CHIRK TOWN COUNCIL
CYNGOR TREF Y WAUN
MINUTES OF THE ORDINARY COUNCIL MEETING HELD 27th October 2010
Present
Cllr Mr T Evans, Wrexham CBC. Mr S A Hughes, Clerk to the Council.
55. MINUTES.
The minutes of the Council Meetings held the 29th September 2010 were confirmed as a correct record.
56.MATTERS ARISING.
39/27/11 CCTV Camera.
The Clerk informed the Council that he had spoken to the Aboricultural Officer, Wrexham CBC and had been told it was necessary to submit an application for planning permission to fell the oak tree interfering with the CCTV camera. The Clerk also said that it was usual now to plant a new tree in a suitable position to replace the one taken away. The Council agreed to make the planning application to fell the tree and to include for replacing the tree in a suitable location in the recreation ground.
43.Council Annual Return.
The Clerk reported receipt from the auditors UHY Hacker Young the Council’s Annual Return for the financial year ending 31st March 2010, duly completed. The Clerk said that due of the completion of the audit had been posted on the main notice board as required.
57.NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING.
PC Cullen was welcomed to the meeting and gave a report on matters raised at the last meeting:-
A Break-in at the Glyn Wylfa Offices, Castle Road, Chirk and the dangerous and Anti Social Behaviour at the Canal Aqueduct Site.
PC Cullen gave the crime statistics for the last month as follows: -
Assaults – 4 (either all detected or with suspects arrested and on police bail); Criminal Damage – 1 (1 undetected);
Drugs – 1 (1 detected); Thefts – 5 (all still being investigated); UMMV Theft from motor vehicle (undetected);
Anti Social Incidents – 5 (CCTV also picked up youths on Skate Park with beer – police staff attended and seized same).
The above-mentioned information was noted by councillors.
PC Cullen advised the Council on staff changes that had occurred recently namely that PC Batestone CBM for the Ceiriog Valley had left Chirk to take over the role as CBM in Rhos. No new officers will be coming to Chirk and the Glyn Valley position will be covered by PC Cullen from now onwards with his time split between Chirk and the Ceiriog Valley.
The PCSO staffing remains unchanged.
Councillors expressed their concern that police staff at Chirk had been reduced so drastically without any prior consultation and before any cuts in policing as could be envisaged by government announcements. The fact that PC Cullen now had to spread himself over a much wider area was highlighted and due to this he would not be dealing with local community policing issues but rather concentrating on crime.
Councillors were agreed that Chirk need the full contingent of police officers and deplored the loss of the CBM for the Ceiriog Valley placing an unfair burden on less officers. The Council was decided to complain to the Chief of Police for North Wales in the matter.
Comment was also made about the fact that additional payments were made to the police rate so as to employ more policemen on the North Wales Police Force and queried the need to reduce rates as less personnel were now being employed.
Attention was made to the problem of parking at the bus stop at the post office in Colliery Road where buses at time are not able to stop at the correct point to allow passengers to alight easily at the raised section of kerbing.
58.REPORT OF PARISH HALL COMMITTEE.
Members received a written report of the Parish Hall Committee meeting held on the 20th November 2010 and following consideration it was agreed to accept the reports and the action taken by the Committee.
59.REPORT OF BURIAL COMMITTEE.
Members received a written report of the Parish Hall Committee meeting held on the 20th November 2010 and following consideration it was agreed to accept the reports and the action taken by the Committee.
60.REPORTS – COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES.
Chirk Youth Football Club.
Cllr James informed the Council that the youth teams were doing very well and that a mobile unit had been converted for them to use as changing facilities on the AAA’s ground.
Chirk Youth Centre.
Cllr James said that numbers attending the club had increased and was flourishing. However, he said a meeting of the management was to be called to discuss several matters about the centre, equipment and funding.
One Voice Wales.
Cllr Allen and Cllr Hilary Spragg reported on their attendance at the One Voice Wales AGM and Conference where it was made plain to the council representatives that more responsibility and services would be given to Town and Community Councils in Wales and the burden that will be put on the shoulders of the Clerks of the Councils - a situation that in due course will need to be looked upon very carefully as it will also mean additional costs to be found by the local community rate.
With regard to the motions for debate these were dealt with and passed but towards the end of this agenda item there was much arguing about the fact that motions as written and proposed by the Community and Town Councils had been altered reworded and amalgamated with other motions so as not to reflect the true meaning of the original motion.
The Conference was not happy that this had occurred.
The conference also welcomed the new Chief Executive.
Police and Community Forum.
Cllr Allen reported on her attendance at the AGM when Cllr Malcolm King was re-installed as Chairman.
The meeting was informed about several Policing Operations for the coming weeks namely: -
Bang – to do with bonfires and fireworks; Twilight – regarding burglaries and maintain light on in homes; Lock out –to reduce domestic burglary; Back – to stop sale of eggs, flour etc on Bonfire night; Target Hardening – actions to prevent repeat victimisation.
Cllr Allen said that the Police budget for the next four years was to be cut by 40% and grant funding for PCSO’s was to be looked at.
Cllr Allen reported that there was a proposal to engage Police Commissioners to run the police forces to whom the Chief Police Officers would be responsible to and a budget proposal of £50,000,000 was the set-up cost.
The Chairman thanked the Councillors for their informative reports that were well received by members.
61.REPORT – WREXHAM CBC MEMBERS.
