The Place, Sustainability & Climate Change Scrutiny Committee of Carmarthenshire Council met on Wednesday 20 November 2024 to review the council's financial performance, its progress on renewable energy initiatives, and its strategy for trees and woodlands. The committee also received an update on efforts to combat fly-tipping and considered forthcoming agenda items.

Revenue & Capital Budget Monitoring Report 2024/25

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on the revenue and capital budget monitoring for the 2024/25 financial year. The report indicated that services within the Place & Infrastructure and Public Protection remits were forecasting an overspend of £1,919,000. It also detailed variances in capital schemes, showing a forecasted net spend of £30,612,000 against a working net budget of £35,259,000, resulting in a variance of -£4,647,000. The report also included a savings monitoring report for 2024/25, which indicated that £519,000 of managerial savings and £102,000 of policy savings were forecast to be delivered against their respective targets.

Accelerating Renewable Energy Uptake

A report was presented outlining the council's actions to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy across its asset base. This included a summary of progress made, current barriers, and future potential developments. The report referenced the council's declaration of a Climate Emergency in February 2019 and its Net Zero Carbon Plan. It detailed existing renewable energy installations, primarily solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays, and highlighted the establishment of Egni Sir Gar, a community benefit energy company. The report also discussed energy procurement, costs, consumption, and carbon emissions, noting a significant increase in energy expenditure following the war in Ukraine. It detailed the decarbonisation of heat programme, including the replacement of fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps and the integration of solar PV. The report also covered renewable energy programmes for the domestic and industrial estates, as well as public transport infrastructure and potential for renewables on council-owned land. Current constraints, such as national grid limitations, were acknowledged, alongside future potential developments.

A Tree and Woodland Strategy for Carmarthenshire County Council

The committee was scheduled to review a draft Tree and Woodland Strategy for Carmarthenshire County Council. The strategy aims to set out the council's responsibilities for trees and woodlands, how they are managed, and where and why more trees and woodlands could be established on council-managed land. It acknowledges the many benefits trees and woodlands provide, including biodiversity, carbon storage, and amenity value, and aligns with the council's commitment to addressing the Climate and Nature Emergencies. The strategy proposes an increase in woodland cover on council land to 17% by 2050, requiring the planting of approximately 9.5 hectares of new woodland annually. The report detailed actions for managing existing trees and woodlands, as well as for new tree and woodland planting, and outlined the necessary staff resources and mechanisms for delivery and long-term maintenance.

Update on Fly-Tipping Recommendations

An update was provided on the implementation of the seven recommendations from the Fly Tipping Task and Finish Group Report. The report detailed the progress made in developing a co-ordinated approach with partners and implementing these recommendations. An initial scoping exercise identified key stakeholders with fly-tipping responsibilities within Carmarthenshire to foster a streamlined approach. The report also highlighted barriers to consider in developing an action plan and indicated that the matter required a corporate fly-tipping strategy. Actions were outlined for developing this strategy, engaging stakeholders to form a working group, and developing a co-ordinated action plan.

Forthcoming Items

The committee was presented with a list of forthcoming items scheduled for its next meeting on 28 January 2025. These included the Budget Monitoring Report (April – October 2024), the Performance Monitoring Report Q2, the Revenue Budget Strategy Consultation 2025/26 to 2027/28, and Business Plans for Place, Infrastructure and Economic Development. The committee also reviewed its Forward Work Plan for 2024/25.