Minutes of a Council Meeting Held at the Council Chamber at 7

MINUTES OF A COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT THE COUNCIL CHAMBER AT 7.00 P.M. ON MONDAY 23rd NOVEMBER, 2009

Present Cllr Mrs A.M. Jones (Mayor)

“ E.J. Breeze

“ Mrs R. Brunt

“ Mrs C Edwardes

“ Mrs E.L. Evans

“ Lady Hooson

“ D.C. Jones

“ G. Morgan

“ G. Powell

“ Mrs P. Smith

“ J. Whittal Williams

Town Clerk

Prior to the Council Meeting, at 6,30 pm Councillors met with Mr Henk Jan Kuipers, North Powys Rural Housing Enabler, to discuss affordable housing in the area and to address local needs. Mr Kuipers is an officer paid by PCC/WAG/Housing Associations to liaise independently to find out if there is a need in the area for an affordable housing scheme. Mr Kuipers suggested a Consultation day in the Town, which would include a representative from the local Planning department. Councillors agreed with the suggestion, and requested further information regarding statistics. Mr Kuipers was asked to obtain information on

a)  Housing waiting lists?

b)  What Planning permissions exist that have not been commenced?

c)  Would a development be devalued if affordable housing were included?

At 7.00 p.m. Mr Al Hanagen and Mr Ruori Lean from Neon Renewables gave a 10 minute presentation relating to the latest developments on the Hirddywel Wind Farm. Further to the meetings and consultations carried out earlier in the year, the proposed 13 Wind Turbines have now been reduced to 9.The Planning application for the development will be submitted in February 2010 and many exhibitions and consultation meetings will be held prior to that date. The next exhibition will be held in Llidiartywaen Community Hall on 9th and 10th December, 2009 where all are welcome to attend. Cllr Edwardes informed Council that she attended a presentation which she found very informative with lots of important paper work available.

At 7.10 pm the meeting opened with Prayers

335/01 APOLOGIES Apologies were received from Cllrs R.N. Hamer and N. Venti

335/02 DECLARATION OF INTEREST Forms to record declaration of interests were circulated and filed with these minutes. Cllrs G Morgan, Mrs L. Evans, Mrs P Smith and G. Powell all declared an interest in all matters relating to PCC. Cllr Morgan also declared an interest in issues relating to Millennium Garden and Hafren Terrace Hedge. Cllrs Mrs A.M. Jones and R. Brunt declared an interest in all matters relating to the Arwystli Medical Practice.

335/03 MINUTES The following minutes were read and confirmed

Council meeting held on 26.10.09 Cllr Whittal Williams asked Cllr Morgan for information on the Old Market Hall. Cllr Morgan gave a brief summary. (it was agreed that this was discussed and minuted at the October Council meeting) Cllr Morgan informed Council that he will be meeting Mr Steve Holdaway in the near future to discuss progress.

Heads of Panels meeting to discuss Health & Safety 03.11.09 Councillors agreed that most of the jobs as suggested by Mr Harris, Workboost Wales can be carried out by Councillors. It was agreed that Mr Foster will be used in the future for jobs requiring the help of a professional. Clerk was asked to contact Mr Harris to delay his meeting by 1 week.

Finance/Town Hall Advisory Panel meeting held on 10.11.09 It was agreed that the next meeting will be held on 01.12.09 at 6.30 pm to discuss the setting of the Precept. No other finance business to take place on this evening

The following recommendations were agreed and voted on:

a)£50 to be given to the Youth Forum towards a visit to Parliament

b)Local Charities to benefit from the small amount of grant monies still left this year.

c) Clerk to request that translation facilities are available at the Powys Eisteddfod next year, stressing that non Welsh speakers wish to understand and enjoy the Eisteddfod as much as the Welsh speakers.

Environment/Planning meeting held on 16.11.09 The recommendation to accept the ‘Better woodland for Wales’ scheme for Allt Goch was unanimously accepted. Clerk to contact Cllr Venti for a date for the next meeting.

335/04 DISTRIBUTION OF REGULATION – Section 85 (1) Local Government Act 1972 regarding the 6 month rule. Clerk distributed a copy of the Act to all Councillors present. Cllrs P. Smith, G. Powell and L Evans asked that it be minuted that they were unaware of the rule until 6th November, 2009. Cllr Morgan suggested that a rule could be made by this Council that if a Councillor was absent for 4 months then the Clerk could write to him/her reminding them of the 6 month rule. A leave of absence could be officially requested by the Councillor and put on the Agenda for authorisation at a full Council meeting. Cllr Lady Hooson asked if the letter, if sent to a Councillor who was ill, could be sensitively written. Some discussion with regard to the disqualification of Peter Rees took place. Mayor stated that Cllr Rees did not follow procedure in April and if he wished to appeal against the disqualification he was free to do so. Cllr Smith made a comment about a small minority of Councillors trying to run the Council, she also stated that she remembered that a statement relating to leave of absence was made by Cllr Rees back in April. Mayor said that a minority of Councillors claim to have heard it, although the majority had not. The Mayor stated that Cllr Rees had not in the April meeting made a formal statement/request and therefore no decision had been made by Council and no minute was recorded. No advice had been requested by Cllr Rees during his absence. Cllr David Jones reminded Councillors that complaints were received from members of the public last year regarding a Councillor who was absent due to illness, and the Councillor was approached by a member of the public whilst she was in Hospital. Cllr Breeze asked what the next step would be? Mayor said that we would wait for the Monitoring Officer at PCC to come back to us with regard to advertising the vacancy.