Cllr Terry Evans reported that he had attended a Scrutiny meeting of Wrexham CBC when under discussion was Footway Lighting. The authority was trying to charge Chirk Town Council the cost of footway lighting including maintenance, repair as well as power consumption. Cllr Evans said that during the debate the ownership of the footway lights was questioned as Chirk Town Council nor its predecessors owned any of them. This he said had meant that the scrutiny committee had deferred the matter for one month to obtain the legal position of the ownership of the lights. However, he recommended that the Chirk Town Council seeks legal clarification in this important issue as Wrexham CBC intended to make a special rate on the community for all costs including administration for the footway lighting.
if Chirk Town Council did not agree to take on the responsibility for this service.
Cllr Evans reported some pot holes had been made good on the Park Road but more was to be done and that new fencing had been installed to the pensioner’s bungalows.
The Chairman thanked Cllr Evans for his reports and the work done by him and Cllr Ian Roberts.
62.FOUR COUNCILS AANUAL MEETING.
The Clerk reported that the Annual Four Councils Meting will be held at the Memorial Institute Glyn Ceiriog on Monday 29th November commencing at 7pm. The Clerk to the Glyn Ceiriog Community Council has asked whether the Council wished to place matters on the agenda and following consideration the Council decided to ask for two agenda items namely: - Community Policing and Footway Lighting.
63.REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY.
The Clerk confirmed the arrangements for the Remembrance Sunday parade and Service at the Cenotaph and handed members copy of the programme.
The Clerk also informed the Council that a dedication of the new flag pole and garden at the Chirk Royal British Legion Headquarters would take place on Sunday 7th November at 1pm and all members are invited.
Also, on Thursday 11th November a short service will be held at the Cenotaph to observe two minutes silence.
64.APPEALS.
The following appeals for financial aid were received and dealt with as follows: -
.Craig Close Pensioners Club - Agreed to make donation of £500.00.
.Wales Air Ambulance – Agreed to make donation of £100.00.
.Bobath Children’s Therapy Centre - Agreed to let lie on the table.
.North Wales Deaf Association – Agreed to let lie on the table.
65.BUDGET 2011/2012
The Clerk reminded members that it was near time to decide the budget for the coming financial year and that a special meeting would be held to discuss this important matter. He urged members to consider items that will need to be included for discussion.
66.BLACK PARK COLLIERY MONUMENT
The Clerk reported receipt of letter from the Chief Legal and Democratic Services Officer, Wrexham CBC advising that the Council needed to enter into a section 105 Agreement in order to site the monument at the entrance to Chirk Park. The cost of the legal fees for the agreement would be £250.00. The Council agreed to pay the costs for the agreement.
67.PEDESTRIAN CROSSING CHURCH STREET CHIRK.
The Clerk reported receipt of a letter from Mr Ian Jones to the Chairman and who was concerned about the dangers of the present pedestrian crossing. The Clerk informed the Council that a reply had been sent to Mr Jones indicating again that the Council was not the responsible authority for the crossing but that the Council had asked both the Wrexham County Borough Council and the Welsh Assembly Government on a number of occasions for the pelican crossing to be re-instated. Members discussed the matter and agreed to support Mr Jones in his efforts and to also write to the Wrexham CBC and the Welsh Assembly Government to re-instate the Pelican Crossing.
68.THE QUEEN’S DIAMOND JUBILEE.
The Clerk reminded the Council that it had been decided to form a Committee to deal with organising celebration for this event. The following members volunteered to stand on the Committee –
Cllrs Mrs Hilary Spragg, Mrs Jackie Allen, Mrs Clare Gough, Mr Frank Hemmings and Mr Newman James.
The Clerk said he would be writing to all local organisations inviting them to have a representative on the Committee.
69.CORRESPONDENCE.
The Clerk reported receipt of the under-mentioned correspondence that was considered and dealt with:
a.Notice of the AGM of the Chirk Community Forum at the Parish Hall on 1st November 2010. Noted
b.Reply from British Waterways regarding the danger and litter problem at the Chirk Aqueduct saying that their Customer Service Supervisor will investigate matters. Noted.
c.Letter from the Chirk Hospital Circle of Friends thanking the Council for the generous donation to the scanner appeal.
Letter from One Voice Wales with details for Planning Workshops arranged for members – the one in Wrexham will be held on the 18th November at the Guildhall with the cost being £25 per person. Noted.
70.PLANNING MATTERS.
Plans Committee.
The Clerk gave a report of the Plans Committee held 27th October as follows: -
a.Planning Applications received from the Chief Planning Officer Wrexham CBC under the consultation procedures and dealt with as follows:
P/2010/0817 Erection of a 100 Seat Grandstand – Chirk AAA’s Holyhead Road, Chirk.
No Objection.
P/2010/0829 Erection of 3 No. Single Storey Lock-up Shop Units (renewal of planning permission code number P/2005/1392) – land between Veterinary Surgery and Take Away, Colliery Road,
No Objection.
P/2010/0837 Construction of Three Single Storey Extensions to create Additional Bedrooms –
Chirk Court Car Home, Maesywaun, Chirk.
No objection.
b. Certificates of Decision.
The following Certificates of Decision have been received form the Chief Planning Officer for information: -
P/2010/0720 Outline permission granted for erection of single storey dwelling – plot 8 Opposite New Houses,
Pentre.
P/2010/0724 Permission granted for erection of 1.8m high wall – 8 Maesywaun, Chirk.
P/2010/0736 Permission granted for Variation of condition 2 of 5/04/6848 to allow workshop to be used
in conjunction with picture framing business.- 10 Station Avenue, Chirk.
71. ACCOUNTS.
.Payments.
A list of invoices and payments amounting to £7,895.75 were given to the Council and were passed for payment.
see addendum).
Signed John Vant Chairman 1st December 2010