Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Laleston Community Council held at Bryntirion & Laleston Community Centre on 16 November 2023, commencing at 7.00pm.

Present:. Cllr’s ABerrow, JP Blundell, Z Blundell, J Cook, C Davies, D Harrison, I Spiller, V James, S Philpin, S Richmond, C Smith and C Webster.

In attendance:  Gail Jewell

1.  19.1347   Council undertook a period of silent reflection.

2.  19.1348   Apologies for absence. Cllr C Davies and P King.

3.  19.1349   To receive an update of the Active Travel route on Merlin Crescent and consider Councils position.

This item was moved from agenda item 8 to provide an update to members of the public prior to them making representation on the matter.

The Chair provided an update, stating that Laleston Community Councillors had been invited and attended two meetings over the last week regarding the proposed Active Travel route on Merlin Crescent.  The second meeting being a site meeting where Councillors outlined that the intended route was in the wrong place and highlighted the need for public engagement with residents and school children prior to any further progression,

4.  19.1350   Representation from members of the public.  

This agenda item was moved from agenda item 3 to allow the public to make representation on the update provided by Council on the Active Travel route on Merlin Crescent.

Members of the public made the following representations relating to the information provided on the Active Travel route on Merlin Crescent:

1. The outcome of the car counting survey carried out be provided to members of the public.
2. The cycle track should be aligned with the track already in situ on Wordsworth Avenue which would allow the majority of students to continue to walk safely on the opposite side of the road and it would require any cyclists to encounter less crossing points.
3. Due to the incline of Merlin Crescent, the proposed removal of the second chicane would cause carnage for anybody descending down Merlin Crescent.
4. In place of the proposed one zebra crossing outside the school, it was suggested that either one large, raised platform spanning between the entrance and exit of the school be installed or a crossing on both the entrance and exit of the school.

5.  19.1351   Items of business that the Chair deems urgent. 

Due to the shortage of Staff, on behalf of the Clerk, the Chair requested that all Council meetings take place at Blandy Hall to avoid set up and clear up at Bryntirion & Laleston Community Centre.

Resolved:  Council agreed to hold all Council meetings at Blandy Hall until the staffing issue is resolved.

6.  19.1352   Declarations of Interest. 

Cllr D Harrison – Item 18 – Prejudicial Interest as a Member of Bridgend County Borough Council Planning Committee.

Cllr A Berrow – Item 18 – Prejudicial Interest as a Member of Bridgend County Borough Council Planning Committee.

7.  19.1353   Approval of Minutes.

Resolved:  The minutes of the ordinary meeting of Council that took place on 24 October 2023 were approved as a true and accurate record.  Proposed by Cllr S Philpin and seconded by Cllr C Webster.  

Matters arising:

Item 16 – 19.1298 To discuss playparks in Cefn Glas.

Cllr J P Blundell confirmed that a response had been received from Cllr J Spanswick, outlining that Barnes Avenue play park and Trelales play park is scheduled for refurbishment in 2024 and Wordsworth Avenue North in 2025.

Item 8 – 19.1328 To discuss Christmas Lighting.

The Chair provided an update, outlining that:

1. An additional socket had been added to Mount Pleasant, but it was installed on the wrong lamppost, therefore a replacement socket would be added to the correct lamppost. 
2. Two lampposts by the car park and one by the nursery, in Broadlands, had been converted as agreed by Council last year. 
3. Merlin Crescent had an additional socket added to a lamppost by Bryntirion Comprehensive School and 3 by Willesden Avenue and Kensington Avenue. 

Item 15 – 19.1335 To discuss the Community Pantry.

An update was provided outlining that the Community Pantry had recently undergone a food safety inspection by the Food Standards Agency and obtained a hygiene Rating of 5. 

Resolved:  Council thanked Cllr C Webster for her hard work to ensure the paperwork was completed in order to obtain the hygiene rating of 5.

Item 20 – 19.1340 To discuss the requirement to use Lalestoncommunitycouncil.gov.uk email addresses.

The Chair confirmed that unfortunately, @laleston.gov.uk was not available, but @lalestoncc.gov.uk was.  An update on this matter will be provided at the next meeting.

8.  19.1354   To receive quotations, if any.

