Agenda and minutes

Councillor Lucas was proposed by Councillor Murphy, seconded by Councillor Brown. There were no other nominations, Councillor Lucas was appointed as Chair.

Councillor Dymock was proposed by Councillor Brown, seconded by Councillor Lucas. There were no other nominations, Councillor Dymock was appointed as Vice-Chair.

Councillor Dymock, Councillor Murphy as substitute. Councillor Thomas, Councillor Easson as substitute.

None.

To note that the Placemaking Plans have been moved from 10^th July to 6^th November; in their place, the Flood Strategy will be scrutinised on 10^th July. Members are reminded to encourage residents to attend the Public Open Forum on that date.

Councillor Strong requested an update on responses from NRW concerning the Nedern – the responses are forthcoming – ACTION. Councillor Bryn requested an update on the Car Parking Review – it has been pencilled in for scrutiny on 10^th July.

Councillor Brown requested that an item be added to the work programme concerning scrutiny of the assets declared surplus and an opportunity to scrutinise these prior to Cabinet decisions, citing 8.2.2 of the Constitution which says the Terms of Reference for Place are ‘To ensure that policy and services are responsive to the needs of businesses and visitors and promote economic activity.’ – ACTION

The minutes were agreed, proposed by Councillor Lucas and seconded by Councillor Bryn.

Felicity Branigan, Chair of Promobility Group (Abergavenny), addressed the committee regarding Disabled Access issues in Abergavenny, primarily highlighting mobility challenges, obstructions, dog mess, drop kerbs and tactile paving, and proposed that council members accompany disabled individuals to experience these challenges firsthand, to which the committee agreed – ACTION

Paul Sullivan introduced the report, delivered a presentation, and answered the members’ questions with Cabinet Member Sara Burch and Geraint Roberts:

• A member asked about the difficulty in securing funding for projects like the Abergavenny Bridge and other schemes, given the reduction from four to one strategic scheme, and the expected timeline for delivery.

The officer acknowledged the challenge posed by the change in funding criteria, emphasising the importance of a collaborative approach across departments to secure funding from various sources, including safe routes and community funding, and regional transport plans. He stressed the importance of getting projects to a tender-ready stage to present them for funding opportunities, ensuring they are ready for implementation when funding becomes available. The Cabinet Member highlighted the potential benefits of multi-year funding through regional partnerships (CJCs), which could provide a more consistent and planned approach to project delivery.

• A member enquired about the timeframe of the data showing traffic reduction at Undy School and expressed concerns about the abuse of temporary closures by parents. He noted that the school is making efforts to police the situation, but emphasised the need for more effective enforcement to address the ongoing abuse of temporary closures.

The officer explained that the data was collected before and after the implementation of school streets, with the most recent data from May showing significant reductions in traffic. He mentioned that civil enforcement officers are sent to the site to speak to parents about problem parking and encourage parking further away. Surveys are being conducted to gather feedback and plan next steps to further reduce traffic around the school.

• A member expressed frustration over the difficulty in getting smaller interventions like drop kerbs and pavement smoothing done and asked for a system to report and prioritise these requests. She enquired about the number of schools working towards active travel plans and the effectiveness of these plans. She asked what percentage of Monmouthshire students are involved in these sessions and the percentage of students walking or cycling to school, and requested information on the percentage of children receiving cycle training after Stage 2.

Officers acknowledged the need for prioritisation and committed to working on a system to report and prioritise quick wins, considering internal capacity and funding constraints. They mentioned that 21 out of 34 schools have active travel plans, which are rolling documents updated annually. They did not have the exact number of schools currently working on plans but committed to providing that information – ACTION. Officers explained that the Road Safety Transition sessions are offered to all year six pupils across Monmouthshire, focusing on safe routes to comprehensive schools. Level one cycle training is offered to all schools, while level one and two training is provided to four or five schools annually, focusing on those near comprehensive schools to promote cycling. Officers shared data from a 2021 survey showing that 63% of secondary and 73% of primary school pupils wanted to actively travel more, with less than 3% currently cycling  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Thursday 5th June 2025 at 2.00pm (Special Meeting).