Minutes of a Council Hybrid Meeting held in Llangynidr Hall and via electronic media on Tuesday 26th October 2021 at 7.30pm.
Public participation. None
Present: Mr Mark Brian, Mr Alan James, Mr David Filsell, Mr D Williams, Mr Gene Taylor, Mr David Mantle, Mrs Margaret Price, Mr Paul Lindoewood (with some internet difficulties), Mrs Jane Dawkins and Mrs Elizabeth Gibbs.
In attendance: County Councillor Rosemarie Harris, S.Dale (Clerk).
1. Apologies: None
2. Declaration of interest in items of business listed below: None
3. Signing of the minutes;
28th September 2021: Approved, proposed GT and seconded DW.
4. Correspondence: An invitation has come from the CEO at Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. 13/10/2021. The dates are 10/11/2021, 23/11/2021 and 9/12, further details to be supplied to interested Councillors when they are available.
Remembrance Day preparations are being made in Crickhowell. 16/10/2021. And separately at Llangynidr.
5. Clerk’s Report
Powys County Council have offered a grant for maintenance/refurbishment of the toilets.
The footpath works in Castle Road/ Clos Castell have been postponed.
There is a Welsh Government Councillors' Survey going round, please participate. Feedback is that the survey is too long for community councils in particular.
Training Clerk booked on an Information management course with OVW.
Appreciative thanks from the NHS (SECAM Hants) for permission to use the riverbank.
6. Finance:
a) Statement of accounts and bank reconciliation for year to September 2021.
b) Cheques to be approved in October 2021.
British Gas (elect. For the public toilets) Oct £20.00
Cleaning the car park (Oct) £40.00
Cleaning the public conveniences (Oct) £280.00
Clerks wages and stationery allowance (Oct so) £471.00
Flowerbed contract – not required.
Insurance £404.82 item 9
Car park hedge trimming £170.00
Speaker/microphone for hybrid meetings £35.00
c) Cheques approved in September 2021.
British Gas (elect. For the public toilets) Sept £20.00
Cleaning the car park (sept) £40.00
Cleaning the public conveniences (Sept) £280.00
Clerks wages and stationery allowance (Sept so) £471.00
Flowerbed and path contract (Sept) £60.00
Tree report £1500.00
7. Report from the County Councillor. A previous inspection of the central educational advisory service yielded poor results. However a new inspection of the service is “looking good”.
A joint cabinet meeting between the County Councils of Powys and Herefordshire showed that there are many shared interests between the 2 counties, particularly education of the 16+.
Pollution in the river Wye and the river Usk are of concern, however the task needs the commitment of other bodies, such as the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales etc.
A new school and Leisure Centre in Machynlleth is planned to be built, however accessibility of, and cost of materials is very challenging.
COP 26 Cymru, taking place at Rhayder on the 6th November,
Powys County Council pension funds seek to halt investments in fossil fuels.
All local authorities had an opportunity to apply for levelling up funding. In the north of the county; funding of the restoration of the Montgomery Canal has been bid for. In the south of the county the bid was split between Theatre Brechieniog, a building in the Frwdd Grech estate and new sheltered accommodation in Llandrindod Wells.
The County Councillor, as a Governor to the Primary School, expressed her sadness at the recent loss of the Chairman of the Governors.
Street lighting is being renewed in the village.
The Ambulance Trust is happy to come to a meeting of the Community Council.
8. Planning Applications: 21/20308/CPE Cae Madoc, residential use of outbuildings. MB did not vote on this application to avoid predetermination. Council could not determine if the buildings had been used for residential purposes or not.
21/20459/FUL Proposed wooden garage at Saladin House. No objections.
21/20341/FUL Downfield, proposed first storey extension to make a two storey construction. No objection.
9. To review and choose insurance cover for 2021-2022. Council wishes for further information from Zurich, adjourned to November. SD
10. Llangattock's Councillor has asked to be allowed to meet the Community Councillors at the January council meeting (possibly the 18th). To be discussed and action agreed. The Council decided this was not appropriate art this time ahead of the proper period prior to the 2022 Council Elections. SD
11. To choose a date for a litter pick. Saturday the 20th November, 10.45am in the car park. SD to advertise.
12. On the junction between the A40 and Forge Road, the road view is obscured by trees. RH will liaise.
13. The Community Council and the Village Hall Committee want to clarify their working relationship. Issues include; responsibility for boundaries with neighbouring properties, formal arrangements, public toilets and the car park on Cwm Crawnon Road and tree management. GT requested a copy of the deeds and the list of issues to resolve circulated by email to councillors in September. SD
14. Hedge trimming for the Car Park etc has been offered to the Community Council by a local person at the rate of (£170). Chair and Clerk have agreed. To be confirmed. Approved, he has done a good job.
15. The tree report has been received and has been circulated. Actions arising are; clearing the vegetation from around the hedgerow Ash tree near the playground to allow inspection (tree 5), fell a dead Silver Birch (tree 17), branch reduction of Locust Tree (tree 434), heavily pollard Beech (tree 435) and sectional removal of dead Ash (tree 442). Quotes for the work have been sought from 3 tree surgeons. Adjourned awaiting quotes.
16. Welsh Government are consulting on local taxes for second homes and self-catering accommodation. They are considering increasing taxes for these types of property and want local views on the proposals. To be discussed and action agreed. They need a response by 17/11/21. Second property owners should not be able to claim Business Rates, and should pay the premium council tax. Clerk to respond.SD
17. Update from the parking review. The officer is on leave at the moment. SD
18. Update from Mill Road – Powys County Council Streetworks have been to see the contractors and request that they remove the signs on Beaufort Road when not directly in use. This they have done and now use 2 workers to control traffic during working hours.
19. The January and May meeting dates for 2022 need to be amended. The January 25th meeting will come after the PCC precept deadline (20/1/2022), the 18th is suggested, also the 4th is suggested for the Finance Committee meeting. The May 31st meeting needs to be moved inside the statutory 2 week window after the elections (on the 5th May), the 17th May is suggested. AJ noted that he would not be eligible to be a Community Councillor.
20. Emergency response times in our area, including those possible during the Green Man Festival, need to be discussed. They are also to be raised at the One Voice Wales area meeting on 17th November 2021. To be discussed and action agreed. These issues concern more communities than only Llangynidr, but with residents experiencing waits of several hours for ambulance assistance under “normal” circumstances and potentially longer during the Green man festival and council observed that the new hospital arrangements have been in place for a year now. Councillors are determined to underline this issue with Powys County Council and others. Clerk to inform One Voice Wales Brecon and Radnorshire area committee in time for the meeting on the 17th November.
21. Reports from meetings attended. RH, GT and DW all attended the recent School Governors meeting. The Community Council wishes to express it's sympathy for the family of the late Chairman. Clerk to draft, the Chairman is to sign on behalf of the Council. SD
22. Items for the agenda next time. NRW response to the Community Council's query. Public toilets planning to renew.
There being no further business to discuss, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.19pm.
Date of next meeting: Tuesday, 30th November 2021
Dated
