MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY MEETING HELD 27th MARCH 2019
Present
Cllrs. Mrs Jackie Allen (JA), Mr Brian Colley (BC), Mrs Barbara
Humphreys (BH), Miss Lynne Painter (LP), Statement about Cllr. Kirsty Cottam.
The Chair advised she had been in email correspondence and Cllr.
Cottam has decided she is unable to offer the needed commitment as a
member of Chirk Town Council and has resigned as a Councillor. JA
thanked Kirsty for being a member since the May 2017 and when
circumstances allow she would be welcome to serve on the Council in
the future. The Clerk was requested to advise the Wrexham CBC
Electoral Office to begin the process of filling the vacant seat.
Apologies for absence: Cllr. Mr Terry Evans.
147. TO CONFIRM AND SIGN THE MINUTES AS A TRUE RECORD OF THE ORDINARY MEETING HELD ON 27TH FEBRUARY 2019.
The draft minutes for the Council Meeting held 27th
February 2019 are now put to the Council as an accurate record of
proceedings. The motion proposed LP and seconded FH was passed
unanimously. 148. TO CONSIDER ANY MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES RECEIVED ABOVE NOT REPORTED ELSEWHERE. Minute 137 FH today met with Highways Officers to review safety at the Whitehurst junction and roundabout. Agreement to add Keep Left bollards at the junction and at the roundabout - yellow signage on the approach from Haltom to keep in the left lane for Chirk only.
149. TO CONSIDER NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING MATTERS.
150.
TO
RECEIVE REPORT FROM GENERAL PURPOSES
COMMITTEE MEETING HELD 18TH MARCH 2019. 151. TO RECEIVE ORAL REPORTS FROM COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES.
· FH reported on his attendance at the Chirk Visioning Event on March 23rd. He found it a useful and good exercise. A long list of things already going on in Chirk was compiled. A written report is to be published. · EB echoed the view of FH a very constructive event. · JA wished to record thanks of the assistance given by the duty caretaker John Gibbens. He was a great help at the Visioning Event. · DG in turn thanked JA for her efforts to make the Visioning Event a success. · BH found the Visioning Event good and useful. · LP sorry that she could not attend but did make JA aware of this. · BC recently attended the High Sheriff Community Awards at Glyndwr University. Very pleased to see youngsters being recognised. Friends of Chirk Station volunteers were awarded the Wrexham County Group Award nominated by Chirk TC. · SW echoed LP in not being able to attend the Visioning Event Youth football commitments fall in a Saturday. Relayed a comment from Sue Bell who did attend she loved it. · JA reported attendance at the recent One Voice Wales Wrexham & Flintshire Area committee meeting. Ian Bancroft the new Chief Executive of Wrexham CBC gave a keynote presentation. Mention made of the Charter versus Forum approach (Flintshire Wrexham) and stated he would support Wrexham adopting a Charter to formalise relations between Town and Community Councils in Wrexham County and the Principal Authority WCBC. Mention also made of the recent recommendations on the future of Town & Community Councils in Wales, mandatory training is very likely to become a legal requirement both for new and existing community councillors. It was reported that the auditing contracts Welsh Audit Office have with BDO and Grant Thornton are not being renewed.
152. TO RECEIVE ORAL REPORTS FROM LOCAL MEMBERS WREXHAM CBC. TE is on holidays.
FH reported that the planning application recently brought before
the WCBC Planning committee to pass the Kronospan addition of
Oriented Strand Board production has been deferred. Highways raised
specific objection over a single point of access to the factory
site. It is hoped the company and planning officers can explore the
possibility of a new access at the Northern end of the site. Along
with SW, FH met the contractors based near to Coronation Drive and
Princess Ave to gain agreement to keep a clearway. It was also
mentioned that some of the work being undertaken on the council
owned properties is under par crooked fence where is the WCBC
overseer to ensure good results are delivered. WCBC are responsible
for the contractors engaged and they should be delivering high
quality work. DG raised similar shortcomings over the contractors
undertaking the water main replacement work. She has received
reports of 3 properties where work undertaken and all three suffer
bursts in Longfield. Also, a safety cover was replaced with a ply
wood board not appropriate. FH and DG to speak further on these
matters. NJ re-emphasis on the WCBC Officers not performing. LP
makes the suggestion that a letter to WCBC over the matters of water
main and fence installation shortcomings be sent. The WCBC officer
from Housing that has offered to meet JA and SJ invite other
members to attend. Having a single point over allocation is
worrying. LP asked of FH which WCBC Dept.s responsible for
awarding the contracts the reply given that WCBC Housing in both
cases. FH continued with news of the nominations for the next Mayor
of Wrexham Cllr. Rob Walsh, and Deputy Mayor Cllr. Ronnie
Prince. They will be formally appointed at the May AGM. LP thanked
FH for using the Fix My Street app over the repair of a pothole on
Lodgevale Park. EB mentioned the Colliery Rd/B5070 junction where
the surface is breaking up.
153.
TO OUTLINE PLANS FOR AN APPEAL TO RAISE FUNDS FOR A DEFIBRILLATOR
LOCATED AT NEW RHOS Y WAUN.
154.
TO CONFIRM TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR COUNCIL COMMITTEES.
155.
