Minutes of the Meeting of Broughton Community Council
on Wednesday 13 March 2024
Members
Councillor S Feely (Chair)
Cllr. K. Jones (Vice Chair)
Councillor C Lovett * Councillor Mrs B Parry-Jones
Councillor N Davies Councillor T Alan Edwards*
Councillor Mrs S Williams * Councillor Mrs E Jones
Councillor C Williams Councillor A Lovett *
Councillor T Williams Cllr. J. Pettigrew
Cllr. J. Williams Cllr. N. Williams
Cllr. K. Robinson Cllr. F Derbyshire
*Absent
-
- APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
Apologies were received from Cllrs A. Edwards. A. Lovett, C. Lovett and S. Williams.
All apologies were accepted.
- DECLARATIONS OF PERSONAL INTEREST
There were no Declarations of Personal Interest.
- PCSO REPORT
PCSO Lowri Jones attended the meeting. She explained that she had not been able to attend previous community Council meetings, due to them either falling on her day off or being called away to urgent incidents.
The PCSO went through the report.
The following points were raised :
- The cost of a damaged wall had been reimbursed.
- Identification of where incidents had taken place was helpful.
- There had not been much interaction between PCSOs and the Youth Service Projects. However there had been contact between the PCSOs and the Community Agent by email.
The PCSO was thanked for her attendance.
The Chair and Clerk then gave Members an update on a meeting they had with Inspector Matt Subacchi earlier that day :
- The reporting format would be revamped from April 2024.
- The focus of the reporting format would be around statistics showing the levels of incidents for various categories rather than reporting individual incidents i.e. where there were particular locations / types of incidents and was the general trend an increase or decrease.
- There would be an opportunity in the report for Members to ask specific questions.
A Member asked why she has not been allowed to attend the meeting with Inspector Subacchi. The Chair explained that he had specifically asked to meet only with the Chair and Clerk initially and that it would have been unfair on other Members if she had been allowed to attend.
- MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON 14 FEBRUARY 2024.
The minutes were accepted as a true and accurate record.
Matters Arising
Page 2 -Cemetery
The Clerk informed Members that he had spoken to the Cemetery Assistant and he had agreed to take on the additional duties, subject to a review of his salary.
Page 5 – National Eisteddfod
It was agreed to defer any decision on a donation to this event until more information became available as to whether and how much other community councils were donating.
- FINANCE
Members agreed income and payments amounting to £ 30.00 and £11,711.52 respectively.
SUMMARY OF INCOME AND EXPENDITURE – FEBRUARY 2024
(Payments inc. VAT where Applicable)
Income –
Date Payee Method of Payment Amount 08 Feb 2024 K. Lea – Reimbursement CR 30.00 TOTAL £ 30.00 Expenditure
Date Payer Method of Payment Amount £
05 Feb 2024 AVOW – February 2024 BACS 2,579.84 5 Feb 2024 Defib Store – Defibrillator BACS 1,575.84 8 Feb 2024 Amazon – Paper BACS 24.69 16 Feb 2024 Mega Electrical – Xmas Lighting, Removal and Storage BACS 3,598.20 16 Feb 2024 Wrexham CBC – Cemetery Trade Refuse BACS 825.00 16 Feb 2024 Hafren Dyfrwdy – Cemetery Water Half Year BACS 160.97 21 Feb 2024 Mega Electrical – Street Lighting Repairs Oct to Dec 2023 BACS 919.22 25 Feb 2024 HSBC – Bank Charges CHG 5.00 26 Feb 2024 S P Bayley – Work in relation to trees at rears of Bowling Green BACS 675.00 26 Feb 2024 Zoom – Webcasting Subscription Visa 15.59 27 Feb 2024 McAfee – Laptop Security Visa 79.99 29 Feb 2024 SSE – January Energy Charges DD 1252.18 TOTAL £ 11,711.52 Bank Balances at 29 February 2024 :
Business Account : £ 178,776.46
Deposit Account : £ 114, 586.51
Total : £ 293,362.97
Members also authorised the Clerk to make payments amounting to £ 48,866.34
INVOICES FOR AUTHORISATION
MARCH 2024 MEETING
(Copies Available for Inspection)
1 Jan 2024 Wrexham CAB – Quarter 4 invoice £ 2,250.00
20 Feb 2024 Wrexham CBC – Youth & Play Services 2024/25 £ 29,171.34
26 Feb 2024 TWM – Additional Speed Signs and adjustments to
Existing signs £15,225.00
27 Feb 2024 Marcher Stone – Headstone Survey £ 2,220.00
TOTAL £ 48,866.34
-
- POLICIES
Risk Assessment Report
The Clerk presented the above report. He highlighted that the report was in two main sections, the financial risks and service area risks. He emphasised that many risks could not be completely eliminated but that measures can be put in place to minimise the risk.
The following points were raised :
- An audit of headstones in terms of health and safety had been undertaken, with risk of each colour coded from green to red. Members felt that a programme needed to be put in place to make them safe in order of priority.
- The community council had quite a number of lights on BT / Scottish Power poles. The policy of these companies was that they would not allow the replacement of lights where poles were replaced.
Consideration needed to be given to making funding available to start replacing them, once the concrete lamp column replacement had been completed.
