Agenda and draft minutes

Jackie Strong, Peter Strong as substitute.

None.

ACTION: to request a list of all surplus council assets, relating to Councillor Brown’s request, to share with the committee.

ACTION: send link to members as a reminder.

The minutes of 6^th November were agreed. 

None. 

Tracey Thomas and Rachael Rogers delivered a presentation, introduced the report and answered the members’ questions with Craig O’Connor: 

How will the Cultural Forum ensure fair representation of all areas and interest groups, avoiding overrepresentation or bias? 

The forum will have clear criteria and role profiles, aiming for representation from all key areas and underrepresented groups, including children and young people. Subgroups and ongoing community workshops will help maintain broad engagement. 

Why does the heritage timeline focus more on touristy areas, with little mention of Severnside towns and villages? 

Feedback is welcomed, and the timeline will be updated to better reflect Severnside and other overlooked areas. Additional information from councillors is invited for inclusion. 

Can the strategy include dementia-friendly events, not just in care homes but also in the wider community? 

The strategy aims for inclusivity, with staff trained in dementia-friendly practices. Efforts will be made to ensure all events are accessible and inclusive for people with dementia and other needs. 

How will the strategy create skilled employment and avoid reliance on low-skilled, seasonal tourism jobs? 

The focus is on developing skilled roles in film, technology, theatre, and photography, engaging young people and leveraging Monmouthshire’s appeal as a film location to create higher-skilled opportunities.

Does the Cultural Strategy currently reflect local, villagelevel and grassroots cultural activity? 

The strategy is broader in scope and does not yet reflect all the rich grassroots activity. The Council does understand what happens locally, and the strategy will evolve to include it more clearly. Progress to date may not be fully visible in the draft. 

Is the Council already supporting grassroots culture in practical ways? 

Yes, the Council already runs regular networking events across towns and smaller communities and provides space for artists to display and sell their work (e.g., artwork, jewellery, ceramics). These activities have expanded significantly in the past 12 months, though the progress is not yet wellreflected in the written strategy. 

Can all the heritage buildings mentioned by Members be included in the strategy? 

Some of the buildings referenced are not owned or controlled by the Council. To address this, the Council will need to build relationships with external owners and groups to understand how they can collectively support tourism and strengthen Monmouthshire’s cultural identity. 

How does the Cultural Strategy relate to the Destination Management Plan (DMP) and other strategies? 

They serve different purposes but are designed to complement each other. The DMP focuses on the visitor economy, tourism infrastructure, and sustainable growth. The Cultural Strategy focuses on people – how residents and visitors engage with arts, culture, and creativity. Both documents “speak to each other” and form part of a coordinated organisational approach. 

How do built environment issues (heritage assets, venues, buildings at risk) fit into this? 

These areas are primarily covered by other Council documents, such as Placemaking Plans and the Buildings at Risk register. The Cultural Strategy does not duplicate these but instead sits alongside them as part of a holistic approach to “place.” Each document covers different aspects  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Colette Bosley and Kate Stinchcombe delivered a presentation, introduced the report and answered the members’ questions: 

There are concerns about two planning applications in Portskewett where soil import paperwork and water quality discharge sampling did not meet Natural Resources Wales (NRW) requirements – how might they be resolved, especially when the site is adjacent to the Severn Estuary?

The officers acknowledged awareness of the issues and explained that biodiversity officers are involved in the planning process, flagging such concerns. They offered to follow up separately with the Member regarding the specific applications, recognizing the seriousness of inheriting unresolved environmental issues. 

Who is the biodiversity officer responsible for planning matters? 

The Council does have biodiversity officers who respond specifically to developmentmanagement planning cases. However, resources are currently stretched: the team has only 1.5 FTE, and one biodiversity post was lost just before Christmas. Recruitment for a replacement officer is expected imminently, with the remaining 0.5 FTE to follow in the coming weeks. In the meantime, several ecologists across the authority are covering planning consultations.

How are biodiversity issues monitored when an old planning approval is activated years later through minimal site works? 

Officers try to address such issues within legal duties. For larger or longduration sites, planning conditions can require ongoing ecological monitoring during the interim period. This ensures new wildlife interest that appears between approval and development is identified and considered before work progresses. 

What happens if a site becomes overgrown and biodiversity increases before later clearance? 

Where monitoring conditions are in place, any new species or habitats that appear during the intervening years must be considered before further development. Officers acknowledge this is a real issue – particularly on smaller sites – because it may not always be proportionate to require continuous surveying, creating a risk that ecological changes go unrecorded. 

How does the Council ensure biodiversity impacts are properly assessed and mitigated when clearing sites that have changed since the original approval?

For larger schemes with anticipated long delays, planning conditions requiring regular ecological surveys can ensure new biodiversity value is identified. Enforcement and biodiversity teams work together where necessary to prevent unacceptable site clearance if ecological interests have emerged. 

How is compliance with Green Infrastructure (GI) plans monitored, especially when required planting hasn’t been delivered? 

GI management plans – sometimes extending up to 20year maintenance periods – are secured through planning obligations. Officers aim to ensure longterm delivery, but limited biodiversity resources make monitoring challenging. Where nondelivery or breaches occur, the enforcement team works jointly with biodiversity officers to pursue compliance. 

What happens when a new planning application is submitted on land where required GI planting should already exist but hasn’t been implemented?

This becomes a matter for planning enforcement, supported by biodiversity officers. A new principal enforcement officer is joining the team, improving capacity to act where applicants fail to carry out previously required landscaping or biodiversity measures.

How are planning enforcement, biodiversity duties, and longterm management plans connected? 

Officers emphasised that enforcement and biodiversity work  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Thursday 19th March 2026 at 2.00pm.