Dear Councillor

2 September, 2015

Dear Councillor,

COUNCIL MEETING 9 SEPTEMBER, 2015

YOU ARE SUMMONED to a meeting of the SALTNEY TOWN COUNCIL to be held at the ODDFELLOWS HALL, 65 HIGH STREET, SALTNEY on WEDNESDAY 9 SEPTEMBER, 2015 at 7.15 pm in order to complete the transaction of the following business.

Yours faithfully

Alan Thorniley

Town Clerk

--AGENDA—

1. APOLOGIES

To receive apologies.

2. PUBLIC ATTENDANCE AT ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETINGS

PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK

Members of the public are invited to address the Council on any item that appears on the agenda. This item is time limited to 5 minutes, with the Mayor having discretion to extend to 10 minutes, depending on the issue and the number of people attending the meeting.

3. CODE OF CONDUCT – DECLARATION OF INTEREST

Members are reminded of their responsibility to declare any personal interest or prejudicial interest which they have in any item of business on the agenda no later than when that item is reached.

4. MINUTES

The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 8 July, 2015 to be confirmed as a correct record. (Copy attached).

5. MATTERS ARISING

Members are reminded that this item has been included to allow questions on the previous meeting Minutes. It does not allow for the re-opening of a debate.

6. POLICE MATTERS

A representative of the Police will attend the meeting if force duties allow.

7. STREETSCENE

A Member of staff from the County Council's Streetscene will attend the meeting. Members may wish to discuss the increase in fly tipping adjacent to the site of the former amenity site in Sandy Lane/Boundary Lane and in the ditches and on the lane to the Commons. A suggestion has been made that gating the lane might be one answer.

8. MAYOR’S COMMUNICATIONS

To receive such communications as The Mayor may wish to lay before the Council.

9. CCTV CAMERAS - BILLY'S PARK

Following the decision taken at the last meeting of the Council, a request was received from the Saltney Ferry Tenants and Residents Association for permission to mount a similar CCTV camera on the lamp column situated on the footpath leading from Ewart Street to North Street adjacent to the playing field. In view of the considerable delay that would have incurred if the decision had to wait to the September meeting of the Council, the Town Clerk wrote to all Members asking if they had any objection to the request. No adverse comments were received and the Town Clerk therefore wrote to the Association giving permission on behalf of the Council.

RECOMMENDED: That the action of the Town Clerk be confirmed.

10. AUDIT RETURN 31 MARCH, 2015

The Town Clerk will report that on the evening before he went on holiday (Saturday evening) he was clearing the junk mail from the system and found an e-mail from a member of staff at UHY Hacker Young dated 29 June, stating that a bank reconciliation had not been included in the Return and requesting a copy. He wrote back (at 23.23 hrs) explaining the situation and suggesting that correspondence from Auditors would normally be by letter or in this instance a telephone call would have sufficed and assuring them that the necessary documentation had been included with the Return, when deposited at their offices on 2 June, but that a second copy would be sent on his return from holiday.

The Auditor then e-mailed The Mayor suggesting that she should provide the necessary documentation as 'the statement should be readily available, and in fact distributed to Members at the time the Council approved the Annual Return (which it was). The Mayor, who was also on holiday, assured the Auditor that no doubt the Clerk would forward a copy on his return.

The Auditor asked that her e-mail be drawn to the attention of the full Council and also reminding that 'every time I write to you incurs an additional cost to the Council of £25 per letter.

11. LOCAL DEMOCRACY AND BOUNDARY COMMISSION FOR WALES

DRAFT DIRECTIONS AND CONSULTATION DOCUMENT

The Welsh Government has issued a Consultation Document on the draft directions to the Commission. (copy of the Directions attached). In particular they ask 7 Questions:

1. Do you think the suggested ratio provides for effective and convenient Local Government?;
2. Do you think there is a minimum number of councillors required to ensure the effective and democratic working of a local authority? If so, what is it and why?
3. Do you think a minimum number of elected members per local authority should be specified in the Draft Directions?
4. Do you think that there should be a cap on the maximum number of elected members per local authority? If so, what do you think that maximum number should be and why?
5. Do you agree that each ward within a local authority area should have roughly the same number of electors per elected member?
6. What effect should the particular characteristics of an area have on the number of councillors needed to represent the population?
7. Do you agree that commonly used Welsh language names for wards do not also need an English Language equivalent? If not, do you think that each ward should have an English and Welsh name/

Members are asked to consider their responses.

12. TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 (AS AMENDED) ENFORCEMENT ACTION APPEAL

Site: Old Bithell Boat Yard, River Lane, Saltney CH4 8RH

Enforcement Ref: 116952

National Assembly Reference: APP/A6835/C/15/3129521

Appeal start date: 6 August, 2015

Appellant's Name: Mr Arthur Hughes

Enforcement Notices for: Operational Development and Change of Use.

The Town Clerk will report the receipt of a letter from the County Council (copy attached) with regards to the appeal that has been made to the Planning Inspectorate in respect of the above site. Any comment the Town Council may wish to make must be sent to the Inspectorate by 17 September, 2015

13. BALDERTON BROOK - MAINTENANCE

Little or no maintenance has been carried out on the brook this year. Members are invited to consider approaching Natural Resources Wales for a timetable of the work to be done before the winter sets in.

14. INSURANCE RENEWAL

The Town Clerk will report on the terms of the renewal of the Town Council's Insurances.

15. ONE VOICE WALES AGM - MOTIONS FOR CONFERENCE

The Town Clerk will report that both Motions submitted for consideration at the AGM of OVW on Saturday 3 October, 2015, have been accepted for debate.

·  (modified) One Voice Wales is concerned about the incidents of flooding and urges the Minister for Natural Resources to ensure that regular dredging of rivers through the operational management of Natural Resources Wales.

·  Rural bus services play a vital social, economic and environmental role for the well being of communities across Wales. One Voice Wales calls upon funding authorities to cease the practice of reducing overall spending bu cutting or removing the subsidies for rural bus services, which leaves many parts of Wales with little or no bus service.

Both Motions will be seconded by the representatives of Mold Town Council.

16. YOUNG PERSONS TRAVEL DISCOUNT SCHEM

Members should be aware that with effect from 1 September, a Young Person's Travel Discount Scheme is to be introduced. The scheme is funded by the Welsh Government and has been developed in partnership with the bus industry and the local authorities.

The Scheme seeks to help 16-18 year olds to travel more cheaply on journeys to and from training and employment. Those who apply to join the scheme will be entitled to receive a one third discounted fares on all local buses and TrawsCymru journeys throughout Wales. Publicity is to be given by the bus companies but Members are asked to promote awareness of the scheme within the Township.

17. TEMPORARY CHANGES TO WOMENS AND MATERNITY SERVICES IN NORTH WALES.

There are proposals to change the abovementioned services and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have prepared a Consultation Paper - attached (further copies can be downloaded at www.wales,nhs.uk/NWMaternity). Responses are to be received by no later than 5 October, 2015.

18. STANDARDS AND ETHICS CONFERENCE 20 OCTOBER, 2015

As is usual each Welsh Local Authority has a number of places available to Town and Community Councils. Flintshire County Council are asking if anyone from Saltney Town Council would like to attend. For a number of years Councillor T A Evans name has been put forward to be one of the representatives of Flintshire's Town and Community Councils.

19. COMMUNITY ASSET TRANSFER

It has not proven possible to arrange for the necessary Officers from FLVC and the County Council to come to Saltney to discuss our proposals in an evening. Members will recall that the Council decided that the proposals should be discussed by the full Council. As no decisions will be made at this initial meeting but rather an information gathering meeting. Members are asked to give further consideration to the appointment of a small Working Group, who can meet during normal office hours, in order that progress can be made in this matter.

20. QUESTIONS

In accordance with Standing Order 23 to consider any questions to The Mayor or the Town Clerk from Members, of which due notice has been given.

21. INFORMATION FROM THE LOCAL COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS

Further to Minute 210 of 2008/9 Local County Council members, Councillor Richard Lloyd and Councillor Gay are invited to give any feedback they might have received from County Council meetings that may or will affect Saltney. Members of the Town Council who have attended meetings as representatives of the Town Council since the last meeting are also required to report back.

18. PAYMENT OF ACCOUNTS

To authorise payment of the following accounts:

Payee Invoice Amount

A Thorniley Salary + Office (£50.00) August £991.86

HMRC Town Clerk’s IT £235.40 NI £74.01 £309.41

Deeside Ldge Room Hire £25.00

Vision ICT Extra Hand Provision £510.00

VAT £102,00 £612.00

OVW Attendance at Conference £40.00

OVW AGM Cllr Gay and Town Clerk £170.00

Town Clerk, Alan Thorniley, 49 Meadowsway, Upton by Chester, Cheshire CH2 1HZ tel:01244 398829

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