Robs Weekly Round-Up

03 March 2023

Dear colleagues, 

I hope this message finds you well at the end of another busy week. 

With the passing of St David’s Day, spring is most definitely in the air and I hope the recent fine weather has given everyone a boost. 

I’d like to begin this message by providing another update on our budget proposals. 

As you will be aware, these proposals have been making their way through the political system and were also put to residents through a public consultation. 

Most recently, they were approved by Cabinet this week and will now be considered by Full Council on Monday. 

If voted through at that meeting, they will then be implemented from April, at the start of the new financial year. 

Previously, I have spoken about how challenging formulating next year’s budget has been due to the financial pressures the Council is experiencing.  

That makes for some difficult political decisions, but also creates significant challenges for the organisation in working to put a coherent plan together. 

Matt Bowmer, Gemma Jones and the whole Finance Team have worked extremely hard to get to this stage. I’d like to again thank them and all staff involved for those sterling efforts and also express my gratitude to everyone who participated in the consultation. 

This week, Cabinet also approved the Annual Delivery Plan (ADP).

The ADP is a complex document that sets out the Authority’s priorities and intentions for the year ahead. 

It contains actions to achieve the Council’s wellbeing objectives, which are:  

• To work with and for our communities 
• To support learning, employment and sustainable economic growth 
• To support people at home and in their community 
• To respect, enhance and enjoy our environment. 

The plan aims to tackle three specific challenges: 

• The cost-of-living crisis 
• Project Zero – the Council’s plan to become carbon neutral by 2030 
• Boosting organisational resilience 

Delivering against the Plan will be challenging, given the financial context, but it is essential that we keep our focus on moving forward given the important issues around the rising cost of living, the climate emergency and our resilience as an organisation to help and support our residents and communities.  

Wednesday saw St David Day celebrations in full swing as children from Cadoxton Primary School came to the Civic to sing a range of traditional Welsh songs, including, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau, Canon Lan and Lan y Mor. 

These were performed in reception and the Cosmeston Room, where staff enjoyed a coffee morning, including lovely Big Fresh Welshcakes.  

I’d like to pass on my thanks to the pupils and staff of Cadoxton Primary – I know that those who attended had a great time. I also know that a number of other schools took part in celebrations across the county, whether that be in school itself or in our towns and communities.  Da iawn pawb.  Well done everyone and I hope all had a great day.

We’re halfway through Fairtrade Fortnight, an initiative by the Fairtrade Foundation which runs from 27 February until 12 March and aims to promote Fairtrade products.  

This year, the event aims to highlight the urgent threat to the future of the foods we love and the livelihoods of the people who grow them, as they face the worst effects of the climate crisis.  

This fortnight and beyond, the Fairtrade Foundation is asking shoppers to choose Fairtrade and back the farmers behind some of our favourite products. 

Doing so will help ensure they are paid fairly and can keep farming through these extremely tough times.  

People are also being encouraged to think about the environmental impact of their food shop as, all too often, the food we eat travels great distances – sometimes hundreds or thousands of miles – to reach our plates.  

As part of our Project Zero commitment, which aims to make the Authority carbon neutral by 2030, we’ve taken steps to reduce food miles throughout the Council. 

This has involved switching to local suppliers, eradicating single-use plastics at the Big Fresh Catering Company and promoting local produce. 

Next, I’d like to give some recognition to the excellent work being carried out to help achieve an Age Friendly Vale. 

In the Vale, we have a significant older population which is predicted to continue to grow in the coming years. 

By 2030, the number of people aged over 65 living in the Vale is expected to rise by 22 per cent, the second largest predicted increase in Wales.  

The number of people aged over 80 is also expected to increase by 39 per cent. 

Operating alongside the Vale of Glamorgan Public Services Board, the Council is committed to supporting people of all ages to live and age well across the County. 

This work is spearheaded by Sian Clemett-Davies, who was recently appointed to the newly-created role of Age Friendly Officer. 

Siân has been involving older people in the process of becoming a more age-friendly community. 

She has also supported the longstanding 50+ Strategy Forum in developing a busy calendar of engagement activities for 2023 and can be contacted if anyone would like the support of Age Friendly Vale for an event. 

The Council is currently working on an application, on behalf of the Public Services Board, which formally commits to making the Vale more age-friendly, using the World Health Organisation’s Global Age-Friendly Cities Guide as a model. 

Thank you once again for your efforts this week, they are always very much appreciated. I hope you all have an enjoyable and relaxing weekend.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, 

Rob