Minutes - May AGM 2016
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BORTH COMMUNITY COUNCIL
HELD AT THE MEMORIAL HALL ON MONDAY 9 MAY 2016 AT 18.30 HRS
Present: Chairperson: J Hulse (chaired the meeting until the election of the new chairperson)
C Bainbridge
J James
G B Jones
L Moore
N Salmon
M Willcox
In Attendance: County Cllr: R P Quant
Clerk: M C Walker
4 Members of the Public
APOLOGIES
1. Cllrs R Dalton, G Ashley and W J Williams.
ELECTION OF A CHAIRPERSON
2. Cllr Carol Bainbridge was elected as Chairperson for 2016/17. All members present voted in favour.
DECLARATION OF ACCEPTANCE OF OFFICE
3. Cllr Bainbridge made her declaration of acceptance of office and took the Chair.
ELECTION OF VICE CHAIRPERSON
4. Cllr Jill Hulse was elected as Vice Chairperson for 2016/17. All members present voted in favour.
MINUTES OF THE LAST ANNUAL MEETING AND MATTERS ARISING
5. Copies of the Minutes of the Annual Meeting held on 11 May 2015 were available. The minutes had been confirmed as being a true record at the 1st June 2015 meeting, Minute 46.
CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT FOR 2015/16
6. This report shares with you some of the activities, projects and events that Borth Community Council has been connected with in the last year.
Borth Community Council delivers services, works in partnership and represents the interests of the community including responding to residents’ concerns. We aim to make a positive difference, which may relate to improvements in the locality or lending support to local people and projects. Margaret Walker, the Clerk, does an excellent job and is fundamental to the success of the Community Council. All Councillors are active and together we make a good team, each of us bringing the benefit of different knowledge and experience. Input may not always be very visible to everyone but the commitment to making a difference and the time, given voluntarily, is very much appreciated.
Thank you also to; Ray Quant, County Councillor, he actively liaises with the County Council on our behalf to get many things done in the community; to Graham Taylor for adding and sharing so much information through the Borth Community website and to the Community Wardens spread throughout Borth and Ynyslas, supporting the community in emergencies but also with sharing information.
All-important are the residents and visitors who add vibrancy and uniqueness to this beautiful, highly valued and challenging location, you make the community. Thank you for looking out for your neighbour, buying something locally or sharing your views or concerns with the Community Council.
Borth Community Council Meetings
Held at Borth Community Hall 07:00pm in the Upstairs Room on the 1st Monday of the month (or 2nd Monday if a Bank Holiday, no meeting in August). Anyone is welcome to attend, however if you wish to have an issue raised in a meeting you will need to inform the Clerk in writing, three full working days, before the meeting. Clerk: Mrs M C Walker, Mirella, High Street, Borth.SY24 5JF, Tel: (01970) 871932 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
For further information visit http://www.borthcommunity.info/ and use the Community Council links on Councillor’s contact details and responsibilities, minutes of Community Council meetings, Borth Community Action Plan, Community Emergency Plan, Information Notes, a link to Borth Community Council Facebook page.
Finances. Precept is set at 65% for 2016-17 which amounts to an income for Borth Community Council of £18,814.25 derived from the £26.45 that each household pays in their Council Tax (this is a significant decrease on the precept payments for 2015/16 with no loss of services). We set a budget each year for the work of the Clerk and items such as maintenance, safety checks, the playground, the Community Hall, grass cutting, signs, insurance and the Christmas tree. We consider and support many donation requests. Accounts are reported every month in the meeting minutes and accounts are returned annually. The audit and accounts are always made available for public inspection.
Borth Community Council 2015-16
Examples of Services we deliver
We contract grass cutting services for the open spaces that Borth Community Council owns including on the sea front and Coronation Path. The shrubs were also cut back along the railway line this year to maintain visibility for train drivers. We have continued with the Service Level Agreement with Ceredigion County Council to keep the public toilets by the RNLI station open from 1 November to 31 March. We maintain the CCTV by the Community Hall.
Community survey and action plan
A Borth Community priorities survey was undertaken this year to help us set future priorities and respond to community preferences. The bilingual survey was posted through letterboxes, made available on the website and posters were put in noticeboards and shops. Councillors and Community Wardens distributed the survey. The results were analysed and presented to Council. The information was used to prepare a community action plan in July, with updates in December and April. The top 5 priorities of the survey were 1st Crime, 2nd Flooding, 3rd Dogs, 4th Litter, 5th Community, 6th Sustainability and open spaces. The summary report and action plan are available from the Borth Community website.
Crime, Speeding, graffiti
Councillors attend the Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings raising issues from residents and meetings. Reporting speeding problems, particularly at Brynbala bends on the Clarach Road (new road signs are now in place here), Ynyslas and Glanwern. Six Councillors have registered to help with a Police community speed watch scheme. Local damages including to telephone and bus shelters. Councillors removed graffiti from the slide in the playground.
