MINUTES OF A COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY 30th JANUARY 2024 AT 7.30PM PM VIA ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND AT THE VILLAGE HALL.
Present: Mrs Jane Dawkins (Chairperson), Mr D Williams, Mr Mark Brian, Mr David Mantle, Mr David Filsell, Mrs Beth Carpenter, Mrs Jan Sharpless and Mrs Lisa Spencer-Weiss.
In Attendance: PCSO L Garrett, S Dale (Clerk).
Welcome and thanks for attending.
1 Report from the County Councillor.
1. County Councillor Surgery – Future Surgery will be on Saturdays between 10 and 12 on alternative months with Llangattock. Next Surgery due for February is in Llangattock at the same time as the Repair Café on 24th February in the Community Hall.
2. British Horse Society Visiting Llangynidr - As previously mentioned the British Horse Society will be delivering Awareness Training in Llangynidr on for Tuesday 27TH February and anyone is interested in joining that event just let me know. Specialist support will be given and Ian Price of Dyfed Powys Police will also be at the event. The event will start at 6.30. Please do share, posters and leaflets will be available soon.
3. Village Conversation on Volunteering – This was successful on the 13th January and feedback will be given in a report to the Community Council. Agreed that there was a lack of clarity on what was to happen on the day. This will form part of the feedback to the Community Council. Volunteering is seen as a valuable activity in the community and that has been captured too. It was a great opportunity for people to talk to one another and share experiences.
4. SpeedWatch and GoSafe – John Williams from Go Safe Cymru has visited Llangattock and measured the speed of vehicles that are driving through our village. We will get the Go Safe volunteers out in Llangattock in February.
5. School Bus – I understand the bus is now parking in the car park to allow school children to get on and off the bus in safety.
6. Brecon Bus – The bus is leaving Abergavenny at 5.00 in the afternoon is now coming through Llangynidr. Sadly, the trip from Brecon at 5.00 does not appear to be included although it was requested. A further request will be made.
7. The Bridge – The electronic sign has not been working for several months now. I have reported on several occasions as there seems to have been some issues with the engineers visiting. The sign is unique which does mean that we have to wait for specialist engineers to visit. I also understand the camera is out of line as well. This should be fixed in the next few weeks.
8. Traffic Lights on the Bridge – I have had requests again to look at traffic lights for the bridge. This was raised as the recent Village Conversation as well. Please see below the reasons why we cannot expect traffic lights on our bridge.
9. Cattle Grid Repairs – I understand this is working well and sheep are no longer getting over the grid. It took longer to take the old grid out and the pit dug deeper.
10. Potholes – I’ve had several complaints about potholes since December. Some have been dealt with but others not including Cyffredin Lane which I understand is getting very bad. The Highways Inspector is due to visit very shortly. There is a backlog of inspections right now due to the recent storms in January.
11. Strategic Road Safety Group – Llangattock and Llangynidr experience on the mountain road has fed into this report which was commissioned in partnership with the Dyfed Powys Crime & Police Commissioner. The report will go to Lee Waters MS Minister for Climate Change, who has asked for the report to address speeding and collisions in Powys.
The Road Safety Crisis in Powys
Powys ‘worst for motorbike crashes’ | Shropshire Star Published Mar 22, 2019
NEWS FROM POWYS
Sustainable Powys
a. This will be everyone’s business as it will fundamentally change the way the authority delivers its services within the challenges that present themselves now.
b. There is no more room for ‘salami slicing’ services so a complete rethink, or reimagining how the authority works to keep it sustainable.
c. This is a process which town and community councils will be asked to engage. We need to work together on this process, your thoughts and ideas will help build the future sustainability of Powys at all levels.
d. Ideas have been proposed as a framework on which to build your thoughts and ideas around ‘Place’ and how our communities use place and services.
e. The asset base will be addressed working together with our statutory partners on how we all use our space, what services we deliver where and whether we have to share spaces and modernise our approach.
f. Travel and transport will be a key priority in sustaining our future and improve our access to services and your feedback will provide a framework on which to improve transport using all elements of transport from cycles to taxis, car to buses and community proposals.
g. As community leaders in Llangattock you will be needed to help share and develop this approach to our residents in Llangattock. Your Llangattock Place Plan will inform what you are doing locally and how that impacts on the services that are delivered to local residents. Sustainable Powys will do the same but on a whole authority basis.
h. You will be getting a video link by the end of January from the CEO of Powys and a presentation with talk over so you can share at your next Community Council meeting, so please set aside some time.
Budget Update
a. Settlement is an increase of 2.8% which was lower than the 3.10% which was anticipated this relates to an increase of £6.38 million on a budget in excess of £387 million.
b. Inflationary pressures over the last 12 months have been much higher than this settlement and the authority has had to deal with those inflationary pressures within last year’s budget.
c. Schools and social care have been prioritised
d. The council tax has been proposed at 7.5% which we believe is as low as we could keep it under the extreme circumstances we find ourselves. Without savings proposed so far this could have reached in excess of 17%.
e. Across Wales Council Leaders and Officers have reported back to the Welsh Local Government Association and Welsh Government this is the most challenging settlement for local authorities in living memory.
f. There could still be councils in Wales that will be under threat of bankruptcy. No council is immune from this which is unprecedented.
