Minutes of the Extraordinary Full Council Meeting – Thursday 14th May 2020
BRACKLA COMMUNITY COUNCIL
THE NEXT MEETING OF BRACKLA COMMUNITY COUNCIL
EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE FULL COUNCIL
Thursday 14th May 2020 at 6.30pm via Video Link
Members Present
Cllr J Spanswick – Chairperson
Cllr D Aston
Cllr E Caparros
Cllr T Giffard
Cllr I Hibble
Cllr K Hughes
Cllr C Jackson
Cllr A Pucella
Cllr K Rowlands
Cllr T Walsh
Mrs R Keepins – Clerk of the Council
Mr P Ley – Assistant Clerk/Responsible Finance Office
Miss H May – Admin Officer
Cllr J Spanswick opened the meeting by thanking all key workers for the marvellous job they have done and are doing during these uncertain times on behalf of Brackla Community Council.
He also thanked the Community Council staff for adjusting to working at home and for keeping the Council still running. Cllr Eugene Caparros was welcomed onto the Council by all Members.
8 Apologies for Absence
Cllr J Brett
9 Declarations of Interest
To receive declarations of personal and prejudicial interest in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct.
Cllr I Hibble – Civil Servant working for the Welsh Government, Personal
10 Ratification of Minutes of the Community Centre Committee Meeting 12 February 2020
Resolved:
The minutes were approved, proposed by Cllr T Giffard, seconded by Cllr D Aston
11 Ratification of Minutes of the Full Council Meeting 20 February 2020
Resolved:
That the minutes were approved, proposed by Cllr K Hughes, seconded by Cllr T Walsh
12 Ratification of Confidential Minutes of Full Council Meeting 20 February 2020
Resolved:
That the minutes were approved, proposed by Cllr D Aston, seconded by Cllr K Hughes
13 Report by the Clerk relating to matters from the previous Full Council Meeting
The Clerk provided an update on the items from the last Full Council meeting that was held on 20 February 2020:
Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) Officers had been emailed regarding the significant amount of waste in the bin by the side of Brackla Primary but no response had yet been received. The Clerk proposed to add this to the item for discussion with BCBC Officers when they are invited to a future meeting to discuss the overall subject of bins in Brackla which would also include the issues with the bins on Channel View and Meadow Rise.
The work in relation to the street lights in the Community Centre car park had been ordered however this work is currently on hold with BCBC due to the current circumstances relating to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The website redesign had now been completed and the site has gone live. The item was scheduled for discussion and final payment approval at today’s meeting.
The Keep Wales Tidy (KWT) Wildlife garden package bid had been successful. As part of the bid, only one site was permitted so the Community Centre was named as the site. The Council had this week received an email asking if they would wish to start work at the beginning of June and if so, at this point in time, only one person was to be nominated to work with a KWT Officer. As the lockdown restrictions eased it was hoped that more volunteers could be involved in the project for such things as planting the Autumn bulbs.
Further areas for wildflowers would need to be agreed by Council or could wait until the completion of the community centre area in order to inform any future decisions.
In relation to the replacement of the hanging basket brackets, the clerk reported that the brackets are specifically designed to work with the baskets so would need to be ordered from the company who supplied the baskets. The item was proposed for addition to the Council’s forward work programme.
Planning consent for the four Brackla Gateway signs had been submitted and was out for consultation. Once the planning was approved the signs could ordered.
No further actions had been taken in relation to the planning for Brackla Funday due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Clerk had emailed the project manager regarding the cycle path through Brackla to request the completion date. A response was received stating that the scheme should have finished by the end of March but the contractor decided to close the site with a few items still to be completed. The contractor has now indicated he will be returning to site in a couple of weeks. They agreed to confirm with the Council when they had a confirmed date. The Chair added that he had also been in contact with BCBC Officers regarding the cycle path and they had offered a site meeting which any BCC Member could attend. The Chair would confirm the details once they were known. Cllr D Aston said he would be interested in attending this as there was an issue with water drainage direction down the path.
Examples were provided in relation to some of the issues that had been reported during the lockdown period including: fly-tipping and overflowing bins in the Brackla; loose tree branches resulting from the high winds in February and early March; and pest control issues. These had been actioned and dealt with in the majority, in partnership with BCBC. The invoices for the roundabout signs had been issued however the signs on the Triangle had been removed. The Chair suggested that the item of the roundabout signs be added to the agenda for a future meeting to determine how the Community Council could possibly support local businesses during this challenging period.
The Clerk further reported that the Chair’s charity Alzheimer’s Society cheque had been issued in agreement with the Chair in response to pleas from the charity for any donations to assist them at this difficult time. There could possibly be a formal handing over of the cheque at a future date when the lockdown measures have been reduced.
