Draft Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on Thursday 16th January 2025 at the Welfare Hall, Heol Y Felin, Cwmgwrach and via Zoom, commencing at 6.30 pm
Present: Councillor R Williams (Chair), Councillors M Mortimore, D Jones, J Bulman, P Rudd, C Edwards and A Hippsley
Council Employees Present: Clerk/RFO Linda Evans
Members of the Public Present: None
96/24 Apologies: Councillors R A Williams and A Edwards had sent their apologies.
Councillor H Davies had sent her apologies and an update for County Councillor’s Report for the Clerk to read to the Meeting.
Chair Cllr R Williams started the meeting at 6.30 pm by welcoming all present. The meeting is held as a multi-hybrid meeting in accordance with The Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021. Council Standing Order 3b(i)
97/24 Declarations of Interest: There were no declarations of interest at this meeting.
98/24 County Councillor`s Report:
- Cllr H Davies has requested the “Waste Team” to complete a team patrol of the village with regards to dog fouling. Members were pleased to hear this news as they have seen complaints via social media regarding the issue of dog mess being left on pavements. There was a feeling that the offending is done mainly in the evenings and after dark. Members will wait to see if there are any improvements after the Waste Team visit.
- Cllr H Davies was shocked to see damage done to the grassed area around the Welfare Hall, and enquired if the CCTV had shown who was to blame. Clerk had not received any reports from the Groundsperson or observed the damage, but will investigate the issue and report back.
99/24 Public Observations on Matters Arising and Agenda Items
There were no observations made at this meeting.
100/24 To Approve the Minutes of the Ordinary Meeting held on Thursday 21st November 2024
RESOLVED that the minutes be approved as a true record.
101/24 Matters Arising from the Ordinary Meeting held on Thursday 17th October 2024
Further to minute 54/24 b) – Hire of Conference Room – Clerk has not received any further correspondence from the Vale of Neath Baby Basics. Until a definite agreement has been made then the plastering will be put on hold. RESOLVED all Members agree.
Further to minute 54/24 f) Council Leases for Cwmgwrach Rugby Club – Clerk has received the requested information from One Voice Wales and Neath Port Talbot CBC. This information has been shared with all Members and discussed. Action: Clerk to contact the Charity Commission for their advice and instruction and bring this information to the next meeting. RESOLVED
102/24 Agenda Items:
a) 2025/26 Budget and Precept – As requested in the Ordinary Meeting held on 21/11/2024 the Park and OpenSpace Maintenance and Repair Budget was increase to £10,000. Therefore, the 2025/26 Budget is estimated to be £80,400. Members examined the Annual Precept 2025/26 document prepared by the Clerk. Based on 2025/26 Band D figure, a budget of £80,400 will amount to a 0.75% increase (£501), therefore an increase for a Band D household of £1.56 per year. RESOLVED All Councillors agreed with the Clerks recommendation, Precept for 2025/26 to be set at £80,400. Clerk to inform NPTCBC Precept Officer of the Council’s decision.
b) On Line-Diary and Calendar for Hall Hire – With the increase usage of the Hall the Clerk has requested permission to ask the Council Webpage Provider for a quote to add an online diary to the website so those wishing to make a booking can see availability. The Clerk has found that discussion around availability can be time consuming and a better system is needed. RESOLVED Permission was given for the Clerk to obtain a quote so that further discussions can be made at the next meeting.
c) Council Fees – Hall Hire/Cemetery and Leases – The Council RESOLVED that no increases are to be made to current fees for the 2025/26 Financial Year.
103/24 Planning
There were no planning applications at this meeting.
104/24 Crime and Policing
The Local Police Website shows 9 Crimes reported in the Blaengwrach Area for October 2024: 2 Anti-social Behaviour; 1 Public Order; 5 Violence and Sexual Offences; 1 Other Crime. There were 4 Crimes in the Villages of Blaengwrach and Cwmgwrach: Anti-social Behaviour; 1 Public Order and 1 Other Crime. In the month of November 2024 8 Crimes were reported – 3 Violence and Sexual Offences; 2 Anti-social Behaviour; 2 Criminal Damage and Arson and 1 Other Crimes. 5 of these crimes were in the Villages of Cwmgwrach and Blaengwrach – 2 Violence and Sexual Offences; 1 Criminal Damage and Arson; 2 Anti-social Behaviour and 1 Public Order RESOLVED and noted.
