Minutes of a Council Meeting held in Llangynidr Hall on Tuesday 27th July 2021 at 7.30pm.
Public participation. None
Present: Mr Mark Brian (Chairman), Mr Alan James, Mr David Filsell, Mr D Williams, Mr Gene Taylor, Mr Paul Lindoewood, Mrs Margaret Price and Mrs Elizabeth Gibbs.
In attendance: S.Dale (Clerk) and 1 member of the public who is a councillor's helper.
1. Apologies: Mr David Mantle.
2. Declaration of interest in items of business listed below: MP declared an interest in item 8 – Llwynderi.
3. Signing of the minutes;
29th June 2021: Approved, proposed GT and seconded AJ.
4. Correspondence:
a) Email from two residents concerning the towpath (see item 16)
b) 3 Community Governorships for election for Crickhowell High School 15/7/2021. To be circulated to MB.
c) Litter and dog waste initiatives consultation by One Voice Wales. 17/7/2021. The Community Council has had some success with dog waste problems using small lower level signs (about A5 size signs). The signs say things like “pick up after your dog” or “bag it and bin it” or “please pick up after your dog” but the key is to place the signs very close to problem areas.
5. Clerk's Report.
PCSO Billy Dunne has been in touch about parking on Crawnon Bridge. He will have a look at the street furniture and road markings.
Powys County Council (PCC) has been updated about the progress with the parking review. The parking review has absorbed earlier suggestions about specific areas eg Forge Road, into to a larger co-ordinated effort. Signage for the bridge has been raised with PCC, who last reported that work was continuing.
Fay Jones MP has been contacted about the Usk Bridge but with no reply yet.
The Small Water Courses Officer at PCC responded to our query. He advised that he is liaising with the Housing Dept about possible bank protection at the back of Cae Porth. Also he would not advise the use of gabion baskets as they need to be properly installed. He supplied a leaflet about rights and responsibilities of riverside ownership in Wales. The leaflet details riparian rights which are accrued by owning riverbank. There is a small section of the Glaisfer riverbank which is not registered near to Sycamore House.
6. Finances
a) Statement of accounts and bank reconciliation for the year to 2021.
b) Cheques to be approved in July 2021.
Cleaning the car park (Jul) £40.00
Cleaning the car park (Aug) £40.00
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (Jul so) £471.00
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (Aug so) £471.00
Cleaning the public conveniences (Jul) £280.00
Cleaning the public conveniences (Aug) £280.00
Flower and path contract (Jul & Aug)) £120.00
Initial (hand drier and hygiene contract) £327.55
British Gas (elect. For the public toilets)estimate £20.00
c) Cheques approved in June 2021.
Cleaning the car park (Jun) £40.00
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (Jun so) £471.00
Cleaning the public conveniences (jun) £280.00
Flower and path contract (jun ) £60.00
Poppies from RBL £90.00
Viking (toilet supplies) £67.18
Initial (hand drier rental) £20.03
British Gas (elect. For the public toilets) £15.03
7. Report from the County Councillor. None.
8. Planning Applications: 21/20115/FUL, Charnwood, extension. MP declared an interest and took no part in the discussion. No objections.SD.
21/20151/FUL, Clog Fawr, conservatory. No objections.SD.
21/20110/FUL, Llwynderi, corrugated iron and steel construction. No objections. SD.
9. Powys County Council are, in addition to consulting the Church, are consulting the Community Council on the re-paving of the Church paths, one is a right of way and one is not. To be discussed and action agreed. Welcome news, approved. SD.
10. Brecon Beacon National Park Authority (BBNPA) have requested information about any millennium stones we have in the parish. To be discussed and action agreed. There is only one, the one that stands outside the village hall. SD to report back to PCC.
11. British Gas have asked that Council renew it's contract with them (for electricity in the public toilets). To be discussed and action agreed. Approved.
12. Crickhowell are planning a Five Councils' meeting in September. Are there any agenda items Councillors would like to raise? The time it takes an ambulance to get to Llangynidr has recently been observed as 3 hours and 20 minutes. It must be similar for the other councils.
13. A resident has asked for help to site a Shepherd's Hut in the Llangynidr area for use as a quiet respite for her and her family. The Council cannot help on this occasion. SD.
14. Setting a date for community litter picking? 21/8/2021 10.45am in the Car Park.
15. Further enquiries about sewage in the Usk from Dwr Cymru and NRW. The response returned reported that no water quality sample had been collected during the Covid pandemic. A Councillor has suggested that council requests information from the year before (2019-2020). To be discussed and action agreed. SD to request March 19- March 20 data. EG will circulate a link to a relevant film (“Rivercide”). One option may be to get the Usk designated as a swimming river, the Wye and Usk Foundation may be able to help. Item adjourned to September.
16. Two residents have pointed out that the towpath is very narrow in places due to vegetation. Can the Community Council raise the matter with the River and Canal Trust? To be discussed and action agreed. Towpath vegetation is very important, of itself and for insects and bees. That patch of towpath is particularly rich habitat. Most recently the vegetation has been reduced (not as much as if fully strimmed) to help passers-by, it is hoped that this action and the knowledge that the preservation of the habitat is purposeful will help. Clerk to inform residents.
17. A resident has recently written that bridge traffic from Llangynidr should give way to traffic coming from the Bwlch side because of the give way signs on Coed-yr-Ynys and Forge Road. This clarification has been supported by PCSO Dunne reportedly. To be discussed and action agreed. This advice seem counter-intuitive. Residents are concerned that the lights are not working properly. Clerk to contact PCSO Dunne to clarify.
18. Update on Mill Road. No additional reports – there was a request from a Councillor to re-position the temporary signs placed at the Beaufort Road end of Mill Road as they constitute a hazard to traffic. SD to pass on request.
19. Report from the Human Resources (HR)Committee. The Committee was pleased with the Clerk's work. Further details can be found in the minutes of the HR Committee.
20. To approve an application by Jane Dawkins for co-option to the Community Council. MB will talk to the new Councillor. Approved.
21. Reports from meetings attended. GT attended a Hall Committee meeting where the future of the tennis club was considered.
22. Any agenda items for the next meeting? Doctor's responsiveness to communication queries. The Village Hall Committee and Llangynidr Community Council will schedule a joint meeting to be chaired by County Councillor Rosemarie Harris in October. (Clerk to list ownership issues and circulate in preparation).
There being no further business to discuss, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.00pm.
Date of next meeting: Tuesday, 28th September 2021
Dated