Minutes of the Full Council Meeting – Thursday 18 June 2020
BRACKLA COMMUNITY COUNCIL
THE NEXT MEETING OF BRACKLA COMMUNITY COUNCIL
FULL COUNCIL MEETING
Thursday 18 June 2020 at 6.30pm
Via Video Link
Members Present
Cllr T Giffard – Chairperson
Cllr D Aston
Cllr J Brett
Cllr E Capparos
Cllr I Hibble
Cllr K Hughes
Cllr C Jackson
Cllr A Pucella
Cllr K Rowlands
Cllr J Spanswick
Cllr T Walsh
Mrs R Keepins – Clerk of the Council
Mr P Ley – Assistant Clerk/ Responsible Finance Officer
Miss H May – Admin Officer
1 Public Address to Council (10 minutes only)
None
2 Apologies for Absence
None
3 To receive Declarations of Interest in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct (and section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992)
Cllr T Giffard – personal interest as a member of Bridgend County Borough Council – item 21 Planning
Cllr I Hibble – Civil Servant working for Welsh Government, personal
Cllr A Pucella – personal interest as a member of Bridgend County Borough Council – item 21 Planning
Cllr K Rowlands – personal interest as a member of Bridgend County Borough Council – item 21 Planning
Cllr J Spanswick – prejudicial interest, as a Member of Bridgend County Borough Council and of Bridgend CBC Development Control Committee – item 21 Planning
4 Ratification of Minutes of the Extraordinary Meeting of Full Council 14 May 2020
Resolved: The minutes were approved, proposed by Cllr D Aston and seconded by Cllr E Capparos
5 Ratification of Minutes of Annual Meeting of Council 28 May 2020
Resolved: The minutes were approved, proposed by Cllr J Spanswick and seconded by Cllr E Capparos
6 Ratification of Minutes of Extraordinary meeting of Full Council 28 May 2020
Resolved: The minutes were approved with the following amendments:
– Under Item 32, Brackla Community Centre, it be added to show that the Council authorised the Clerk to purchase relevant PPE equipment for the cleaner in readiness for Banana Moon’s use of the Centre;
– Under Item 36, Dog Waste Bags, Cllr K Hughes’s name be added as also proposing a delivery service of bags;
– Add in ‘May’ as the month of the meeting
– Under Item 31 (d), Payments for Authorisation, the list of cheques approved be added to the minute.
Proposed by Cllr T Walsh and seconded by Cllr K Hughes
7 Ratification of Confidential Minutes of Annual Meeting of Council 28 May 2020
Resolved: The confidential minutes were approved, proposed by Cllr J Spanswick and seconded by Cllr J Brett
8 Clerks Report including matters relating to the Council’s previous meeting
The Clerk reported that the Dog Waste Bag delivery scheme had gone live on Monday 8th June and to date there have been around 200 people who have signed up for bags in this cycle. Addresses and dog bags will be sent to Councillors on Tuesday 23rd June ready for delivery to commence on Wednesday 24th.
Pest Control will be visiting the bin store at the Community Centre at some point in the next week to check the bait boxes and provide a further report.
The Clerk asked that Members provide photos of themselves via email so that they can be added to the website as requested at a previous meeting.
9 To discuss any matters concerning the Community Centre
The Clerk reported that she would be meeting with Fire Safety Direct’s representative within the next week to arrange for this year’s fire safety checks and work.
PPE Equipment for the Centre Cleaner and Caretaker had been ordered along with other necessary equipment such as paper towel dispensers etc in line with government Covid-19 related guidance. The Clerk would also be meeting with the Cleaner and Caretaker within the next few weeks to go through all processes and procedures and health and safety for the Centre linked to the Covid-19 pandemic. She had also drafted an appendix to the Centre contract with Banana Moon which was Covid-19 related and would be meeting with the owner of Banana Moon to go through and get signed prior to them using the Centre.
The Clerk had been in contact with Cathedral Hygiene to get quotes for new hand sanitiser dispensers for the Centre which were quoted at £2.50 per week for manual and £3.00 per week for automatic.
