Here is a summary of the Newport Council Cabinet meeting held on 10 September 2025.

The Newport City Council Cabinet convened to discuss a range of issues, including financial monitoring, strategic planning, and community well-being. Key decisions included approving additions to the Capital Programme, adopting the Community Parenting Strategy, and moving forward with a school reorganisation proposal, despite local objections. The Cabinet also reviewed annual reports on digital strategy, compliments and complaints, and corporate governance.

• School Reorganisation Proposal: Amalgamation of Millbrook Primary School and Monnow Primary School Cabinet approved the proposal to amalgamate Millbrook Primary School and Monnow Primary School into a single, three-form entry primary school, effective September 2026. The new school will be located on the current Millbrook Primary School site, with relocation expected during the academic year commencing in September 2027, following construction of a new building.

This decision was made despite eight formal objections received during the statutory notice period, along with correspondence raising concerns about road safety. The objections focused on issues such as:

• Parking, traffic, and safety around the Millbrook site
• The potential for additional housing on the current Monnow site
• The impact of a larger school on pupil wellbeing and educational standards
• The suitability of the Millbrook site compared to the Monnow site
• Increased travel distances for some pupils
• Disruption during construction

The Cabinet considered these objections, as detailed in the Amalgamation of Millbrook and Monnow Objection Report - Final, but maintained its view that the amalgamation was the best option. The council's response to the objections included:

• Working with Highways and Active Travel teams to minimise the impact on the local area.
• Clarifying that no confirmed plan exists for the future use of the Monnow site.
• Highlighting Estyn's view that the proposal is likely to at least maintain the standard of education provision.

The estimated cost of the new school build is £18 million, shared between the Welsh Government and the Council.

• Revenue Budget Monitor Cabinet reviewed the July revenue budget monitor, which forecasts a £310,000 underspend, taking into account the contingency budget. However, service areas are collectively forecast to overspend by £5.2 million, excluding schools. This overspending is offset by underspends in non-service areas, such as capital financing.

Significant areas of service overspending include:

• Social Services, due to demand for non-residential care packages, supported living placements, and out-of-area children's placements.
• Housing and Communities, due to the demand for temporary accommodation.
• Education, due to increased costs of local Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision.

Schools are projected to overspend by £4.2 million, funded from their reserves. There is a risk that recurring expenditure in excess of budget funding will result in individual schools entering a deficit position.

The report also noted that £446,000 of savings included in the 2025/26 budget are not expected to be achieved by the end of the year.

Cabinet approved the recommendation to allocate funds to a new earmarked reserve for 'Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)' for packaging and for the new Active Gwent Sports Partnership. They also approved the use of Eliminate reserves of c£2.7m in full which was originally planned to be utilised over a three year period.

• Capital Programme Monitoring and Additions The Cabinet approved additions to the Capital Programme as detailed in Appendix A of the report. The report provided a forecast of capital outturn against budget based on activity up to the end of July 2025. The starting capital programme budget for 2024/25 was £86.142m. Additions and revisions have increased the budget by a net £10m, and reprofiling of budgets into future years have reduced this year's budget by £14.8m, to provide a revised budget of £80.540m. Against this revised budget, costs are predicted to be £80.546m, introducing a very slight variance of £6k.

The Leader, Councillor Dimitri Batrouni, highlighted the capital headroom currently available as well as compliance with the prudential indicators outlined in the report.

• Community Parenting Strategy The Cabinet endorsed and agreed to adopt the Community Parenting Strategy 2025-2028. This strategy outlines the transition from corporate parenting to a community-driven approach involving various stakeholders to support the welfare of looked-after children and care leavers. The strategy sets out the following strategic priorities:
• Always home - commitment to timely and appropriate housing
• I belong - commitment to building a foundation of belonging
• Developing my skills - commitment to education and employment
• Safe and healthy - commitment to developing health and safety
• Always listening - commitment to always consider children and young people's views

The Cabinet noted that the strategy will be delivered within existing resources, with some internal reallocation of staff time and budgets potentially required.

• Annual Digital Report The Cabinet endorsed the Annual Digital Report 2024-25, which provided an update on the Council's Digital Strategy and progress made against its four key themes: Digital Transformation, Digital Skills and Inclusion, Data and Collaboration, and Digital Infrastructure and Connectivity. The report highlighted achievements such as improved connectivity in adult care homes, automation of processes, and the use of artificial intelligence.

• Annual Report on Compliments, Comments and Complaints Management The Cabinet endorsed the Annual Report on Compliments, Comments and Complaints Management 2024/2025. The report provided an overview of how Newport City Council managed feedback during 2024/25, including performance insights and service developments. The report highlighted an increase in compliments and comments, with a majority of complaints relating to Environment and Public Protection. The report also outlined improvements to the complaints handling framework and actions for improvement in 2025/26.

• Code of Corporate Governance The Cabinet approved and adopted the updated version of the Code of Corporate Governance. The Code sets out the Council's commitment to good governance, consistent with the principles of the CIPFA/SOLACE Framework. The updated Code reflects changes in the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, requiring the Council to self-assess the effectiveness and efficiency of its governance arrangements.

• Work Programme The Cabinet agreed the updated work programme for 2025/26, which outlines the reports and decisions scheduled for future meetings.