Traffic Lights on Bridge
This is the response from Highways regarding traffic lights with my comments in red:-
We have considered traffic lights here and met with the BBNP conservation officer.
The complications at the site really mean it is not a viable solution.
If we were to seriously look at this we would need to undertake a visual impact assessment and that would need to have a very strong case in terms of improvements to traffic flow that would far outweigh the visual intrusion signals may have. This would be required as we would need to apply for listed building consent given the structures listing. CADW would need to approve the laying of ducts across the bridge and would also need convincing that the fabric of the structure would be not compromised in any way. These are probably the biggest hurdles and I don’t think that there is any substantial justification in terms of traffic over the current situation which mostly works. If we wanted to challenge this then we would need to have a whole community engagement and consultation process to give any weight to the challenge and it may still fail.
Installing signals would have other impacts such as a lot of parking restrictions preventing parking would need to be introduced to cater for waiting traffic from the stop line by the Coed-yr-Ynys road up towards Blaen-y-Myarth junction. No parking on either side would be allowed. Also along Coed-yr-Ynys road double yellows will have to go up towards near the Post Office. We may see this as a benefit. Yellow lines are already suggested and been consulted on but only on one side. The lines along Coed-yr-Ynys road may not be acceptable. It will prolong the existing consultation which has now been completed and awaiting agreement of the proposals from the Community Council.
Delays would be significant for traffic [this could be positive if it deters people from going that way] however for those that do go that way the distance between the stop lines on both sides of the bridge would mean the time between one side going red and one side then going green would be quite lengthy to ensure vehicles clear. An unintended consequence is more likely to be more traffic waiting and potential chaos.
Cost wise we could be looking at £60k or so but would be highly dependant on how much ducting for the cables would be needed, even if we could get over the bridge. Signals have to be hard wired together for permanent, it is only temporary traffic lights that work off wireless communications. Wireless comms would be a game changer but so far there is no type approved system for that. I have actually challenged that as it might be higher with inflation, suspect these are old figures.
The most affected would be the people who would live near the lights they would see more people queuing and emitting emissions right outside their properties and would not be able to park outside. This has been raised in earlier engagement we undertook in 2022/3 and it is a concern.
2 Apologies: GT, HD
3 Declaration of interest in items of business listed below: None
4 Signing of the minutes;
28th November 2023, 19th December 2023 and 16th January 2024. All approved.
5 Public Participation: PCSO Lee Garrett.
Lee's report covers 25/12/23 to 30/1/24. During this time there were 8 calls :
Refusal to reverse on the river bridge; a motorbike accident without injury; call about a lady who walks between Bwlch and Llangynidr on a daily basis but forgets to wear her hi-viz jacket; an abandoned vehicle; theft of a hydrant by a quad driver.
Also cold callers are in the area and look for vulnerable people to scam, offering services in turn for large sums of money. The PCSO has distributed leaflets about this which will go on the community council's facebook page. There have been dog attacks at Trefil, signs will be put up concerning the problem. The van stolen from a local delivery driver has been recovered, unfortunately it is a write-off. The car parked in the car park for some months has been moved over Christmas and is taxed and insured.
The police station is moving accommodations to the Fire Station in Crickhowell. Queries can be made to Lee : 07814207291 Our PCSO has a very large area to cover, Council is keen to help by putting contacting the Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn on the agenda for next time.
Anti-social driving has been noticed in the area, please let Lee know if you come across incidents.
PCSO Garrett is hoping to teach kerb-craft to the village children when he can.
6 Finance
a. Reserves, Risk Analysis and Asset register annual reviews.
All approved. The village hall will be recorded as an asset when the lease is formalised.
b. Bank reconciliation, budget forecasts and precept figures to be discussed and considered for approval. See item 13.
The precept was set at £30,000 to accommodate the double salary for the Clerk handover, new computer equipment for new computer equipment, a proportionate donation to Crickhowell Volunteer Bureau if approved, inflation and legal expenses for theVillage Hall lease. Approved.
The expenditure for 2024-25 was set at £32,924, making it possible that reserves will be drawn on in the coming year. Approved.
c. Cheques to be approved in January 24
Clean the car park (Jan) £40.00
Clean the public conveniences (Jan) £280.00
Clerk's wages and stationery allowance (Jan) so £567.40
Car park non-domestic rates DD (Jan) £86.00
British Gas (elec. for the public toilets Jan DD) £29.88
Public Toilet tap fixing(2) £250.00
Grass cutting contract (approval only) £675.00
d. Viking toilet supplies £131.98
All approved.
e. Cheques approved in December 2023:
Clerk’s wages and stationery allowance (Dec) £478.60
Hedge cutting at the car park £380.00
(Village Hall – approved in January 23 £3000.00)
All approved.
f. Petty cash for toilet supplies £50.
