MINUTES OF LLANGWM COMMUNITY COUNCIL

TUESDAY 20^th OCTOBER 2015 AT THE PARISH HALL, LLANGWM

COUNCILLORS PRESENT: Cllr Michael Foster (Chair), Cllr. Bob Trigg, Cllr Peter Gough, Cllr Lyn Bennett, Cllr David Williams, Cllr. Colin Evans, Cllr Gwyn Rowlands

IN ATTENDANCE: County Councillor Bob Greenland and Shirley Hughes, Clerk

1. OPEN SESSION

There were no members of the public present.

2. APOLOGIES

There were no apologies for absence received.

3. DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Declarations of interest will be made as and when required.

4. MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETINGS

Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting of 15^th September 2015 were agreed and signed as a true and correct record by the Chairman, with 2 small amendments:

a) 5a Caroline Evans - not Morgan as stated

b) 6a 2 Cllr Williams reported that the signs at the bottom of Georges' Delight were now tightened

5. MATTERS ARISING

5 a) Community Speedwatch

The Clerk had received an email from Sgt Parsons to say he was waiting for photographs from 5 volunteers, so that he can bring the group live prior to the winter months.

Clerk contacted all 5, and 3 have now forwarded photographs just waiting for Miles Allison & Caroline Torrance.

Cllr Peter Gough mentioned he had not sent his in either but would do so. Once these are in, there will be training organised.

Cllr Colin Evans stated that maybe Dr & Mrs Jarrett may join the scheme at a later date.

5 b) Llangwm Bus Shelter

The Clerk has taken photographs of the Bus Shelter and sent these along with a Brief of the Works. These have been sent to the following builders:

Mr G Bryne - Shirenewton, Mr J Champion - Llangeview, Mr GE Morgan - Earlswood and

John Powell - Raglan.

5 c) i. Enforcement Case E14/096 Mill Meadow Stables - It was noted that on the September Completed Enforcement Case List, The Stables at Mill Meadow Case File was closed (after 72 weeks) with the Alleged Breach stated as 'Construction of building' and the reason for closure - 'Not expedient to take Action'.

CC Greenland volunteered to contact the Enforcement Office and ask for a copy of the Analysis of this Case, and if any Cllrs had any factual evidence to the Contrary of the Breach, to inform the Clerk and she would write to the MCC Enforcement Officer.

ii. Enforcement Case E15/29 Bridge Inn, Llangwm - Clerk sent a long email with photographs to Alison Pankhurst, copied into Mark Hand Head of Planning, and received the following response:

Despite several attempts they have had no response from the landowner. If there is material being dumped on land then this would be classed as fly tipping and needs to be reported to Environmental Health. A discussions will take place to see what their next step should be and whether or not is viable to serve a Section 215 notice.

6. HIGHWAYS

a) Update on Matters Reported

1) Signs at the bottom of George's Delight are loose and swing around in the wind - DONE

2) George's Delight/ top of Gaer Fawr - Replacement Grit Bin required - NOT DONE

3) Unsuitable for Heavy Goods Vehicle sign missing from George’s Delight - NOT DONE

b) New Highways issues raised by Councillors

1) B4235 from jct 60-9 to Toll House Cottage - gullies covered by grass & hedge trimmings

2) Route 81 blocked culvert at Pont-y-Caith

3) Route 81 Duffryn Cottage to New House Farm drainage problems - original complaint 013828

4) Request for 3 grit bins on the 63-3 & 1 grit bin Rt 80 o/s Pwll Farm as discussed in a previous

meeting which meets MCC criteria

5) B4235 approx 100 m Usk side of the Bridge Inn blocked 300mm diameter culvert complaint sent in 21-1-15 still blocked

6) At 60-10 & 60-11 give way lines faded near Pentre Farm

7) 63-1 o/s the Croft road narrows sign (diag516) is missing

c) New Issues raised by others - There were no additional Highways Issues

7. FINANCE

Balance at the Bank as of 28^th August 2015 - £2,935.57

Monmouthshire Building Society - £2,344.39

INVOICES FOR PAYMENT

· Invoice - Mazars LLP Audit - £126.00 (including £25 for additional work) Chq no 100638

· Invoice - MCC Salary for Clerk for April/May/June/July/August/Sept - £716.76 Chq no 100639

· Invoice - Shirley Hughes expenses for Sep/Oct - £45.17 Chq no 100640

7a) UPDATE ON EXTERNAL AUDITOR

The Clerk reported that the Conclusion of the External Audit has been received, and Cllr Bennett had posted the Notice on the Website and Noticeboard.