Resolved:
It was agreed that Cllr J Spanswick be appointed to work with the KWT Officer to commence the Wildlife garden work in the Community centre. Cllr D Aston volunteered to also assist should Cllr J Spanswick not be available at any time.
14 To discuss any matters concerning the Community Centre
The Clerk reported that she had been in contact with Banana Moon Nursery and as yet they had not needed to use the Centre. If numbers of key worker children attending the nursery increased however or if the government changed its restrictions and more children came back to the nursery they would like to use the Centre so that they can make social distancing easier. Members agreed that they would like to support the nursery in any way they can and provide the Centre at a reduced or no cost if needed in order to support key workers and local people returning to work. Some concerns were expressed regarding cleaning procedures and ensuring insurance was checked to cover liability under the current circumstances. The Clerk advised that the nursery had purchased a ‘fogger’ which was a cleaning device that could spray and disinfect the Centre in a very short time.
Resolved:
The Clerk agreed to explore both the insurance aspect and what would be needed for the cleaner, in order for Banana Moon to use the Centre, to present at the next meeting.
15 Brackla Community Council – Covid-19 Update
The Clerk reported that the office staff were working well from home and the Council was still running as normal as there was full access to emails and the phones had been redirected. Members agreed that the office would remain closed until the situation changed and agreed that whilst the Centre remained closed to the public the homeworking set up was working well. The Clerk proposed that some thought needed to be given to safety procedures and measures to plan for when the office did eventually re-open.
16 Brackla Community Council Committee Appointments
Resolved:
Members agreed the political balance as proposed and appointed the following Members to each of the Committees:
Appeals Cllr June Brett
Cllr Eugene Caparros
Cllr Aniel Pucella
Cllr Kay Rowlands
Cllr John Spanswick
Complaints Cllr Eugene Caparros
Cllr Keith Hughes
Cllr Ciaron Jackson
Cllr Kay Rowlands
Cllr John Spanswick
Community Centre Cllr David Aston
Cllr Tom Giffard
Cllr I Hibble
Cllr Aniel Pucella
Cllr John Spanswick
Disciplinary/Grievance Cllr Tom Giffard
Cllr Ian Hibble
Cllr Keith Hughes
Cllr Ciaron Jackson
Cllr Tyler Walsh
Finance (quarterly) Cllr David Aston
Cllr Ian Hibble
Cllr Keith Hughes
Cllr John Spanswick
Cllr Tyler Walsh
Health & Safety Cllr David Aston
Cllr Eugene Caparros
Cllr Keith Hughes
Cllr Kay Rowlands
Cllr John Spanswick
Human Resources/Personnel Cllr Tom Giffard
Cllr Ciaron Jackson
Cllr Kay Rowlands
Cllr John Spanswick
Cllr Tyler Walsh
Planning Cllr David Aston
Cllr June Brett
Cllr Ian Hibble
Cllr Keith Hughes
Cllr Tyler Walsh
Youth Cllr David Aston
Cllr June Brett
Cllr Tom Giffard
Cllr John Spanswick
Cllr Tyler Walsh
17 Grass Cutting and Grounds Maintenance
Members discussed the proposal put forward by the Chair to include a small section of land in Cae Brackla, immediately opposite the primary school, as part of the grass-cutting schedule. Persimmon Homes had agreed recently to clear the area and tidy it including removing the debris of a wall that had come down. They had subsequently approached the Community Council regarding the future maintenance of this land. The Clerk confirmed that she had spoken with the contractor and that if it was just this small area added, there would be no additional cost as it was on route for other work and could be included in the schedule very easily.
Further discussion took place regarding the extension of the grass-cutting contract for 2020-21 as well as the possible inclusion of strimming additional areas temporarily due to the fact that BCBC was not undertaking strimming at this time.
Resolved:
Members agreed the proposal to include the area of land near Cae Brackla, immediately opposite Brackla Primary School as part of the grass-cutting schedule. This was moved by Cllr K Hughes and seconded by Cllr D Aston.
It was furthermore agreed to extend the grass-cutting and grounds maintenance contract with MS Property Management until 31 October 2020. This would therefore constitute a full 12 months of work incorporating the summer and winter schedules and the corresponding 12 monthly payments. Following on from this the plan was to look to extend for the winter period in order to then go out to tender for a three year contract from April 2021.
Members also agreed to request that the contractor include strimming of additional areas where it was needed and where BCBC were not undertaking this at this time. This was to be charged at the ad-hoc rate as agreed in the contract and the Clerk would ensure that regular contact continued with BCBC Officers to keep on top of the situation.
18 Review of Financial Regulations
Members discussed some suggested amendments to the Financial Regulations such as the amounts and delegated authority to spend as well as further amendments to include emails as forms of authorisation for payments rather than letters etc.