335/05 LETTER RECEIVED FROM PCC REGARDING THE FUTURE OF RECYCLING AND REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICE Received

335/06 LETTER FROM SEVERN TRENT REGARDING WATER MAINS RENEWAL IN THE LLANIDLOES AREA Received

335/07 MID AND WEST WALES FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITY ANNUAL ACTION PLAN 2010-2011 AND IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2009 -2010, AND TO RECEIVE THE PROPOSED GUIDANCE FOR THE WALES PROGRAMME FOR IMPROVEMENT FOR THE FIRE AND RESCUE AUTHORITIES IN WALES FROM WAG Cllr David Jones agreed to take away to read.

335/08 ELECTRICAL PERIODIC INSPECTION REPORT FOR THE TOWN HALL It was agreed to pass on to Town Hall panel meeting. Clerk was asked to obtain 2 quotations as soon as possible.

335/09 RECEIVE AGENDA AND MINUTES FROM MONTGOMERY COMMUNITY HEALTH COUNCIL It was agreed to set up a meeting with the Local Health Council

335/10 LETTER FROM NEWTOWN ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE Received. Cllrs were pleased to hear the newsletter was called ‘Upper Severn News’

335/11 LETTER FROM GLYN DAVIES, (MONTGOMERYSHIRE CONSERVATIVES) The letter was notification of a postponement of the public consultation on the consolidation of major trauma A & E services in Shropshire on a single sight, from November until mid 2010. Councillors agreed on the importance of the Shrewsbury Hospital to residents in Mid Wales as it is often our nearest option in inclement weather conditions when the Aberystwyth road is closed.

335/12 RECEIVE POLICING PLAN 2010/2013 FROM DYFED POWYS POLICE It was agreed to complete the form ‘Priorities for Policing’, in the following order

i)  Anti Social Behaviour (boy racers, dog fouling excessive drinking)

ii)  Visibility of Police (police response good and would hope will continue)

iii)  Drug related Crime (tackling problem areas)

335/13 RECEIVE A LETTER FROM CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU It was agreed to refer to Finance Panel

335/14 RECEIVE CONSULTATION : LOCAL GOVERNMENT MEASURE 2009 Receive. Pass on to Cllr Venti.

335/15 LETTER FROM SMITH OF DERBY REGARDING TOWN CLOCK Clerk was asked to obtain a quotation for the Clock to be converted to Autowind.

335/16 RECEIVE REPORT ON COMMUNITY COUNCIL FORUM Cllr Edwardes gave a brief resume on the meeting she attended in Welshpool on Tuesday 17th November along with the Clerk. She stated that the agenda for the meetings would cover many issues, e.g. Windfarms, Proposed Hospital Closures and Budget Cuts. PCC had offered to inject approx £2000 for start up costs. Cllr Edwardes agreed that she would be willing to attend meetings, which will be held on Saturdays, as a representative of Council. Council agreed to join the forum.

335/17 ACCOUNTS The following Accounts were confirmed for OCTOBER, 2009

Chq No

103328 Wages (01.10.09) 891.90

103329 Mc Colls 11.70

103330 Void 00 .00

103331 Really Welsh (daffodil bulbs) 23.00

103332 Premier Products(new polisher) 649.45

103333 Simon Owen(new locks top floor) 130.00

103334 PCC (Eurobin) 266.71

103335 PCC (uncontested election) 91.42

103336 P.W.L.B. 736.23

103337 PC-q (new computer) 872.97

103338 Wages & P. Cash (08.10.09) 969.04

103339 J.A. Jones (window cleaner) 100.00

103340 PCC (c tax) 1,362.00

103341 Inland Revenue 1,059.33

103342 Severn Trent 239.84

103343 Wages (15.10.09) 891.90

103344 Wages & P. Cash (22.10.09) 985.34

103345 Wages (29.10.09) 891.88

103346 Burial Board 7,342.75

103347 Lisa Williams (catering) 100.00

103348 Agri Power 56.98

TOTAL £ 17,672.44

335/18 DATE OF NEXT MEETING 14th DECEMBER, 2009

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