Agenda item

Attendees:

-           Gareth Jones (Performance Audit Lead)

-           Tracy Mckim (Policy, Partnership & Involvement Manager)

-           Keir Duffin (Head of Regeneration Investment and Housing)

-           Councillor Jane Mudd (Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing)

The Wales Audit Officer presented a brief overview to the Committee and highlighted the key areas for consideration. The Wales Audit Office report focused on the use of the sustainable development principles contained in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, when developing and meeting the Council’s Wellbeing Objectives. For this report the Policy, Partnership and Involvement Manager informed the Chair that they had invited the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing, and the Head of Regeneration, Investment and Housing to attend and contribute to the meeting. 

Members asked the following:

·                Members raised concern that the Council was not focusing on the long term needs, tending to address issues with a short term approach. Officers replied to Members explaining that focus was on the five ways of working as set out in the Act, considering how to use the five ways of working for a positive outcome. To do this an authority must have taken all five ways of working into account collectively.

·                A Member asked the Officers to explain about the M4 bridge toll risk outlined in the report.  Officers replied explaining that the review was undertaken before the toll was removed, there were many uncertainties surrounding the outcome of the removal of the toll.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing addressed the Committee explaining that the closure of the M4 bridge toll would have an economic benefit on the City, with the attraction of the ongoing regeneration of Newport, which would attract investors and visitors.

·                A Member asked Officers to clarify from the Wellbeing and Future Generations Act report, if the Authority was in line with other Councils and where could the Authority get further direction on better implementing the five ways of working. The Performance Audit lead replied explaining that all Councils were in the early stages of the process, comparisons were difficult to make as the audits were not all carried out in the same sectors through the 22 Authorities. A report on the examinations would be presented to the National Assembly for Wales at least one year before each Assembly election. The first report must be published by 2020, before the 2021 Assembly election. The Policy Partnership and Involvement Manager confirmed that the Authority were using the Future Generations tool kit, and working with the commission’s officer to identify areas for improvement.

The Head of Regeneration Investment and Housing drew the Committee Members attention to the City’s, Economic Growth Strategy, which presented an opportunity to extend the vision into the longer-term and was considered a strength by the Wales Audit Office.

The Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Housing highlighted to Committee Members the ongoing City Centre projects working with young hard to reach groups at St Pauls Walk, which was a project funded by the Heritage fund. As well as the collaborative projects with City Centre stakeholders to reduce the number of derelict buildings in the City Centre, which would increase the amount of housing stock.

·                A Member expressed concerns regarding the anti-social behaviour at St Pauls Walk, asking if the Authority would readdress hard to reach groups as part of the City Centre Master Plan.  The Head of Regeneration Investment and Housing replied explaining that the Communities First initiative had engaged with 10 thousand residents from Newport, receiving around 400 consultation responses in connection with the City Centre Master Plan. Officers also confirmed that engagement with hard to reach groups had been conducted through the bus WIFI, which was largely used by young residents of the City who would not normally engage with consultations. Officers confirmed that a follow up of numbers would be provided to Committee.

·                A Member of the Committee enquired about what progress the Council had made towards embedding an integrated approach to the Act, asking where that evidence was gathered to inform the statement.  Officers confirmed that the objective was asking the Council to work collaboratively with partners and stakeholders to consider how the Act and its delivery would affect the Councils objectives. The Performance Audit Lead confirmed that the approach to the City Centre regeneration recognised that it could only be achieved with interventions that deal with the whole system, such as the environment, community safety, health and wellbeing, not to just focus on economic factors.

·                Members of the Committee commented that the regeneration of properties in the City Centre, had attracted families with children, Members expressed concerns for those children who had a lack of activities and open spaces to play.  The Policy Partnership & Involvement Manager replied to Committee explaining that stakeholders and partners including the Police and health board had met to discuss the need for green and safe spaces within the City Centre, with Natural Resource Wales highlighting potential methods and programmes that can provide these areas to the City Centre.

The Chair thanked the Cabinet Member, Performance Audit Lead, The Cabinet Member and Officers for attending.

Conclusions on the Wales Audit Office Report

The Committee noted the Wales Audit Office – Wellbeing of Future Generations report prior to it being reported to the Cabinet. 

During the course of discussion, the Committee askedthe Performance Audit Lead to provide information on who from the Newport Economic Network were interviewed for the report as contextual information for the Committee.

Comments on the Revised of the Economic Regeneration Strategy

Specific to the Economic Regeneration element of the WAO report, it was noted that the recommendations and comments from WAO would be the focus of the Committees consideration when it receives the redraft of the Economic Regeneration Strategy at a future meeting.

A Committee Member asked for it to be noted that the delay to the Committee considering the redrafted Economic Regeneration strategy was not acceptable. The Scrutiny Adviser outlined to reasons that had been given by the officers to the change in timescale, notably to allow for the WAO recommendations presented to the Committee at today’s meeting to be considered and approved by Cabinet, and incorporated into the redrafted strategy.

The Committee requested the following information be provided for reference:

·                Confirmation as to whether minutes were recorded at the Newport Economic Network’s meetings.

·                Confirmation as to when City centre stakeholders were consulted with on the City Centre Masterplan.