Chief Exec's Blog

At the start of Apprentice Week on Monday I was really proud to see colleagues across the council recognised at the Gower College Swansea Apprenticeship Awards. Congratulations to Leon Lezzi from our Building Services team in securing the Apprentice of the Year in the Built Environment category and Zoe Payne in Waste and Recycling, who won Facilities and Resource Management Apprentice of the Year. Also congratulations to Rachel Healion for collecting the employer apprenticeships champion award for her long-standing work with Gower College in supporting our apprentices year after year. You can read more about their awards here.

Their achievements reflect their hard work, but it’s also a reminder of how important it is that we continue investing in people and creating opportunities for the next generation of staff to build their careers with us. That’s why we’re now developing a new apprenticeship strategy for the council which will also extend to traineeships, graduate schemes and more bespoke opportunities such as our social services academy. This isn’t a “one size fits all” approach, but will set out how we can work with every service area to grow the skills it needs for the future as part of our workforce development strategy. The draft will be going to CMT in the coming weeks, ahead of further discussions with our trade unions and Cabinet members.

Apprenticeships don’t just benefit individuals, they strengthen our organisation, bring fresh ideas into our services and help us plan ahead with confidence. I want to thank everyone who has played a part in this work so far, from our managers and mentors to the apprentices themselves. Their commitment shows the real value of learning and development across the council, and I’m looking forward to seeing how our new strategy helps us build on that even further.

Sticking with the jobs and development theme, earlier this week, we met with representatives of the Crown Estate. We get together quarterly to discuss future jobs and innovation opportunities tied to plans for floating offshore wind farms in the Celtic Sea and other wider initiatives. Such developments are still a number of years away, but they could have a transformational impact, creating new jobs and skills that our communities can take advantage of if we prepare well. As we know developing a skills pipeline can take a number of years so it’s important we get ahead of the game and place Swansea in as strong a position as possible.  

A little more in the here-and-now was this week’s meeting of the Development Advisory Group (DAG). It’s a regular catch-up of local developers, businesses and housing providers designed to make sure we’re all pulling in the same direction on the future of our city centre and wider regeneration and housing supply. It’s great to hear about the continued progress being made across the city and wider county

Following consultation with staff, trade unions, schools, residents and businesses, our budget papers have been published ahead of next week’s Cabinet meeting. It’s not just the main revenue budget, there’s also the corporate capital budget and two Housing Revenue Account budget reports up for discussion. After considering the reports, Cabinet will agree what recommendations to make to Full Council next month when final decisions will be made. Please do have a look because in one way or another, they’ll be affecting the work you do in the coming financial year.

This week Dawn Bowden, Minister for Children and Social care, came to Swansea to see the excellent work being done by our Flying Start team. Their hard work supported by Welsh Government funding means every family in Swansea with a two?year?old can now access Flying Start childcare. Reaching this milestone is a fantastic achievement and a testament to colleagues across the council who’ve worked with dedication to make it happen. This investment in our youngest children will make a real difference to families across the city. My thanks to all involved.

Finally, if you’ve been by the Castle Square Gardens building site recently, you’ll have noticed some colourful new artworks have appeared on hoardings near Y Storfa. They’re the result of a collaboration between a local business and artist and designed for passers-by to enjoy as work continues to transform the area into a landmark city centre attraction. My thanks to all involved.

I’m sure most of you will have seen the media reports this week about our involvement in the effort to retain the Ospreys professional men’s regional rugby club in Swansea. Sports fans and former rugby players have started a campaign to save the club as a professional outfit. We’ve taken what is a rare step in writing to the WRU and the Ospreys’ owners Y11 setting out our concerns about their plans. It matters to us because there are clear economic, reputational, health and wellbeing benefits in having the Ospreys based in the city. Taking the club away is a risk to our vision for the local economy, and the plans for the regeneration of St Helen’s. It also risks discouraging enthusiasm for playing and following sport in our communities and also growing the women’s game. As we know grassroots sport works wonders in bringing communities together and promotes health and wellbeing, as our Sports Awards nominations this year demonstrate. So, having elite athletes like the Ospreys living and playing in Swansea is crucial  to the City’s ongoing development and regeneration.  I’ll keep you posted.

