MINUTES OF LLANGWM COMMUNITY COUNCIL

TUESDAY 20TH NOVEMBER 2018 AT THE PARISH HALL, LLANGWM

COUNCILLORS PRESENT: Cllr David Williams (Chaired the meeting) Cllr Bob Trigg, Cllr Colin Evans, Cllr Malcolm Hatfield with Cllr Peter Gough & Cllr John Watkins (part of meeting)

IN ATTENDANCE: Shirley Hughes, Clerk

1. OPEN SESSION

POLICE REPORT

It was noted that although there was no Police Report, CSO Andy Jones had supplied the Clerk with Posters advertising Gwent Now, and these were being distributed on the local Noticeboards and in the Parish Hall.

2. APOLOGIES

Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor Bob Greenland & 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 16th October were agreed and signed as a true and correct

Record.

5. MATTERS ARISING

5a) Street Signs

It was noted that the Clerk had received an email from Mark Watkins MCC quoting £421.03 for one bilingual sign, and a similar sign bought online from a company called Archers, was approx. half the cost.

AGREED to ask MCC for a breakdown of the costs

Earlier correspondence with Head of Operations indicated that MCC would provide and install the signs if Llangwm CC made a donation towards the cost, but now Mr Hoggins has stated that

'haven't gone back to my earlier email but this type of signage isn't a priority to MCC so I would suggest

that the community council assume funding of full cost of supply and installation'.

The Clerk today spoke to Roger Hoggins, and he has now agreed that if we decide to have 6 signs now, and contribute £1,500, MCC will pay the rest.

AGREED that LCC could only afford to contribute £1,000, and Councillors felt that it was very unfair to continue to keep moving the goal posts on this subject, therefore MCC should contribute at least 60% of the costs.

Councillors thought that the original list of signs should be prioritised which needed to be installed, and Cllr Trigg offered to meet with the Officer to discuss position of these signs.

AGREED the following were prioritised for signs in order of most relevance:

Llanynant Road

Chapel Road

The Duffryn

Millbrook

5b) Flashing Speeding Signs

The Clerk reported that at a past meeting she was asked to get a Quote for the Flashing Speed signs:

For a Mini 300 SDU Speed Sign with Slow Down Safety Message or sad/smiley face & Solar powered, £1,765.52 + VAT = £2,118.62

5c) OFCOM RE: BROADBAND/MOBILE PHONE STANDARDS

The Clerk reported that she had looked into what Standard of Service rural communities should expect for their Broadband & Mobile Phone and couldn't find a definitive answer, so has written to the Director of OFCOM Wales - still awaiting reply, but will follow this up.

6. HIGHWAYS

a) Update on Matters Reported

No updates available.

b) New Highway Issues raised by Councillors

i) Cllr Trigg reported the following:

Route 81 - Jnt. B4235 to Camp Farm - Potholes

Route 81 - Camp Farm to Pont-y-Caith - Blocked Gullies

Route 81 - Pont-y-Caith & Duffryn - Blocked Gullies

Bus Stop - Cllr Trigg asked if clarification could be sought that there is a Bus Stop outside Ivy Cottage at the Jnt of Duffryn Lane (Old Post Office) on the 63 Bus Route. Historically the Chepstow bus has stopped and picked up passengers at the site, but now drivers are saying it's not a proper stop. The Clerk will enquire with the Passenger Transport Unit.

c) New Highway Issues raised by others

There were none

7. FINANCE

Barclays Bank

Balance at the Bank as of 28th October 2018 was £2,147.28

Monmouthshire Building Society

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

INVOICES FOR PAYMENT

Invoice:

i) Shirley Hughes £272.02 - Salary for Nov - Dec - Chq no 727

ii) HMRC - £102.00 - Tax & NI for Oct - Dec - Chq no 728

iii) Shirley Hughes £34.19 - Expenses for Oct - Nov - Chq no 729

AGREED that the above invoices are paid.

The Monthly Finance Reconciliation for September 2018 was:

Receipts £4,771.20

Payments £3,004.23 (Net)

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

7a) CLERK'S SALARY

It was noted that the Clerk had discovered that since April 1st, her salary should have been £9.908 per hour, and she has been paid £9.392 per hour. This had been totally the Clerk's mistake, as Beverley & Williams who do the payroll, had been given the wrong rates document.

