Rob's Weekly Round Up

15 August 2025

Hi everyone,

I wanted to start this week’s update by talking about the use of the Holiday inn Express in Rhoose as temporary accommodation for Entitled Persons (EPs) from Afghanistan.

I know this has attracted a fair degree of attention locally, while I sent a message yesterday about planning that is taking place ahead of a protest outside the Civic on Monday.

As we have tried to make clear in public statements on the subject, this is a UK Government scheme that is being operated by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

It was the MOD that identified the hotel for this purpose before then having conversations with the Council and other local partners.

This fact has been misrepresented recently, fuelling confusion and misunderstanding within the local community, and in all probability contributing to the organisation of the protest at the Civic Offices on Monday.

Though that is frustrating, this is not about finger pointing, what’s most important is the individuals at the heart of the issue and the support that they require.

Regardless of who ‘picked’ the hotel, we support this scheme because it aligns with our organisational values of tolerance, acceptance, understanding and inclusivity.

These were the principles embraced by the residents of St Athan, who helped make a similar initiative such a success there.

The people staying at the Holiday Inn Express are not illegal immigrants or asylum seekers, they have the right to live in the UK after supporting British Forces.

Many of them will have suffered significant trauma and given up everything to move to a completely new country.

It is our job to welcome them with warmth, hospitality and compassion because that is the kind of place we all want to live in.

I’m sure you will join me in that aim.

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all those colleagues who are doing their very best to provide support as part of this scheme – great job. Diolch. 

Sticking with the topic of helping people, I also wanted to thank teachers and school staff for the support they have given our A and AS Level students.

Yesterday, sixth formers across the county received their exam results.

Nearly 33 per cent of entrants in the Vale achieved either an A or A* A Level grade, with 81.8 per cent gaining an A* to C grades and 98.4 per cent A* to E.

It was a similar story in A/S level examinations where 26.8 per cent of papers were graded A, 67.5 per cent A to C and 90.7 per cent A to E. Those are fantastic outcomes that would not be possible without the hard work of teachers, support staff and of course, the students themselves.

I hope our pupils and former pupils are able to savour the moment before they move onto the next stage of their education or employment journey. 

Some will of course not have achieved what they were hoping for and for them this will be a time when the help and support of our great teams will be even more valuable. 

Thanks to all involved for giving our pupils such a strong platform for success. 

We consistently go above and beyond for school pupils in the Vale.

Our Sustainable Communities for Learning programme has seen educational facilities transformed across the county, while we became one of the first Local Authorities in Wales to provide free school meals to all primary pupils, achieving this significantly ahead of Welsh Government targets.

That success is down to the dedication of the Big Fresh Catering Company Team and staff like Shirley Curnick.

Sadly, Shirley passed away recently and will be much missed by colleagues. 

Shirley began her career with South Glamorgan County Council in 1979, working as a Kitchen Assistant at Palmerston Primary School.

In 1996 she transferred to work for the Vale of Glamorgan Council as part of local government reorganisation. 

Over the years, Shirley worked in various schools before becoming the Cook in Charge at Maes Dyfan School in Barry, where she dedicated 21 years of service, before returning to where it all began at Palmerston Primary School as a Kitchen Assistant in 2014.

In 2019, Shirley’s incredible career was recognised by the Local Authority Catering Association with a Shining Star Award for her tireless commitment and care for the pupils she fed over a career spanning more than 40 years.

I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Shirley’s family our sincere condolences at this difficult time. 

In the Big Fresh Catering Company we have a truly innovative business model that helps deliver nutritious meals to our partner schools.

Encouraging healthy living is an important ambition for this Council, which is why I’m proud to say that we are set to become the first Local Authority in Wales to restrict the advertising of unhealthy foods in our spaces.

Foods categorised as High in Fat, Sugar and Salt (HFSS) will no longer be promoted at bus stops or on boards along the Vale’s highway system if recommendations are approved by Cabinet next month.

This move would also prevent such products from being marketed on the Council’s website.

It follows collaborative work with Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and other partners through the regional Amplifying Prevention Partnership.

That recognises the need for collective action on specific issues relating to public health to increase their prominence.

Such action also aligns with Vale 2030, our new Corporate Plan, as we continue working to create Strong Communities with a Bright Future.

As well as increasing economic, education and other opportunities, that pledge is about taking steps to improve the health and wellbeing of residents and encouraging more active lifestyles.

HFSS advertising contributes to people purchasing and eating unhealthy foods and drinks, particularly children. The evidence is clear on that. This in turn leads to higher rates of obesity and other diet-related diseases. 

Research into this subject has also shown that those living in areas of deprivation are the worst affected as advertising is often specifically targeted at people living in these locations.

By reducing the negative impact of damaging advertising like this, we want to help people make informed food choices that can prevent health problems before they develop.

Decreasing the demand for more processed products, which are damaging to the environment, also aligns with our Project Zero commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030 and other Council pledges to protect the planet 

This Council has a history of leading the way and I’m proud that we are once again at the forefront of work in this area, setting a standard for others to follow across Wales and the wider UK.

Thanks to colleagues in the Finance, Property, Legal, Trasport, Communications, Marketing and Strategy and Insight teams for their help with this work.

Ultimately, this initiative will help save lives, which brings me nicely on to Registration Officer Michelle Theaker, who has successfully passed out as a Tier-2 lifeboat crew member with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) at Barry Dock.

That achievement is the culmination of nearly three years of dedicated service.

“My brother has been on the Barry Dock crew since his teenage years, and I’ve always admired his enthusiasm and commitment to the RNLI,2,” said Michelle. “I also had friends who are crew and have been since a young age. It’s so motivating.

“I wanted to give something back to the community and be part of something meaningful - especially with two teenage boys who love the water and are growing up by the coast. It’s a unique way to help people and promote water safety, and I just knew I had to be part of it.”

Da iawn Michelle. Volunteers like you are the backbone of our communities, and helping in such a crucial way is really inspiring.

From the sea to land – well the land registry to be specific - as Council data has now migrated to HM Land Registry’s Local Land Charges Register.

That means this register will become the source of information on local boundaries and ownership from August 26.

This has been a complicated and long-running piece of work involving a range of Council teams, particularly those in Planning.

I received an email from Iain Banfield, Senior Responsible Officer for the Local Land Charges Programme, on this subject, which included the below.

“I would like to express my thanks to your staff for their commitment to the project. Fiona Lambert, Business Support Manager, has been instrumental in driving the migration of the service to HM Land Registry. Her planning knowledge and invaluable technical expertise have enabled a successful migration. She has been very well-supported by Benji Jenkins and Aaron Flanagan, LLCOs who have prioritised data transformation work and been engaged and enthusiastic about the migration, bringing with them extensive knowledge of the data set.”

I know Lindsay Christian has also played an important role in this work, so a big thank you from me too.  It is always great to receive positive feedback for our work and contributions.

Thank you all very much for your continued efforts across all services – it is greatly appreciated.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, 

Rob