Swansea Council convened on Thursday, 5 December 2024, approving a revised Gambling Policy, the Council Tax base calculation for 2025/2026, and amendments to its constitution regarding councillor questions. The meeting also addressed the Housing Revenue Account rent setting for 2025/2026 and reviewed the council's annual performance for 2023/24.

Review of the Gambling Policy

The Council approved recommendations for the review of the Gambling Policy. This policy, which is required to be reviewed every three years under the Gambling Act 2005, sets out the principles the council will apply when exercising its licensing functions. The review involved extensive consultation with various stakeholders, including representatives from the gambling industry, statutory bodies, and interested parties. The updated policy incorporates changes based on consultation responses and reflects current guidance from the Gambling Commission. Key amendments included updating dates, population figures, and relevant links, as well as refining specific paragraphs following feedback from organisations such as the Betting and Gaming Council and Swansea Bay University Health Board. The policy aims to ensure that gambling is carried out in a fair and open way, and that children and other vulnerable persons are protected from harm or exploitation.

Council Tax Base Calculation – 2025/2026

The Council approved the calculation of the Council Tax Base for the City and County of Swansea, its Community Councils, and the Swansea Bay Port Health Authority for the financial year 2025/2026. This calculation is a statutory requirement and is used to determine the Council Tax for the upcoming year. The report detailed the methodology for calculating the tax base, which involves estimating the number of dwellings, adjusting for discounts and premiums, and applying a collection rate. The estimated Council Tax Base for the whole of Swansea for 2025/2026 was calculated at 95,063, an increase from the previous year's figure of 93,803. The report also provided a breakdown of the tax base for individual community councils and the Swansea Bay Port Health Authority.

Annual Review of Performance 2023/2024

The Council approved the draft Annual Review of Performance for 2023/24 for publication. This report serves as a self-assessment of the council's progress in achieving its well-being objectives, as outlined in its Corporate Plan 2023-28. The review covers six well-being objectives: Safeguarding people from harm; Improving Education and Skills; Transforming our Economy and Infrastructure; Tackling Poverty and Enabling Communities; Delivering on Nature Recovery and Climate Change; and Transformation and Financial Resilience. The report details the council's performance, including progress against key performance indicators, areas for improvement, and contributions to national well-being goals. It highlights achievements such as increased in-house accommodation for vulnerable children, improvements in learner outcomes, progress on city centre regeneration projects, and efforts to tackle poverty and homelessness. Challenges remain in areas such as social services resilience, school attendance, and achieving net-zero targets without significant additional investment.

Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Rent Setting 2025/2026

The Council approved the proposed increase in rents and fees for properties within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) for the 2025/2026 financial year. Rents will increase by 2.7%, an average of £3.13 per week, from 1 April 2025. This increase is in line with the maximum permitted under Welsh Government policy, balancing the need for additional income to fund essential investments in the housing stock and the affordability for contract holders. The report detailed an affordability analysis comparing Swansea Council rents with other social landlords and the private sector, concluding that Swansea rents remain competitive and below the 30% of household income threshold considered affordable. The report also noted that approximately 70% of contract holders are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, which will be increased to cover the rent rise. Commitments are in place to support contract holders experiencing financial hardship, including no evictions due to financial hardship where contract holders engage with the landlord.

Amendments to Council Constitution - Review of Council Procedure Rules 22, 23 & 24 relating to Councillors Questions

The Council approved amendments to its Constitution, specifically to Council Procedure Rules 22, 23, and 24, concerning councillors' questions. The changes aim to simplify and improve the process, particularly addressing the issue of submitted questions falling away if an Ordinary Meeting of Council is cancelled. The amendments ensure that if a meeting is cancelled, submitted questions will roll over to the next Ordinary Meeting of Council, with an additional 30 minutes allocated to consider them. This aims to maintain the democratic process of holding the Executive to account. The proposal was supported by Political Group Leaders, the Chief Executive, and the Monitoring Officer, with no identified financial, legal, or governance implications.

Mid-Term Budget Statement 2024/25

The Council received the Mid-Term Budget Statement for 2024/25 for information. This statement provides an overview of the council's current financial performance and potential financial planning scenarios that will influence budget and service decisions. It noted that while the UK Government announced an uplift for Wales, the full implications of the recent UK Budget were still being assessed. The statement highlighted anticipated impacts on Swansea, including inflation around 2.5%, potential increases in capital allocations, and a slower drop in Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) rates. A significant concern raised was the impact of changes to National Insurance Contributions, which are expected to cost Swansea Council approximately £8 million directly, with significant indirect costs anticipated across various sectors.

Review of Swansea Council School Admissions Arrangements

The Council approved the findings of a review into Swansea Council's School Admissions Arrangements and its oversubscription criteria. The review was prompted by a concern raised during a previous Council meeting regarding the fairness of the current criteria. The School Admissions Forum conducted a thorough review, analysing historical data, potential scenarios, and consulting with other local authorities. The Forum concluded that the current arrangements, which prioritise children in local authority care, followed by those living within the school's catchment area, then siblings, and finally distance, are fair and equitable. Data indicated that instances of sibling refusal within catchment are extremely low, and that changing the criteria could disadvantage other vulnerable groups, such as children with additional learning needs or asylum seekers. The Forum recommended that the current arrangements remain in place, with distance serving as a tie-breaker across all criteria to prioritise children living closest to their preferred school. The report also noted that the availability of school places, rather than the oversubscription criteria, is the primary factor in meeting first preferences.

Councillors' Questions

The Council received written responses to questions asked at the previous Ordinary Meeting of Council. These were noted for information. Additionally, councillors posed questions during the meeting, which were also addressed. These included questions regarding the council's reputation in light of a PWC report, extra support for residents during winter, spending on the Oracle system, efforts to increase Pension Credit take-up, job creation and new developments, actions to counter fly-tipping, investment plans for Swansea Market, consultation on refuse and recycling collection changes, improvements to the Mumbles seafront, and the results of a survey on dog bans on beaches. Responses were provided by the relevant Cabinet Members.