Cwmbran Community Council Cyngor Cymuned Cwmbrân
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Cwmbran Community Council Cyngor Cymuned Cwmbrân Report Item Committee: Policy & Finance Committee (and Members Matters 1 October 2014) Date: 27 October 2014 Report Author: Clerk to the Council Event attended: Local Councils in Partnership Committee (AGM & Ordinary Meeting) Date of Event 23 September 2014 Event Attended by: Councillor S Evans (as substitute for Councillor Howell), Councillor TA Matthews and David Collins (Clerk to the Council) Introduction 1. This report provides members with brief details of the above meeting. Summary of key issues discussed 2. AGM – Councillor D Daniels appointed Chairman. 3. Ordinary meeting – see agenda and minutes attached. 4. Report of Councillor Matthews: Matters arising from TCALC meeting Grass verges, hedges and tall tress not being cut? The workforce are fully engaged in grass cutting throughout the summer and are then employed on the above during the months of October – April. Refuse collections irregular Some delays due to staff absences, HGV training and employment of agency staff Management of Llanyrafon Manner, Sports Grounds and Community Halls No response to these matters, meeting at Cwmbran to be rearranged, two current developments at Pontypool Departmental Updates (a) Trading Standards To be co-ordinated through Gwent Councils following reduction in staffing, the possibility of providers providing their own inspections was mentioned. (b) Neighbourhood services Football pitches become the responsibility of the leasers, for surrounding areas - responsibility to be confirmed. Meadowland at Ponthir has been resolved and they will be included in any subsequent schemes. Bus services to Cwmbran cemetery and Henllys, unlikely to be implemented as there is very little passenger demand. Mowing of meadowland was discussed with no resolution. (c) LDP Developments at South Sebastopol and Llantarnam are at planning stage. No immediate interest by developers for remaining major sites (d) Schools Secondary education will go forward as planned at Fairwater and Croesyceiliog – A new primary school to be built on the Llantarnam site and a further primary school to be built on Blenheim Road site. (e) Waste It would seem that the new recycling plan will include smaller black bins on a fortnightly collection. The transfer station at New Inn is undergoing a massive reconstruction and will open later in the year with the ability to receive virtually any waste matters. (In the absence of some officers written responses would be forwarded to Clerks). AOB At the close of the meeting the Chairman asked the LC Partnership to consider the prioritisation of future objectives which may coincide with the seven principles currently adopted by the Unitary Authority. 5. Date of next meeting Tuesday 16 December 2014 Tuesday 24 March 2015 Tuesday 23 June 2015 (AGM) LOCAL COUNCILS PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING MINUTES OF THE MEETING TUESDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 2014 HELD AT 5.45PM IN COMMITTEE ROOM 1, CIVIC CENTRE, PONTYPOOL 1. Attendance Attendance register was circulated 2. Apologies for absence Apologies received from Cllr Colyn Evans, Cllr Margaret Howell BEM, Cllr Sylvia Lewis, Cllr Stewart Matthews. 3. Election of Chair Cllr David Daniels introduced himself to the committee as the Leaders representative. Cllr Daniels was elected as the Chair on behalf of Torfaen County Borough Council. 4. Election of Vice Chair In rotation the Vice Chair should be a member from Henllys Community Council. As Henllys Community Council was not represented at the meeting, it was agreed to contact them for their nomination. ACTION - N. Marsh If they are unable to nominate a Vice Chair this will then be passed to Pontypool Community Council who is next in the rotation. 4. To agree the dates and times of the meetings for 2014/15 The following dates were agreed:- Tuesday 16 December 2014 Tuesday 24 March 2015 Tuesday 23 June 2015 (AGM) It was agreed that these meetings should start at 4.30 p.m. and will be held at the Civic Centre in Committee Room 1. LOCAL COUNCILS PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE TUESDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 2014 HELD AT 6PM IN COMMITTEE ROOM 1, CIVIC CENTRE, PONTYPOOL Present:- Members Cllr David Daniels (Chair) Executive Member Communities Torfaen CBC, Llantarnam Ward Councillor, Cwmbran Community Councillor Cllr Stewart Matthews Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon Community Council Cllr Tom Matthews MBE Cwmbran Community Council Cllr Steven Evans Cwmbran Community Council Cllr Robert Davies Ponthir Community Council Cllr Gaynor James Pontypool Community Council Officers/Clerks David Collins Clerk to Cwmbran Community Council Ruth Tucker Clerk to Pontypool Community Council Cynon Edwards