MATHERN COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Minutes of the Council meeting held on Monday 8th April 2019 at Mathern Village Hall.
Present: Councillors – C Ovenden (Chair), C Morton, G Down, D Harris, D Merrett N Bailey
Also in attendance: County Councillor L Brown
Clerk – Mrs J Kelley
1 members of the Public
No Police representatives
The Chairperson welcomed all to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance.
92/18 PROCEDURAL ITEMS (i) Public Comment
A member of the public attended the meeting to express concerns about the Border Waste Crick site. It was agreed that County Councillor Louise Brown would email the County Council and relevant officers to request that the stone which was part of the order for removal should be removed but that other quality stone should remain.
ii)Report from Community Police
Here is the crime report from 27th March to 8th April 2019:
27/3/19 – Report of a garden shed broken into overnight at a property on Hayesgate Lane. The padlock was cut off to gain entry and a quantity of items including a hedge trimmer, strimmer, outboard boat motor and power tools were taken.
28/3/19 – Report of 3 tyres on a vehicle punctured whilst parked overnight at a property in Birdwood Gardens. Each tyre had a screw in it and caller believes this was done intentionally.
Please remain vigilant and make sure all garden sheds/outbuildings are as secure as possible. If any suspicious activity/crime is seen please call 101 at the time or 999 if you deem it an emergency.
iii) Apologies
Cllr M McHugh, Cllr F Sainsbury, Cllr J Harris
(iv) Declarations of Personal or Pecuniary Interest:
There were none.
(v) Minutes of the previous meeting
Minutes of the meeting held on 11th February 2019 were read and agreed as true record. There were no matters arising. (NOTE: No meeting in March 2019 – inquorate)
93/18 COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT Report as below
COUNTY COUNCILLOR REPORT APRIL 2019
County Councillor Brown advised:
• The agenda for the next Lower Wye Committee on the 17 April at 10am at Chepstow Leisure centre with a public forum. Topics include Chepstow Hospital/Chepstow School/Mounton House School and Chepstow Police station:
https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=150&MId=2587
• Mounton House School consultation on the proposal to close the school can be found at the following link and ends on the 29 April 2019: https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/statutoryconsultation/ There is a simple online survey which can be completed here:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/Y5CV7DF
• There is also a consultation on draft infill development,(Supplementary Planning Guidance and Back land Development within the developmental boundaries). Closes at midnight on the
13 May 2019; https://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/planning-policy/planning-policy-currentconsultations/draft-infill-development-supplementary-planning-guidance-spg/
• The MCC Economy and Development Committee met on the 10 April and reported on the unacceptable nature of digital provision in Monmouthshire. It showed how we have more white areas than anywhere else in the 10 South Wales Local Authority Areas:
https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=137&MId=2560
• Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) in future will no longer be handled by Gwent police and is being passed to local authorities; there is a report on obtaining a consolidated traffic order in order to ensure this happens in the following link. No changes to existing double yellow lines are expected which are in the process of being renewed. https://democracy.monmouthshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=147&MId=247
94/18 PROGRESS REPORT ON ACTIONS FROM LAST MEETING
i) Sewage Pollution – Mounton Brook
County Councillor Brown and Councillor met with representatives from Welsh Water and MCC Environmental Health on the 26 February to discuss this issue. Work will begin on the lining of the pipes in mid April. County Cllr Brown had received a report from Welsh Water concerning water samples taken from the site and is chasing Environmental Health for the results from these.
ii)Personal accident claim.
Payment has been received and paid out directly to the claimant. Matter now closed.
iii) Response from Planning Aid Wales re bespoke Place Plan training with Chepstow Town Council.
Cllr’s Ovenden, D Harris, G Down and County Cllr Brown and Clerk attended this training. All felt the structure of the training was excellent. They all agreed however that the more appropriate way forward for Mathern would be to have a Community Plan rather than a Place Plan.
