Council publishes its annual self-assessment report
The annual self-assessment report details how the Vale of Glamorgan Council performed in meeting its objectives over the past year.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has published its Annual Self-Assessment Report, detailing how the Council has performed against its objectives over the past year. This statutory report, required under the Local Government & Elections (Wales) Act 2021, reflects the Council’s commitment to transparency and continuous improvement.
The report highlights the Council’s key achievements over the past twelve months, such as launching Vale 2030, our new Corporate Plan, which has been shaped by residents through the Let’s Talk Survey and informed by and independent Panel Performance Assessment.
The Council committed significant funding and investment to support regeneration, places and businesses. This includes securing government funding worth over £55 million to invest in the Vale of Glamorgan including £20 million for Barry over 10 years and £19.5 million for the Barry Making Waves waterfront project and successfully delivered a £14 million Shared Prosperity Fund programme supporting town centre revitalisation, net zero ambitions and cultural events and active travel initiatives with £3.76 million of Welsh Government funding.
Housing was a major focus for the Council in a year that saw 180 new Council rental homes delivered as part of the Council house building programme. The Council also significantly reduced its reliance on temporary hotel accommodation for homelessness (180 compared to 767 last year) and no families with children were housed in Bed & Breakfast accommodation.
Children, young people, and schools remained a key focus for the Council, highlighted by two highly positive Estyn inspection reports for both the Local Authority Education Services and Youth Service. The Youth Service achieved record levels of accreditations this year and the percentage of young people leaving Year 13 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) improved from 3.59% to 2.3%.
Supporting our vulnerable residents remained a central for the Council throughout the year. In partnership with the third sector, we have increased the amount of residential accommodation for children and young people which has provided more opportunities for our children looked after to live locally. Our newly established Section 16 Forum has been a major step in promoting social enterprises, co-operatives, and user-led services.
Recognising the importance of healthy and active lifestyles in enabling people to live longer, the Council has continued in partnership with Parkwood Legacy leisure to deliver accessible high-quality leisure opportunities, with a particular focus on reducing barriers to participation. Leisure centre visits rose from 741,500 to 856,303 supported by major improvement works. The Active Young People and Active Schools Programme delivered over 17,600 participations through collaboration with 172 organisations.
Environment and sustainability also remained a key priority as the Council progressed towards becoming net zero by 2030, embedding decarbonisation in all procurement activities and council projects. Shared Prosperity funded projects alone reduced our CO2 emissions by 96 tonnes. Improved energy efficiency in council buildings by 10.6% exceeding the annual 3% target.
As part of improvements to waste and recycling services, we achieved the national statutory domestic waste recycling target of 70% by recycling 71.73% of waste up from 70.35% in 2023/24 and successfully expanded our commercial recycling service.
Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “This year’s self-assessment report reflects not only the progress we have made, but the ambition that continues to drive our work across the Vale.
“From launching our new Vale 2030 Corporate Plan to securing over £55 million of external investment, we have remained focused on delivering long-term improvements shaped by our residents and partners.
“We have made significant strides in the areas that matter most. From building more council homes and reducing the need for temporary accommodation, to strengthening education, supporting vulnerable residents, and expanding access to leisure and active living.
“Our progress in decarbonisation and achieving the national recycling target shows our continued determination to protect our environment for future generations.
“While we are proud of what has been achieved, we know there is more to do. This report underscores our commitment to transparency, to listening, and to delivering practical, sustainable outcomes for communities right across the Vale. We will continue to build on this momentum as we move into 2026.”
The full report as well as an executive summary and easy read versions are now available on the Council’s website.