The Place Scrutiny Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss the draft Destination Management Plan and measures to reduce litter and fly-tipping. The meeting will include pre-decision scrutiny of the Destination Management Plan. The committee will also confirm the minutes of their previous meeting.

Destination Management Plan

The committee will be scrutinising Monmouthshire's Draft Destination Management Plan 2025-2030, and proposed Destination Management Partnership arrangements. The draft plan aims to drive sustainable growth through a regenerative approach, aligning with the council's Community and Corporate Plan. It has been developed based on research and collaboration with local and national partners.

The plan's guiding purpose is for Monmouthshire to become a blueprint for next generation regenerative rural destinations, and to be the most inspiring, connected and liveable place to stay, invest and work, so that by 2030 it is Wales's stand-out rural destination, rich in imaginative experiences and cultural vibrancy.

The plan identifies strategic objectives to grow business, resident and visitor satisfaction, ensuring tourism benefits everyone in Monmouthshire:

• Economic Growth: A 25% real terms increase in value and jobs over the plan's lifetime.
• Improved Infrastructure: Better transport, signage and facilities.
• Vibrant Culture: More cultural opportunities and civic pride.
• Enhanced Experiences: High-quality, place-based experiences.
• Environmental Protection: A zero-carbon tourism pathway and responsible access.

Three key priorities are identified for achieving these objectives, aligned with Visit Wales' core product themes:

• Revitalising the county's characterful towns and villages through high quality tourism.
• Reigniting its natural landscapes with activity and adventure, in sensitive and creative ways.
• Developing imaginative experiences with a distinctive sense of place, that enrich our quality of life.

The plan highlights six drivers of growth: seasonality, spend, spread, stand out, stay and sense of place, and four enablers of delivery: partnership marketing, strong support structures, sustainable and inclusive delivery, and creativity and innovation.

The UK domestic market is identified as the primary market, accounting for approximately 90% of visitors to Wales. The plan also identifies specific opportunities to strengthen Monmouthshire's existing product offer, and to breathe new life into its inherent strengths in relation to:

• Its characterful market towns and colourful villages
• The great outdoors
• Destination defining accommodation
• Signature and year-round events
• Gastronomy and food and drink
• Boutique and unique experiences
• Creative industries and inspiration
• Better basics

The plan has been developed to capitalise on global tourism trends and to complement and align with a broad range of national, regional and Monmouthshire specific strategies impacting the destination's future, including the national tourism strategy 'Welcome to Wales: Priorities for the Visitor Economy 2020 – 2025', Monmouthshire's Community & Corporate Plan, Monmouthshire's Draft Replacement Local Development Plan, Monmouthshire's Economy, Employment & Skills Strategy and Monmouthshire's Rivers and Oceans Action Plan.

To support delivery of the plan, it is proposed that the council establish a strengthened Destination Management Partnership, empowered and resourced to make a difference. The partnership will meet quarterly and will be chaired by a member of MCC's Cabinet. It will include a cross section of public, private and third sector partners and report regularly to the South East Wales Tourism Forum.

The report pack includes Monmouthshire's Draft Destination Management Plan 2025-2030 and an Integrated Impact Assessment.

Litter and Fly-tipping

The committee will scrutinise measures to reduce litter and fly-tipping. The report pack includes a series of questions for discussion, including:

• The estimated volume of litter across Monmouthshire.
• The scale of Monmouthshire's road network.
• Quantified the volume of litter collected by MCC (via current resource).
• Quantified the volume of litter collected by litter picking groups.
• Confirmed the frequency of litter sweeping across major trunk and B-roads (and how requests for ad hoc support are accommodated).
• Present a series of scenarios estimating the volume of additional litter that could be collected, and the resources that would be required for each scenario (both physical and mechanical).
• Following on from this, provide a breakdown of the anticipated cost of procuring/providing said resource (e.g. an additional mechanical sweeper @ £XXK, an additional XX hours of physical litter collection at £XX.
• Provide detailed breakdown of any existing shared partnership work between town/community councils and MCC (what do community councils contribute financially, and what do they get in return).
• Any private sector partnership (are there any civic minded residents or businesses who contribute towards litter projects? If not, could they?).

The management of litter and street cleansing operations are based upon The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse (COPLAR), which was issued Under Section 89 of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990.

The code sets out guidance on response times for bringing areas back up to acceptable standard.

Cleansing is split over 3 operational depots. Each depot has a precinct sweeper, an EPA team, litter collection team (15 staff). There is 1 large sweeper 2025. There are Town Teams paid for by Town Councils in Chepstow, Abergavenny, Magor Undy and Caldicot. Discussions with Monmouth, Usk Raglan Little Mill are progressing. Town Teams deliver services over and above the statutory duty and working schedules are jointly managed.

The report pack includes a breakdown of the costs of dealing with litter.

Approximately 1500 tonnes of road sweepings including litter, predominantly detritus. Approximately 500 tonnes of grounds and cleansing material including litter and fly-tipping (costs covered by waste.

The report pack includes statistics on street cleanliness.

The report pack also includes statistics on waste collection.