MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF BLAENGWRACH COMMUNITY COUNCIL HELD IN St. Mary`s Church Hall at 6.30pm on THURSDAY 19th SEPTEMBER 2019.
PRESENT: Councillors Carolyn Edwards (Chair); Menna Mortimore (Deputy Chair); Rhian Williams; Philippa Richards & Andrew Hippsley.
ALSO PRESENT: Clive Baker (Clerk to Blaengwrach Community Council).
There were no members of the public present.
035/19 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Councillors Bethan Parry; Chris Kelly; Julia Hippsley; Amanda Doherty & Rhian Watts.
036/19 DECLARATION(S) OF INTEREST: Councillor Carolyn Edwards declared her interest as a County Councillor of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.
037/19 CONFIRMATION OF THE MINUTES OF THE LAST MEETING AS A TRUE RECORD: The minutes of the meeting held on 18th July 2019 were accepted as a true record of that meeting. Proposed by Councillor Philippa Richards & seconded by Councillor Menna Mortimore.
038/19 MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 18th July 2019 & AGENDA ITEMS:
a) Parking in Heol Y Felin – The report from NPTCBC is still awaited;
b) The Welfare Park Project – The children`s play area, MUGA & 3G pitch improvements have been completed and the invoice paid. The contractor will attend to complete the landscaping within the next four/five weeks. It has been arranged that the two metal sides of “the dram” & the “metal window” of the shed will be replaced (under H&S Guidelines) by 21st October 2019 in readiness for the “Graffiti Project”. The “kick about/grass area” was discussed AND IT WAS DECIDED THAT NO FURTHER MONEY WILL BE SPENT ON THIS AREA of the Park.
c) Christmas 2019 Celebrations & Organisation – The entertainer will be booked within the next week. The Clerk will contact WAFERS to book Santa`s Sleigh and food/drink supplies etc. will be ordered and picked up in mid-November.
d) The Vale of Neath Health Centre – The Centre opened on 19th August 2019. THIS ITEM IS NOW CLOSED.
e) Change of Trustees of Council Open Space Charity – No response has been received from the existing trustees and it was therefore decided TO CLOSE THIS ITEM UNTIL NEW INFORMATION ON IT IS AVAILABLE.
f) The Re-Opening of “the Parish Road” – NPTCBC are still preparing the consultation document & results will be analysed when complete.
g) “After School Club” at the Welfare Hall – No response has been received from the people who proposed to start the Club and it has therefore been decided to close this minute. THIS ITEM IS NOW CLOSED.
h) The Possibility of a Display Cabinet in the Welfare Hall for Cwmgwrach/Blaengwrach Historical Memorabilia — To be revisited when all aspects of the Park Project has been completed and paid for.
i) Discussion on Review of Energy Prices/Suppliers – COUNCILLOR PHILIPPA RICHARDS DECLARED AN INDIRECT INTEREST AS SHE IS A FRIEND OF THE REPRESENTATIVE OF UTILITY WAREHOUSE AND TOOK NO PART IN THE DISCUSSION OR THE VOTE ON THIS ITEM – After discussing the quotes received from Utility Aid Ltd & Utility Warehouse it was decided to work with Utility Warehouse on the basis that they offered 12 month contracts (to be reviewed annually) as opposed to being “tied” to three or four year contracts.
j) The Pedestrian Crossing on the B4242 Near the Vale of Neath Health Centre – The design is being finalised by NPTCBC, Streetcare Team.
k) The DANSA Community Car Scheme (to/from the Vale of Neath Health Centre) – This is now in place & available in Rhigos, Glynneath, Resolven, Clyne & CWMGWRACH. THIS ITEM IS NOW CLOSED.
l) NPTCBC, Legal Department Examination of Council Leases – The lessees have been contacted & it was proposed that some of the Council meet with one of them on Wednesday 2nd October 2019 to discuss the lease of the Council owned property.
m) GTC Skip Project- A letter, asking several questions for clarification purposes, was sent to Glynneath Town Council on 24th July 2019 but no response has been received to date.
n) Agenda Item 5a – Possible Update of Welfare Park CCTV – The Council had obtained five (5) quotes for replacing the old CCTV system, which was no longer “fit for purpose”. After examination of all the quotes, proposals, explanation of items to be supplied/used etc.it was decided to instruct Touch Networks to carry out the work to replace the existing system with a new system, with one/two extra cameras to be installed, at a cost of £2,190.00. This amount will be paid out of the Council`s “reserves” to protect the new Council asset (the New Park). WHEN THE WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED THE COUNCIL WILL PURSUE ANY INCIDENT OF VANDALISM OR OTHER INCIDENTS AT THE PARK WITH THE LOCAL POLICE.