Members thanked the Clerk for the report and agreed its contents.
Financial Regulations
The Clerk presented the above report. He went through the main changes to the regulations, particularly drawing attention to the thresholds for procuring goods and services and controls on purchasing through the various methods i.e. cheque, BACS transfer and Visa Card.
Members agreed the report.
- PROJECTS
Defibrillators
The Clerk stated that arrangements were in place to install the defibrillator at Southsea
Road. He would liaise with Cllr Derbyshire to arrange an exact date and time.
He reminded Members that Mega Electrical had reported back that they felt it would be unsafe to install a defibrillator on a stone wall at Gatewen Village. However they could install a post adjacent to the wall on which to mount the defibrillator and take an electrical feed from the wall.
It was agreed to accept this proposal at a maximum cost of £1000.
Unfortunately no suitable location had been identified in Lodge to locate a defibrillator.
However a member of the public offered to have it installed at her property.
Members agreed to this proposal. It was also agreed to order an additional defibrillator for this purpose.
It was also suggested that defibrillator / first aid training be arranged at Southsea Church at a cost of £60 for the training and £60 to hire the room.
It was agreed to first enquire about the cost of hiring a room at Brynteg Memorial Hall. However if this option was not available then to proceed with the training at Southsea Church.
Speed Signs
The Clerk informed Members that he had submitted all the necessary information to TWM to proceed with the installation.
Additional Street Lights
The Clerk informed Members that he had visited the proposed sites with a representative of Mega Electrical, our street lighting contractor, and was awaiting prices.
Village Signs
It was agreed that the Clerk make enquiries for the purchase of seven village signs, one for each village.
- GRASSCUTTING CONTRACT
The Clerk reminded Members that the original contractor, who had been awarded the contract, had withdrawn. Members had previously agreed that the contractor who undertook the work in 2023 be invited to undertake the work and they had agreed.
The contract specified that it would be for a maximum period of five years, with a review after the first year. Given that the contractor had undertaken the work the previous year, did Members wish this stipulation to apply ?
The following points of view were expressed :
- Given that they had undertaken the work the previous year the stipulation should not apply.
- However, other Members felt that given that it is a new contract and it contained a provision to review it after one year the stipulation should remain.
- It was also stated that some Members were not completely happy about certain elements of the grasscutting work the previous year therefore the review should remain.
A Member accused the community council of, in her opinion, being “corrupt”, in as much that she felt that maintaining the review was a back door method of allowing the contractor who had declined the contract this year, to be reinstated for future years. She was informed that the contractor had been informed that he would not be considered for future work.
The councillor was warned that she may be breaking the Code of Conduct and was asked to withdraw her comments. The councillor refused to withdraw the comment.
It was agreed that the stipulation relating to a review after one year remain as a condition of employing the contractor.
- CEMETERY FEES 2024 / 2025
It was agreed that the fees for burials and headstones remain the same as the previous year.
- CEMETERY HEADSTONE AUDIT
The results of headstone audit had been circulated to Members prior to the meeting. The audit had identified 170 headstones in the RED category i.e. in need of urgent repair.
One quote had been received for rectification work.
It was agreed that the Clerk attempt to obtain alternative quotes for further discussion at the next meeting.
- PLANNING APPLICATIONS
P/2024/0131 – 9 Longview Road, Pentre Broughton –
Time extension request – Noted.
P/2023/0443 – 27 Wrexham Road, Brynteg
Notification of an appeal to Welsh Government – Noted
P/2024/0069 – The Bungalow, Ferndale Garden Centre, Caego
Formation of Vehicular Access and Closure of Existing Access – Supported.
P/2024/0115 Bryn Hyfryd, Clayton Road, Pentre Broughton
Erection of Dwelling – Supported.
- CORRESPONDENCE
- Email from Calon FM requesting a donation. –
- Email from Wrexham Litter Pickers requesting a donation – It was agreed to donate £250.
- Email from Rev Emma Dale requesting a donation towards grasscutting costs at Southsea Church Cemetery. – It was agreed to donate £500
- Email from Wrexham CBC re. cemetery trade waste prices for 2024/25 –
- Telephone request from a member of the public to cut back or cut down a tree overlooking her families grave – Request declined.
A Member asked why a letter relating to a cemetery bench had not been included in the correspondence. She was warned that she had a Personal and Prejudicial Interest in this issue, as she had declared at previous meetings and therefore should not be raising it.
The Chair explained that the Clerk had not received a copy of the correspondence in question and therefore it was not included in his list of correspondence.
The Chair stated that if the correspondence was forwarded to the Clerk it could be discussed at the next meeting.
- MEMBER REPORTS
- A member of the public had raised the issue of a swing gate near to the Bowling Club being unsafe.
- A suggestion that a project be considered to improve the area at Brynteg Memorial Park.
- It was agreed that a budget of £120 be set aside should there be a need to hire Southsea Church for a Village Fete.
- A suggestion that the path at the Southsea Play Area be extended to allow better access due to drainage issues.
- An update be requested at the next meeting on the current issues relating to the New Broughton roundabout and zebra crossing.
- The road sweeper for the area is due to retire in September 2024. A suggestion that he be recognised for his work in some way.
Signed …………………………………… (Chair)
Date …………………………