Another big announcement this week that aims to support our vision for a thriving local economy and city centre is our successful bid for £20m of UK Government funding under its new Pride in Place initiative. More details will follow, but the grant, spread over the next 10 years, is focussed on regenerating the High Street, Dyfatty and surrounding communities, and links closely to our own investment plans for housing and other improvements there. My thanks to Paul Relf and the team for pulling together the bid.

Leadership team this week discussed progress on the actions CMT and heads of service are committed to taking in the light of your staff survey feedback. The team also looked at the development of this year’s services plans. The plans have a direct impact on the work you do every day. They also link with our ongoing review of services to ensure they provide the best outcomes for residents, deliver value for money and conform to service standards and target operating models. My thanks in particular to Suzy Richards and the service representatives involved for developing the Service Planning App for managers that will enable the process to be done more easily and effectively in future.

On Monday I attended a very productive Public Services Board workshop alongside our Deputy Leader Cllr Andrea Williams and partners from health, police, SCVS and the fire service. We looked at a range of topics, including how we continue to work together in the coming years on common objectives  for the benefit of our residents. My thanks to Ness Young and Leanne Aherne for their work to help the PSB deliver on its remit to support key areas of joint action which can directly benefit residents more efficiently and effectively than when partners are acting alone.

Hundreds of people have so far had their say on the future of the Civic Centre, unveiled a couple of weeks ago. If you want to get involved, please click here. The project comes at a time when we’re taking further steps to bring more back-office staff into Guildhall from the Civic and our new public-facing home at Y Storfa is attracting praise from the public. Please let your contacts know that apart from bereavement services and the Registrar’s Office, there is no public access to the Civic and all other face-to-face services are located at Y Storfa.

Congratulations to Sarah Lackenby, our head of Digital and Customer Services, who has been appointed chair of the WLGA’s Digital Advisory Group. The group provides practical support and expertise to councils across Wales and I’m sure Sarah’s new role will benefit us in the months ahead.

Don’t forget that if you want to have your say in this year’s 2026/27 budget consultation, deadline day is today. Reports taking into account your feedback go to Cabinet later this month and to Full Council next month for a final decision.

Finally, as most of you know, blood donation is an issue that personally means a great deal to me. If you can give this month, please do. You can find your nearest donor sessions at this link. The Welsh Blood Service’s stocks continue to face pressure, so all support is really appreciated.

Most of you will remember last year we had a Panel Performance Assessment (PPA) and we’re now looking at putting its feedback into action across our services. One of its key messages to us was that we have a strong vision, but we need to tell its story more consistently and clearly to you, our partners and our wider communities. The vision matters because it spells out what your collective effort is setting out to achieve for our residents and communities. The vision is about us and what we do; it’s your story we want to tell. So please take a few minutes to read about it here and help us share it in the coming weeks and months. If you’ve got ideas about how we can do that better, please speak to your manager or get in touch with me.

Doing all we can to deliver on our vision for Swansea to be a thriving community with a strong local economy is one of the reasons why the future of the Ospreys matters to us. We don’t want to lose first-class professional rugby in Swansea because of its economic, sporting and reputational benefits for our city. As a council, officers and Cabinet Members have been lobbying its owners and the WRU and we’ll continue with that work in the weeks ahead. You may also have seen that last night Council unanimously supported a notice of motion also in support of the Ospreys. We are pulling out all the stops to get a solution. I’ll keep you posted.

Our Child and Family Services team has been praised by Rocio Cifuentes MBE, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales for its work ensuring children and young people have the chance to help shape the way we design and deliver services. On a visit to meet the team and reflect on their work, Rocio welcomed our commitment to children’s rights and our honesty about where we can keep improving. Examples shared by staff showed how participation is becoming part of everyday practice. Her visit underlined the strength of our partnership and the difference children’s voices continue to make across Swansea.