039/19 PLANNING – 3/9/2019 – P2019/5358 – Euro Garages Limited, Beehive Trading Park, Haslingden Road, Blackburn BB1 2EE – Details pursuant to Condition 4 (Landscaping) of the Planning Application P2017/0112, approved on 8th June 2017, on Land between A465 & High Street, Blaengwrach – It was reported that several Councillors had received complaints that the developers/contractors had encroached on land outside the site boundary and the Council requested that the Clerk write to NPTCBC, Planning Department to ask them how often the Planning Enforcement Officers visit the site to check that ALL conditions of the Panning Approval are being adhered to.
040/19 CRIME & DISORDER – The reported crime figures for Blaengwrach/Cwmgwrach for June & July 2019 were 7 & 14 respectively. They were broken down as follows:
June 2019 – Anti-Social Behaviour -2; Criminal Damage & Arson – 1; Public Disorder – 1 & Violent & Sexual Offences – 3.
July 2019 – Anti-Social Behaviour – 4; Criminal Damage & Arson – 1; Drug Related – 1; Public Disorder – 2; Vehicle Crime – 1 & Violent & Sexual Offences – 5.
The next PACT meeting will take place at 6.30pm on Wednesday 25th September 2019 in the St Mary`s Church Hall.
Police Inspector Matt Otteson will attend the October meeting for a short question & answer session (questions from Councillors only). NOTE; THE PUBLIC CAN ATTEND ANY LOCAL PACT MEETING TO ASK QUESTIONS & GIVE THEIR VIEWS RELATING TO LOCAL CRIME & POLICING.
041/19 FINANCE:
For period 19th July 2019 to 19th September 2019.
Payments Made:
HMRC – Tax on Clerk Salary (2 months) – £159.60; Welsh Water – Water Rates (Hall) (2 months) – £208.00; Welsh Water – Water Rates (Cemetery) (2 months) – £76.00; NPTCBC – General Rates (Hall) (2 months) – £842.00; NPTCBC – General Rates (Cemetery) (2 months) – £90.00; Staff Pension Scheme (9 weeks) – £104.58; 2 x Councillor Allowances for 2019-2020 – £300.00; Stay Safe Installation Ltd – Connecting Power Supply to “bollard lights” (Park Project) – £1,362.00; Premier Stores – Black Bags for Hall – £2.00; Gemmas Plumbing – Repair to Gent`s Toilet in Hall – £70.00; British Gas – Gas @ Hall (30/5/19 to 22/8/19) – £168.98; Zurich Municipal – Increase in Annual Premium for “New Park” – £1,259.15; Small Plant & Machinery Ltd – 2019 PAT Testing – £108.00; Hartson Fire Ltd – Annual Service of Fire Fighting Equipment & 2 Replacement Fire Extinguishers – £118.80; Wired Up Wales – Annual website registration & hosting fee – £90.00; Wicksteed Leisure Ltd – 2nd Payment for installation of “New Park” – £103,397.40; Information Commissioners Office – Annual Registration of CCTV at Welfare Park – £35.00;
Income Received:
Hall Hire Fees – £396.00; NPTCBC – 2nd Precept Payment (2019-2020) – £12,176.67; Pen Y Cymoedd CYC – 2nd Half of Grant in Respect of Park Project – £49,500.00.
042/19 CORRESPONDENCE:
25/7/2019 from Pen Y Cymoedd CYC – Newsletter about grants given across 4 South Wales Valleys for the first six months of 2019; 2/8/2019 from One Voice Wales – Copy of NALC Bulletin no: L01-18 re: Clarification on grants requested from churches/ecclesiastical charities by Town/Community Councils; 28/8/2019 from Age Friendly Wales – Summer 2019 Newsletter; 11/9/2019 from Transport for Wales – Details of how to apply for replacement (new style) Concessionary Travel Cards; 13/9/2019 from NPTCBC, Transport Department – Notice of changes to X7 bus service (Glynneath to Swansea).
There were NO Section 137 Requests received between 19th July 2019 to 19th September 2019.
043/19 MATTERS RAISED BY COUNCILLORS – There were no other matters raised by Councillors.
044/19 SET DATE, TIME, VENUE & PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE NEXT MEETING- The next meeting is scheduled to take place in the St Mary`s Church Hall, Blaengwrach at 6.30pm on Thursday 17th October 2019. The first proposed agenda item is a Question & Answer Session with Inspector Matt Otteson of South Wales Police.
The meeting closed at 7.55pm.