May 2004

Minutes of Monthly Meeting of Llangunnor Community Council held in ‘Yr Aelwyd’, on Thursday 20th May 2004 at 7.15pm

PRESENT: Councillor Deryc R Rees (Chairman), Robin O Griffiths, John David James Morgan, Ieuan M Lewis, Mair Lloyd, Audrey M Jones, C Merlin Jones, WD Vivian Evans, Alfred Tyndale Bailey, Denzil Williamsand D Elwyn Williams

APOLOGIES: Councillor Howard R Davies and PC C Bond

The Chairman apologised for his absence at the April meeting and thanked Cllr D Williams, Vice-Chairman for chairing the meeting. He added his personal welcome to Cllr IM Lewis who had attended the April meeting after a period of illness and offered him the Council's best wishes on his 80th birthday. The Chairman said that he had had the pleasure of unveiling the framed Parish Tapestry at Ysgol Llangunnor School and was pleased to see that it incorporated the Community Council Crest. (RESOLVED to thank Mrs Z Jenkins for incorporating the Crest in the Tapestry.) The Chairman gave an account of the first meeting of 'Un Llais I Gymru/One Voice For Wales' that he and the Clerk had attended at Llandrindod Wells on 24th April 2004. The Welsh Assembly had made supportive inputs and a genuine debate ensued on the major issues concerning the constitution and structure of the new national body established to represent member Town and Community Councils. A record of the meeting will be circulated to member Councils in due course. Members thanked the Chairman for his report

RESOLVED to approve as a correct record the minutes of:
i) The Monthly Council meeting held on 15th April 2004.
ii) The Planning Committee Meeting held on 15th April 2004

i) Minute 106 The Clerk reported that he had forwarded the list of points to Mr Workman for his perusal and would expect to receive responses in due course.
ii) Minute 107 The Police Authority had indicated that the identified lighting column was not suitable for attaching the CCTV camera. RESOLVED that the Clerk obtains further information on the matter.
iii) Minute 109ii The Clerk reported that although the way leaves agreement had been obtained, it had not been necessary to attach the power supply cables to the property. Members noted the report.
iv) Minute 109v The Clerk reported that Yr Aelwyd had been booked to hold the monthly meeting on 21st June.
v) Minute 109ix Cllr D Williams tabled a proof of the Welsh Language version of the Council Certificate. Members were pleased with the proof and thanked Cllr Williams for his role. RESOLVED to adopt the Welsh Language version and in line with the Council's bilingual policy to present both a Welsh and English version of the certificate to all recipients in future.
vi) Minute 111 Thankyou letters had been received from the three recipients of grants.
vii) Minute 112b Cllr CM Jones agreed to obtain the County Council cleaning arrangements for their bus shelters installed in the community.
viii) Minute 115i Clerk reported that the information he had obtained indicated that the Community Council had supplied the seat and plaque originally. RESOLVED that the Clerk liases with the Church Wardens on the most appropriate location for the seat and to obtain costs before proceeding with a replacement plaque. 118. Police Report

The Clerk relayed a verbal report from the Police:
26 hours of speed camera monitoring conducted recently at various locations in the Community had resulted in 4 prosecutions and 42 verbal warnings. With regards to the restricted access issue at the east end of Penymorfa Lane no offenders had been observed when monitored at various times. Local residents have been consulted on the matter. The issue of highway lighting at the A48 Nantycaws junction has been raised with the County Council. The youth anti social behaviour in the Tregynnwr area has been targeted and seems to have ebbed again. A car has been stolen from Haulfryn and there was a police raid on the Park Pavilion recently

Cllr D Williams reported on the Park Association meeting held the previous evening. The Association is liasing with community groups to establish what further facilities would be welcomed at the park. Action is in hand to improve the access to the Park in order to meet the requirements of the Disablement Act, before enforcement in October 2004. Cllr Williams reported that the Association is analysing the ‘Risk Assessment Report’ on the park facilities produced by the County Council. Minor works, that can easily be remedied, have been identified and acted upon, but some requirements will take longer as they will call for capital expenditure. The Chairman thanked Cllr Williams for the report and reminded Members that Council must also be conscious of the need to meet the requirements of the Act in terms of its community provisions and its venues for meetings

The Clerk presented a report on the quotations received on the Council’s identified lighting requirements. Following detailed consideration of the report it was RESOLVED to prioritise as follows: i) New Lighting: Priority 1 New lamps at Nantycaws: by the bus shelter; near Plas Newydd; outside the cemetery; pole re-alignment opposite Bryncerith; and a new lamp at a point further along the same road. Priority 2 New lamps near Tirpound, Nantycaws House and Glannant. Priority 3 To lobby County Council to provide a pavement and lighting between Star Cottage and Glan Towy Lodge and highway lighting from Dyfed–Police HQ to Login Square ii) Improvements: Priority 1 High lift bracket replacements along Mount Pleasant to Pibwr Mill Bridge; 4 new lamps along upper end of Sticle path - adjacent to the school; renewal of 14 corroded columns on Tregynnwr estates (subject to requesting the County Council to renew, as they had installed them initially) Priority 2 5 New lamps in Haulfryn; 7 Lamps in Bron y Dre; 7 additional columns at various locations on the Tregynnwr estates; new lamp at rear of Talar and at Glanffynnon.