Clerk was asked to contact Clerk in Chepstow for a copy of the notes and charts which delegates made during this training.
iv) Local Historian Society’s
Cllrs to investigate via Chepstow Historical Society and Shirenewton Local History group. Community Councillors must first find out if there is sufficient support from residents if a Mathern Historical group is to be formed. Members of the public to be asked at the upcoming Coffee Morning.
v) Eddie Parris. Possible erection of a blue plaque (see public comments at Feb.meeting.)
Clerk was asked to write to the owners of Ivy Cottage, Pwllmeyric to see if they would support the Community Council fixing a plaque to the outside of their cottage wall.
vi) MCC (Senior Planning Officer).List of possible candidate sites for next LDP circulated. Consultation on sites to be definitely considered will not be until the end of the year. (Carried over from last meeting)
Consultation is not open until November this year, when a further call for possible Candidate sites will be made The sites which have been named in this document are parcels of land which the landowners have put forward for consideration by the planners as suitable for development. They have not as yet been selected as definite Candidate Sites
Cllrs noted that sites can also be put forward to be protected from development. Cllrs would like to see Wyelands Estate dealt with in this way as it is historical parkland and as such, should be protected.
95/18 HIGHWAYS • Pot holes – Mounton
• Unsafe manhole cover, bottom of Barn lane into Mathern
• Councillors would like a speed restriction of 20 mph in Barn Lane as it is a dangerous stretch of narrow road where some drivers use excess speed. Clerk to contact MCC Highways.
96/18 COUNCILLOR’S REPORTS/CLERKS REPORT a) One Voice Wales – Representative to be selected
Next meetings 18th July 2019.
Cllrs to try to rotate attendance at these the meetings. Clerk to agenda for next meeting.
b) Defibrillator- Monthly Checking
Monthly check on the defibrillator carried out by Cllr D Harris in February and March 2019. Fully functioning. Cllr Bailey to check in April.
c) Update: County Councillor Down – Lower Wye Cluster Committee.
Main discussion was the LDP and Budget.
d) Risk Assessments for Mathern Mounton and Pwllmeyric Forms were distributed to Cllrs McHugh, Ovenden and D Harris.
e) Councillor C Morton – Best Kept Garden (as seen from the roadside) and GAVO Best Kept Village competition.
Cllr Morton was happy to continue to coordinate these events. All agreed that both events should continue. Cllr Bailey was pleased to deputise.
f) MCC Dog Waste Bins – Give Dog Fouling the Red Card update.
Clerk advised that she has been unable to obtain insurance details for the demolished dog bin on the A48 following a road traffic accident earlier in the year.
Clerk was asked to contact MCC Highways to ask them to repair/replace the streetlight when the bus shelter is rebuilt.
Several Councils were unhappy with the service provided by Merlin Waste. MCC are considering whether to operate a bin-emptying service themselves.
97/18 PLANNING MATTERS
a) New submissions:
DC/2019/00217 – Sunny Side Mathern – single storey side extension No Comments
DC/2019/00386 – Advertising consent – Texaco Pwllmeyric – 4 canopy fascia signs 2 shop fascia signs and 1 totem sign all internally illuminated.
No Comments
DC/2019/00495 – 4 Mounton House Park
Listed Building Consent Heritage
The proposal affects the southern and northern terraces attached to the listed building and the pergola garden. These were repaved in 2011 with Indian Limestone that is out of keeping with the architecture and local vernacular. The proposal returns the northern terrace to a looser, crushed stone surface that was originally in place and replaces the paving on the southern terrace and pergola garden with riven, grey Hereford Sandstone which has been identified as in keeping with the original paving stone at Mounton House following stone analysis by Dr Jana Horak and team at the National Museum Wales.
In the rest of the garden, unattached to the listed building the design proposes a 1 storey garden building made of reclaimed materials in an Edwardian style. This is located on the southern edge of the garden where existing building foundations are present. The proposal includes refurbishing the water features on site, with an extension of the lower pool in a westerly direction. Additional water features are proposed for the pergola garden and bowling lawn. A sunken spiral garden formed of mounded earth is proposed in the southern garden in a natural depression. The remains of the design proposal are in the form of herbaceous and tree planting.
Comments – Fully support this application
b) Decisions and appeals – None.
c) Enforcement
Border Waste, Crick – See Public Comments
98/18 FINANCIAL MATTERS
Receipt of £1250.00 received from Zurich Insurance re Personal accident claim.
