Present:    Chairperson:                             C Bainbridge

G Ashley

R Dalton

M Griffiths

J James

G B Jones

N Salmon

M J Willcox

W J Williams                                 

In Attendance:               Clerk:                   M Walker

County Cllr:                  R P Quant

4 Members of the Public.

 

 

375.  It was resolved to confirm the minutes of the Council meeting held on 6 March 2017 as being a true record.

 

 

376.  Common Land.  Minute 338.  Ongoing.

 

377.  Dogs.  Minute 340.  Cllr Ashley showed two examples of dog signs prepared by Redesigns UK. These were approved by Council at a cost of £437.50 + vat to include fitting.

 

 

378.  Ecodyfi.  Details of the Biosphere storybus and other activities.

 

379.  Welsh Government.  An invitation to the Clerk and one councillor to attend a focus group to share experiences of managing services and assets.

 

380.  Ceredigion County Council.  Cymdogion Cynnes Booklet is now available online.

 

381.  Cor y Gors.  The choir will no longer be attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2017 and have returned the £395 donated to them by the Council.

 

382.  Welsh Government.  An advertisement for the appointment of members onto The Welsh Language Partnership Council.

 

383.  Ceredigion County Council.  An e-mail advising that Borth Community Council have been unsuccessful in obtaining a Play Improvement Grant.

 

384.  Donations.  Letters of thanks for their recent donations from Capel y Garn Cemetery, Tincer, Citizens Advice Ceredigion, Wales Air Ambulance, St Mathews Church and RABI.

 

385.  Community Health Council.  Details of a survey on dementia asking what could the NHS do better to support people, as well as their families and their carers, living with dementia?

 

386.  Welsh Government. Details of an appointment of a Vice President to the National Library of Wales.

 

387.  Watercourse Pollution Issue. A series of copy e-mails between Ceredigion County Council and Mr Alun Jones, Cefn y Nant.

 

388.   One Voice Wales.  Details of a quarter of a billion pound boost for Wales’ rural communities.  The funding, a combination of Welsh Government and EU money, is an investment in key areas that will help rural communities to be more resilient during the post-EU transition period. It will provide Wales’ farmers, food producers, landowners and others with a certain degree of assurance that they can start to make future plans and shape their business operations accordingly.

 

389.  One Voice Wales. Details of vacancies for Chair and Deputy Chair to the Initial Teacher Education Accreditation Committee.

 

390.  Welsh Government.  The Good Councillors’ Guide.  Electronic versions are available online.

 

391.  One Voice Wales.  Latest news from OVW.

 

392.  Defibrillator Vandalism.  An e-mail from Llangoedmor CC informing all community and town councils that they have had their defibrillators vandalised and a warning to keep an eye out in the event that the trend is developing.

 

393.  BSPFA.  A thank you letter for the financial assistance towards the upgrade of Borth Community website.

 

394.  Ceredigion County Council.  An invitation to all Town and Community Council Clerks to attend an informal meeting with the Chairman of the Ethics and Standards Committee together with the Council’s Monitoring Officer to discuss training available on the Code of Conduct.

 

395.  Uppingham Playing Fields.  An e-mail to Cllr Willcox clarifying the position regarding the cutting of grass and the management of vegetation along the leats which confirms that the club would require a licence to carry out such works.  Cllr Willcox has not heard anything from the CPS in relation to clearance works to the leat by the Playing Fields site which has been carried out without the necessary prior official authorisation. Cllr Quant said he would speak with NRW.

 

 

396.  Balance of Accounts at 13 March 2017

         Nationwide                                                                      29,226.05

Community Acct                                                                  500.94

Business No Notice Acct                                                  22,782.64

Deposit Account                                                                3,192.89

 

397.  Income  

         Business No Notice – gross int to 2 March 2017                       2.06

Community Account-donation refund Cor y Gors                   395.00

Transfer to deposit a/c from community a/c                           140.00

        

398.  Expenditure

         Post Office Ltd – PAYE Jan, Feb, March                              348.00

M Walker-salary 464.06, off exp 14.59                                 478.65

Transfer from Community a/c to deposit a/c                          140.00

S J Jones – Xmas Tree                                                        100.00

 

        

399.  Grant Thornton  UK LLP.  Notice of the annual audit for the year ending 31 March 2017.  The notice of appointment of date for the exercise of electors’ rights must be displayed for 14 days from 4 May 2017.  The accounts and other documents must then be made available for 20 working days from 18 May 2017.  It is the duty of Borth Community Council to submit a copy of the annual return and supporting documentation to the auditors by the audit date of 19 June 2017. 

 

 

400.  Application for Full Planning Permission.

A170239.  Erection of an extension over the existing garage to form a new home office and workroom area.  Bryngwyn, Ynyslas, Borth.  No Observations.

 

 

401.  Cllr Quant gave an overview and confirmed that there would be no reorganisation of community councils. Cllr Bainbridge read out a response prepared by Cllr Hulse for consideration. Members agreed to submit the comments. Cllr Bryn Jones suggested adding that Community Councillors are all voluntary, not paid and most of them already have jobs.

 

 

402.  Cllr Bainbridge gave an update on World War 1 and that they would be showing a film on Sunday 7^th May at 3pm in the Community Hall. The time capsule was buried and will be dug up in twenty years time. Cllr Bainbridge confirmed that Heather Strange from Ynyslas had met with Mark Williams MP to discuss the proposed sewerage scheme.  Borth was unsuccessful in their bid for funding for the Play area. Cllr Jones suggested speaking to Ray Ceredigion to make enquiries for grant funding which is available for various projects.  Members were concerned that the play area appears to be continuously waterlogged. Cllr Bainbridge made representations to the CHC in respect of the proposed relocation of Borth pharmacy. She read out several comments by various bodies. The matter is still ongoing.  The Clerk was asked to send a sympathy card to the family of the bus driver who recently passed away and who had driven the school bus for several years.