TO PRESENT & ADOPT AN UPDATED DATA PROTECTION POLICY DOCUMENT. 156. TO HEAR AN UPDATE FROM THE GRANT APPLICATIONS WORKING PARTY. · Kronospan the donation of £500 has been received towards the purchase of defibrillators for Pentre and Black Park. Both Mondelez and Richard Burbidge have also been approached. · North Wales Police & Community Trust grant scheme Chirk Community Forum having been shortlisted; the public voting closed on March 15th 2019. £2,500 is awarded to the vote winner. · Airbus UK a project submitted by Chirk Community Forum to install a Swing for Disabled Children has been included in a public vote (ten in all) guaranteed a grant of £1,000 with the winning project securing £7,000. Members encouraged to garner support and request for votes to be cast online or via coupons published in The Leader newspaper. · Tesco Bags of Help Chirk Town Council applied via Groundwork to the Tesco scheme. GB advises that we have been successful in having our project to install all-inclusive play equipment put forward to the instore vote commencing in May. We are guaranteed an award of £1,000 and if placed 1st or 2nd the amount received is £4,000 or £2,000 respectively.
·
North Wales PACT grant scheme
SW advises that the application and 3 week turnaround is straight
forward. She received £250 towards new football goals. This may be
considered if there is any shortfall in funds required to reach
target. 157. TO DECIDE UPON APPEALS FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE RECEIVED. · Simon Green Wales Marathon Childhood Tumour Trust & Bridgend Coalition of Disabled People Suggestion by SJ, as we do not support individual fundraising efforts, whether members wished to make a donation to one or both of the causes Simon is raising funds for. Proposed BH and seconded DG to leave this request on the table motion carried.
·
Ms Holly Wilcock Hope House Childrens Hospice, Oswestry
request for financial support. Proposed SW,
seconded FH to grant £200 motion carried.
158.
TO RECEIVE THE ORAL REPORT OF THE CLERK INCLUDES CORRESPONDENCE. · Understanding Welsh Places request a 75 to 100 word description of our community to be included in a new website to be launched in the summer. Members agreed for this to be placed on an agenda of an upcoming General Purposes Committee meeting. The text to be submitted by 7th May 2019. · Renovation of Offa and Black Park play areas. Switching from play bark/wood chip to grass. The search for a contractor has borne fruit and SJ is in final discussions. The addition of grass matting is being checked against current regulations. It is hoped work can commence in early May. · Castel Crogen Lodge regularly use the Council Chamber for their meetings. They have been offered a new presentation case for their Lodge Certification. They request for this case to be fixed to the wall and it will be closed when the Lodge are not meeting. A photograph showing the dimensions and proposed location was distributed. Members requested that the Lodge be responsible for the installation and eventual removal leaving the location where the case was hung in the original state. LP suggested an effort to blend the case colouring with the paint colour should be made. Motion to approve proposed GB, seconded BC Motion carried. · Earlier this evening JA presented the donation of £200 to Blood Bikes Wales agreed at our January meeting, to their representative and John Dean. John approached the Council to support his bid to the first amputee to volunteer for Blood Bikes Wales. Photographs will be supplied to JB for publication in The Advertizer. · SJ advised receipt of the Annual Financial Report today for Chirk Town Council. Some points being clarified before formally presenting to Council.
· Keep Britain Tidy Email outlining The Great British Spring Clean 22nd March to 23rd April 2019. Noted. · Clerk of Glyntraian Community Council Email advising of a Public Consultation over the future use of the Pontfadog school site. The first meeting to be held at the school on 11th April 2019 at 7:30pm. Noted. · Cllr. Kirtsy Cottam Email following on from her resignation wishing to recognise the hard work undertaken by all members. She does hope to match their dedication at a point in the future. Noted. · Llyr Gruffydd AM Email advising that the Welsh Audit Office are to take the audit work for Town and Community Councils in-house from 2020-21. Noted. · Wales Audit Office Email and attached letter advising of some undercharging of audit fees recorded by Grant Thornton. The invoice for the 2018-19 audit may show an increase of between £50 - £100. Noted. · Friends of Chirk Station Christine Ashford Email thanking Chirk Town Council for the recent grant of £100. Bee Happy at Chirk Station is this seasons theme. Noted. · Jill Evans MEP CND Cymru Email requesting the Council to pass a motion stating that your community will not volunteer to host an underground nuclear waste storage facility. Noted. · Jess Keates Chirk Community Pantoholics Letter of thanks for the commemorative plaque placed in Chirk Parish Hall marking the 25th Anniversary of the Pantoholics. Noted.
·
British Weights and Measures Assn.
Letter informing members that Pedestrian distance signs must only
show imperial units of distance.
Noted.
159.
TO
RECEIVE REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PLANNING SUB-COMMITTEE
MEETING HELD 4TH MARCH 2019.
160.
TO
APPROVE PAYMENTS TO BE MADE AS ON LIST ATTACHED. 161. TO PRESENT ITEMS FOR INCLUSION ON THE NEXT AGENDA. To note: · A request to revive the Major Incident Policy previously tabled by Eilwen Jones. · Call a meeting of the iBeacon Working Party. · Ex. Councillor John Vant is having treatment at Wrexham Maelor Hospital he is on Flemming ward. · GB requests a letter from the Council be sent to Chirk Castle congratulating them on their record visitor numbers 12 months to February 2019. · EB looking out for the output from the Visioning Event. · BH requests a meeting with Canal & River Trust. Recent complaints over dog fouling and off lead/loose dogs on the tow path. Also, cyclists and pedestrians need to respect each other and share the tow path. It was suggested this matter can be discussed in greater detail when the General Purposes Committee next meets. · BH also interested in looking more into an EV Charging Point being sited in Chirk. Perhaps invite a Wrexham CBC officer to a future meeting.
·
SW quoted in a newspaper article covering the topic of provision of
facilities for the teenagers resident in Chirk. Reference made to
the recently adopted Member/Officer Protocol. JB accepts his
article should state the quotes are a personal opinion and not
necessarily representative of the Council as a whole. DG did ask SW
to undertake more analysis as she has a contra view over provision
in Chirk. Meeting closed 9:00pm.
Signed Chairman 24th April 2019
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