Recommendations for discussion:

a) In future ensure that the Annual Return is accurate and follows proper practice - Noted and agreed

b) The Council has no powers to hold revenue reserves for general purposes and should consider earmarking reserves for specific purposes - This reserve is for repairs etc. to property owned by the Community Council such as the Bus Shelters.

c) In future the Council should ensure that the internal auditor provides an explanation for any controls it concludes are not working - Noted and agreed

Cllr Bennett asked if a Statement of Receipts and Payments for Year End 31/3/2015 could be sent to him so it could be put on the website, as required by Wales Audit. ACTION - Clerk

7 b) TO DISCUSS REPORT FROM INTERNAL AUDITOR

Copies were circulated and Cllrs discussed and agreed on the following points:

No.	Comments	Recommendations	Action
1	Appropriate books of accounts kept	New spreadsheets to enable monthly bank reconciliation to be presented at monthly Council Meetings	Already actioned upon
2	Council's Financial Regulations	Council to review, adopt and date a set of Financial Regulations and kept on file. These are available from OVW	Agenda item for discussion and adoption at future meeting
3	Financial Risk Assessment	To produce a Risk Assessment and review the document annually	Clerk to produce Risk Assessment
4	Annual Precept resulted from an adequate budgetary process	Regular appraisal of the budget versus actuals figures to be brought to Council meetings	Budgets to be set in November so that Precept can be agreed in January
5	Expected Income was fully received and recorded correctly	None
6	Petty Cash properly supported by receipts	None (do not operate Petty Cash)
7	Clerk Salary & Councillor allowances were paid in accordance with Council approval	Put in place a mechanism to review Clerks salary & hours annually, and budget accordingly at the December/January meeting when the budget/Precept is agreed for the following year	Agenda item for January Meeting
8	Asset and Investment Register is maintained	Asset register reviewed annually and any new purchases or removals noted	Update and agenda item for January Meeting
9	Periodic and year-end bank account reconciliations	Monthly bank reconciliations and year-end accounts done to 31^st of March each year	Bank to be asked to provide monthly statements or on-line access to aid Clerk in preparation of these reports
10	Accounting statements – receipts and payments/income and expenditure agreed with cashbook and adequate audit trails was properly recorded	Bank reconciliation should be produced to Council at each meeting in the interest of transparency	Action Clerk
	OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
1	Council to appoint an Internal auditor at their January Meeting	Needs to be independent of the Community Council	Appoint at January 2016 meeting. T.Royds to be approached
2.	Council to consider OVW Training for Clerk	Local Government Finance Training etc.	Courses advertised regularly
3	Data Protection	Council register as a matter of urgency with the Information Commissioners Office	Clerk to check out whether LCC is/has ever been registered
No.	Comments	Recommendations	Action
4/5/6	Society for Local Council Clerks	Council consider paying the Annual Fee for the Clerk to join to assist her in her role. To look at any relevant training courses or Annual Conference organised by SLCC.	Clerk to make enquiries as to costs, and Council consider budgeting and setting the Precept accordingly to pay for any training felt necessary
7	Reference Books for use by the Clerk	For example 'Clerks Manual'	Clerk to look into publications available

The Clerk reported that there was a One Voice Wales Local Government Finance Training Session planned in Undy on Thursday 29th October which covers many of the topics raised in the Internal Auditors Report, and it was AGREED that the Clerk attends at a cost of £35.