	Quotations Received
1	Owl Labs – Meeting Owl 3.  £1049.83 Inc VAT	Resolved:  Members noted the update on spend.
2	Wood b – hardwood bench slats to replace broken ones sited in Laleston.  £990 exc. VAT (includes installation).	Resolved:  Members noted the update on spend.
3	Wood b – supply and fit an interpretation board for the Pound.  £495 exc. VAT	Resolved:  Members noted the update on spend.

9.  19.1355   To agree to purchase racking for new container.

Resolved:  Members agreed for the Clerk to obtain costings for racking for the new container.

10.  19.1356  To receive a report on the Firework display 2023 and agree to purchase additional rope for Firework event 2024.

The Chair provided an update which outlined that the event was well attended, and that feedback received was all very positive relating to both the fireworks and to the addition of the fire juggling show provided by Organised Kaos, although it was explained that thought will be given next year to arch the observation line to allow a wider viewing area.  The Chair concluded by thanking everybody involved and assisted in the set-up, the actual event and the clean up on the Sunday.

Resolved:  Following discussions, Council agreed to the following:

11. 19.1357  To discuss the purchase and installation of 4 benches in commemoration of the 80^th Anniversary of the D-Day landings, to be placed in Laleston, Broadlands, Bryntirion and Cefn Glas.

The Chair amended the original motion to read ‘To discuss the purchase and installation of a bench in commemoration of the 80^th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings, to be placed in Laleston’.

Resolved:  Council agreed to progress with the amended motion and purchase a bench in commemoration of the 80^th Anniversary of the D-Day landings, and further agreed that consultation take place, offering the choice of the following positions for installation – a) Laleston Cemetery b) The Dell on the small grass verge at the bottom of Wind Street and c) Well Street on the green opposite Mayfield Avenue.

12.  19.1358  Notice to rescind a preceding resolution made at Council on 20 July 2023, proposed by and signed by Cllr I Spiller, Cllr C Webster and Cllr S Philpin.

Resolved:  The motion to rescind a preceding resolution made a Council on 20 July 2023 was carried.

13.  19.1359  To receive any recommendations and or comments from Committees –

a) Finance Committee – None

b) HR & Personnel Committee

The HR & Personnel Committee recommend that Council add a section to its standing orders, to confirm the agreement to record all meetings of council, including committees, to aid accuracy of minutes and for the content to be retained by the Clerk for 12 months, to settle any disputes that may occur. 

Resolved:  Council agreed to the recommendation.

c) Biodiversity & Allotment Committee – None

14.  19.1360  To consider revised Model Standing Orders May 2023 provided by One Voice Wales

Resolved:  Council agreed to use the revised Model Standing Orders provided by One Voice Wales with the addition of the following:

Pg 6 – Item 1t – To stipulate 3 minutes.

Pg 7 – Item 3b – To stipulate that for all online meetings, the chat function is to be disabled at all times.

Pg 7 – Meetings Generally – Other – b – to retain ‘The minimum three clear days’ public notice of a meeting does not include the day on which the notice was issued of the day of the meeting’.

Pg 8 – Meetings Generally – Other – e – To stipulate 15 minutes.

Pg 8 – Meetings Generally – Other – f – To stipulate 5 minutes.

Pg 8 – Meetings Generally – other – h – To retain ‘A person shall raise their hand when requesting to speak’

Pg 9 – Meetings Generally – Other – To include that mobile phones and devices are only to be used during a meeting of Council in an emergency, for Council business or for any accessibility issues.

Pg 10 – Meetings Generally – Other – v – To stipulate 2 hours.

Pg 10 – 4.d.i – To amend to stipulate ‘shall permit a committee to determine their terms of reference’.

Pg 10 – 4.d.ii – To amend to stipulate – ‘shall permit a committee to determine the number and time of the ordinary meetings of a standing committee up until the date of the next annual meeting of the Council’.

Pg 11 – 4.d.iii – To remove.

Pg 11 – 4.d.v – To stipulate 7 days.

Pg 13 – 5.j.xii – To amend to stipulate – ‘To receive confirmation that the HR & Personnel Committee has reviewed and adopted the council’s training plan’.

Pg 13 – 5.j.xvi – To amend to stipulate – ‘To receive confirmation that the Finance Committee has reviewed arrangements for insurance cover in respect of all insurable risks’.