It was further RESOLVED that the Clerk obtains costings for all the priorities and produces a budget statement on the funding available, in order that the final priority list can be determined. It was agreed that the Clerk together with Cllr CM Jones review the improvements identified in the Tregynnwr estates to establish priority need. In response to a discussion relating to the new lamp installed outside Brynhyfryd, Nantycaws, the Clerk to obtain costs for two options – a) relocating the new lamp to the road junction some 100metres west of Brynhyfryd; b) installation of an additional lamp at the junction.

The Clerk presented a report on the following three items:
i) Frame for 'Parish Tapestry' in Llangunnor School (Minute 35 - 17th July 2003 meeting refers) Following discussion on, and acceptance of, the explanation received in writing from the school for the variance between the initial quotation for the frame and the invoice received for the work, it was RESOLVED (on the Chairman's casting vote) that the invoice be paid in full by the Community Council. (Cllrs RO Griffiths and CM Jones declared their interest with regard to this item and did not vote, as they are Members of the School Governing Body)

ii) Renewal of annual contracts
a) Playing Field Grass Cutting - April to October 2004 RESOLVED to accept the tender submitted by Carmarthenshire County Council at a contract price of £601.90 (£35.41 per cut).
b) Bus Shelter and Playing Field Maintenance Agreed as follows: Playing field Pavilion - £60.00 per month from 1/04/04: Cleaning of Bus Shelters – Cleaning as per previous specifications - £100.00 for April 2004; From May 1st operating the revised requirements as specified in the April 2004 meeting at the Contractor's price of £126 per month, until the Council receives details of the County Council's arrangements for cleaning the new bus shelters. (Refer also to Minute 117vii) (Cllr DE Williams declared an interest with regard to this item as he is related to the contractor.)
c) Provision of Internal Audit for year 2003/04 Agreed at April meeting - Minute 112c refers.
d) External Audit Noted that the Audit fee of the appointed Auditor, HLB AV Audit plc is £250.00 + VAT, based on the income/expenditure band for charges £25k - £50k (same as for 2002/3)

iii) Monthly Accounts

The monthly schedule was received from the Clerk. RESOLVED to approve the following expenditure:

Council to note receipt of income

RESOLVED to receive the monthly schedule of correspondence and agreed action as follows:

i) Cllr RO Griffiths said that it was disconcerting for Community Councillors not to be issued with the Register of Electors with their nomination papers and that he even had difficulty in obtaining a copy when requested from the County Council. All Members supported this view and RESOLVED that the Clerk refers the matter to One Voice For Wales/Un Llais I Gymru.
ii) To request the County Council (Highways) to provide yellow grid road markings on the 'Towy Ford' roundabout, thereby improving the flow of traffic from the Pensarn direction.
iii) RESOLVED to include issues relating to the roundabout near the 'Safeway Store' on the June meeting agenda.
iv) To raise with the County Council the danger experienced from fast traffic in Llangunnor Road at the times when school buses stop for pupils and cars are parked awaiting to collect the pupils from the buses.
v) To request the County Council to trash the central reservation between Brynmeusydd and Login Square.
vi) Arrangements for the Annual General Meeting were confirmed as follows: The AGM to be held at 7.00pm on 17th June 2004 in 'Yr Aelwyd' and followed by the Chairman's Annual Dinner at 8.00pm in The Restaurant, Pibwrlwyd Campus, Coleg Sir Gâr. The following guests to be invited: Retired Councillors DR Rees, S Richards and IM Lewis together with Mrs IM Lewis; Clerk. The retired Councillors to be presented with framed Council Certificates. Members thanked Cllr D Williams for making the dinner arrangements

The Chairman informed Members that this was his last meeting as a Member of the Council as he will not be seeking re-election in June. He thanked the Members and Clerk for their support during his year as Chairman and for their friendship whilst he had been a Councillor. He wished every success to all standing in the forthcoming election and best wishes to Councillor Ieuan Lewis, who is retiring from the Council, after many years serving the needs of the community. Cllr Ieuan Lewis added his good wishes to everyone in the future and thanked all for their support over the years. The Members and Clerk joined in wishing both the very best in the future and thanked them for their valuable work on behalf of the Llangunnor Community

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