Resolved:
The Council authorised the purchase of two Automatic Hand Sanitiser dispensers at a cost of £3 per week, proposed by Cllr J Spanswick and seconded by Cllr E Capparos.
10 Finance:
(a) Approval of the Schedule of Payments May 2020
Resolved: the payments were approved, proposed by Cllr J Spanswick, seconded by Cllr C Jackson
(b) Bank Reconciliation as at 31 May 2020
Resolved: the statement was correct, proposed by Cllr K Hughes, seconded by Cllr T Walsh
(c) Monthly Budget Review May 2020
Resolved: The budget review was approved, proposed by Cllr J Brett, seconded by Cllr K Hughes
(d) Payments for Authorisation
PAYMENTS TO BE AUTHORISED
Date Cq No Amount Payee Details
£
3.6.2020 204491 7.20 TCRM E mail hosting
4.6.2020 204492 264.50 Viking Towels and Stamps
4.6.2020 204493 49.46 Viking Tissue Rolls
4.6.2020 204494 301.20 JRB 20,000 x Poop Scoop Bags
8.6.2020 204495 7215.54 Boverton Nurseries Summer plants
10.6.2020 204496 208.80 Vector Tank Removal Centre
15.6.2020 204497 11.79 Clerk Part Wages
15.6.2020 204498 8.80 Assistant Clerk Part Wages
15.6.2020 204499 11.70 Centre Cleaner Part Wages
15.6.2020 204500 11.06 Centre Caretaker Part Wages
15.6.2020 204501 438.99 Admin Asst Wages
15.6.2020 204502 661.75 HMRC Tax and NI
15.6.2020 204503 942.20 RCT Pension
18.6.2020 204504 226.32 Clerk See Notes
18.6.2020 204505 1684.66 MS Property Grounds Maintenance May
Notes: Cheque for Clerk is reimbursement for following:-
Boots 60.00 100x 3 ply facemasks
Zoro 89.97 3 x hand Towel Dispensers
Medical World 38.08 30x Mop Heads and 50 x gloves
Medical World 38.27 30 x Mop Heads and 2 x mop handles
226.32
Resolved:
Members approved the above payments – proposed by Cllr J Spanswick and seconded by Cllr A Pucella.
11 Purchase of Brackets for Hanging Baskets
The Clerk presented information relating to the purchase of hanging basket brackets for the Council’s baskets across Brackla including the associated costs:
Brackets – approx. £36.00 – 38.00 each (1 bracket per lampost)
Rubber gaskets to go between lamppost and bracket: £6.00 each
Work to replace brackets – £60.00 per lamppost
Possible added costs:
Wicks and mats if needed: £3.50 and £5.00
The Clerk reported that these costs were estimated quotes but based on the Council currently have 140 baskets, with 2 per lamppost, the estimated cost to replace all the brackets would be somewhere in the range of £7,100.00 and £8,500.00.
Members discussed the hanging basket brackets, pointing out that they hadn’t been replaced for about 12-15 years. It was agreed that purchasing them this year ready to replace them in the Autumn when the baskets come down would be best so that we are not restricted in terms of time. The RFO confirmed that there was funding in the budget due to items like the Funday not going ahead, or Members could simply take the funding from the reserves.
Resolved:
The Council agreed to replace all brackets; proposed by Cllr D Aston and seconded by Cllr J Spanswick. It was agreed that the money would be taken from General Reserves – proposed by Cllr K Hughes and seconded by Cllr T Walsh.
12 Pebble Pathway Display
The Council discussed the proposal for a painted pebble pathway to be created made up from the pebbles that local residents had laid in Channel View to recognise and thank the NHS and key workers who are working during the pandemic. This was the pebbles could be preserved for people to visit and see once things started to return to normal.
Much discussion took place regarding the location of the pathway as it had first been proposed to move it to the Community Centre where the pebbles could be displayed outside the Centre for anyone to view. There had however been a preferred view expressed by local residents over social media that the pathway remain where it was set up in Channel View. Members of the local community had also put themselves forward to assist with the project and had already contacted BCBC Officers to see how to progress the pathway.
