Minutes – 17th January 2019
LALESTON COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Minutes of Council Meeting held at Blandy Hall, Laleston
on Thursday 17th January 2019 at 7pm.
Present: Councillors: Roger Davies (Chair)
Tony Berrow, John Paul Blundell, Colin Davies, Pam Davies, Cheryl Green, Ian Spiller, Tom Turner and Dan Woolridge.
In Attendance: Jackie Griffin (Clerk).
The Council held a period of silent reflection.
Item 1:Apologies for Absence.
19/5 Councillors Briony Davies, Ian Griffiths and Charles Smith.
Item 2:Declarations of Interest.
19/6 Councillor J P Blundell – Item 17 (Prejudicial Interest on Planning Matters (Planning Committee Member at BCBC)).
Item 3:To consider suspension of meeting to receive representations from residents, if in
19/7 attendance at the meeting.
There were no representations from the Public.
Item 4:To receive the minutes of the meeting held 13th December 2018.
19/8Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting of 13th December 2019. The minutes
were signed by the Chair.
Item 5:Matters arising from the minutes, which are not included on this agenda.
19/9No matters arising.
Item 6:To receive the minutes of the Extraordinary meeting held on 9th January 2019.
19/10Resolved to approve the minutes of the meeting of 9th January 2018. The minutes
were signed by the Chair.
Item 7:Matters arising from the minutes of the Extraordinary meeting, which are not 19/11included on this agenda.
No matters arising.
Item 8:Appointment of Clerk.
19/12Councillor R Davies read out a preprepared letter of engagement to the Members.
The letter was approved.
The Clerk then left the meeting for the entirety of Item 8.
Resolved that the Clerk’s pay rate be set at SCP 27.
Item 9:Banking Procedure and Arrangements.
19/13The Bank Mandate needs updating as it currently has ex-councillors, Dave Harrison and Tom Green and the ex-clerk, Amanda Parsons as signatories on the accounts.
The Council has already approved the addition of Councillors R Davies and I Griffiths, in addition to the new Clerk.
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Item 9:Banking Procedure and Arrangements (Continued).
Bank statements have not been received on the Current account since the end of September despite a number of requests made, so enquiries will be made once again.
Item 10:Finance and Budget Matters.
19/14The Clerk confirmed that BCBC have been informed of the precept figure required by Laleston Community Council to enable the Council to fulfil its planned expenditure during the financial year, 2019/2020 andBCBC has acknowledged the request.
The Clerk advised that she intends to present a financial report at each Full Council meeting and apologised for the lack of information at this meeting. She advised that she will work on finances next week in readiness for the end of the financial year on
31st March 2019.
Item 11:Co-option Procedure and Update.
19/15As there was no election for the vacancy, the Community Council is now able to co-opt. Notices were posted on notice boards on Monday 7th January 2019. To date no applications have been received. If there is only one application and that person qualifies, he or she will automatically be appointed to the Council. If there are two or more candidates, the Council needs to decide how they should select the most appropriate candidate and this can be done by appointing an Interview Panel to meet and interview the candidates or by inviting candidates to attend prior to Full Council in February and give a short presentation to Council on why they should be selected as a Councillor. Members can then vote on their preferred candidate. The Clerk recommended that the first option bechosen and recommended that the Council appoint an Interview Panel of three Councillors in preparation. The decision of the Interview Panel would then be ratified at Full Council in February. The closing time and date for written expressions of interest is 12 noon on Friday 25thJanuary 2019.
Item 12:Meetings Schedule for 2019 including dates and venues of meetings.
19/16A proposed schedule of meeting dates and venues had been circulated to Members at the Full Council meeting in December. The item was debated at length with regard to the two venues, either Blandy Hall or Bryntirion Community Centre. It was agreed to accept the schedule as it stands at the present time and the Council can reviewit as necessary.
Item 13:Chair’s Report.
19/17Councillor R Davies advised Members that there will be a meeting with One Voice Wales on 30th January to discuss the development plan towards the Clerk’s job evaluation and the preparation of required policy documents for the Community Council. A report on the meeting will be given at February’s Full Council meeting.
A Member stated that as no vote was made to join One Voice Wales, the decision to become a Member of One Voice Wales was not made by Full Council.
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Item 14:Clerk’s Report.