Resolved:
The Council approved the amendments to the Financial Regulations, proposed by Cllr K Hughes, seconded by Cllr I Hibble
19 Brackla Community Council Website Redesign
Cllr D Aston said he thought the website looked good and was easy to access. He suggested that the Councillors needed new member photos as soon as possible and asked why there was a gap in pictures on the gallery. The Clerk informed Members that the old pictures were transferred onto the new website and all other photos are in the office and therefore unable to access them to upload them until the office is open again.
Cllr K Hughes also complimented the website stating that the print and size of text was good and the way the gallery was set up was better. He suggested that more news articles be added to illustrate what Brackla Community Council is doing during the lockdown as some of the articles currently on there are out of date and irrelevant. The Clerk agreed to look into this.
Resolved:
The Council approved the new website and agreed for the final payment of £835 to be made to Valley Web Designs, proposed by Cllr D Aston, seconded by Cllr C Jackson.
Members asked that further news articles be considered for addition on the website to inform local residents of the work of the Council during the lockdown period and asked the Clerk to look into getting individual photos of Members on the site.
20 One Voice Wales Membership Renewal – £1653.00
Resolved:
The Council agreed to renew the membership with One Voice Wales at a cost of £1653.00 for the year, proposed by Cllr I Hibble and seconded by Cllr C Jackson.
21 Update on arrangements for the Annual Community Events:
(a) VE Day 75 Years Celebrations
The Clerk informed members that David Thomas Landscaping had completed the VE Day flower bed at the Haywain which incorporated the VE Day logo. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Council’s VE day event had been cancelled.
(b) Brackla Funday
The Council made the decision to cancel this year’s Funday due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Clerk agreed to contact all vendors to inform them and to check with those we had given deposits to see what could be arranged.
(c) Firework Night
The Council agreed that if the Firework Display is able to go ahead then it would take place on Thursday 5th November but agreed that no deposits would be paid until further advice was received from the government closer to the time.
22 Crime Statistics for Brackla
The Clerk informed Members that due to the Covid-19 pandemic the crime statistics section of the Police website was no longer available so no update could be provided.
23 Finance:
(a) Approval of the Schedule of Payments February 2020
Resolved:
Members approved schedule of payments for February 2020, proposed by Cllr D Aston and seconded by Cllr K Hughes
(b) Bank Reconciliation as at 29 February 2020
Resolved:
Members noted the bank reconciliation as at 29 February and agreed that this would be signed at a future date.
(c) Monthly Budget Review February 2020
Resolved:
The budget review was approved, proposed by Cllr A Pucella, seconded by Cllr K Hughes.
(d) Approval of the Schedule of Payments March 2020
Resolved:
Members approved schedule of payments for March 2020, proposed by Cllr K Hughes and seconded by Cllr T Walsh.
(e) Bank Reconciliation as at 31 March 2020
Resolved:
Members noted the bank reconciliation as at 31 March 2020 and agreed that this would be signed at a future date.
(f) Monthly Budget Review March 2020
The RFO presented the budget for the end of the financial year, explaining that the total underspend including surplus income 2019/20 was £31,902.00. At the present time this money would be added to general reserves and it was proposed that at a future finance meeting Members could determine if they wanted to reallocate it to various budgets. The RFO reassured Members that at the current time, with events being cancelled and less expenditure in others areas the Council was in a comfortable financial position and he did not foresee any major issues. The only minor concern was obviously the Community Centre and the lack of income to cover the ongoing costs however he advised that there was sufficient reserves within the Community Centre reserves budget.
Resolved:
The budget review was approved, proposed by Cllr T Walsh and seconded by Cllr D Aston. It was agreed that the RFO would give an update each month on the financial position with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation.
(g) Balance Sheet as at 31 March 2020
The RFO went through the balance sheet explaining that there
(h) Appointment of internal auditor
Resolved:
It was agreed that Sentinel would be appointed as internal auditors for 2019/20. This was proposed by Cllr D Aston and seconded by Cllr K Hughes.
24 To Receive Reports from Members
Cllr K Hughes commented on recent roadworks that had been carried out in the area and the state that the area had been left in with loose chippings and uneven surfaces. The Clerk confirmed that she had been contacted about this too just this week and would be contacting BCBC to try and get the contact details of the individual contractor.
25 Date of the Annual Meeting and next Full Council Meeting – 28 May 2020 (Extraordinary)
6pm for the Annual Meeting
6.30pm for Full Council
26 Agenda items for next Full Council Meeting
The following were agreed for inclusion at the next meeting of Full Council:
Banana Moon Nursery
Brackla Roundabout Signs
Events – Brackla in Bloom
Further items were agreed for the Council’s June meeting as well as added to the FWP for consideration at some point in the near future:
Summer Playscheme update
Events – Fireworks/Seniors Tea
Christmas Lights plan
Playpark in East Brackla
Brackets for flower baskets
27 Planning Applications
None
Signed by Chairperson, Cllr J Spanswick
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Date: ……………………..
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