Caerphilly County Borough Council

The council delivered a large capital underspend/slippage and proposed carrying forward most of it into 2026/27, with some sums reallocated to capital contingency. Members were told that much of the slippage was genuine and linked to housing revenue account reprofiling, planning delays and project timing. This affects the timing of future procurements across schools, housing, leisure, highways and waste.

The leader confirmed record highway investment of £13.4 million for 2026/27, including local government borrowing and capital underspends from the previous Welsh Government. Cabinet has approved 50 resurfacing sites and the council expects to resurface 70 km of road, a major increase on prior years.

Cabinet approved in principle the community asset transfer of Senghenydd sports facilities to Senghenydd Rugby Football Club under a 25-year lease. The club would operate the site as a multi-use hub, expand women’s and girls’ rugby, improve accessibility, seek grant funding, and reduce pressure on council maintenance.

Cabinet endorsed the Caerphilly well-being and social impact policy for 2026-2030, requiring contracts to include and monitor social value commitments such as local employment, apprenticeships, sustainability, and skills, with reporting through TOMS and Power BI.

The committee considered adopting the Nature Recovery Action Plan (ENRAP) as a supporting strategy to the local development plan. The plan replaces the existing local biodiversity action plan and would become a material consideration in planning decisions, embedding biodiversity and nature recovery more directly into development management.

The committee supported adopting updated criteria for identifying and selecting Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs). The new criteria are intended to provide a robust evidence-based framework for recognizing and protecting biodiversity sites, and to align local planning with Welsh and national biodiversity duties and targets. The change is presented as an updated version of previous guidance rather than a new statutory restriction.

The committee primarily considered two environmental planning strategy reports: updated criteria for identifying Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) and the Nature Recovery Action Plan (ENRAP). Members probed the implications for planning timetables, mitigation costs, enforcement, and how biodiversity commitments interact with development pressures, including wind and solar proposals. The committee also agreed to add future work-program items on landlord's consent for works and the Park Estate development update.

The cabinet primarily focused on community asset transfers for the Winding House and Synghenith sports facilities, both aimed at bringing underused council assets back into community use while reducing maintenance liabilities and unlocking external grant funding. Members also considered the 2025/26 revenue and capital outturns, including pressures in social care, home to school transport and temporary accommodation, plus allocations to the Tour de France, the Northern Valleys Initiative, and waste and recycling works. Other major decisions included a new well-being and social impact policy, support for restricting mobile phone use in schools, and the annual decarbonisation update.