Flooding and emergencies
The Community Emergency Plan was reviewed in October, up to date information is shared as it arises, for example; flood risk maps, the River Levels Online service and flood leaflets. The storm boards in Borth were installed for the winter and removed in the spring. Two Councillors are Community Emergency Plan Coordinators, together with the network of Community Wardens they respond to flood warnings and alerts when required including 23 September and during the heavy rain on 13 November. Attended the Ceredigion County Council Scrutiny Committee public session to review the coastal defence scheme and flooding matters, also a Flood Coordinators Event. Councillors attended the formal opening of the 2nd phase of Borth sea defences. We contributed to the NRW Independent Review of Flood Awareness. Persisted in encouraging repair work to the sea wall in Ynyslas.
Dogs
Additional signs made and painted on steps and entryways to the beach in Borth alerting people to the Dog Order between May-September.
Fly tipping, litter and recycling
Dealt with fly-tipping on the Common Land and reported where it has occurred elsewhere. Overflowing bins in Borth and at Ynyslas turn have been reported. Councillors have done litter collections along Coronation path, the car park and the beach. We helped raise awareness of a County Council electrical recycling day where small electrical items could be dropped off, the day was a success. The distributors for the bottle and paper banks are notified when they become full.
Supporting events, people and art
Councillors attended the Public Engagement evening in September and were available to answer questions about the Community Council and Emergency Plan. Councillors attended the Remembrance Sunday service at St. Matthew's Church, Borth and laid a wreath from the Community Council. Councillors are members of the WW1 Centenary group. Activities this year have included talks, film shows and a monthly newsletter. The Community Council funds the Christmas tree and lights by the RNLI each year and a small tree for the Christmas services at St. Matthew’s Church. We were pleased to help the Borth rowing regatta in a small way by opening the car park to boat trailers from visiting clubs and at Borth Carnival, including the associated flowerbed competition. The Community Council has supported several art projects including a Community Art project that included a laser cut seat and wooden spoons designed in the village by all ages being created and attached to the slipway and groynes. We have been pleased to have presentations and hear about projects as part of Cymerau and have supported a proposal to the Arts Council for Wales for a project linked to the submerged forest. We were pleased to support a group of artists from Borth with their exhibition to showcase their work.
Communication and sharing information
Reviewed and improved our compliance with the Access to Information on Community and Town Councils Statutory Guidance May 2015. Prepared information notes on Borth Community Council ‘land ownership, leases and licences’, ‘Leats, Leri and outfalls’ and ‘Planning Training’. Maintain Community noticeboards and submit information to the Borth Community website where we have a dedicated section for Community Council matters and notices/events are posted. A community email group (to join email Cllr. Jill Hulse at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) was set up and a Facebook page for Borth Community Council https://www.facebook.com/BorthCommunityCouncil Facebook page has 498 ‘likes’, some posts reach thousands of people.
Health & Safety
The annual ROSPA Play Area Inspection is completed each year. Playground repairs were carried out by Ceredigion County Council. Arranged defibrillator training and wall mounted containers for the 2 defibrillators in Borth.
Parking
A new car park sign has been made for the Borth Community Council car park that advertises the free parking available, but no overnights, and where coach drivers could obtain a key. Notices were prepared discouraging overnight campervans on Borth High Street and the seafront, last summer we provided a list of campsites and holiday parks.
Transport
Liaised with Mid Wales buses to reinstate some services that were dropped and contributed to reprinting the timetables when they were reinstated. Bus stops, shelters and some benches were given a once over, painted and repaired.
Educational
The Workers Education Association gave a presentation to the Community Council and new adult learning classes have now started up.
Consultation
We always consider planning applications we receive. Also completed consultations on the Climate Change Commission for Wales survey for the 21st United Nations Climate Change conference (COP21), the Business Transformation Consultation on the Library Service, Council Tax and Grants payable to external organisations and the Draft Local Government (Wales) Bill on Reforming Local Government.
Invasive species
Started to record and map occurrences of Japanese knotweed, including raising awareness with a poster, residents have kindly helped and have sent in photos, the intention is to work in partnership to help eradicate the knotweed.
INVITED QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC
7. Mr James Davies. James informed members that the gates to the church had been locked for at least 5 weeks and that cars had to reverse back up the lane due to parked cars by the gates. Cllr Quant was aware of the situation and gave a brief update. It would be weeks before it would be restored to normal operation as there was a problem with the phone and with one of the telegraph poles and BT were having issues with Health and Safety. Cllr Quant said he would contact Network Rail and hopefully get more keys to the gate cut so that visitors to the church could get access through the gate.
Mr James Davies. James mentioned that the navigation buoy off the reef is missing and that Ceredigion County Council had no plans to replace it in the immediate future due to funding issues. Cllr Quant said he would look into the matter.
Mrs Andrea Hughes enquired as to whether the Council had any intention to continue the cycle path from Borth to Ynyslas. Cllr Quant said that there were no immediate plans and nothing in the near future as funding would be an issue.
CHECK INVENTORY OF COUNCIL’S DEEDS
8. The Clerk stated the original Deeds are held by the Council’s solicitor and that she holds duplicate copies, which were available for Cllrs to check.
MEETING CLOSED
9. There being no further business the Chairperson closed the meeting at 19.08hrs.
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