March Council minutes

RESOLVEN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The Monthly Meeting of the Council was held on Thursday 7^th March 2024 at 6pm at the Community Centre

Present/ Presennol

Mr. A. Jones –   Chair/Cadeirydd      

Councillors/Cynghorwy

Mr N. Francis, Mr T. Jones, Mr R. Coulter, Mr N. Place, Mr P. Martin, Mr K. Sims

Clerk/Clerc

Mrs. C. Payne.

County Member/Aelod o’r Cyngor Sir  – Not present

18/24 Apologies for Absence/Ymddiheuriadau am absenoldeb  

Mrs J. Llewellyn, Mrs R. Parfitt, Mr P. Thomas, Mr L. Whomes, 

19/24 Declarations of Interest/Datganiad o ddiddordeb personol   

Mr N. Place, Mr T. Jones item no.22/24

20/24 Minutes of the previous Meeting/Cofnodion y Cyfarfod Diwethaf

The Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday 1^st February 2024 were accepted as a true record. 

21/24 Clerk’s report and Council Matters Arising/Materion yn codi o’r cofnodion
           ac adroddiad y Clerc.

Matters arising

BT box adoption has now been cancelled due to vandalism.

22/24 To consider letter of support for Rugby club 

Resolven Rugby Club are applying to the Pen Y Cymoedd Community Fund for a grant to install solar panels.  Part of the project is to install 2 electric vehicle charging points on the outer wall of the club that would be available to members of the community.

They have asked the community council for a letter of support for this project.

Members agreed to support the project.

23/24   Correspondence

Building tomorrow’s Wales: re-inventing your volunteer engagement
Neath Port Talbot CVS Forums/Networks
OVW – Voter Registration Week
Hedgehog Highway Project 

 

24/24 Sub-Committee Reports 
Joint Park/Finance committees – The minutes of the meeting were accepted as a true record.

Planning app. P2024/0083 – Yynsarwed Farm, Abergarwed. SA11 4DD

Construction of all-weather paddock/menage (60m x 40m) including suitable

Drainage, wooden post, and rail fencing, along with inward facing lighting. 
No objections recorded. 

The MUGA presentation was presented to the members for discussion. 

Next meeting for parks 14^th March with a visit to Ystradgynlais 

25/24 Chairman’s Report. 

The park keeper has now resumed working in the parks.

The Chair made a recent visit to Ystradgynlais MUGA to look into ideas for the proposed MUGA in Resolven. The parks committee will also visit on 12the March 2024

Congratulations to the Vice Chair who was nominated and accepted to attend the Buckingham Palace Garden Party on May 8^th 2024.

 26/24 Councillors Report 

A report that since the works on the Clydach brook, the bins on the Clydach roadside of the brook are missing – |NPT will be contacted to replace.

A request by the school to borrow our litter pickers was agreed.

A Report on the Zoom meeting of NPT OVW held on 6^th March 2024 

The meeting was poorly attended as is becoming the norm, despite the fact that the online meeting was supposed to ensure full attendance.

1. Presentation given by Emma Goode of OVW on the cost of living – a clear exposé of the work undertaken by OVW in tackling the crisis affecting some communities.
2. Neath Port Talbot Liaison Committee– a brief report was given on the budget meeting of 4/1/24, and it was to some relief that the Council Tax rise will not reach double figures, though this has come at a cost in terms of retirement and cutbacks. Notice in particular was drawn to the maintenance of the canal towpaths being curtailed. It was decided that the system of recycling adopted by the Briton Ferry recycling centre, was very unsatisfactory and indeed hostile to the public.
3. Swansea Bay UHB stakeholders’ group– the meeting had been cancelled once again owing to a lack of attendees, this was becoming a pattern!
4. PSB – report already given to Resolven CC.
5. External Audit – this was causing consternation all over Wales and some smaller councils had not submitted audited accounts for over four years, resulting in the resignation of many clerks. This matter needs to be resolved quickly since it is becoming extremely costly and burdensome.
6. Training programme – OVW said that though the training modules were popular, NPT take up needed to be improved.
7. Democratic Health – a survey of young people had been undertaken to improve the number becoming councillors. Time, interest, and inclusivity were the main items of contention.
8. One Voice Wales Annual Awards scheme – it was suggested that a speaker should attend the next meeting to outline the scheme. The annual conference would take place on the 27^th March.
9. Matters for referral to NEC – recycling in NPT was to be referred to the NEC as a matter of urgency.
10. Date of next meeting– 12 June, in person at Neath Community Centre at 7:00.

Trefor Jones