Minutes of an annual council meeting held at Llangynidr Hall on Tuesday 27th May 2021 at 7.30pm.
Public participation. Powys County Council's Traffic Engineer attended the meeting to talk about a parking review in Llangynidr. She will draw up a plan of the problems and the consult with the community council and residents over the coming weeks. The Engineer will need to assess and rank the parking review against existing schemes to see when the work is likely to be carried out. This could be expedited by having the works funded by an external source, otherwise it will have to wait until it reaches the top of the list.
Many aspects of traffic in the area were covered: Forge Road up to the canal bridge, at the back of the school on Duffyn Road, outside the beaufort on Duffyrn Road, several homes there do not have parking with their properties. There can be difficulties there with large lorries or the emergency services needing access to the farms up the duffryn valley. Speed, particularly along Cwm Crawnon Road could be reduced by variable speed indicators, but they would have to bought by the Community Council. The Engineer volunteered to send Council the standards required for such signs. The First Minister is introducing a 20 mile an hour limit to all residential areas in Wales in the next year or 2. Speed watch may have helped with traffic calming, 4 years ago the team recorded 12-14 speeders, this has gradually come down. RH will ask for the school buses to pick up school children in the car park. A pelican crossing may not be possible because of the distance between Dyffryn Road junction and the ideal place for the crossing. The Engineer volunteered to gather information about speed through the village by having speed strips placed on Cwm Crawnon Road near its junction with Forge Road.
Present: Mr Mark Brian (Chair), Mrs Margaret Price, Mrs Elizabeth Gibbs, Mr Alan James, Mr David Filsell, Mr David Williams, Mr David Mantle, Mr Gene Taylor and Mr Paul Lindoewood.
In attendance: County Councillor Rosemarie Harris. S.Dale (Clerk). Traffic Engineer from Powys County Council, 1 member of the public who is a councillor's helper and 1 other member of the public.
1.To elect a Chairperson of the Council. Nominated by MP and seconded by GT, MB was elected unanimously.
2.To receive the Chairperson's declaration of office. Signed and witnessed.
3.To elect a Vice-Chairperson of the council. Nominated by MB and seconded by GT, MP was elected unanimously.
4.To appoint representative to the following outside bodies:
a)Llangynidr Village Hall Trustee – GT.
b)Primary School Governor – DW.
c)Burial Ground Trustees – EG and DM were elected.
d)Focus on Health – No-one came forward, Council is very grateful to DF for his knowledge and expertise for all those years. Since the pandemic is still with us and focus on health is not running at the moment it was decided to re-visit this appointment in the future.
5.To appoint committees:
a)Finance – AJ (Chairman), GT, MB.
b)Planning – EG, GT, MB.
c)Rights of way – DM (Chairman), MP, DW and MB.
d)Human Resources – PL (Chairman), MP, AJ.
6.Apologies for absence: None
7.Declaration of interest in items of business listed below: MP Item 14, Poppy Appeal.
8.Signing of the minutes of the meeting held on the 27th April 2021. Clerk to check all the amendments have been made. Proposer: DW, seconder : GT.
9.Correspondence:
a)Invitation to discuss the Brecon Beacons National Park Management Plan Review.
b)Powys Teaching Health Board COVID updates – none recently.
10.Clerk’s Report
NHS HART have been in touch to ask for permission to use the riverbank for training. Unfortunately their request came after the agenda had been published, so in consultation with the Chairman, permission was granted for 27th May and 3 dates in June. They sent a copy of their insurance certificate. This will be considered by council for approval in June.
The Parish meeting will be held when covid restrictions are lifted.
The wash lanes will be on the agenda for next month.
Way leaves of £8.82 have been received from openreach.
The primary school has responded to councils' queries: The area of the two proposed outdoor “rooms” is very small compared to the area of the school grounds. Only one of the “rooms” is likely to go ahead as the school has not been able to secure external funding. Governors have been kept informed by the Head of School. They are actively seek funds for the initiative.
The Village hall are looking to converse with the Community Council after they have appointed new officers. But they assure the Community Council that they are not looking for funding for the tennis courts.
There will be an alternative show in August– a walk around the village to see displays of art and crafts work in peoples gardens / porches etc. There will be more news on this in 'Contact'.
New handriers have been arranged for the public toilets.
EU settlement Scheme – Clerk to put the information on the noticeboard and the website.
11.Finance:
a)Statement of accounts and bank reconciliation for April 21 were approved.
b)Cheques to be approved in May 2021.