 

 

403.   Cllr Hulse sent in this report in her absence:

 

Prepared text in response to the consultation question 27 of the 2017 White Paper 'Reforming Local Government: Resilient and Renewed' - shared with Councillors to help inform the Borth Community Council response.

Sent out Community Emergency Plan for updates and asking for more Community Wardens by email, Community website and Facebook, no comments back on the Emergency plan so suggest we reissue it with April 2017 date. Updated Emergency Plan flyer to go into the noticeboards and the community website for general information and awareness raising this is ready to be shared. 

Welsh translation of the Japanese Knotweed (JKW) leaflet has come back today from Rachel Mills, Ceredigion CC will look to have that printed for us too.  A training day on JKW treatment has been booked and Rachel Mills will contact people about this. Sent update and the information note on Japanese Knotweed to contacts in Welsh Government, WLGA and Torfaen CC as I'd been included on their email exchange, to share information, they have suggested one amendment and verification on most effective treatment times with a specialist in Swansea.

Updated and shared a LDP, policy and plan summary for overview to some planning considerations relating to settlement, coast and countryside.

Although the drains in the dip in the road had been cleaned out after request this is looked into it is still a problem, although after a very heavy rainfall event just afterwards there was noticeably less water collecting in the dip than usual, please could this be relayed back to CCC that it is still an issue.

Following completing Tree Charter Survey they have asked if we would like to become a Charter Branch which could be as little as receiving newspaper 'Leaf' to gaining signatures, projects and activities (funding available), suggest we could sign up to this on basis of limited involvement at present but would be a good opportunity to link across with the community gardens, the church, school grounds and family centre.

Other updates include the Dyfi Biosphere has a new website www.dyfibiosphere.wales, shared a Water Vole Mitigation Handbook with Councillors to help us better understand what we need to be aware of.

The ongoing problem with long term camper parked on the high street is causing significant stress locally, this was picked up in the recent PACT meeting.  As campervans may soon increase, suggest we could target free camping social media sites like 'outandaboutlive' where we have Borth sea front and Ynyslas listed for free overnight camping to be proactive in encouraging campers but requesting local residents, suggest something like ‘We welcome motorhomes, camper vans, caravans and tents visiting Borth & Ynyslas and are pleased to welcome you here, but we do not want overnight camping on the High Street or along the seafront, overnight stays on the roadside have significantly increased and residents no longer want overnight camping on the side of the road. We have lots of campsites for you to use locally. 

Cllr James mentioned that the gullies on the Brynbala side of Clarach Road were blocked causing water to run across the road. He also asked for road signs requesting motorists slow down for horses following a recent incident on the road by Brynbala.  Cllr Salmon said that a gate had been erected following works to the bridge over the leat at the bottom of Cantre’r Gwaelod. Cllr Quant confirmed that NRW has visited the site and are satisfied with the work carried out.  Rubbish has been left on the footpath of the Housing Association houses in Cambrian Terrace.  Cllr Quant said he would look into the matter.

Cllr Dalton mentioned that the bench on the road to St Mathews Church is rotting. Cllr Quant said it may have to be removed. Cllr Dalton gave an update on the recent PACT meeting in which the parking of campervans was raised.  Cllr Salmon said that there was a major problem with affordable rent etc in the area and the only option for some is to live in a campervan.

Cllr Ashley said that the bus stop in Cambrian Terrace had been vandalised.  The Clerk was asked to contact Steve Williams of CCC for repair works. Cllr Ashley reported that the latest Speed Watch had been cancelled.

Cllr Jones gave an update on the promenade wall and that he and Cllr Ashley will arrange to meet with Martyn Watkins to discuss the possibility of power washing a small area. However, it requires confirmation on whether moss or leachate is present and if found this would be an issue for Natural Resource Wales. Cllr Jones attended the art exhibition in Narberth which was a great success.

Cllr Willcox asked for clarification on the emptying of the dog bin on the road to St Mathews Church and it was agreed that this would be done by volunteers.

Cllr Williams said that the entrance to Brynbwl was flooded and that CCC claimed it was a mains leak. However, Cllr Williams believes the problem is a blocked pipe in the nearby field.

 

 

404.  Cllr Quant confirmed that the potholes on the road to the Animalarium had been filled by Ceredigion County Council. However, CCC are not allowed to clean the leat as they require a special licence from NRW. Cllr Salmon said that there appeared to be a drainage problem by the Community Gardens. Cllr Quant has spoken to Cliff Bates of CCC who is to look at funding for a disabled access at the north end of the promenade as the old slipway is not accessible. Flooding by the Golf Club remains a problem and Cllr Quant has e-mailed recent photos to the Highways dept of CCC.  The car park opposite Brynowen will be available for car parking during the Easter period.  The cabins will be relocated to Ynyslas and the flag pole is due to be reinstated. The proposed Ynyslas sewerage scheme is not yet resolved and talks are still ongoing.

 

 

405.  There being no further business the Chairman closed the meeting at 8.45pm.  Agenda items for the next meeting to be held on Monday 8 May 2017 to include AGM.  Any other items are to be notified to the Clerk.