Members discussed points such as the continued maintenance of the display as well as its timespan, given that the rocks could eventually fade. Members also discussed methods of how to promote the display and possibly increase the number of pebbles and size by utilising the Council’s website.
It was also proposed that possibly another display or plaque of some sort could also be looked at for the Community Centre..
Resolved:
The Council agreed to work with local community groups towards producing a pebble pathway display and therefore agreed to wait for a response from BCBC with regards to the project to see if and what was required and how the Community Council could possibly support. The Council agreed to try and keep the display in Channel View where it was created but also look into the possibility of a further display or plaque at Brackla Community Centre. It was also agreed to promote the display on the Council’s website and for a letter to be written from the Chair to the creators. This was proposed by Cllr K Hughes and seconded by Cllr K Rowlands.
13 Bridgend County Borough Council Summer Playscheme
The Clerk informed members that BCBC had still yet to give any details for any possible summer playscheme given the current circumstances surrounding the pandemic.
14 To confirm arrangements for the Annual Community Events:
(a) Fireworks
Cllr J Spanswick suggested that the Council wait until July to discuss the item further when there is possibly more advice from Welsh Government. Cllr K Hughes asked if the Clerk could contact the companies for an update as to whether they would be able to still provide a display and how much notice they would need from the Council.
(b) Brackla in Bloom
The Clerk reported that the poster for the event was almost complete and that once it was finalised it would be advertised on social media, the website and some leaflets possibly dropped off locally to shops etc.
15 Exclusion of the Public
To consider whether the public be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following item on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as set out at Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, following the application of the public interest test.
Resolved:
It was unanimously agreed to go into closed session.
16 Signs on Brackla Roundabouts
To consider and determine a plan for the advertising signs on Brackla roundabouts for 2020-21
17 Crime Statistics for Brackla
The Clerk reported that the website was still unavailable.
18 To Receive Reports from Members
Cllr J Spanswick stated that social media had recently been picking up on the lack of benches/seating in Brackla, such as in Foxfields for example along with the need for more bins. Cllr J Spanswick also referred to the various private car parks and areas of land across Brackla that were deteriorating due to developers not continuing to maintain them. Cae Odin, was one such example that had been bought to the Council’s attention recently. He proposed that individual areas could be looked at in the short term to see what minor works could be done to improve them but that longer term all areas needed to be considered as one big picture to see what possibly could be done to maintain them and prevent deterioration.
Cllr K Hughes supported both these items and also suggested that the Council could possibly look to dedicate new benches to the NHS and key workers who have worked throughout the Coronavirus Pandemic. He also commented that he had recently received some complaints from local residents regarding noise and that BCBC was advising people to download an app to monitor the noise so that a judgement could be made. This was problematic however as there was no decibel reading agreed to make a judgment call on.
19 Agenda items for July 2020 Full Council Meeting
It was agreed that the following be added to the FWP for the next meeting in July:
Banana Moon Update
Covid 19 Update
Christmas Lights Plan
It was agreed that these items be added to the FWP:
Extra benches and bins
Private car parks and private land across Brackla
20 Date of the next Full Council Meeting –Thursday 16 July 2020
21 Planning Applications
Cllr D Aston told members and the Clerk he still could not access any documents on new planning applications via the links provided by BCBC. Cllr K Hughes confirmed there was an issue with the website and that hopefully it would be addressed soon.
The Clerk reported that the Brackla Gateway Signs application had been partially accepted, with 2 out of the 4 signs being rejected due to their location. The design also needed amending and resubmitting in order to comply with the Welsh Language Standards.
Resolved:
Members agreed to amend the design of the signs so that the Welsh appeared first in order to comply with the Welsh Language Standards. It was also agreed that the Clerk try to meet with BCBC officers to discuss the location of the 2 signs that were rejected to try and see where would be more suitable.
Meeting ended at 20:40pm
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