MINUTES OF LLANGWM COMMUNITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY 17th APRIL 2018 AT THE PARISH HALL, LLANGWM
COUNCILLORS PRESENT: Cllr David Williams (Chair), Cllr Peter Gough, Cllr. Bob Trigg, Cllr John Watkins, Cllr Colin Evans
IN ATTENDANCE: County Councillor Bob Greenland, Mr Malcolm Hatfield and Shirley Hughes, Clerk
1. OPEN SESSION
POLICE REPORT
It was noted that there had not been any crimes to report in the area in the last month.
County Councillor Bob Greenland asked if he could present his report (Agenda Item 10.) early in the meeting due to having to attend another meeting. AGREED by the Chair and reported under Item 10 in these Minutes. Cllr Greenland left the meeting at 20:35.
2. APOLOGIES
Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Gwyn Rowlands
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 20th March 2018 were agreed and signed as a true and correct record.
5. MATTERS ARISING
5a) Co-Option of Community Councillor
The Chair welcomed Mr Malcolm Hatfield to the meeting, and thanked him for standing for the position, and being co-opted as a Community Councillor for the Llangwm Ward.
Proposed by Cllr Peter Gough
Seconded by Cllr Colin Evans
There were no further nominations, so Mr Hatfield was unanimously elected.
5b) BT Broadband & O2 Mobile phone Signal
Cllr Gough reported that a few residents had got together, including Mr Newall, and discovered that there is a new Grant Scheme for installing broadband which totalled £1.5million, but was for the whole of Wales!
CC Greenland reported that the £2.1m (from National Government) for the 5G Testbed project, was just for Monmouthshire.
There has also been a bid for Local Full Fibre Networks through the Capital City Regional Deal, and this has been agreed by Westminster DMCS, and so the money will come direct to the 10 LA in South Wales.
Cllr Gough stated that he hoped that if the Super-Fast Cymru contract does exist, that BT gets the contract, and that they will not leave the rural areas stranded, and that they continue where they left off in December 2017. Cllr Evans noted that some of the poles around Llangwm had fibre coiled around them, waiting to be connected.
Cllr Hatfield stated that O2 had sent him a text (which he only got after driving from his property) recently saying that there was not a problem with O2 signal in his area, which was untrue. Previously his signal was good, and now he has to leave the house to get a signal!!
CC Greenland hoped that the signal would now improve.
5c) To Receive Asset Register Update.
Cllr Evans had been and inspected the Assets belong to the Community Council, and conditions were as follows:
Notice Boards - in Llangwm & Llansoy need re-staining and renew hinges
Nantygelli Crossroads Notice Board - needs a new Finger Post to attach it to
Llansoy Bus Shelter - now in good condition since renovation work was done in 2017
Llangwm Bus Shelter - could do with soil being removed from around the back of it to stop damp seeping into the Shelter.
AGREED - that Cllrs form a small working party to ensure this work is done.
6. HIGHWAYS
a) Update on Matters Reported
Partial report from MCC Transport had been received:
i) The KEEP CLEAR BAY on B4235 - road marking would not apply to the whole total length of this layby. It appears that the KEEP CLEAR road marking possibly could be relocated to the west of its current marked position ( towards the western end of the layby) as that would better assist in supporting larger vehicles turning right onto the B4235 from the side road whilst allowing parking at the extreme eastern end of the layby only.
ii) REDUCING SPEED LIMITS IN LLANGWM & LLANSOY FROM 40mph to 30mph -
A review (including an automated vehicles speed and volume count) will be undertaken during the forthcoming financial year in order to assess if these two village centres would meet the criteria necessary for a 30 mph speed limit as per the Welsh Governments Setting Local Speed Limits document to be supported.
NOTED that the Clerk had researched the above document and passed over to Cllr Gough. Enquiries would be made via Cllr Greenland on how the 50mph limit trial from Usk to Steel House Cafe had gone, and what the results were.
b) New Highway Issues raised by Councillors
i) Route 64.3 - Cllr. Hatfield reported that Trevella Lane was now more potholes rather than tarmac, and that it does need urgent work done on it.
c) New Highway Issues raised by others
There were no issues raised by others.
7. FINANCE
Barclays Bank
Balance at the Bank as of 29th March 2018 was £1,824.30
Monmouthshire Building Society
Balance as of 31st March 2018 - £1,771.20 (£9.69 Interest now added)
INVOICES FOR PAYMENT
Invoice:
MCC - Jan/March Clerks Salary - £502.83 Chq no 707
Zurich Municipal - Insurance - £308.09 Chq no 708
S Hughes - March Expenses - £48.62 - Chq no 709
AGREED that the above invoices are paid.