Pg 13 – 5.j.xvii – To amend to stipulate – ‘To receive confirmation that the Finance Committee has reviewed the council’s and/or staff subscriptions to other bodies’.

Pg 13 – 5.j.xviii – To amend to stipulate ‘To receive confirmation that the HR & Personnel Committee has reviewed the council’s complaints procedure’.

Pg 13 – 5.j.xxi – To amend to stipulate ‘To receive confirmation that the HR & Personnel Committee has reviewed the Council’s employment policies and procedures’.

Pg 13 – 5.j.xix – To amend to stipulate ‘To receive confirmation that the HR & Personnel Committee has reviewed the Council’s policies, procedures and practices in respect of its obligations under freedom of information and data protection legislation’.

Pg 14 – 6.d – To stipulate 7 days, 2 members, 2 members.

Pg 14 – 7.a – To stipulate 3 councillors.

Pg 15 – 9.b – To stipulate 7 days.

Pg 15 – 9.d – To stipulate 8 days.

Pg 16 – 11.a – To include in non-bold that Laleston Community council agreed to record all meetings of Council and that the recordings be retained for 12 months prior to deletion.

Pg 19 – 15.a – To add a further paragraph to stipulate ‘Provide paper copies of agenda and supporting documents to each meeting of Council and its committees, apart from the Finance Committee where budget monitoring or the budget proposals are an agenda item’.

Pg 20 – 15.ii – To stipulate 3 days.

Pg 21 – 15.xv – To detail ‘refer a planning application received by the Council to the Chair or in their absence the Vice-Chair of the Council within two working days of receipt to facilitate an extraordinary meeting if the nature of the planning application requires consideration before the next ordinary meeting of Council’.

Pg 24 – 19.a-d – To retain the current wording in Laleston Community Council Standing Orders.

Pg 24 – 19.e – To detail ‘Subject to the Councils policy regarding the handling of grievance matters, if an informal or formal grievance matter raised by [the members of staff’s job title] relates to the chair of the HR And Personnel Committee, this shall be communicated to the Chair of Council, which shall be reported back and progressed by resolution of the HR & Personnel Committee.

Pg 26 – 24.a – To detail ‘An invitation to attend a meeting of the Council shall be sent, together with the agenda, to the ward councillor(s) of the County Borough representing the area of the Council’.

Pg 26 – 24.b – To detail ‘Unless the Council determines otherwise, a copy of each letter sent to the County Borough shall be sent to the ward councillor(s) representing the area of the Council’.

Pg 27 – 26.b – To stipulate 2 days.

15.  19.1361  To consider amendments to the Council Financial Regulations.

Due to the low agreed budget for emergency expenditure (£1,000) and low threshold to strive for 3 quotations (£100), the Clerk provided an extract from Llandough Community Council Financial Regulations for reference.

Resolved:  Council agreed to align Laleston Community Council Financial Regulations with the extract provided relating to Llandough Community Council.

16.  19.1362  To receive the draft minutes of any Committee meetings held since the last meeting of Council and note any delegated decisions made –

a) Finance Committee – None

b) HR & Personnel Committee

Resolved: Council noted the minutes provided.

c) Biodiversity & Allotment Committee.

Resolved:  Council noted the minutes provided.

17.  19.1363  To receive correspondence, if any.

	Correspondence Received	Comment
	Email received from Laleston Fete Committee to outline the success of the fete that took place this year and would like to donate funds to Laleston Community Council for a security camera and extra lighting around Blandy Hall.	Resolved:  Council agreed for the Clerk to signpost Laleston Fete Committee to Blandy Trust.

18.  19.1364  To consider Planning Applications

Planning Application	Comment
Planning Application No.: P/23/630/FUL Applicant: Mrs S Shaw Location: 36 Merlin Crescent Cefn Glas CF31 4QW Proposal: Demolition of existing single storey side extension and replacement with a side and rear two storey extension Date:  10 November 2023	Resolved:  No comments made.
Planning Application No.: P/23/683/FUL Applicant: Mr J Morgan Location: 99 High Street Laleston Bridgend CF32 0HL Proposal: Single storey extension for garden room to rear of existing dwelling. Date:  16 November 2023	Resolved:  No comments made.

There being no further business, the meeting ended at 8.45pm.

The next meeting will be held on Thursday 14 December 2023, and will commence at 7.00pm.