Agenda

Council Tax relief for residents living with a terminal illness

This Council notes:

• Marie Curie’s UK-wide campaign to ensure residents living with a terminal illness receive appropriate Council Tax relief.
• That approaches differ across the UK: in England, the ask is for councils to adopt local discretionary schemes, and several authorities have already implemented such arrangements. In Wales, the ask is for Welsh Government to amend the national Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) regulations so that terminal illness is explicitly included, creating a consistent statutory route across all Welsh councils.

This Council resolves:

1) To support, in principle, the aims of the Marie Curie campaign.

2) To ask the Leader and the Cabinet Member for Finance to write to Welsh Government, urging inclusion of terminal illness within CTRS regulations and to work with WLGA to advocate for a consistent Wales?wide framework, ensuring that any regulatory change will be fully funded centrally and the costs passed down to local authorities via the Revenue Support Grant.

This Council:

·        Shares the shock felt by residents in communities across Monmouthshire devastated by Storm Claudia, in Monmouth, Skenfrith, Abergavenny and other areas in the north of the county.

• Pays tribute to the emergency services, MCC officers and staff, partner organisations and volunteers who helped ensure there was no loss of life.
• Welcomes the financial relief announced so far, including household grants, non-domestic rate relief and council tax reductions.
• Calls on the Cabinet Member to:

o   Urgently review the major incidences of flooding to determine lessons that can be learned that may assist prevention, or response and recovery in any future flood event.

o   Explain why sandbags weren’t provided to homes and businesses in areas expecting high rainfall.

o    Provide an update on regular drain maintenance to prevent flooding.

o   Set out a plan to invest in more resilient flood prevention measures.

o   Confirm that the Wonastow pumping station was in fully operational and when it was last inspected.

o   Return to Full Council with a report with precise details and review on the above points.

This Council:

·        Notes the Chancellor’s Budget Statement of 26^th November.

·        Recognises the UK Government faced difficult and unpalatable choices.

·        Calls upon this authority, where possible, to protect and support those families and businesses which may be adversely impacted by the Budget statement.

·        Urges the Leader and the wider administration to press Welsh Government colleagues to deliver a fair funding settlement for Monmouthshire County Council.

On 23rd November, the Grade Two listed Usk Bridge was hit and damaged for a third time since it was repaired yet again in the summer.  Can the Cabinet member advise what proactive steps are in motion to bring a solution to this longstanding and increasingly occurring issue to this historic structure?

On 24th November, a pupil, on his journey to school in Little Mill was struck by a car near one of the school transport pick?up points. Parents have raised with me serious concerns that the bus stops are in appropriately situated particularly give the continue issues of speeding on Berthon Road through to Alexander Terrace. Can the cabinet member undertake a review of the school transport pick up points on safety grounds and advise what further measures can be undertaken by Highways to tackle speeding in Little Mill?

The recent storm Claudia caused flooding in Little Mill affecting residents in Cae Melin and Berthon Road as well as the Little Jockey pub which was due to reopen on 1st December with new Landlords after being closed for over 12 months. The brook and culvert along Ty-Draw lane as well as blocked drains appear to have contributed to the issues.  Given this is a repeat of the same matters 12 months ago, what review measures will now be taken to proactively clear and alleviate these hot spots?’

Why have the council and Welsh Government failed to deliver the 'quick wins' cited in the A40 Raglan crossings road safety audit within 12 months of publication back in June 2024?

What is the view of the administration on the series of planning applications by Natural Resources Wales to set up fast food vans at car parks in the Wye Valley? 

Please can the Cabinet Member provide details of the following costs to the Council:

1. The WSP reports on home to school walking route assessments (how many reports written, which routes and at what cost?)
2. The cost of the footpath improvements in the Haysgate area of the A48 Pwllmeyric?
3. The cost to the Council of the land surveyors on the A48 Pwllmeyric?
4. The cost of a feasibility study for a potential pedestrian crossing and the loops analysis?
5. The cost of the traffic measures monitoring and for how long?
6. The cost of a potential pedestrian crossing on the A48 Pwllmeyric (including the cost of full engagement and consultation on any potential proposals)?

Will Cllr Ben Callard, Cabinet Member for Resources and Cllr Laura Wright, Councillor for Grofield Ward, explain why no parking impact assessment or mitigation plan was prepared before granting the 30-year lease on the Abergavenny Carnegie Library, despite concerns, and what steps Monmouthshire County Council will now take to ensure residents are not financially penalised through the introduction of an £83 residents' permit scheme?

The overall school reserves deficit is now forecast to increase by a further £3 million, to over £7 million by the end of 2025/26. This is an extremely serious, unprecedented situation. Each school with a deficit is required to deliver a recovery plan. Would the cabinet member please outline the expected real impact on schools of these recovery plans requiring them to take £7 million out of their current expenditure?

With investigatory works on the B4598 Chainbridge scheduled for w/c 8^th December, and the full engineering work to repair the bridge expected next year closing the bridge for 12-18 months, businesses and residents are very concerned about the impact of this prolonged closure of a critical north-route through the county. It is clear there will be major impact on the businesses/ farms for many miles at both ends of the bridge, involving significant reductions in trade/ customers and problems for staff reaching work, transport of goods and suppliers reaching businesses affected. These business interruption/ reduction impacts are extremely serious – the very least that needs to be done is for MCC to understand and mitigate them by working closely with all the businesses likely to be affected. Is MCC conducting an impact assessment on those businesses before full works begin, and as those full works are drawing so close, would the cabinet member please now share the project plan for these works that will have such serious impact for a prolonged period?

To ask the Cabinet Member to review the effectiveness of speed calming measures through the villages of Llanellen and Govilon.

To ask the Cabinet Member and the administration to prioritise urgent repair and clean-up work to the Tyla Road, Govilon.