A big thank-you this week to the nine schools from across Swansea who participated in Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations at Swansea.com stadium. It’s always a poignant and solemn occasion and this year’s theme – bridging the generations – is especially relevant at a time when many of the survivors of the Holocaust are passing on. It is always an honour to attend this event and my thanks also to Joanne Jones and her team for organising it.

I mentioned last week that exciting plans are being drawn up for the future of the Civic Centre, now it’s been closed to the public. Officers, along with Urban Splash, arranged a public drop-in session this week at Y Storfa which was well received. You can find more information here and there’s a chance to give your views.

As one flagship regeneration project begins, another regeneration story is nearing its conclusion. Earlier this week we took a ‘lessons learned’ report to the Swansea Bay City Region Joint Committee about 71/72 Kingsway. A project of this size and complexity will always have challenges and issues we can learn from for the future. But I was pleased to report the final product is exceptional and will be a tremendous asset in the years ahead. So many council teams were involved in its delivery, and I want to thank them all. They should be proud of their achievement.

Finally, congratulations go to Rhys Harries and the Trading Standards team for collecting yet another award for their work keeping consumers across the country safe. This time they gained a Highly Commended prize in the Chartered Institute of Trading Standards Hero awards at the House of Lords. The accolade was in recognition of their leading role in Operation Grinch and Operation Grinch 2.0 – Swansea-based investigations that led to the seizure of counterfeit toys and illegal vapes worth millions of pounds in London.

I’d like to thank all those who completed the 2025-26 staff survey. We’ve  now reviewed the feedback, and it gives us a clear view of how you are working and what matters most to you. It’s encouraging to see so many saying they have the tools they need, feel supported by their managers, and value the flexibility agile working policy. Team meetings remain important, and most people feel broadly informed about what’s happening across the council.

As always, your views have highlighted areas where we can continue to improve, including clearer communication, shorter updates and stronger follow-up when you give feedback. Some colleagues who are less ooffice-based or have limited access to devices say they occasionally miss important updates, so team-level communication remains vital. This is a key area I will be asking managers to ensure happens via the monthly team briefing. If you don’t have such a briefing with your manager, please raise it or speak to your trade union so we can ensure these happen across the whole council.

Heads of Service are now using the findings to develop local action plans, and managers will be talking these through with their teams in the coming weeks. Those conversations will help focus on what feels most relevant locally and ensure your feedback helps shape what we do in a meaningful way.

Work is also continuing at the Guildhall as our facilities team plans for the next moves from the Civic Centre. With customer-facing services now in Y Storfa, the Guildhall is becoming the main workplace for teams who don’t need a public-facing environment, and creating the right space is an important part of that shift. My thanks to Geoff Bacon, Becky Jones and the team for their work on this. In addition, our development partners Urban Splash have unveiled proposals for what comes next for the Civic Centre itself. Ideas are being shared at a public exhibition at Y Storfa on 28 and 29 January and a web page is being created for online feedback. I’d encourage staff and residents to  take part in this consultation.

Yesterday, Cabinet agreed plans for the future direction of recycling and waste management. It’s well worth a read as it sets out a range of actions that will continue to transform our kerbside collection services and reinforce our continuing commitment to meeting Welsh Government targets. My thanks to Rachel Jowitt and her team for their work on this. This week I was also pleased to visit Pipehouse Wharf to meet with the waste collection teams and congratulate them personally for a brilliant effort to keep the service on track through the festive period and the recent extreme weather. It’s a challenging job and maintaining the service matters greatly to the people of Swansea. My thanks again to all involved. I’d also like to remind you that I am always interested in coming to meet teams and discuss what they do face-to-face. So please get in touch if you would like me to come and meet you and see the great work being done first-hand.

This week CMT’s meeting included a session on longer-term horizon scanning, considering the risks, pressures and issues that have the potential to affect what we do in the years ahead. It may not seem exciting, but it’s important and something all organisations like us need to do as it supports the resilience of our services and helps us plan effectively for the future. My thanks to Richard Rowlands and Lee Wenham for their work on this.