Neighbourhood Services, Torfaen CBC Jacky Rue Community Halls Officer, Torfaen CBC Adrian Wilcock Planning & Public Protection, Torfaen CBC Nikki Marsh (Minutes Secretary) Senior Members Services Officer, Torfaen C.B.C. Apologies:- Cllr Gareth Davies Blaenavon Town Council Cllr Sylvia Lewis Blaenavon Town Council Cllr Colyn Evans Croesyceiliog & Llanyrafon Community Council Cllr Margaret Howell BEM Cwmbran Community Council Mark Horton (Report Provided) Head of Forward Planning & Access, Torfaen C.B.C. Maria Evans (Report Provided) Social Care & Housing, Torfaen C.B.C. Steve Jarrett (Report Provided) Neighbourhood Services, Torfaen CBC ITEM DISCUSSION ACTION 1. Welcome and Introduction The Chair opened the meeting and the attendance register circulated. 2. Apologies for Absence Apologies as noted above 3. Declarations of interest – Any declarations of interest will be declared as the meeting progresses 4. Minutes of the last meeting – Tuesday 29th April 2014 and notes from the meeting 24th June which was inquorate To minutes of the meeting of 29th April and the notes from the meeting 24th June were accepted as a true record. There were no matters arising 5. Action Sheet & Update on actions The action sheet has been updated. An update to Bus Services at the new cemetery has been received and documented separately at the end of the Action Sheet. Please note that updates to items Community Halls and Education will be covered in the officer’s reports in Item 6. 6. Departmental updates Mark Horton - Head Forward Planning & Access(Torfaen LEA) Written Report read by the Chair in Mark’s absence (details below) Declaration of Interest The Chair and Cllr Steven Evans declared an interest as they are both on Llantarnam Governing Body Post 16 Education Nothing further to report at this stage – discussions continue between Coleg Gwent, Welsh Government and Torfaen CBC. In the case of school reorganisation proposals, emails have been sent to community/town councils during the various stages of the process; the current position is as follows: Removal of Surplus Secondary School places in the South of Torfaen The decision has now been approved to close both Llantarnam and Fairwater Secondary Schools at the end of the 2014/2015 academic session, and establish a “new” school in the premises of the current Fairwater school from 1st September 2015. The “working name” for the new school is Cwmbran High School, subject to approval as required in the instrument of government next year. The temporary governing body of Cwmbran High School has appointed Helen Coulson as headteacher for the new school when it opens in September 2015. Helen is currently the headteacher at Fairwater High. Closing Fairwater and Llantarnam and creating a single secondary school will help tackle the issue of surplus places and bring Torfaen in line with the Welsh Government target of no more than 15 percent surplus places. School Closures Following the conclusion of the statutory process the following proposals have or will be implemented: Two Locks Nursery School closed at the end of the 2013/14 academic year. Kemys Fawr Infants School closed at the end of the 2013/14 academic year. Pontymoile Primary School (and SNRB) closed at the end of the 2013/14 academic year. Nant Celyn Primary School’s age range was extended from 4 to 11 to 3 to 11 at the start of the 2014/15 academic session to accommodate nursery aged children displaced as a result of the closure of Two Locks, and the Autistic SNRB previously at Pontymoile has relocated to Nant Celyn. Pontnewynydd Primary School will close at the end of the 2014/15 academic session. New Schools Consultation has closed in respect of proposals to replace the following schools which are due to open in their new premises in September 2016: Blenheim Road Community Primary School (new build on its existing site (315 places plus nursery). Llantarnam Community Primary School (new build on the current Llantarnam Secondary School site (315 places plus nursery). Ysgol Panteg (new build on the former Avesta steelworks site, Griffithstown (420 places plus nursery). Statutory Notices are due to be published in respect of the Llantarnam and Ysgol Panteg proposals towards the end of September 2014 (Note: Statutory notices are not required for the Blenheim Road proposal). Maria Evans, Social Care & Housing, Torfaen C.B.C Written Report read by the Chair in Maria’s absence (details below) Social Care and Housing are currently consulting on Market Position Statements. They have developed one for adults, and one for children and families. The documents are available on My Say. The MPS’s outline predictions for changing demographics in Torfaen over the next 5 – 10 years and the need to ensure new services are developed to meet the needs of complex health conditions and an aging population. Jacky Rue, Community Halls Officer, Torfaen CBC Meetings are planned