8. CORRESPONDENCE

From MCC

a) Enforcement Lists for September - Completed Enforcement Case for The Stables, Mill Meadow

b) Links for Guidance when faced with Allegation of a breach of Members Code of Conduct - BB

c) Minutes of Rural Forum - 15^th July - BB

d) Notice of Consultation on Alterations to Monmouth Comprehensive School - BB

e) Notice of Consultation of Proposed Closure of Llanfair Kilgeddin Primary School - BB

f) Notice of Monmouthshire Existing Active Travel Routes Maps Consultation - emailed to Cllrs

g) Invitation to MCC Chairman’s Charity Afternoon Tea on 1^st Nov - BB

h) Notice of Proposal to Close Special Needs Unit at Deri View School - BB

One Voice Wales

a) Appointment of Trustee for Heritage Lottery Fund - BB

b) Agenda for OVW Meeting 8^th Oct & Minutes of meeting on 9^th July - BB

c) Details of Grow Wild Funding to help Communities Bloom - BB

d) Training - Sustainability - 29^th October - BB

Welsh Government

a) Preparing for Public Service Boards Conference 2015 - BB

b) WG seeking views on Healthcare Services in Wales - BB

c) Natural Resource Management Bulletin - BB

Business

a) Proposed changes in Remuneration of members of Community & Town Councils - BB

b) Wales Audit Office - new External Audit Arrangements for the next 3 years - BDO LLP based in Southampton

c) Letter from AM Nick Ramsay asking for support to Save Monmouthshire - sign on his website

d) Application to Join GAVO Membership - Clerk gets all relevant

e) New Funding for Community Green Space from Groundwork Wales - BB

General

a) Rock School during Half Term in Abergavenny for Children run by MHA - BB

b) BBC - Charter Review - BB

c) Gwent Best Kept Village Results - The Best Kept Village Team were congratulated on winning the Best Kept Village Hall category.

Cllr Bennett stated he had attended the Planning Aid Wales Workshop in Little Mill Village Hall and some very useful information was contained in the booklet, which was put into the Blue Box for reference.

9. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

a) New Applications

9.1 DC/2014/01163 - An appeal has been logged regarding the Removal of the Agricultural Tie on Tyr Berllan, Llangwm. Dates of the Informal Hearing will be relayed to the Community Council.

b) Update on other applications

9.1 No updates available

10. COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT

County Councillor Bob Greenland gave the following report:

Monmouthshire has the lowest payment by the Welsh Government in Wales, being £1,100 per person, whereby Blaenau Gwent gets £1,600pp. Senior Officers have identified cut backs but there is still going to be a shortfall in the 2015/16 budget of £1.7m. Social Services will be costing more to deliver due to outside companies having to comply with paying their staff the Living Wage, so cost to the LA will inevitably rise.

Leisure Centres, Highways, Museums have already made a 35% cut in their budgets in the past years, but further cuts will have to be made. Cllr Greenland and Senior Officers have visited Town Councils to ask for help to fund £500k for these services and they are trying to meet with all Community Councils.

Normally WG give some indication in November of the final settlement, but this year indication will not be known until 9^th December, with the final figure not being agreed until March. This will make it very difficult to set the annual budgets early, but there will be Budget Community Consultations held around the County.

The Boundary Commission have stated that the changes in the size of Wards will now not take place until 2017, and may not happen until 2022, and there will be no changes to the County Boundaries until 2020.

11. WARD REPORTS

There were no Ward Reports

12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

12.1 POLICE REPORT – Councillors noted that there had not been a Police Report this month, so the Clerk will send an email stating the date of the November meeting.

12.2 BROOK HOUSE HEDGE – Although a letter had been written to the residents about cutting back the road hedge, it was noted that this has still not been done.

12.3 ELECTORAL REGISTER – The Clerk stated that although we had filled in a request form in January for copies of the Register, these had not been received so the Electoral Registration Office would be contacted for copies for each Councillor.

12.4 GATES AT ST JEROME’S CHURCH – Cllrs Evans and Trigg stated that the gate posts into the Churchyard were rotten and that if anyone tried to open the gate, it may fall on them and cause substantial injury due to the weight of the gates. This was very dangerous, and it was noted that this is the responsibility of the PCC, and not the Friends of Friendless Churches. AGREED that the Clerk writes to the PCC to draw their attention to the dangerous state of the gate, and the possibility of a handrail being installed as well. Cllr Greenland will contact the Chair of the Welsh Church Fund to see if this may be something that they may give a grant towards the costs.

12.5 PLANNING PERMISSION - Cllr Foster asked is any application had been received for the Duffryn as a sign had been seen near the telephone kiosk? The Clerk stated that nothing had been received.

Date of Next Meeting,

Tuesday, 17^th November 2015

Meeting closed: 9.24pm