March Cheque Number Details Amount
101888 OVW Membership 140.00
101889 O V W Training 40.00
101890 Merlin Waste 37.50
101891 Training – Travel Clerk 16.30
101892 Personal Accident Claim 1354.00
101893 Telephone Internet 41.49
101894 Cllr G Down 120.00
101895 Cllr J Harris 120.00
April
102001 St Tewdric’s Church 400.00
102002 St Pierre Church 150.00
102003 Mounton Church 200.00
102004 J Kelley (working from home fee) 150.00
102005 Telephone and internet 41.49
102006 Coffee Morning (coffee etc) 7.08
£
D D Pension For February 107.62
DD Pension for March 102.33
Online Payment Salary for February 581.44
“ March 558.62
PAYE – NI Feb 127.18
“ March 110.27
Cllrs Paye 60.00
Internet Payment £13.20 Stock It Ltd. License
Monthly Bank Reconciliation for March and April – authorisation by Cllr G Down.
Spending to Budget review undertaken – Item carried forward from last meeting.
Resolved spending to budget for year was on target
Clerk was requested to make a viament from Street Furniture to Village Upkeep of £250.00 to cover John Reece’s invoice for verge cutting prior to In Bloom competition, summer 2018.
Clerk to produce accounts and annual report to be completed and sent to the Internal Auditor.
Invoice sent to Rhewl Solar Farm CIC re Rhewl Farm Community Grant.
99/18 CORREPONDENCE AND FORTHCOMING MEETINGS
NALC – Employers Briefing E02 – 18 National Salary Award – Clerk currently Spinal 27. New rate from April 2019
It was resolved that the Clerk’s new rate of pay will commence on 01.04.2019.
Coffee Morning, Saturday 13th April 19 – 10.30 Mathern Village Hall.
Cllr Merrett and Morton passed on their apologies for this event.
O V W Boundary review: response from Welsh Government that our submission had been received.
Presentation from Wales Audit Office
Cllr’s thanked the Clerk for her hard work in successfully completing the Annual Return as many local Councils had been non-compliant or not completed the return in the time allowed.
Copy letter of planning objection to proposed Site CS0152 Land at Wyelands Estate for housing and/or logistics. This one of 10 sites suggested for development around the Mathern area.
Public consultation re Mounton House School – start date 18th March – 29th April 2019.
It was unanimously resolved that Mathern fully support that the School should not be closed. A letter of support to be drafted before the deadline. Also this item to be included in the coffee morning.
Correspondence from MMPWB re verge cutting prior to Wales in Bloom judging 2019.
Cllrs agreed to pay the invoice for 2018– £240.00. However future requests for cutting would need to be in writing and the Community Council advised of the cost before an invoice was issued.
Request for a defibrillator at Mounton Brook House (old New Inn) via Lions Chepstow.
It was resolved that the Clerk complete the necessary application for a defibrillator here.
R Nash from the Chepstow Lions has advised that funding is now closed for this year. He will advise when it reopens.
Possible site visit to Treffgarne once planning application is received.
The house holder has contacted the Community Council concerning a pending Planning application which will in the grounds of Treffgarne.
Cllrs. asked the Clerk to write to the applicants and state that, once the application has been received, then we will contact them if a site visit is required.
100/18 OTHER MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION
Update for Community Council website to ensure its compliance. Quote received for this is £695.00 by Robert Stock, our present provider.
Cllr’s felt that this was too expensive and they would investigate other ways of ensuring that our website is adequate. Clerk to await instructions
Draft Supplementary planning on infill development
Cllr D Harris to draft a response to be circulated with April minutes.
101/18 PROJECTS AWAITING COMPLETION
Shelving – Telephone Box.
Bench in Bus shelter – centre of Mathern Nomination for work within the community.
102/18 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting being the A C M Monday 13th May 2019 at 7pm in the small room of the Village Hall.
There being no further business to discuss, the meeting closed at 9.15 pm.
Signed …………………………….. CHAIRMAN Date……………….