MINUTES OF LLANGWM COMMUNITY COUNCIL

TUESDAY 17th JULY 2018 AT THE PARISH HALL, LLANGWM

COUNCILLORS PRESENT: Cllr. Bob Trigg, Cllr Colin Evans, Cllr David Williams, Cllr Malcolm Hatfield

Cllr Evans took the Chair in the absence of the Chairman & Vice-Chairman

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

1. OPEN SESSION

POLICE REPORT

There was no Police Report available.

2. APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence were received from Cllr Peter Gough, Cllr John Watkins & 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 19th June 2018 were agreed and signed as a true and correct record.

5. MATTERS ARISING

5a) Street Signs

The Clerk reported that no progress has been made since our request for these Street Signs was made originally in November 2016, and had been chased up many times during the last 18 months, plus at the Usk Cluster Group Meeting on 13th June.

CC Greenland stated that he would look into this for the Community Council.

5b) General Data Protection Regulation

The Clerk had prepared a new spreadsheet for all to sign, but as several Councillors were not at the meeting it would be signed at the September meeting.

6. HIGHWAYS

a) Update on Matters Reported

No reports received although it was noted that the Pro Forma had been sent on 21st June!

i) The Clerk reported that the Finger Post had been delivered to Ty-Llwyd Farm in readiness for installing at Nantygelli Crossroads.

ii) Mr Mike Foster had reported that the pothole at the top of George's Delight had been repaired 2 days after the Clerk had reported it for him on the MON APP.

b) New Highway Issues raised by Councillors

No new Highways issues raised by Councillors

c) New Highway Issues raised by others

No new Highways issues raised by others

7. FINANCE

Barclays Bank

Balance at the Bank as of 29th June 2018 was £1,731.58

Monmouthshire Building Society

Balance as of 31^st March 2018 - £1,771.20

INVOICES FOR PAYMENT

Invoice:

i) Shirley Hughes £86.78 - Expenses for June/July - Chq no 718

ii) Shirley Hughes £136.01 - Salary for July - Chq no 719

AGREED that the above invoices are paid.

The Monthly Finance Reconciliation for July 2018 was:

Receipts £3,271.20

Payments £1,843.07 (Net)

This was signed by the Chair, and will be circulated to the Cllrs in the near future.

7a) CLERK'S HOURS

The Clerk reported that she had worked 38.75 hours since the last meeting, due to work on the Audit.

7b) REPORT FROM THE INTERNAL AUDITOR

Mr Ted Royds reported that he had undertaken the Internal Audit on 28th June and gave the following Report:

'I have spent two hours with the Clerk, Miss Shirley Hughes, going through the documentation necessary for her to produce the year end accounts for the Community Council. As a result, it is my considered opinion that she is presently carrying out the duties of RFO for this Council with the necessary competence. It is also my belief that she has successfully complied with the demands for verification paperwork required by the external auditors, which seem to considerably increase with each passing year'.

Mr Royds also pointed out that although the Council's reserves may be perceived to be a large percentage of the Council's finances, they are necessary when emergency expenditure, often large for such a small organisation, can arise at any time - for example a sudden resignation can create the need to hold an election, which could be a major financial burden.

Copies of the full Report were circulated to Councillors, and will be emailed out to all Councillors.

The Chairman thanked Mr Royds for his work in undertaking the Audit, and congratulated him on recently celebrating his 62nd Wedding Anniversary.

8. CORRESPONDENCE

From MCC

a) Agendas for various MCC Select Meetings

b) Various Press Releases: LC Staff save man's life, Green Flag Award for 3 sites, Networking Event success, MCC to provide £150k to support high street businesses

c) Rob Tranter moving on to Caerphilly CC

d) Enforcement Cases for June - nothing for Llangwm or Llansoy

One Voice Wales

a) Is there a Tree in the Ward that you would like to put on the map?

b) Papers for area AGM on 19th July

c) OVW Conference on 29th Sept in Llanelwedd

d) Half-price Charles Arnold Baker book at just £53 + postage

e) List of Training events to be held during July

Welsh Government

a) June Newsletter for the Review of Community & Town Council Sector in Wales

b) Decarbonisation Programme Newsletter

GAVO

a) GAVO are looking for Sponsorship for their Volunteer Awards

Business

a) Consultation from NHS regarding Chest & Lung operation for adults in South Wales

b) Older People's Commissioner for Wales Newsletter

c) Bilingual Translation Service

d) Wales Road Safety Conference 7th Sept at Celtic Manor

General

a) Talking Books are looking for donations

b) Portstock - Music Festival on 18th Aug in Newport for St David's

9. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

a) Application No: DM/2018/01039 Rose Cottage, Old Quarry Road, Llansoy NP15 1DF

Demolition of modern lean-to structures. Extension to existing cottage.

Councillors viewed the plans submitted to the Planning Portal and were concerned about the amount of Corrugated Corton steel on the building (especially on the North Elevation) which is vast and does not match local housing in the area, but appreciate that corrugated steel barns can be seen in the distance, but they are barns and not a private dwelling.

AGREED to recommend Refusal of this Application in its present form, and the Clerk to speak to the Planning Officer, as by approving the design as it stands, it may set a precedent for other developers in the area.

10. COUNTY COUNCILLOR'S REPORT

County Councillor Bob Greenland gave the following report.

CC Greenland was still trying to get Broadband into Llangwm Village Hall and that MCC had received a grant form RCDF for this purpose.

Cllr Bob Trigg - asked about when the grass verges would be cut? Although junctions had been cut, they had not been cut back far enough from the junctions, which was causing a safety issue.

CC Greenland stated that there would only be one cut this year, but not sure when this would be.

Budget priorities were under review and priority must be given to Schools, Social Services and the ageing population of Monmouthshire, but revenue was being received from the County's Solar Farm.

Cllr Bob Trigg - queried if it was normal practice that a child with behaviour problems was brought from Newport each day to attend Usk Primary School, and was disrupting other pupils? CC Greenland would look into this.

Street Signs - the Clerk asked CC Greenland about the ongoing saga of the Street Signs for Llangwm, as it was over 18 months since a MCC Officer had stated in a meeting that MCC would supply and erect these signs. Numerous conversations and emails had been sent backwards and forwards, but still no signs! The Clerk felt that her efforts to resolve this issue had put the Community Council in a bad light with the local residents who had been asked their opinion and visited by Mr Sheath and Mr Royds in 2016!

Mr Ted Royds stated that he had spent many years living in his property, and still the road hasn't got a sign saying its Llanynant Road and not Chapel Lane or Chapel Road!

AGREED - County Councillor Greenland asked the Clerk to send him past correspondence, and he would look into this.

11. WARD REPORTS

There were no Ward Reports

12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

There was none

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 18th September 2018.

Meeting closed 8.31pm