06.2015 The Minutes of the Meeting of the Llanover Community Council held at The Sir John Herbert Memorial Hall, Llanover on Monday1 June 2015 at 7.30 p.m. Present:- Mrs M Shooter (in the Chair), Mrs L Ball, Mrs A Letton and Messrs J Tod, R Adam, J Vater, C Brown OBE, G Thomas, I Tweddle, R Evans & H Candler (Clerk) Apologies:- Apologies for absence were received from County Councillor Mrs S Jones and Mr A Nevill Neighbourhood Policing The Chairman welcomed PC Rhydian Evans to the meeting. He produced a copy of the local Crime Report for the period 29 April to the end of May 2015. This report indicated three instances of the theft within the County Council ward of Llanover including the theft of money from the poultry farm in Coed Morgan and the theft of generators from the site of the recent Country and Western festival on the B4233. PC Evans said that on the whole there had been little crime in the area. Mr R Adam reported a possible incident of poaching on the River Usk at Pant-y-Goitre Bridge that night. PC Evans will investigate this complaint. The “giveaway” was that the possible poacher was carrying a telescopic fishing rod. There was a discussion about local neighbourhood policing cover. PC Evans said that PCSO Christopher Watkins has the day to day care of this area. Playing Field at Llanfair Kilgeddin The Chairman welcomed Tony and Heather Sutton to the meeting as members of the public. They said that they had lived in the area for 27 years. Tony Sutton was a former governor of Llanfair Kilgeddin School. He was concerned about the future of the playing field at the school (“School field”). Like many in the village he is concerned that it should not be developed if the school is closed. He has a copy of the Deed by which the School field was transferred by the Mather-Jackson family to the church. He will give a copy of this document to the Clerk so that he can advise on its legal relevance. This Council will consider whether or not to ask the Monmouthshire Diocesan Trust to donate the School field to the village if it was not to be developed. There was no provision for development in the LDD unless development of the field was regarded as “infill” or if it was made available for affordable housing. 20 Mr and Mrs Sutton said that they were also concerned with regard to the possible effect of the closure of the school on the LDP which identified Llanfair Kilgeddin as a “main village”, mainly because of the existence of the school. He was concerned that there had been no impact assessment on the community when the village was designated as a “main village”. The Clerk assured Mr and Mrs Sutton that the LDP could not be changed but that any proposed housing development, and none had been proposed as yet, would have to go through the normal planning process during which it could be pointed out that the school had been closed. Minutes:- The Minutes of the meetings held on 11 and 18 May were approved by the meeting and signed by the Chair. Matters Arising:- (i) Llanfair Kilgeddin The Chair reported that she had visited the Bishop of Monmouth on 29 May. He had been pleasant and charming. She had told him that the community was of the view that the Church had behaved “shabbily”, particularly in not contributing m oney towards the cost of improvements which were urgently needed and saying that they were only liable to pay a maximum, as opposed to a minimum, contribution of 15% of the cost of improvements to the fabric. She had also told the Bishop that the community were concerned about the future of S chool field. It was agreed that there were six items of gym equipment in the S chool field and yard which had been donated by this Council and should be returned if and when the school was closed. She also suggested t hat this Council should renew its request for a financial contribution towards a new bus shelter which would be needed for children travelling from the village to other schools on the school bus. The Clerk and the Chair will draft a letter to send to Rev Stephen James, with copies to the secretary to the Monmouthshire Diocesan Trust and the Bishop. The Chair reported that there will be a further meeting of the school governors next week at which the closure procedure will be moved forward. Mr J Vater rep orted that there were only 7 children left whose parents had not arranged for them to go to other schools. Mrs A Letton reported that the street light near her house had been repaired but she was not certain about the other light near the school. (ii) Llanover The Chair reported that the sat nav sign intended to persuade lorries not to drive up to Upper Llanover had been erected in the right place on the A4042. The Clerk will thank Mr Brian Cleary for arranging this. 21 Mr C Brown reported that a plaque had been ordered for the memorial tree at the Church. The Clerk reported that he had heard from Mr R Evans that the Vicar of Llanover had agreed to a Harpothon taking place in the Church Hall adjacent to St Batholmew’s Church . However, he was still hoping that it might take place in the Church itself. (iii) Llangattock -nigh -Usk Mr R Adam reported that Goff Ruck had died. His funeral will take place at St Cattwgs Church, The Bryn on 6 June. The Clerk reported that he had been informed by Adrian Jo nes of Natural Resources Wales (NRW) that although the Environment Agency had removed tree trunks from the upstream side of Pant-y-Goitre Bridge in the past they were under no obligation to do so and had no resources to do so at the present time. He said that he would only get involved if there was a felling risk. The Clerk will write to NRW complaining about this failure to look after the River Usk. He will also write to the Highways Department to inform them of the position. (iv) General The Clerk rep orted that he had received a letter from One Voice Wales stating that it was not necessary for individual Councillors to complete the pro forma on registration of interests which he had circulated. The new advice from OVW is as follows:- a) Councillors are required to declare a personal and, if appropriate, prejudicial interest in relation to pertinent matters when they are present at meetings; b) When Councillors disclose a personal interest for the first time they must give written confirmation of the interest to the Clerk before or immediately after the close of the meeting. The Clerk will then record these declarations in the Minutes of the meeting and also in the Register of Interests required under Section 81 of the Local Government Act 2000. This R egister must be available for public inspection at all reasonable hours and be made available on the Council’s website. It has to be updated as s oon as reasonably practicable after each and every meeting when new interests are disclosed. Community items:- (i) Llangattock –nigh -Usk Mr R Adam reported that he was still awaiting a reply from Monmouthshire County Counci l’s Transport Manager, Paul Keeble, with regard to the erection of 50 mph sign s on the B4598. The Clerk will chase Mr Keeble for a reply. 22 Mr J Tod reported that sandbags were still in place to prevent flood water draining from the A4042. The Clerk will make a request to SWTRA that they be removed. (ii) Llanddewi Rhydderch Mr J Vater reported that a lorry or van had once again got stuck at the junction of the C34.2 and C34.3. He believed that it had driven up past Pen y Parc Farm. The Clerk will request that a sat nav sign be placed at the junction of the C34.1 and C34.4. Mr Vater also reported that the post of the sti le on the footpath in the field below the village where the bridge is closed have become broken. The Clerk will report this to the Footpaths Officer. Mr J Tod reported that there was still a problem with people riding horses up the B4233. He believed that the family which he sa w involved in a near collision while riding horses/ponies up the road from Abergavenny live at Cefn Pendega r. The Clerk will contact this family to suggest that they desist from riding horses/ponies up this road. Mr Tod also reported that the drain near Fairview on the B4233 has still not been repaired properly. (iii) Llanfair Kilgeddin Mr G Thomas reported that some people living at St Marys Close had received a letter from the Council asking them to cut back their hedges because a footpath was overgrown. They had objected firstly because one of the people who had received a letter had replace d the hedge with a wall and secondly because they were concerned that the hedge be cut whilst birds are nesting. Mrs A Letton said that the four or five r oad drains on St Marys Hill were again filling up with leaves. She will contact the man who dealt with them on the last occasion. (iv) Llanover Mr R Evans asked the Clerk to chase the Welsh Government for information he requested with regard to the spee d survey through the Village of Llanover.