Cleaning the car park (May) £40.00
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (May so) £471.00
Cleaning the public conveniences ( May) £280.00
Flower and path contract (May ) £60.00
British Gas (elect. For toilets) £14.89
Royal British Legion Wreath £17.991
British Gas (elect for toilets) £14.322
British Gas (elect. for toilets) £15.643
British Gas (elect. for toilets) £16.734.
c)Cheques approved in April 2021.
Cleaning the car park (Apr) £40.00
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (Apr so) £471.00
Cleaning the public conveniences (Apr) £280.00
Flower and path contract (Mar & Apr ) £120.00
Viking supplies for the public toilets £54.55
One Voice Wales renewal £102.00
S Dale Society of Local Council Clerks £83.00
12.Report from the County Councillor. RH has received complaints about horse manure in Mardy Lane. Although no remedy seems to exist, RH has tried to find a solution. There is a problem culvert in Glaisfer Road which floods when it rains. RH reported that all 56 blocks of public toilets in Powys will receive a £2000 share of available funding. Although modest it may be enough to help with some refurbishment work. James Evans (MSP) has offered to attend a Community Council meeting. EU funding to be devoted to transport, employment, tourism and economic development is available. A global centre of excellence for rail track testing is being built in Powys worth some £80m. A number of asylum seekers are to be settled in Llandrindod Wells, Newtown and Ystradgynlais. It is not yet mandatory for small towns to settle asylum seekers.
13.Planning Applications: 21/19930/CON, Saladin House – garage reduction. No objections.
14.Royal British Legion lamp post poppies have been used to commemorate Remembrance Day in the village, but we don't have enough of them to spread around the whole village. It is proposed that the community council buys 30 more at a cost of about £90. To be discussed and action agreed. Approved.
15.One of the neighbours to the recreation ground is stock proofing his boundary fence and has asked the Community Council, who is responsible for the recreation grounds fence? The original recreation ground deeds show no boundary responsibilities but the field from Margaret Jane May Powell does. Either way the land belongs to the Community Council. To be discussed and action agreed. The enquiry is to be passed on to the Village Hall Committee.
16.Choosing a date for a litter pick. 19/6/21, Clerk to publicize.
17.A quote from an expert arborist for monitoring for the remaining trees,(other than those on the riverbank) under the Community Council's responsibility, has come to £1500 including VAT. To be discussed and action agreed. Approved. This issue has been exacerbated by ash die back and has not not been dealt with before.
18.The appointment, remit, and report of the internal auditor. Approved.
19.Financial Regulations need to be updated. To be discussed and action agreed. Approved.
20.The bench in the car park needs fixing, the metal structure is fine but the wood is rotting and one piece has fallen off. Clerk to ask a contractor to fix the bench. Approved.
21.With the scaling down of lockdown there has been more traffic on the bridge and more traffic jams. To be discussed and action agreed. Please see the section on Public Participation.
22.There is to be a 5 councils' meeting about natural flood protection measure. Details to be decided. Two councillors are interested in attending.
23.There is currently a vacancy for a Councillor on the Community Council. Are there any candidates? To be discussed and action agreed. Clerk to approach a resident who has discussed the matter with a councillor.
24.The speed of traffic at the junction of Forge Road and Cwm Crawnon Road seems above the 30 mile an hour limit applied there, however no incontrovertible evidence exists. To be discussed and action agreed. Please see Public Participation.
25.Acknowledging and responding to Brecon Beacon Nation Park's information concerning the Community Council's opportunity to comment on any application to change the definitive map. The Community Council can support such applications if they are on the definitive map.
26.Community Council response to the Brecon Beacons National Park management plan 2021. To be discussed and action agreed. Approved – the document must go to BBNPA Friday 28th May 2021.
27.Reports from meetings attended.
DW attended a School Governors meeting. There are 106 children with some 12 children starting. Breakfast Club is up and running. The school has had a well deserved and outstanding result in the Time Tables Rock Stars. Clerk instructed to make a certificate of congratulations for the school (framed) and to send a note to say how proud council is of their efforts.
28.Any agenda items for the next meeting?
Clerk to write to the former Secretary of the Village Hall Committee to thank her for her work for the hall.
Washlanes protection.
Parking review in consultation with the residents.
There being no further business to discuss, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.00pm.
Date of next meeting: Tuesday, 29th June 2021
Signed
Dated
1For approval only
2For approval only
3For approval only
4For approval only
