CWMDU AND DISTRICT COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Minutes of the meeting held at Cwmdu Village Hall on 4th April 2013 at 1900hrs.

Present were Vice Chairman Cllr AA Harries, Cllrs Mrs DWV Cracroft, Mrs L Price, T Sinnett, CCllr Mrs K Silk and the Clerk – RAB Doak.

Apologies There were apologies from Cllrs Mrs JE Block, Mrs HG Sweeting, Mrs K West, FJ Morgan, RDH Jackson and S McLennan.

Minutes of the Meetings held at Tretower Village Hall on 7th and 21st March 2013 were confirmed and signed.

Matters Arising

1. Five Councils Liaison Meeting. The date of the next meeting is on Wednesday 24th April 2013 and will be in the Parish Hall, Church Lane, Crickhowell and hosted by Crickhowell Town Council. Agenda items are required by 17th April 2013. The following meeting will be hosted by Llangattock Community Council.

2. PC Andy Pole had sent an email with an update for the Community Council Area for the period from 1st January to 31st March 2013. A total of 6 crimes were reported during this period and PC Andy Pole asked the Councillors to consider priorities for the Police to concentrate on for the next 6 months. The Councillors discussed the recent road traffic accidents on the A479 and the damage caused to the telephone lines between Cwmdu and Talgarth which took three weeks to repair.

3. Bwlch Village Hall. The Clerk wrote to the Village Hall Committee with a “without prejudice” letter of support for the Committee’s aim in applying for a lottery grant. Email thank you reply from Mrs Jan Beazley.

Highways

1. Bwlch and Cwmdu Playgrounds. Mr Butcher was going to contact the Community Council at the end of April and inform the Council of a revised time to programme and complete the agreed work.

There was a discussion about the Section 106 money and when it is due to be allocated and what it can be used for. Cllr Mrs K Silk said she would contact the Planning Officer involved to check the details. Email reply 8th March 2013 from Mr Jonathan James explained the procedure for releasing the Section 106 money.

2. The Clerk wrote to the local environmental office at the South East Area to report that the trees needed cutting back at streetlight no BL 50 in Buckland Drive, Bwlch. This was reported on 27th September 2012 and also on 16th October 2012. It was reported on the Council meeting on 7th February 2013 that the trees had not been cut back and were still blocking the streetlight.

3. The Clerk wrote to the Building Control Section at Powys County Council to report that the street sign for Darren Road, Bwlch had fallen off the Church Wall at the top of Darren Road. It was reported that it had not been replaced yet.

4. Cllr Mrs JE Block reported that there was a great deal of mud at the entrance to the field opposite Pencaecrwn where the lane up from the church towards Cwmrhos has a junction with a steep lane up towards Llewenau.

5. Cllr Mrs JE Block also reported that further up this steep lane towards Llewenau where there are alterations being made to Fedw Cottage the mud from the development has made this stretch of lane very treacherous and caused a gap in the surface of the lane causing the road to fall away.

An Email from CCllr Mrs K Silk 8th March 2013 reported items 4 and 5 to Mr Brian Price (CSP – Local Environment ). Mr Price was going to contact the landowners.

6. Cllr Mrs JE Block reported that the hedges had been cut along the road from Cwmdu Church to Ael y Bryn and had not been cleared up as promised. It was noted that the cuttings had still not been swept up.

7. The dying tree near the bus shelter had been cut down by the highways department.

Correspondence

1. Letter 27th March 2013 PCC Strategic Director – Law and Governance – a follow up letter to the one on 4th January 2013 about Charity Trustee Interests. A meeting of the Standards Committee on 6th February 2013 gave blanket dispensations to all Councillors who are Trustees of non – profit Charity or Voluntary Organisations.

2. Letter 25th March 2013 Brecon and District disabled Club asking for a donation. £100 agreed.

3. Email 28th March 2013 Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Authority Annual Improvement Plan 2013-14. Details of the plan and the results of their consultation are to be found on their website.

4. Email 19th March 2013 William Powell, Assembly Member and various other emails concerning the delay in restoring telephone services in Cwmdu and Talgarth as a result of a road traffic accident on the A479 Talgarth to Cwmdu Road.

5. Letter March 2013 Wales Dyslexia asking for a donation. Not approved.

6. Email 3rd April 2013 P.A.V.O. with the April 2013 ebriefing.

7. One Voice Wales Letters / Emails:

A. Email 15th March 2013 with details of a training course – Module 6 – Local Government Finance at Builth Wells on 25th March 2013.

B. Email 13th March 2013 with information about the Welsh Government’s new regeneration framework – “Vibrant and Viable Places”. Launched by the Minister for Housing, Regeneration & Heritage, Mr Huw Lewis, AM.

