Agenda and draft minutes

Place Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 5th December, 2024 2.00 pm

Venue: Council Chamber, County Hall, The Rhadyr USK. View directions

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None.

 

2.

Public Open Forum

Scrutiny Committee Public Open Forum ~ Guidance

 

 

Our Scrutiny Committee meetings are live streamed and a link to the live stream will be available on the meeting page of the Monmouthshire County Council website

 

 

If you would like to share your thoughts on any proposals being discussed by Scrutiny Committees, you can submit your representation in advance via this form



·     Please share your views by uploading a video or audio file (maximum of 4 minutes) or;

·     Please submit a written representation (via Microsoft Word, maximum of 500 words)

 


You will need to register for a
My Monmouthshire account in order to submit the representation or use your log in, if you have registered previously.

 

The deadline for submitting representations to the Council is 5pm three clear working days in advance of the meeting. 

 

If representations received exceed 30 minutes, a selection of these based on theme will be shared at the Scrutiny Committee meeting.  All representations received will be made available to councillors prior to the meeting.

If you would like to attend one of our meetings to speak under the Public Open Forum at the meeting, you will need to give three working days’ notice by contacting Scrutiny@monmouthshire.gov.uk  

The amount of time afforded to each member of the public to speak is at the chair’s discretion, but to enable us to accommodate multiple speakers, we ask that contributions be no longer than 3 minutes. 

If you would like to suggest future topics for scrutiny by one of our Scrutiny Committees, please do so by emailing
Scrutiny@monmouthshire.gov.uk

 

Minutes:

A letter from a resident was read out. During the Full Council meeting on October 24th, 2024, the resident raised a question with Cabinet Member Paul Griffiths regarding the issues with site HA4 and proposed considering site CS0274 as an alternative. Paul Griffiths assured that MCC would seriously consider CS0274; however, he later refused to arrange a public meeting to discuss this option. The resident, on behalf of the Gateway to Wales Action Group, plans to seek a meeting with Jo Draper, Head of Placemaking and Planning Office, to discuss the alternative site. If this request is denied, the resident believes it may require action from the committee. He will inform the committee of any developments.

 

A letter from a resident was read out. The resident, from Shirenewton, objects to the proposed development of 26 houses above Redlands, citing concerns about the village's conservation area status, inadequate local infrastructure, environmental impact, and potential damage to the village's character and community. He highlights specific issues such as the narrow local roads, capacity of local schools, strain on utilities, disruption to wildlife habitats, impact on scenic views, and increased flooding risk. The resident also mentions that the development may conflict with the Monmouthshire Local Development Plan and requests confirmation that his objection has been registered.

 

A resident spoke to the committee about his concerns relating to the lack of a bat survey, and drinking water, referring to a slideshow he had prepared. The resident raised concerns about the lack of a comprehensive bat survey for a large housing development project, despite a detailed survey being required for smaller projects. He questioned why the council would weaken bat protection and make it easier for developers. He suggested three actions for the council: 1) Table an immediate amendment to the HRA (Habitat Regulation Appraisal) to remove the paragraph about requirements being too prescriptive and mentions of bat surveys. 2) Order a thorough review and proper scrutiny of the HRA. 3) Vote against the current proposal if it lacks adequate bat protection.

 

The resident highlighted concerns about the impact of the development on drinking water quality, noting that Monmouth's water is susceptible to runoff pollution. He mentioned historical understanding of water extraction upstream to avoid contamination and pointed out that the development could change this. Phosphate Levels and Pollution: the resident discussed the potential increase in phosphate levels due to the development and the inadequacy of sustainable drainage solutions (SUDS) in reducing phosphates. He emphasized the risk of runoff pollution from various sources entering the River Wye and affecting drinking water quality.

 

3.

Water Quality and Sewage Infrastructure pdf icon PDF 2 MB

To invite Welsh Water to discuss water quality concerns and sewage concerns, particularly related to the Monmouth and Shirenewton area. 

Minutes:

Sharon Evans, Edward Bennett and Daniel Humphreys presented to the committee and answered the members’ questions.

 

Drinking Water Quality – Sharon Evans

 

  • What happens to the lead pipes that are removed? How much do you predict remains in the system in the county? The lead pipe is replaced with a drinking water-approved plastic pipe (MDP) and then recycled. The 7,500 lead pipes mentioned are across Wales, not just Monmouthshire. Properties built before the 1970s likely have lead pipes. Welsh Water offers testing for lead in water upon request.
  • Do you test groundwater in towns and villages? Welsh Water tests groundwater if it is used for drinking water supply. This testing is part of the 365-days-a-year regulatory monitoring.
  • What procedure should a resident follow if they were to notice something unusual with their water? Residents should contact Welsh Water through their operational call centre, web chat, email, or Facebook. They can speak to a real person who will advise them on what to do based on their problem.
  • What are the figures on Slide 5 e.g. 93.5m? Is water taken from Buckholt? The figure 93.5m refers to the elevation of the asset. The AOD figure refers to the pressure at each site. There are two water treatment works servicing the Monmouth area: Mayhill and Ffynon Gaer. Buckholt treatment works is not in regular use but is available as an emergency source.
  • How many samplers go around houses and how are the areas chosen? There are 60 samplers who work across Wales. They are trained to take samples and can work in any area. The areas are chosen based on operational needs and events.
  • When water is taken from Monmouth and goes down to Usk and Llangibby, how are the pipes cleaned, and how often? Pipes are flushed and cleaned regularly as part of operational maintenance. Specific projects like the Zonal Study Project focus on replacing old pipes.
  • What is the effect of asbestos cement main pipes? Asbestos in the pipes is not harmful to health as it is only harmful when inhaled, not ingested. The pipes have a coating that prevents asbestos from getting into the water.
  • How does upstream monitoring work and how often is there a concern? There are monitors for drinking water quality purposes along every river from which we extract, and there are monitors upstream of every extraction point. There is a process by which it is monitored 24/7, and if any problem is detected, the downstream extraction point will be shut down until the problem has passed. There has been no further event since the one in June 2021 in Monmouth, which was the only time in the last 15 years.
  • What date was cryptosporidium was detected? Cryptosporidium is a potential risk in rural catchments and is managed daily. The specific date of detection was not provided.
  • How easy is it for lead pipes to be changed to blue polyethylene for homeowners, and how does it get costed out? The cost of replacing lead pipes  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

Place Scrutiny Committee Forward Work Programme and Action List pdf icon PDF 586 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Members were reminded to submit ideas for areas of scrutiny relating to Active Travel. The committee’s letter to Welsh Government following the recent STEAM item was agreed. The matter of bats, as raised in the POF, will be tabled to a future meeting. Future site visits to important Welsh Water sites will be arranged and a formal letter of thanks from the committee to Welsh Water for their attendance today will be drafted and sent. – ACTIONS

 

A member requested that a workshop be held to address the matter of potholes and unadopted roads, such as the one in Caldicot. A member requested that an item is arranged to scrutinise SuDs and drainage on estates. – ACTIONS

 

5.

Council and Cabinet Work Planner pdf icon PDF 250 KB

6.

To confirm the minutes of the previous meeting pdf icon PDF 484 KB

Minutes:

The minutes were agreed.

 

7.

Next Meeting:

Minutes:

6th February 2025