19/18 The Clerk gave the following report to Members:
• Since starting employment on 7th January, the Clerk advised that she has collected the Council’s laptop and printer and has been looking at the current systems set up and reading some of the documentation to gather some backgroundinformation. BCBC have been informed of the change of Clerk and this has been updated on their website.
• Notice Boards
Having posted both the co-option notices and agendas on the notice boards it is apparent that a number of the boards require some maintenance or even replacement on health and safety grounds. Some of the boards require two people to handle them to avoid possible injury.
Members agreed that some of the notice boards require attention. A two-step approach will be taken to either repair in situ or renew subject to authorisation by the Council.
• Printer
The printer uses cartridges which are expensive over a period of time. The Clerk recommended that the Council considers replacement of the printer to save costs on continually purchasing printer cartridges. Investigations have been made into printer/scanners available and would seek delegated powers to purchase one up to the limit £250.
Resolved that the printer is replaced by a more economical model.
• Mobile Phone
The Clerk had also been investigating mobile phones and hope to purchase a relatively basic model during the next week.
• Working Hours
The Clerk gave details of the hours worked since starting on 7th January; just over 25 hours during the first week and this week so far, worked 18 hours up to 1.00pm that day. This was expected with the job being so new, it is hoped to reduce this over time as she becomes more familiar with the job.
• Welsh Government’s Statement on the findings of the Independent Review Panel on Community and Town Councils
That day, the Clerk had e-mailed the documents out to all Members and suggested that Council may wish to place the statement on a future agenda for discussion.
• Resolved that the Welsh Government’s Statement on the findings of the Independent Review Panel on Community and Town Councils is placed on a future agenda.
• Wales Audit Report 2017/2018
This report has this week been published. The Clerk recommended that Members read the document as it is relevant to all Members. The link is available below:
• Town and Community Council Clerk’s Meeting –
Friday 15th February 2019.
The Clerk advised that she would be attending the meeting.
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Item 15:Correspondence and Publications.
19/19
15.1E-mail from BCBC regarding ‘Off-Street Parking Places’ (Civil Enforcement) Order 2013 (Amendment No. 2) Order 2019 relating to proposed charges to be increased in some car parks in the Borough. Objections to the proposals together with the grounds on which they are made to be sent in writing by 14 February 2019.
Information sent to Members by e-mail.
Noted.
Item 16:Reports and Observations.
19/20No reports.
Councillor J P Blundell left the meeting for the entirety of Item 17.
Item 17:Planning Matters including Planning applications to be considered.
19/21
17.1 Application No. P/18/926/FUL
Applicant: Mrs T Dennis
Location: 2 Willesden Road, Cefn Glas CF31 4RE
Proposal: External access ramp to front.
No objection.
17.2 Application No. P/18/942/FUL
Applicant:Mr P Easton
Location:3 Longfellow Drive, Cefn Glas CF31 4PR
Proposal:Single storey extension to rear to extend existing bedroom.
No objection.
17.3 Application No.P/18/982/FUL
Applicant:Laleston Church Hall Development Committee
Location:Church Hall, 10 High Street, Laleston CF32 0HP
Proposal:Remove external toilets, construct new entrance lobby, internal alterations and associated works.
No objection.
17.4 Application No.P/18/1002/FUL
Applicant:Mr S Aberstone
Location:11 Dan y Deri, Broadlands CF31 5BG
Proposal:Convert garage into a habitable room with new window and wall.
No objection.
17.5 Application No. P/18/1014/FUL
Applicant: Mr J Mathias
Location:Parcau Isaf Farm, A48 Stormy Down to the Redhill Roundabout Stormy Down CF32 0NB
Proposal:Proposed realignment of access track approved under application ref P/05/985/FUL – affecting Footpath 9A Laleston.
No objection.
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Item 17:Planning Matters including Planning applications to be considered (Continued)
17.6 Application No. T/18/64/TPO
Applicant:Mr C Wojcikowski
Location:3 Ffynnon Groyw, Broadlands CF31 5AR
Proposal:30% crown reduction to horse chestnut tree in front garden.
No objection.
Item 18:Date, Time and Place of next Meeting.
19/22Thursday, 21st February 2019 at 7.00pm in Blandy Hall.
Meeting closed at 8.10pm.
……………………………………Chair.
Date : 21st February 2019.