Also this week South Wales Police for the Swansea and Neath area held their annual awards and it was great to hear our teams and individuals featured prominently. Sue Potter and Gareth Pritchard from Housing and Rhys Harris and Chris Williams from Trading Standards all collected awards. So did our Neighbourhood Support Unit and the Area Housing Office for the Heol Emrys and Tudno Place. There was also recognition for housing officer Dave Thomas who retired last year and picked up an award for his sustained contribution to community safety. My thanks to all the individuals and teams involved, which reflects the continuing benefits for us and for residents of strong local partnerships.

Farewell to Adrian Ford from our waste management and recycling team, who retired last week after 40 years with us, 38 of them as an electrical and mechanical engineer at the baling plant. We all wish you well in your next chapter, Adrian. Also, while at Pipehouse this week, I spoke to Dino Lombardi, one of our waste collection operatives, who has clocked up over 30 years’ service with the team. It’s a great achievement.

I am keen to ensure that all staff who achieve long service or go the extra mile are recognised, so I’ll be picking this up with managers across the council in the coming weeks. However, if you know someone who deserves recognition for their work or for long service and would like me to mention in my blog, please let me know or nominate them in our reward and recognition initiative.

Finally, don’t forget that next week you can join our growing band of climate champions. Just pop along to the event at Guildhall on January 28 and sign-up. And there’s still time to have your say in our consultation on the 2026/27 council budget. The deadline is February 6.

This week CMT had an update on our continuing review of our HR policies. There’s a lot of them and they influence our working lives every day. They’re there to support you in your work and they need to comply with current legislation, reflect our values and behaviours and support our corporate objectives, including wellbeing, equality and effective delivery of services. The policies provide a robust framework for managing key aspects of employment, including recruitment, performance, and employee relations. They ensure clarity for managers and employees, promoting best practice across all service areas. CMT’s briefing included a schedule of what’s coming up over the next six months or so. It includes a refresh of policies ranging from capability and secondary employment to family friendly and early retirement and redundancy. It was really good to hear about the momentum behind the overall review and the positive engagement there is with trade unions on these issues through the joint consultative committee. My thanks to all involved, particularly Amy Hutchings and the HR team. This is valuable work demonstrating our determination to be a modern, forward-looking organisation people want to be part of that’s fair and consistent with its workforce. I’ll keep you posted on progress.

Homelessness is a major issue for communities right across the UK, and it’s no different in Swansea. However, alongside our partners, we are helping lead the way with innovative approaches that support homeless people taking steps towards a more secure, hopeful future and a permanent home. The latest example is the opening this week of Llys Glas, a 68-room temporary accommodation on Orchard Street that offers a real chance for change, compared to dispiriting bed-and-breakfast places. Read more about it here. We’re also working with Codi (formerly Pobl) on developing the former Sun Alliance building on St Helen’s Road into similar accommodation in the future. As a council, we should be proud of our commitment and expertise supporting vulnerable people to make the most of their lives. My thanks go to our housing and homelessness teams for their work in this challenging environment.

On Monday evening I attended the Swansea Area Committee of One Voice Wales. I presented an overview about our priorities and how they link with the valuable work committee members do at the heart of their communities. It was a very good session and an opportunity for me to understand a little more about their priorities too. I was also very pleased to hear direct such positive feedback about our frontline services and the support we provide to our communities. My thanks to all involved.

Later this month our climate change and nature recovery teams are launching a recruitment drive for staff to join our growing band of Climate and Nature Champions. You can be part of it by going along to an information event on January 28 in Committee Room 3A at Guildhall between 10am and noon. Email Jane Richmond, our Project Manager for Strategic Climate Change for more information.

Congratulations to the hard-working team at the Grand Theatre for another brilliant effort with the festive panto that took its final curtain-call on January 4. The panto attracted more than 34,000 theatre-goers, which is a great result. If you are into forward planning, tickets for next year’s show are already on sale!

Finally, don’t forget our budget consultation has started. As a resident or a member of staff, please take time out to have your say. Thanks.