105/24 Finance
RESOLVED the following payments were scrutinised and approved:
| Clerks Report – Monthly E&I 22nd November 2024 to 16th January 2025 – 2 Months | ||
| Payments Made | 22/11/2024 to 16/01/2025 | Amounts |
| Nest | Staff Pension Scheme (7 weeks) | £111.37 |
| Council Employees | Groundsperson/Caretaker and Clerk – 2 month’s wages | £5,320.19 |
| HMRC | Tax and NI 06/11/24 to 05/01/25 | £912.08 |
| Utility Warehouse Ltd | Electricity @ Welfare Hall | £491.10 |
| Welsh Water | Water Rates for Welfare Hall | £302.00 |
| Welsh Water | Water Rates for Cemetery | £43.00 |
| NPTCBC | Rates Welfare Hall | £786.00 |
| NPTCBC | Rates Cemetery | £40.00 |
| EE | Hall Wi-Fi | £54.79 |
| British Gas | Hall Usage | £1,151.90 |
| Zoom | Online Meeting Platform Monthly Charge | £15.59 |
| NPTCBC | CVS Yearly Membership | £10.00 |
| Wales Air Ambulance | Raffle Money Donation | £33.00 |
| Urdd | Raffle Money Donation | £33.00 |
| Councillor Allowances | Yearly Allowance | £1,456.00 |
| Wales Audit Office | Audit Fees 2023/24 | £200.00 |
| J Griffiths | Park Wall Repair | £640.00 |
| Viking | Office Supplies/Ink, Paper, and Minute Book | £108.08 |
| Garry Sage | Panto | £850.00 |
| Total Expenditure | £12,658.10 | |
| Income Received | 22/11/2024 to 16/01/2025 | |
| SRCC Stores Ltd | Monthly Rental of Shed in the Park | £70.00 |
| TSB Bank | Monthly Interest on “Reserve” Saver | £57.60 |
| NPTCBC | Hall Hire Messy Play Oct/Nov | £112.00 |
| VIEW (Glynneath) Ltd | Hall Hire Yoga Nov/Dec | £98.00 |
| Zumba | Hall Hire Sept/Oct/Nov | £112.00 |
| Celtic Archers | Hall Hire Nov/Dec | £168.00 |
| Empower | Singing for the Brain Hall Hire Nov/Dec | £105.00 |
| Cwmgwrach Judo | Hall Hire Oct/Nov/Dec | £98.00 |
| Class Act Tutoring | Hall Hire Oct/Nov/Dec | £126.00 |
| Old Age Group | Hall Hire Oct/Nov | £252.00 |
| Cash | Panto Tickets | £53.00 |
| Cash | Raffle Money | £66.05 |
| H Lewis Funeral
Directors |
Internment Fee | £150.00 |
| NPTCBC | Flying Start Oct/Nov Hall Hire | £140.00 |
| Tea Rooms | Nov Hall Hire | £84.00 |
| M Winter | Hall Hire Dec | £42.00 |
| NPTCBC | 3rd Precept | £26,622.33 |
| Total Income | £28,355.98 | |
| Account Balances | As at 16/01/2025 | |
| General Account | £2,343.23 | |
| Reserve/Saver
Account |
£35,742.71 | |
| Total Account Balances as at 16/01/2025 £ | £38,085.94 | |
- Councillors noted the 2 donations from the Christmas Raffle. Clerk has received a thank you form both organisations and will print these out and display on the Hall Notice Board. RESOLVED
- The cost of the Panto was noted £850.00. Clerk had sent a breakdown of ticket sales along with the donation from Aberpergwm Colliery to all Councillors. A cash amount is outstanding and as soon as the Clerk receives this it will be banked and a complete balance sheet can be produced. RESOLVED
- Final Precept Payment has been received. RESOLVED
- Clerk will submit the VAT return for 2024 at the end of January. RESOLVED
Cllr P Rudd (Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee) gave a report on the 3rd Quarter Budget prepared by the Clerk to the meeting and recommended Full Council approves the report. RESOLVED 3rd Quarter Budget was approved by all Councillors.
106/24 Correspondence & Section 137 Request:
- Project Notification A465 Concrete Carriageway Maintenance Repairs – essential repairs will start on 27th January 2025, with details of full closure of carriageways and times. Cllr C Edwards was pleased that improvements were being carried out, as she has been campaigning for this for many years. Also discussed were the traffic cones that are a permanent fixture before the slip road into Glynneath off the A465. It was noted that these were first put in place after a serious accident several years ago. It was requested that the Clerk asks if Cllr H Davies would be able to investigate and inform the next meeting why they were still there. RESOLVED
- Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) – email received regarding the need for a competent person to identifying if there is a presence of RAAC in any council owned buildings, and reporting this information back to the Welsh Government. Clerk had returned this information in May 2024, but a further response is now needed. Councillors discussed who a competent person may be, and the Clerk was actioned to find a person to carry out the survey. RESOLVED
107/24 Set Date, Time & Proposed Agenda Items for the next meeting; …
The next meeting of the Council will be held on Thursday 20th February 2025, at 6.30 pm. Agenda Items Cemetery Reserved Plots were proposed at this meeting. Cllr D Jones gave his apologies in advance of the next meeting.
Notices for the meetings will be posted at least three working days before they are due to take place.
Meeting closed at 7.45 pm