Agenda and minutes

Councillors Penhow, Llanwern, and Wentlooge.

None

The Minutes from the previous meeting held 12th September 2024 were agreed as a true and accurate record.

Verbal Update

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager informed the Committee that Chief Inspector Carl Williams of Gwent Police was unable to attend the meeting and advised that any questions from the Committee can be submitted to Democratic Services to be forwarded to Gwent Police.

Verbal Update

Maria Mulcahy from One Voice Wales presented this item to the Committee on the organisation and the support they can provide to Community Councils in Wales. Slides used during the presentation were shared with Community Councils following the meeting.

The following questions were asked:

• A Community Councillor queried what processes are in place if an organisation does not provide their biodiversity reports. The One Voice Wales representative informed Committee that this is a requirement under the Environmental Wales Act 2021 and the Local Government and Elections Wales Act 2021.
• A Community Councillor stated that their Community Council is not a member of One Voice Wales due to the membership costs. The Head of Law and Standards noted that even though there are costs to join One Voice Wales, these would be considerably lower than seeking private sector services as an alternative source of information and support.
• A Community Councillor stated that their Community Council is a member of One Voice Wales and find the information available to them is vital to the running of the Community Council.
• A Community Councillor queried what assistance is available to Community Councils with regards to recruitment. The One Voice Wales representative informed Committee that vacancies can be advertised on their website, but One Voice Wales would not get involved with the recruitment process.
• A Community Councillor enquired whether the new website is only for One Voice Wales members and if so, how do they access it. The One Voice Wales representative informed Committee that the website set up would be similar to the current one and specific access to the website would be provided to Members. The passwords are provided to the Clerk, and this should be distributed to all Councillors.
• A Community Councillor stated that when they have approached One Voice Wales previously about internal issues, they were informed that they were unable to help. The One Voice Wales representative informed Committee that they can only provide advice to the nominated representatives of member councils in order to comply with the terms of their indemnity insurance.
• A Community Councillor asked for clarification on which social media platforms would be utilised by One Voice Wales. The One Voice Wales representative informed Committee that their recently appointed comms officer is currently looking into different platforms as part of their strategy.
• The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager enquired about the bursary scheme for training and whether this is open to all Councils and if so, could a link be provided to share with Community Councils. The One Voice Wales representative informed Committee that Wendy Patience at One Voice Wales would be the best contact about the bursary.
• The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager enquired whether there is a register available online showing which Community Councils are a member of One Voice Wales. The One Voice Wales representative informed Committee that currently only Rogerstone and Goldcliff are not members.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager presented this item to the Committee.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager informed the Committee that that current Agenda items for the next meeting are:

• Fly-tipping Workshop – presented by the Waste Enforcement Team
• Boundary Review Update – early discussion prior to the formal process and consultation taking place.
• Final Independent Remuneration Panel Update – this item will be shared with the CCLM for information only before it is brought before full Council.

The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager informed the Committee that they are happy to accept Agenda item suggestions for the Forward Work Programme 2025/2026 and informed the Committee that they would provide the Personal Safety guidance to all Community Councillors.

The date of the Next Meeting is Thursday 13^th March 2025 at 6pm.

The date of the Next Meeting is Thursday 13^th March at 6pm.