It was AGREED by the Councillors that the Clerk write officially to the Council pointing out this mistake, and then inform Beverley & Williams so that this can be amended and backdated to April 1st 2018.

7b) TO DISCUSS DRAFT BUDGET AND PRECEPT FOR 2019/2020

A copy of the last 2 year's Budgets, plus the previous year's Actual Finances were distributed and the Clerk compared to this financial year, plus some of the recommendations from the Internal Auditor that our payments will increase slightly for the forthcoming year,

For example:

- Subscriptions - OVW £60

- Training - £35 per session, so if the Clerk did 2 training events per year = £70

- Admin - This is the cost of the Payroll from Beverley & Williams = £120

- Grass Cutting - anticipate it will be = £240

- Hall Hire - approx.= £200

- Audit - approx. = £220

- Insurance - Slight increase = £320

- Grants to Churches/Best Kept Village = £500

- Street Furniture to include purchase of Street Signs = £2,000

Along with the Clerk's Salary, expenses and other costs, these payments roughly add up to £7,150.00

This would mean an increase in the Precept to £5,500, but a final decision on the Budget and Precept will be taken at the January 2019 Meeting.

7c) TO ENGAGE THE SERVICES OF AN INTERNAL AUDITOR

It was proposed by Cllr David Williams and seconded by Cllr Colin Evans that Mr Ted Royds be appointed as Internal Auditor for 2 years, 2018/19 and 2019/20.

The Clerk will write to Mr Royds.

7d) CLERK'S HOURS

The Clerk reported that she had worked 19.5 hours since the last meeting.

8. CORRESPONDENCE

From MCC

a) Agendas for various MCC Select Meetings

b) Numerous Press Releases: Event held at Chepstow School to counter effects of bullying, Children asked about Library provision, Teams work together to remove fly-tipping, Usk Hub looking for stalls at their Xmas Fayre etc.

c) Survey on Loneliness & Social Isolation (emailed to Cllrs)

d) Enforcement Monthly Case List for October - nothing for Llangwm or Llansoy

e) Council News (emailed to Cllrs)

f) MCC Council Chamber will be closed during December, for works to be done - so therefore NO meetings will be live streamed

One Voice Wales

a) OVW Local Government Finance Training is Usk on 29th Nov

b) Dates of OVW Conferences during 2019

c) Area Committee Meeting on 17th January

d) Minutes of Area Meeting on 4th Oct

e) October Newsletter - (forwarded to Cllrs)

f) OVW Innovative Practice & National Awards Conference 2019 on Thurs 28th March

Welsh Government

a) Welsh Government are Recruiting

b) Understanding Welsh Places

c) ) Local Government Services to Rural Communities Report - from Audit Office

Business

a) Notes from Zurich Insurance re update on a few issues such as Tree Liabilities

General

a) Invite to CAB AGM on 3rd December

b) Audio Visual Direct equipment

c) Results of Gwent Best Kept Village

9. PLANNING APPLICATIONS

a) DM/2018/01039 - Rose Cottage, Old Quarry Road, Llansoy NP15 1DF

Demolition of modern lean-to structures. Extension to existing cottage & construction of night roost structure for bats

It was noted that this application had been looked at in July, and proposed refusal because of the Corrugated Corton on the outside of the building, and Cllrs AGREED that they had no further comments to make on this application.

b) LAND NORTH OF BRIDGE INN

The Clerk spoke to Planning about a possible application north of the Bridge Inn, and they said that nothing has come in as yet. An application came in over a year ago, but was invalid as extra info was asked for at the time, but nothing came forward.

c) BRIDGE INN

While speaking to Planning, the Clerk asked about the Bridge Inn and he said he would look into the status with the Enforcement Order.

AGREED to chase up the Enforcement Officer to see what the status is at this time, as a door has now been smashed in and rats are running in and out of the building.

10. COUNTY COUNCILLOR'S REPORT

As County Councillor Bob Greenland was not in attendance, there was no report.

11. WARD REPORTS

There were no Ward Reports

12. ANY OTHER BUSINESS

a) DRAFT MEETING DATES FOR 2019

The Clerk circulated Draft dates for Community Council meetings for 2019, and these were AGREED

Copies will be sent to CSO Andy Jones and Sue Evans Booking Secretary for the Hall

b) Next Meeting

The Chair Cllr Peter Gough gave his apologies for the January meeting

Date of Next Meeting

The next meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday 15th January 2019, and everyone was wished a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Meeting closed 9.24pm