Minutes of a Council Hybrid Meeting held in Llangynidr Hall and via electronic media on Tuesday 29th April 2022 at 7.30pm.
Present: Mrs Margaret Price(Chairperson for the meeting), Mr Alan James, Mr David Williams,Mr David Mantle, Mrs Elizabeth Gibbs, Mr Gene Taylor, Mr David Filsell and Mrs Jane Dawkins.
In attendance: County Councillor Rosemarie Harris, S.Dale (Clerk), Estelle Hitching (Director of Partnerships and Engagement of Wales Ambulance Service) and Jason Killens (CEO of Wales Ambulance Service) and 4 members of the public.
Public participation. Wales Ambulance Service presentation by the CEO and Director of Partnership and Engagement. Due to a technical issue with the community council the slide presentation was not seen but spoken.
The service experienced a roster change over the pandemic. The process began in 2019 and in 2020 recommendations were made to be implemented over a 5 year period.
Hand over delays meant 22,000 hours lost, a third of total capacity. In addition to which workload is increasing.
A roster review process involving local staff, trade unions, local managers and an organisation to help the process.
On a national basis there is a need to increase ambulance capacity and decrease single staff cars (which have never been used to convey patients) - there being a trade off between the two. Also the creation of a high acuity target group, training for a small group of staff to improve outcomes for very sick patients.
The final stage commences this autumn.
Mr Killens invited comments from the assembly. RH observed that there were tremendous pressures on the Wales Ambulance Service resulting in long waits for service sometimes. She said that some residents of Llangynidr had suffered greatly as a result. Mr Killens apologized to those patients and their loved ones.
Mr Killens went on to say that the situation had improved somewhat with the growth in staff numbers. But still average unloading time is 2.5 hours not the 15 minutes it should take. He regretted the long delays, which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. The Service needs to find new and different ways of treating patients, it needs to find the time to assess social care requirements.
Ms Hitchens carried on, saying that traditional models of working were not adequate and that we need to think differently about the service. Demographics, particularly in Powys, will lead to difficulties for local authorities in the cost of social care and the recruitment of staff.
To close, they stated that the Wales Ambulance Service are focused on getting as good as they can. They are committed to working with the NHS and the Local Authorities to do that.
The Chairperson thanked Mr Killens and Ms Hitchens for their presentation. DM and the assembly applauded them for their good work.
1.Apologies: PL, MB
2.Declaration of interest in items of business listed below: None
3.Signing of the minutes;
29th March 2022: Approved, proposed GT and seconded DW.
4.Correspondence:
a)Letter from a resident – circulated (see item 11).
5.Clerk’s Report
Income: £48.54 recycling income and £62.75 donations.
Government regulations since Covid have meant that the clerk has had to use a lap top to run meetings. It is the clerks own lap top which is quite old and has shown signs of being unreliable; at the recent end of year actions for HRMC it could not update the new required software and another computer had to be used.
Until Covid council held an annual meeting for residents, usually in May, this will go on the agenda for May to be arranged for June. Volunteers will be needed to arrange and attend the event.
Residents have complained about the cardboard and loose glass in the car park. The clerk has requested they are picked up and PCC have said it will be done.
HR meeting in June this year.
There is a litter pick next Saturday 30th April 10.45am in the car park.
Dog bin map to be put on the noticeboard.
A truck has been left over weekends in the car park. GT will inform the organisation concerned. Also a car in the car park, appears to abandoned, to be reported to the police.
6.Finance:
a)Statement of accounts and bank reconciliation for end of year to March 2022. The figures for 2021-22 have been collated, there has been one area of overspend in other projects mostly attributable to the cost of the tree work(£950). The office equipment budget was underspent by some £1,400. Approved
b)Cheques to be approved in April 2022. Approved
Cleaning the car park (Apr) £40.00
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (May so) £478.60
Clerk's back dated pay rise for 21-22 £91.201
Cleaning the public conveniences (Apr) £280.00
British gas (elec. for the public toilets) £20.00
Flowerbed & path contract(Apr) £60.00
Toilet supplies (Viking) £77.98
c)Cheques approved in March 2022.
