Laleston Community Council

Cyngor Cymunedol Trelales

“working with the Community”

www.lalestoncommunitycouncil.gov.uk

clerk

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of Laleston Community Council

held at the Blandy Hall on Thursday 16 May, 2019 at 7.30pm

Present: Councillors: Cheryl Green, Dr Charles Smith, Jon-Paul Blundell, Pam Davies, Tony Berrow, Briony Davies (Acting Minutes Clerk), Tom Green, Dan Woolridge, Ian Spiller, Colin Davies and Tom Turner

1. Council undertook a short period of silent reflection
2. 19.79 – Apologies received: Cllr Ian Griffiths
3. 19.80 – To consider suspension of meeting to receive representations from local residents, if in attendance at meeting, [15 minutes maximum]. No members of the public were present.
4. 19.81 – Declarations of Interest: those previously reported to the Clerk
5. 19.82 – The Minutes of the Extra-ordinary meeting held on 30 April 2019 were Approved as a true record, there were no matters arising.
6. 19.83 – Council requested two amendments to the Minutes of the previous ordinary meeting held on 18 April 2019- the removal of the names of contractors before they are published and the addition of the decision made by Council that Cllr Smith facilitate a meeting with BCBC regarding the CAT process and funding that had been omitted. It was agreed that the Acting Clerk would amend the minutes, email them to Councillors for their agreement, and if agreed, to ask the Chair to sign the corrected minutes and scan them prior to uploading them to the LCC website. 19.84 – Matters arising from the Minutes: Para 5.2 refers to a presentation to Council from One Voice Wales, Cllr C Green has received a report and an Invoice from them and will contact them ask for clarification of what the invoice is for. The members of the Personnel Committee were requested by Council to read the report received and report their findings to the June meeting, along with recommendation regarding the appointment of a new Clerk and the Community Development Officer. Para 19.2, the steps in Broadlands that had been vandalised have now been removed and made safe; a contractor has been asked to provide a quote for replacing them.
7. 19.85 Council received an update of recent actions from the Chair: following his election as Acting Chair at the Extra-ordinary meeting held on 30 April 2019 he had prepared three reports for Council, it was unanimously agreed these reports represented a clear picture of Councils position regarding their plans and proposed projects to date this year and that they were now in a position to move forward quickly and clearly.
8. 19.86 – To consider quotations for various projects: 1) Initial quotation of £1,000 plus VAT has been received to clear the ivy, weeds and overgrowth at the Pound and contractors recommendation that this work be completed in the late Autumn was accepted. Japanese Knotweed has been identifies and the contract recommended spraying twice in order to try and kill it at £300.00 plus VAT. Council Resolved acceptance of both quotations. Once completed Council will be able to seek professional advice and quotations for work to the stonework. 2) The Chair had received a quotation from the original contractor to make repairs, undertake maintenance and install a new piece of equipment at the inclusive play park at Bryntirion. The quotation also included replacing the flooring at the play park in Laleston which is a heath and safety issue. Council Resolved to accept both these quotation subject to planning consent being granted in Bryntirion. Council also Resolved to approach BCBC to negotiate a CAT transfer of the play park in Laleston. The Chair will continue to progress both projects. 3) The Chair has request a technical specification and costing from BCBC regarding the installation of traffic calming measures in Llangewdd Road which Council agreed to investigate nearly two years ago.
9. 19.87 – Bryntirion Community Centre update – Cllr’s Dr C Smith, C Green, P Davies and J-P Blundell had met with Mr G Smith, BCBC Community Asset Transfer (CAT) Officer about this: a) BCBC has agreed to an indefinite extension of the ‘tenancy at will’agreement giving LCC more time to investigate the future of the building. LCC are not committed to anything and will still be able to reject the transfer if they choose to. Match funding will be available to make essential repairs to the building. b) Cllr Smith and T Green held a meeting with a Facilities Contractor, who has agreed to take over the weekly checks of the building until its future has been decided and to act as ‘key holder’. Council Approved this expenditure as a temporary solution while Council considers its position. c) Cllr T Green had noticed that the building was due for its annual electrical inspection and at Councils request, he agreed to organise this immediately. Once this is complete, Council agreed that the building would be made available for hire to occasional users. d) Cllr C Davies is currently investigating other local community centers to look at their facilities and the services they provide. A report will be received in the future. e) Council requested that Mr G Smith BCBC be invited to a future meeting of LCC so that this matter can be discussed in more detail. f) The Chair to investigate obtaining new/replacement fobs for the electric shutters.
10. 19.88 – Blandy Hall and Gardens refurbishments; The Chair will request a meeting with the architects Cllr R Davies had identified to take this further and will bring a report with recommendations to the June meeting.
11. 19.89 – Finance Update – Cllr Cheryl Green reported that while Council is without a Clerk she has requested that the Councils Bank amends the address for future correspondence be to her home address as she was a signatory to the account/s and had completed paperwork to add two additional signatories which the bank admits it has lost, Cllr Green will continue to progress this. She has transferred the precept from the current account to the deposit account. The balance in the deposit account stands at £324,595 and the current account at £42,565. The following payments/receipts have been made since the Clerk left:

Cheque No.	Supplier	Amount
102774	Amberol Ltd	£672.76
102775	Sabre	£648.00
104776	Complete Business	£14.10
102777	ACL Garden Services	£20.00
102778	Sarah Fancett	£140.00
102779	Nolan Skips	£456.00
The following invoices have been received but not paid
	One Voice Wales	£561.35
	R Chumley	£1,800.00
Receipts
Allotments 2 half plots		£16.00

12.
13. 19.90 – Council Approved the overtime payment and expenses claim to the former Clerk submitted on her resignation. The Chair will contact our payroll bureau to action.
14. 19.91 – To Receive Correspondence – Acting Clerk/s 1) – Bridgend Carers Centre Newsletter – noted. 2) – email received from Hurley and Davies re Survey of Blandy Hall, Chair to contact to discuss contents and report back to Council. 3) – Letter from Ian Lewis, contents noted. 4) – Quotation for heater for Blandy Hall, defer until July meeting. 5) – Quotation received re playground inspections, Council noted contents. 6) – Quotation from a Supplier re replacement of notice boards. The Chair and Cllr T Green tabled a condition report of all the Boards in the Community Council area and the Chair had been to the supplier to clarify the quotation. Council Resolved to accept the quotation price per board and will replace 6 existing notice boards and order one new replacement for the new housing development off Barnes Avenue. The Chair will liaise with the supplier. 7) – Email received from a local school asking for financial help toward the purchase of new CCTV equipment. Council are unable to fund this as it is outside our remit. Acting Clerk to respond to email. 8i) – Email received from BCBC regarding Christmas street decorations for 2019. The Chair and Cllr I Spiller agreed to progress this and report to the next meeting. 9) – Request received from Scouts for payment of their annual grant from Council which appears to have been overlooked, Resolved that £1,250 be paid immediately. 10) – Grant request from local Jazz Band. Cllr T Green to contact them for further details. Council Resolved that if Cllr Green is satisfied that the details of the request meets our local community needs, a grant of £500 towards their costs should be paid. 11) – Letter received from S Roper, representing Laleston Allotments – content noted. 12) – Letter from the former Cllr R Davies confirming his resignation. Council thanked Cllr Davies for all his hard work during what had been a difficult few months.
15. 19.92 – Reports and Observations 1) – all Councillors agreed that while LCC is without a Clerk, the Borough Councillors would undertake any local authority referrals members may wish to be raised, via email. 2) – the MUGA in Laleston needs to be re-marked for games. Chair will liaise with School re markings needed and contact original contractors for quotation. 3) – Cllr C Green reported to Council that she had notified the Electoral Office of a vacancy within the Community Council. She will act as Borough Councils main contact while we are without a Clerk. 4) Cllr B Davies ask Council to consider designing a new modern logo. Council agreed and suggested working with Bryntirion Comprehensive School to run a competition offering a prize of £250 for the successful student and £250 for the school if council use the logo. As a Governor at the school, Cllr C Green to talk to the school about this.
16. 19.93 – To consider Planning Applications No’s:

​P/19/325/FUL – no comments

​P/19/76/FUL – no comments

​P/19/294/RLS – concerns raised by the public about loading outside the supermarket to ​be communicated to BCBC Planning department, Cllr T Green to action.

​P/19/263/FUL – no comments

​P/19/278/FULL – no comments

Council Approved a request proposed by Cllr C Green proposed and seconded by Cllr P Davies to suspend Standing Orders to conclude Council business allowing for a time overrun due to the AGM and length of the reports received and to avoid having to call a special meeting.

At this point Councillor C Green proposed that Council move into committee to consider a further report in confidentiality, the proposal was seconded by Cllr P Davies.

There being no further business the meeting ended at 9.40pm.

Chair ________________________________

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