C. Email 12th March 2013 with a website link to the Ombudsman for Wales’s information about complaints and policy.

8. Brecon Beacons National Park Authority Letters / Emails:

A. Email 25th March 2013 with an invitation to join the Scrutiny Panel for the BBNPA to establish whether the BBNPA provides an effective pre-application planning service.

B. Email 13th March 2013 with a link to the BBNPA’s scrutiny page to be able to see the latest news on how the scrutiny process is progressing. The following three final reports are available to view – Sustainable Development Fund, Rights of Way and Biodiversity.

C. Email 12th March 2013 with details of the BBNPA Town & Community Councils Liaison Meeting and Charter Update to be held between 1000 and 1200hrs on Saturday 27th April 2013 in the Brecon Subud Hall. Cllrs T Sinnet, AA Harries and the Clerk said they would attend this meeting.

9. Email 21st March 2013 with agenda of meeting 25th March 2013 Brecknock and Radnor Community Health Council and minutes from meeting 28th January 23013.

Planning

1.Planning Application 13/09132/LBC – 26/03/2013 – Re: “The re-roofing of the north facing lean to elevation of no’s 3 & 4 Pontybrynhurt, ( semi detached ).” At Glanusk Estate, Crickhowell. The Clerk was to reply with the Council’s comments by 16/04/2013.

2.Planning Services Consultee Survey 2013. The Clerk sent a copy of the survey to all Councillors on 23rd February 2013 for their comments. Cllr Mrs JE Block completed the survey which was sent online on 17th March 2013.

3. Enforcement Decision Notice concerning Land at the Former Drexel Motors Garage, Bwlch. There was a report from CCllr Mrs K Silk who informed the Councillors that the National Park Enforcement Officer had written to the owners to request that the site be cleaned up.

Accounts

1. One Voice Wales – Membership Subscriptions - £121.00

2. R Doak - £100.00 Stationery Allowance and £162.75 expenses - £262.75

3. Brecon Disabled Club – Donation of £100.00

Proposed by Cllr T Sinnett and seconded by Cllr AA Harries. Carried.

4. Precept of £9000.00 approved by PCC.

5. BDO – External Auditor letter 4th March 2013 with the Audit Briefing for 2013. Audit packs will be issued shortly and Councils are to approve the accounting statements before 30th June 2013.

6. Bank Balance - £2799.40

Drexel Motors

A Letter from Mrs Stephanie Monmarche, Gabb & Co ( Solicitors ) 3rd April 2013 enclosed a letter from Fonseca & Partners, Mrs Boggust’s solicitor requiring confirmation that the Council will only be responsible for the boundary which borders the land which is subject to the current transfer.

It is proposed that the Clerk inform the Solicitor that the Community Council will only be responsible for the boundary which borders Mrs Boggust’s land and the triangular piece of land which the Council is buying.

Proposed by Cllr T Sinnett and Seconded by Cllr AA Harries. Carried.

Cwmdu School Playing Fields

There was a Community Council meeting on Thursday 21st March 2013 in the Tretower Village Hall to firm up the Council’s application to Mr Pritchard for the use of the fields for recreational use and for allotments. The Clerk wrote to Mr Pritchard, Acting Valuer, PCC Estates to formally apply for the former Cwmdu School playing fields for recreational use by the community and for the adjoining field nearest the school for allotments for the local community. The Clerk enclosed the management plan prepared by the CSEG and the steering group plus a list of the individuals who want an allotment and a copy of the email reply from the Insurance Company.

Cllr Mrs HG Sweeting attended the allotments meeting on 26th March 2013 and sent in a report from the meeting.

There was an email from CCllr Mrs K Silk on 4th April 2013 to inform the Councillors that Mr Graham Brown, the Cabinet Member responsible for the Welsh Church Act Land had suggested that a smaller plot would be allowed initially to correspond with the number of allotments required. It would be possible to apply for more land if the demand for more allotments existed.

Fedw Wood

There was a discussion on the meeting held on 21st March 2013 about Fedw Wood. Mr Robin O’Brien explained to the Councillors the reason for the improvements recently carried out in the wood. There had been complaints from a local resident that the wood was being spoilt, however Mr O’Brien assured the Councillors that the work was being carried out to make things safer in the wood by levelling the track. He then advised the Councillors to get in touch with Mr Gareth Ellis, who is involved in the Fedw Wood as well as several other woods and regularly gives the CSEG advice. Mr O’Brien sent the Clerk Mr Ellis’s email address.

The Councillors discussed the work that had been carried out in Fedw Wood and stated that it would improve during the growing season and that the improvements had been necessary for the safety of the volunteers. The Clerk was to write to Mr Ellis and ask for his opinion and suggest a visit from someone from the Woodland Trust.

Councillors Points

NIL.

Meeting Closed at 2105hrs.