Cleaning the car park (Mar) £40.00
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (Apr so) £471.00
Cleaning the public conveniences (Mar) £280.00
British Gas (elec.) £26.04
Support for the School Grounds Day / Formerly £150.00
community photocopier support
Brecon Mountain Rescue Team Donation £100.00
“Contact” sponsorship £150.00
Wales Air Ambulance £100.00
Flowerbed and path contract £60.00
7.Report from the County Councillor. RH prefaced her report to note that there would be nothing in it that could be construed as political.
Recent comments made by residents to the County Councillor include;
lack of housing for local youngsters, incidence of pot holes and speed of vehicles along Forge Road (especially canal to river bridge) and Cwm Crawnon Road. There will be a new Welsh Government 20mph speed limit in the community soon. The traffic calming group run with the the police has had some success. MP will write to the PCSO concerned to see if the project can be resumed.
A variable speed indicator at the Tal-y-bont end of the village and on Cwm Crawnon Road was discussed.
One Councillor felt that deterring the through traffic coming off the Beaufort Road would help greatly. A place to start may be the Green man Festival at Glan Usk. Green Man have promised to send the traffic through Llangattock, but still many head through Llangynidr. RH suggested that the Community Council could ask for traffic management officers from PCC to talk about the problem. It was noted that the green man issue was relevant for 5-7 weeks of the year. The small lay-bys on the back road are parked in spite of their size, could this too be communicated to PCC traffic management officers. Clerk to invite PCC Traffic Management Officers to the Parish Meeting in June.
8.Planning Applications: 22/20901/FUL Brigadoon, Forge Road. No objections.
9.Litter pick on 30th April 2022, 10.45am, refreshment provided.
10.Tenders have been invited for the repair of the boundary wall to Persondy Field. Five different builder/stoneworkers, over 2 months, have been contacted. Only one builder has issued a quote for the boundary wall on Duffryn Road. Council felt that the work was beyond what it could afford at the moment and will adjourn to another time. Clerk to respond.
11.A letter from a resident listing several complaints about traffic in and around the village. The letter states : firstly, that camper vans on the back road between Llangynidr and Llangattock, particularly during the Green Man festival. This road is unsuitable for camper vans. Incidentally the bridge over the canal at the dog-leg has not been repaired. Clerk to write to Green man to make them aware of the complaints. Also clerk to write to raise sponsorship of a track around the recreation ground at the Parish meeting.
Secondly, parking on the corner of Duffryn Road near the Church is dangerous. All vehicles to pick up children should park in the car park. Finally, Llangynidr is a through route North to South and South to North. Speed limits are ignored and occasional monitoring has done no good. The variable speed indicator at Gilwern works, why can't we have one?
Many approaches to traffic calming have been considered , including a zebra crossing on Cwm Crawnon Road. The problem with the Zebra crossing is that it would be too close to Duffryn Road. Clerk to write to the Green Man to make them aware of the complaints and invite them to meet with the Community Council.
The parking on Duffryn Road by the back entrance to the school please see item 7.
Traffic calming please see item 7.
Clerk to respond to the resident.
12.It is proposed that the place plan initiative asks for volunteers. Clerk to put the matter on the agenda for the parish meeting in June. See also items 7 and 11.
13.Llangynidr Community Council will provide a grant to the Village Hall Charity amounting to 10% of the annual precept set, in order to enable the Village Hall Charity to undertake its duties in maintaining the hall and playing fields. An additional sum amounting to a maximum of 2.5% of the annual precept will be made available to the Village Hall on request, in order to provide further support, depending on the financial performance of the Village Hall charity. To be discussed and action agreed. Approved. This year the amount would be £3125 should the hall committee request the maximum allowable. The amount to be approved annually at the budget setting meeting each January - the usual procedures to apply.
14.The hedge in the car park may need maintenance, particularly a gap allowing sight of neighbours gardens. It is now nesting season and the hedge cannot be maintained until the autumn, also were the hedge to be layered it would be shorter than it is currently. Clerk to respond.
15.Reports from meetings attended. DM and the new National Park Warden have made repairs to stiles, replaced stiles and put new gates in as warranted by circumstances. Clerk to invite the warden to a Community Council meeting to talk about his work in Llangynidr.
The Jubilee Committee has arranged for the Beacon to be lit for the Jubilee, food has been ordered, bunting and fireworks too for Thursday 2nd June 2022.
16.Any agenda items for the next meeting: None
Chairperson closed the meeting at 9.30pm.
Date of next meeting:
Tuesday, 17th May 2022 – Annual meeting
Dated
1For approval only.
