Here is a summary of the Cabinet meeting held by Monmouthshire Council on 17 September 2025. The cabinet approved a commitment to becoming an accredited Real Living Wage employer and the County of Sanctuary Strategy, and noted the Monmouthshire Local Area Energy Plan.

Real Living Wage Accreditation

The cabinet approved a recommendation for Monmouthshire Council to become an accredited Real Living Wage employer, ensuring supply chain workers are paid a wage that reflects the true cost of living. This decision aligns with the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Act 2023, the Future Generations Report 2025, and the council's Socially Responsible Procurement Strategy.

The council has paid its employees the Real Living Wage since 1 April 2014, but accreditation requires extending this to contracted third-party suppliers whose staff work regularly on council premises or other sites for at least two hours a week for eight weeks or more.

To achieve accreditation, the council will:

• Develop a plan to extend the Real Living Wage to all regular sub-contracted staff.
• Incorporate Real Living Wage payment in relevant procurement processes.
• Submit an application form.

A supply chain evaluation identified one service provider paying the national minimum wage rather than the Real Living Wage. Future tendering will require contractors to pay the Real Living Wage, potentially increasing contract costs.

The integrated impact assessment (IIA) indicated a positive effect on groups with protected characteristics, who are more likely to have lower incomes or be in debt. It also highlighted a positive impact on the authority's application of the socio-economic duty and the national wellbeing goals established by the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

County of Sanctuary Strategy

The cabinet approved the County of Sanctuary Strategy, fulfilling a commitment in the Community and Corporate Plan and a motion passed by the council. The strategy aims to ensure refugees and asylum seekers have access to support and services, community connections are fostered, and people can rebuild their lives. Officers will continually review the action plan to respond to changing circumstances.

The strategy is underpinned by principles adopted by the City of Sanctuary network, including:

• Offering a positive vision of welcome and hospitality.
• Creating opportunities for friendship and solidarity.
• Encouraging partnership working.
• Identifying opportunities for practical action.
• Celebrating the welcome and contribution of people seeking sanctuary.
• Engaging people seeking sanctuary in decision making.
• Promoting understanding of asylum and refugee issues.

Objectives of the strategy include:

• Meeting essential needs, such as access to food, housing and healthcare.
• Fostering economic inclusion through employment and skills development.
• Strengthening social integration by developing support networks.
• Championing Monmouthshire as a County of Sanctuary.
• Shaping the future of public services by collaborating with communities.

The IIA concluded that the strategy would enhance safeguarding and corporate parenting, support unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, and promote community integration.

Monmouthshire Local Area Energy Plan

The cabinet noted the Monmouthshire Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP), prepared by ARUP and commissioned by the Welsh Government, which considers changes required to decarbonise the county's energy requirements by 2050.

The plan identifies current energy use, supply, and demand, and sets out changes to transition to net zero by 2050. It proposes actions to be delivered by the council, many of which are already in existing action plans and strategies.

The LAEP identifies the following energy transition requirements:

• Improving energy efficiency of existing buildings.
• Decarbonising transport.
• Generating green hydrogen for transport and industry.
• Deploying onshore renewables.
• Reinforcing the electricity network.

The plan proposes several targets, including:

• Installing 41,000 heat pumps.
• Installing 23,000 public EV charge points.
• 1.8GW of ground-mounted solar PV.
• Installing rooftop solar PV on 43,000 rooftops.

The LAEP and supporting Technical Report were compiled using assumptions to support scenario modelling, and the outputs are indicative. The LAEP will be reviewed every three to five years.

The Cardiff Capital Region (CCR) has aggregated individual LAEPs into a Regional Investment Prospectus to support investment activity to achieve the Welsh Government's 2050 net zero target.

The report notes that the plan is not a council plan or strategy and will not directly impact service delivery, and that further work will be required before proposed interventions are implemented, including updated assessments.

Housing Support Grant Future Programme

The cabinet considered a report on the Housing Support Grant (HSG) Future Programme. The purpose of the report was to seek approval for the proposed approach to reviewing and reconfiguring the HSG programme, to ensure that it meets identified and future housing support needs.

The report noted that Housing Support is available to anyone over 16 years of age and living in any tenure, and that support is largely provided through floating support arrangements but also through accommodation-based support. Examples of housing support include:

• Help and advice with housing problems and accessing suitable accommodation
• Advice with budgeting/managing money
• Helping to get advice on benefits and grants
• Help to develop daily living skills
• Help to access other services e.g. health, housing, employment and education

The report recommended that Cabinet approve the proposed approach to reviewing the Housing Support Grant Programme, acknowledging its importance in preventing and supporting homelessness, and that Cabinet keep elected members updated via People Scrutiny Committee and Members Seminars, as appropriate. The decision on this matter was deferred.