Minutes of a Council Meeting held in Llangynidr Hall on Tuesday 28th September 2021 at 7.30pm.
Public participation. None
Present: Mr Mark Brian (Chairman from item ), Mr Alan James, Mr David Filsell (joined from the end of item 7), Mr D Williams, Mr Gene Taylor, Mr David Mantle, Mrs Margaret Price ((Chair up to item 6), Mrs Jane Dawkins and Mrs Elizabeth Gibbs.
In attendance: County Councillor Rosemarie Harris, S.Dale (Clerk).
1. Apologies: Mr Paul Lindoewood.
2. Declaration of interest in items of business listed below: None
3. Signing of the minutes;
27th July 2021: Approved, proposed DW and seconded MP.
27th July 2021, Human Resources Committee: Approved, propose MP
and seconded AJ.
4. Correspondence: As indicated in the agenda.
5. Clerk's Report.
The current account has been credited with £8.82 (way leaves) £6666.00 (precept) and £59.36 (recycling).
Brecon Beacons National Park Authority has asked for the Council's observations on a proposal to alter the definitive map and classify the Pentwyn paths as public footpaths. To be put on the agenda for next time.
There was a traffic calming event 17/9/2021, some 17 speeders will be sent letters.
Responded to a query from the Auditors.
Notified Powys County Council about a trip hazard in front of the bus stop.
Requested an update from Beacons Broadband Telecom.
Notified Powys County Council of overflowing cardboard containers.
6. Finances
a) Statement of accounts and bank reconciliation for the year to August 31st 2021. AJ drew attention to an error on the statement of accounts; The total budgeted expenditure is £22850 not £25850 as indicated in the finance sheet.
Anticipated, but as yet not budgeted expenditure:
Toilet repairs, up to £7,000. Powys County Council can only issue grants for capital investment not maintenance. Clerk to ask Dwr Cymru for a digital map of underground assets in the area of the village hall. The Council want to keep the toilets but aspire to building a new facility which would include showers and disabled toilet., charging strategies were also considered. Clerk to ask other Community Councils in the area for their experiences of external funding.SD
Legal costs for formalising the status of the Village Hall and recreation ground.
Resolution of the status of the wash lanes.
Tree maintenance costs.
The Council is not yet in a position to set the budget for 2022-23. SD
b) Cheques approved in September 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
c) 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
7. Report from the County Councillor. The fuel shortage may last another 6 weeks making transportation for frontline carers and teachers particularly difficult for society.
Covid infections are running at about 400/100000, mostly in young people.
There is a new Director of Education at PCC.
Phosphates pollution in the Wye and Usk rivers is being looked into. Powys County Council is contacting DEFRA, NRW and the English equivalent.
PCC is pursuing a City of Culture application. The area has several very large events such as; the Hay Festival, Several Art events, The Green Man and the Machynlleth Comedy Festival.
There is pressure on Social Services with staff working double shifts, and
supplementing staff at private care homes – staff are very tired.
The county has agreed to accept 10-20 Afghan people, possibly more.
But Powys also have homeless people to be accommodated.
RH will ask for a visit to the Community Council by a Senior Police Officer together with a representative from Highways about the Green Man traffic management practice. The Green Man is very successful but very difficult for locals.
Welsh Ambulance Service has introduced 2-3 more ambulances to the south after a very ill local lady waited 3 hours for an ambulance recently. Social care equally is very stretched.
Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill has been voted down in PCC and Welsh Government, but PCC will consider supporting the Environment Bill.
Sewage effluent in the Usk, are agricultural practices involved? There has been a call for Natural Resources Wales to be disbanded. Would restrictions help?
8. Planning Applications: 21/20308/CPE, Cae Madoc. Clerk to complain to BBNPA about the lack of a diagram of the farm buildings being used for residential purposes. An opinion could not be formed.
9. To consider the Clerks pay currently £10.65/hour (new spine point 7). New pay scales have yet to be published this year. Subject to be reviewed after the new pay scales are available.
10. To review the options for a mobile phone donation system for the car park and public toilets. To be considered when the toilets are refurbished or replaced. Clerk to ask for a donation from the company who operate in the “top” car park.
11. The Five Councils' meeting is being held on Thursday 30th September. Are any Councillors able to attend? The meeting is to be delayed until January due to the local rise in covid infections.
12. Clerk's hours been increased to 40 hours per month. The chairman of the HR committee asks that this change be formally reflected in the Clerk's contract of employment. (Contract to be circulated beforehand). Other items to be updated are 6.1 change of pay scales, 12.1 Hours of work, 13
To reflect what actually happens.
13. To consider declaring a Climate and Ecological Emergency and supporting the proposed Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill. This would involve informing the local media, MPs and MSs and the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill Alliance of the resolution. Council prefers to await the Environment Bill and does not approve this resolution. Some Councillors felt that a greater sense of urgency is required from community leaders.
14. Traditionally the Queen's Jubilee Celebrations have included the lighting of beacons cross the nation. It is the Queen's platinum jubilee 2nd June 2022, what will Llangynidr Community Council plan for the celebration? The Jubilee and Celebration Charity Committee is to be invited by MP to help organise the village response. It was recommended that a deposit should be required to secure a place at any dinner arranged.
15. 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. The Community Council are keen to work with the Village Hall Committee to resolve the questions over the ownership over the hall and recreation ground. Collected documents are to be circulated within the Community Council and to the Village Hall Committee.
16. The NHS requested part use of the car park for COVID testing over the summer. Confirmation of permission. Confirmed. It was agreed that should the use of the car park be required again a plan of how the agreed space was to be used and this plan circulated to each tem in charge.
17. The NHS request use of the riverbank for training emergency responders:
Date:
Times:
Thursday 4th November 2021
0900 – 2000 hours
Thursday 27th January 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Thursday 3rd February 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Thursday 10th February 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Thursday 17th February 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Thursday 24th February 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Thursday 3rd March 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Friday 4th March 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Thursday 10th March 2022
0900 – 2000 hours
Permission has also been requested from the Fishery - Glan-Yr-Afon Beat.
Permission confirmed.
18. Powys County Council have requested use of 2-3 spaces in the car park as part of a street lighting project. Confirmation of permission. Confirmed.
19. 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.
20. In order to comply with new law, Council must offer both face-to-face and electronic media meetings. It is anticipated that a new speaker/microphone would help. Chair and Clerk have agreed that a Sony SRS-XB13 speaker/microphone at £45 is worth trying. Approved.
21. There has been some discussion about the possibility of pinch points on the Bwlch side of Llangynidr bridge, placed about the crossroads halfway towards the junction with the A40. To be discussed and action agreed. It is considered that most of the problems arise on the Llangynidr side. And it is anticipated that the Highways authority would not allow pinch points there.
22. The tree report has been received and has been circulated. Actions to be completed in 3-6months 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). Report approved. Clerk to obtain quotes for the necessary works.
23. Update from the parking review. None.
24. Update from Mill Road. None and the closed road signs are still causing traffic problems, Clerk to write to the Company concerned to request that they move the signs a bit further down the slope, especially at night and over the weekend.
25. Reports from other meetings attended: None.
26. Any agenda items for the next meeting? On the junction between the A40 and Forge Road, the road view is obscured by trees. The ivy on the corner by Persondy Field is obscuring the view for traffic. Date for Litter pick. Renewing the insurance cover.
There being no further business to discuss, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.50pm.
Date of next meeting: Tuesday, 26th October 2021
Dated