The Monthly Finance Reconciliation for March 2018 was:
Receipts £6,264.57
Payments £4,781.33 (Net)
This was signed by the Chair, and will be circulated to the Cllrs in the near future.
7a) TO RECEIVE GRASS CUTTING QUOTES FOR 2018 - 2019
Steve Beale from Green Grafter has quoted was £45.50 per cut
AGREED unanimously that this quote be accepted.
7b) UPDATE ON PROPOSED PAYROLL ARRANGEMENTS FOR CLERK
The Clerk reported that she had sent more information to Beverley & Williams, plus the new Pay scales, and Cara will send Payslip via email each month, so it now means that the Salary will be paid a month in arrears.
7c) CLERK'S HOURS
The Clerk reported that she had worked 21.75 hours since the last meeting.
7d) HMRC
The HMRC have now sent through the new Method and Code for claiming back LCC VAT and it was noted that for the last 2 years it will be about £30 refund.
7e) EXTERNAL AUDIT
The Clerk asked the meeting to acknowledge that the External Audit Papers have arrived, and demands for evidence had increased, but work on the Audit will commence soon
8. CORRESPONDENCE
From MCC
a) Agendas for various MCC Select Meetings
b) Various Press Releases: BBC filming Money for Nothing at Llanfoist Recycling Centre, Monmouthshire Businesses offered workshops, bikes will again be displayed in Usk for the Velothon on 8th July, huge clear-up on the A40 picked up 4.5 tonnes of rubbish etc.
c) Dates of Chepstow area Cluster meetings
d) Details of Usk Survey - emailed to Cllrs (Cllr Hatfield will be sent this link)
e) GDPR Awareness Pack
f) Review of Additional Learning Needs - emailed to Cllrs
One Voice Wales
a) Details of National Good Practice Awards Winners
b) An Inconvenient Truth - The Importance of external audit
c) OVW Response to the Independent Review Panel re: the Review of Community & Town Councils
d) OVW & SLCC Joint Event in Llandrindod Wells on 16th May
e) Agenda for Monmouth/Newport area Meeting - Thursday 19th April
Welsh Government
a) Green Paper Consultation Document on Strengthening Local Government
Business
a) FAQ from Zurich Municipal
b) Poster advertising 'Talk Health' on 24th May at St Michael's Centre, Abergavenny (on noticeboard)
c) Historic Environment Consultation Launched - CADW
General
a) Living Levels Newsletter
9. PLANNING APPLICATIONS
a) Application No: DC/2018/00500 - Allt y Bella, Coed Cwnwr, Llangeview, Usk NP15 1EZ - Reinstate existing window at ground floor level in South Elevation of Barn Building opposite main house
AGREED to recommend this application for approval.
b) Application No: DC/2018/00557 - Court Robin Farm, Court Robin Lane, Llangwm, Usk NP15 1ET - Side extension to existing dwelling
AGREED to recommend this application for approval.
c) Application No: DM/2018/00417 - New House, Llangwm, Usk NP15 1HA
Improved visibility vehicular access to New House. Close-up existing access
AGREED to recommend this application for approval.
10. COUNTY COUNCILLOR'S REPORT
County Councillor Bob Greenland gave the following report:
Following complaints about the operation of Highways, all Staff recently met with Members to explain what their individual roles were, and the Head of Operations, Roger Hoggins, has been tasked to improve the system.
The snow did a great deal of damage to roads so many more potholes have been widespread and MCC spent an additional sum of £400k on salt and staff unblocking the roads during the 2 periods of snow. CC Greenland stated that they were applying to the Welsh Government for funding to help pay for the snow clearance. Overall, MCC were complimented on the way staff dealt with the snow clearance, working around the clock to get roads open.
Cllr Trigg asked why the 'No Parking' around Usk was not being enforced, as vehicles are just ignoring the bollards and parking outside the One Stop.
CC Greenland stated that he believed businesses in Usk were being compensated for their losses during the road closures by the Utilities companies.
11. WARD REPORTS
There were none.
12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
a) OFFICERS FOR 2018/2019
The next meeting in May would be the AGM and therefore new Officers would be elected. Names that came forward were as follows: Chair - Peter Gough, Vice-Chair - John Watkins, Parish Hall Representative - Colin Evans.
Date of Next Meeting
Due to the Chair unable to make the next meeting, it was AGREED that the next meeting will now be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 22nd May 2018.
Meeting closed 9:20pm