, Regeneration Manager Contact Details: danielfordham@monmouthshire.gov.uk Additional documents: 1a. Placemaking Grant programme 25-26 26-27 Cabinet IIA 250430 , item 3. PDF 674 KB Decision: That Cabinet agrees the proposed indicative Placemaking Grant programme for delivery in 2025/26 and 2026/27, and authorises the Chief Officer, Place, to prioritise and adjust the programme as needed in liaison with the Cabinet Member and informed by consultation with local placemaking steering and delivery groups.
4.	ACTIVE GWENT SPORT PARTNERSHIP REPORT PDF 86 KB Division/Wards Affected: All Purpose: To seek Cabinet Member approval to enter a formal partnership for Sport Development in the Gwent region, with Sport Wales and the other four Gwent local authorities. Author: Nick John, Head of Leisure and Wellbeing. Stacey Jones, Performance, Finance and Resource Manager Contact Details: nickjohn@monmouthshire.gov.uk staceyjones@monmouthshire.gov.uk Additional documents: 2a. Active Gwent Sport Partnership - Hosted Model , item 4. PDF 181 KB Decision: That Cabinet: Approves Monmouthshire sport development to formally enter the Active Gwent sport partnership. Approves the preferred approach of a hosted model of the Sport Partnership in the Gwent region. Approves the support for Newport City Council to act as the host authority for the new Active Gwent Sports Partnership.
5.	MARCHES FORWARD PARTNERSHIP PDF 1 MB Division/Wards Affected: All Purpose: To provide an update on the collaborative “Marches Forward Partnership” with neighbouring local authorities, Herefordshire Council, Powys County Council and Shropshire Council. Authors: Peter Davies – Assistant Chief Executive, Strategic Director for Resources, S151 Officer Will McLean – Strategic Director, Learning, Skills and Economy Cath Fallon – Head of Housing, Strategic Partnerships and Transformation Contact Details: Peterdavies@Monmouthshire.gov.uk Willmclean@monmouthshire.gov.uk Cathfallon@monmouthshire.gov.uk Decision: That Cabinet approves: The Marches Proposition - Appendix One, as the agreed vision and collective ambition for the Marches Forward Partnership. The establishment of light touch governance arrangements, through the establishment of a Partnership Board, set out in Appendix Two of the Marches Proposition as a basis for collective delivery and resourcing. The Partnership will focus on the immediate delivery of agreed priorities around environment, health, transport and food production. An evaluation of the Partnership’s progress in twelve months’ time, to satisfy itself of the Partnership’s ability to move from concept to delivery and offer longer term, tangible benefits to the County.
6.	DIGITAL, DATA AND TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATION PDF 251 KB Division/Wards Affected: All Purpose: To develop proposals to build on existing collaborative arrangements in place for the provision of technology services through the Shared Resource Service. Expanding these to include digital, data and information governance services will generate economies of scale enabling the authority to access expertise to accelerate progress against delivery of priorities set in the Community and Corporate Plan and the Council’s Digital and Data Strategy. Author: Matthew Gatehouse, Chief Officer – People, Performance and Partnerships Peter Davies, Deputy Chief Executive Contact Details: matthewgatehouse@monmouthshire.gov.uk peterdavies@monmouthshire.gov.uk Additional documents: 4a. Cabinet_DDaT Collaboration_Appendix 2 SRS Futures , item 6. PDF 1 MB Digital Data and Technology Collaboration_Integrated Impact Assessment , item 6. PDF 708 KB Decision: To begin the process of transitioning towards a shared service model for digital and data in collaboration with Torfaen County Borough Council and Blaenau Gwent County Borough, as part of an expanded role for the Shared Resource Service (SRS). For the authority’s digital team to begin working alongside partner organisations at the earliest opportunity, with a target for the team to transfer to the SRS no later than 1st April 2026, subject to the conclusion of staff and trade union consultation. This would be done in accordance with The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. To agree that the current digital service budget be used to enable the delivery of the new shared service. To prepare an investment case for a modern data service operating across three authorities, to be considered by the SRS Strategic Board in the first instance, being clear where the initial investment is best focused. That Cabinet recommend that £77,017 is drawn from the ICT reserve to fund the costs during year one of the collaboration (2025-26). This will include additional funding for the shared digital team and the costs of a new data post to ensure that Monmouthshire can participate fully in, and capitalise from, the embryonic data service from day one. To revisit the potential to enter collaborative arrangements in relation to information security at a later stage following the completion of further work which will be reported to the SRS Strategic Board in the coming months.
7.	Y PRENTIS - SHARED CONSTRUCTION APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME PDF 3 MB Division/Wards Affected: All Purpose: The purpose of this report is to consider the cessation of Y Prentis Shared Construction Apprenticeship Scheme as a limited company by guarantee, to become a project within the Cyfle Shared Building Skills Shared Apprentice Scheme – a limited company by guarantee with charitable status. Authors: Will McLean, Chief Officer Learning Skills and Economy Hannah Jones, Head of Economy Employment and Skills Contact Details: willMcLean@monmouthshire.gov.uk hannahjones@monmouthshire.gov.uk Additional documents: 5a. Minutes of People Scrutiny on 30th April 2025 , item 7. PDF 306 KB Decision: That Cabinet approves the following: (i) the cessation of Y Prentis joint shareholders Melin Homes/Hedyn and Monmouthshire County Council (MCC). Melin Homes provide support and management services for Y Prentis for an annual fee. (ii) Y Prentis becomes a project within the Cyfle company and all undertakings to be transferred to Cyfle. (iii) Monmouthshire County Council Officer has a seat on the Cyfle Directors Board to provide future updates to Scrutiny committee and Cabinet.
8.	LETTING OF THE FORMER ABERGAVENNY LIBRARY PDF 174 KB Division/Wards Affected: All Purpose: This report is to secure authority to grant a lease to the Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association at the Former Abergavenny Library. Author: Nicholas Keyse, Acting Head of Landlord Services Contact Details: nicholaskeyse@monmouthshire.gov.uk Additional documents: Appendix 1 - Scoring Matrix for Former Abergavenny Library (redacted) , item 8. PDF 67 KB Appendix 2 - MMCA Business Plan , item 8. PDF 656 KB Appendix 3 - Integrated Impact Assessment - Letting of the Former Abergavenny Library , item 8. PDF 634 KB Appendix 4 - Redline Plan - Former Abergavenny Library , item 8. PDF 924 KB Decision: That Cabinet agrees the following: (i) To award the lease tender to Monmouthshire Muslim Community Association. (ii) To delegate authority to the Chief Officer for Resources to negotiate the lease in accordance with the tender award.