Approved
g. Consideration of appeals for grants (budget £850).
Appeals and finance information were available for the following :
Dial-a-ride £100
Jubilee Committee - adjourned
Brecon Advice Centre £50
Brecon Mountain Rescue £100
Llangyndir Agricultural Show Society £100
Wales Air Ambulance £50
Defibrillator £100
Volunteer fund £150
Further information is to be sought from the Jubilee committee, the others were approved.
For 2024/25, the village hall grant at £3000 was approved, as was the garden day grant for the Primary School (£150),and awards for young persons (£250). An award for Crickhowell Volunteer Bureau was not decided upon, the £650 to be ring-fenced.
7 Correspondence:
- Freedom of Information request 18/1/24, completed.
Local Access Forum meeting. 25/1/24, circulated
PCC and Town and Community Council meeting 21/2,
circulated
Cost of living crisis survey 23/24, completed
Emergency Services Ambulance Committee, consultation in
February- awaited.
- Bannau Brecheiniog National Park planning violations
response 23/1/24.
Two issues were referred to in the letter:
An enforcement request concerning 23/22317/FUL. There is no right of appeal for third parties (only applicants can appeal a decision to PEDW). The Planning Enforcement Team will however investigate any complaint received from members of the public regarding alleged non-compliance with Planning regulations or conditions where further evidence of planning condition violation is submitted.
And secondly, it was affirmed that changes to the frontage of a much loved building in the village would require planning permission.
Letter from a resident about patience crossing the bridge.
23/1/24. Cllrs agreed with plea.
8 Allowances brief and discussion.
The allowances were described. Cllrs privately decided if they wanted to claim any or all of the allowances available to them. They will write to the Clerk if they change their minds.
9 Green man traffic – identifying the specific problems for Llangynidr.
Cllrs to send their traffic incidents to the Clerk. There was also a query could the lorries deliver overnight?
10 The Llangynidr Veggies response to the Community Garden idea and next steps.
The Llangynidr Veggies have decided not to take up the Council's offer of the “pointy” end of the car park. They felt that the space was not secure enough and did not offer the ambiance sought.
11 Report on the Five Councils' liaison panel hosted by Llangynidr Community Council. Notes have been circulated.
12 Residents reactions to the 20mph limit. Prop. And Sec.
No adverse reactions have been communicated to the Cllrs. Pedestrians have felt safer on Forge Road. If residents would like to add comments please contact the clerk.
13 Clerk submits her resignation and to publish a recruitment advert. Prop. And Sec.
The advert was approved and will be published on the website, Council facebook page and “contact” will be asked to circulate it.
14 Riverbank addition title application – update.
Searches have been sent back, the application can proceed.
15 Book swap project for the bus shelter progress – update
Taking shape, one bookcase is in situ.
16 Persondy Field millennium hedge quote to be decided. Prop. and Sec.
Council choose not to let the contract as the licensee will complete the work.
17 Persondy field license to be decided. Prop. and Sec.
Three tenders were opened. Two were not pursued because the first involved dogs being on the field and the second was tendered by non-residents who hope to become residents soon. This arrangement was approved with by a majotrity of councillors with one councillor against.
18 Cyffredin Lane, pot holes on the village side of the canal bridge, drainage on the lane near the canal bridge, resurfacing needed around Brook Cottage to be reported to Powys County Council, are there other issues to report?
Cyfreddin Lane - pot holes on the village side of the canal bridge.
- drainage on the lane near the canal bridge - it is too deep
for most footwear when it rains.
- resurfacing near brook cottage.
Dyffryn Road. - pot holes at the junction with Cwmdu Crawnon Road.
Castle Road. - at the dog-leg turn pot holes.
Beaufort Road. - “corrugated” area in the tarmac at the Ty William Richard corner causing drivers difficulty.
Back road - running between Llangynidr and Crickhowell, there is a deep pot hole around a storm drain on the right hand side (towards Crick) about 100 yards from the Fro bridge.
Beaufort Road. - The turning to Llangattock was noted as the site of many accidents.
All to be reported to Powys County Council.
19 Two new benches, one for Erw Bant and one to replace the plastic one in the car park, need installing. There are also the bench and picnic table bought last year, plans changed but they still need installing.
DM volunteered to help.
20 Appointment of a Councillor to oversee governance matters until May 24.
Adjourned.
21 Update on the Village Hall Lease.
The Village Hall Committee have returned their considerations of the lease to their solicitor. The Community Council will be able to formally consider the lease at the next stage. It has been agreed that the Village Hall will continue to maintain the recreation ground and boundaries as appropriate.
Both sides are keen to complete the signing by 1/3/24.
22 Any other business (for information only).
DM was nominated for this year's Royal Garden Party (May 8th or May 21st ) as longest serving Councillor.
Powys Sustainability at Crickhowell will be held on Tuesday 20/2/24 in Clarence Hall.
23 Date of next meeting:
Tuesday 27th February 2024 at 7.30pm Community Council.
