MINUTES OF THE COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 2nd FEBRUARY 2010 AT 7.30PM AT THE MADRAS SCHOOL, PENLEY

Present:  Cllr Mrs Sime (chairman), Ms Morris, Cllr Owen, Cllr Mrs Moser, Cllr Jones, Cllr Muir, Cllr Blanchard, Cllr Mrs Allen, Cllr Mrs Wynn, PCSO White and clerk Mrs Coathupe-Fox.

 

Apologies:  Cllr Mrs Wilson Butterworth, PC Evans and Cllr Ms Davies.

 

 

1)    Minutes. The minutes of the meeting held on 5^th January 2010, copies of which had been previously circulated to members, were confirmed as a true record and signed by the Chairman.

2)    Matters arising.

a)     Grit Box Bettisfield.  The clerk contacted Mr Mike Feely regarding the supply of a grit box for Bettisfield and Mr Feely has made a note in his diary to revisit this in February.

3)    Police report.  PCSO White reported the following incidents in Penley.

·       Death of a West Mercia Constabulary Police Officer on the Morris Homes estate.

·       Road collision involving one vehicle by Penley Mill on 2^nd January, no one was hurt.

·       One vehicle incident due to icy conditions on A 539 on 3^rd January, no one was hurt.

·       Fire at the Dymock Arms on 20^th January, being investigated by C.I.D. Wrexham.

4)    Streetscene.  None.

5)    Planning.

a)     Applications.  None. 

b)    Decisions.   

i)    P/2009/0931.  Relaxation of condition no.6 of planning permission P/2001/0488 to allow insertion of 2 additional windows in roof.  The Old Chapel, Ellesmere Lane, Penley.  Granted.

ii)   P/2009/0943.  Garage extension to side of existing dwelling.  Trelana, Cadney Lane, Bettisfield.  Granted.

iii)  P/2009/0917.  Erection of boundary fence to a maximum height of 2.25 metres (in retrospect).  12 Oakwood Park, Penley.  Granted.

6)    Penley noticeboard.

·      The clerk contacted Zurich Municipal insurance and found out that their policy is to reimburse the insured party.  The clerk then raised a cheque in the sum of £885.84, to cover the full amount of the invoice from Vicarage Workshop, which she then passed to Cllr Mrs Moser and Cllr Mrs Sime for signature.

·      The clerk reported that the letter from the court that prosecuted the driver who caused the damage to the noticeboard has still not been received.  PCSO White to chase up and report back to the clerk.

·      A cheque has been received from Zurich Municipal insurance in the sum of £217.10.  Their explanation of the calculation is £530 (insured value) is 60% of invoice amount £885.84 therefore they have paid out 60% of £530 less £100 excess, they explained that they payout on an average.  Cllr Owen proposed that the insured value of the noticeboard be increased to £1000 and this was seconded by Cllr Mrs Moser.  The clerk will contact Zurich to increase the insured value.

7)    Penley lay-by.

·       Cllr Mrs Sime has ordered the tree guards for the new trees but planting has been put on hold until the weather picks up.

8)    Meetings attended by councillors.    

·       Cllr Mrs Moser attended the Bangor-on-Dee Open Day at the village hall and said it was very instructive.

·       Cllr Mrs Sime attended four North Marches Cymru meetings and also sat on the panel reviewing the next set of projects/business plans.

·       Cllr Jones and Cllr Blanchard met with Mr Harrison from North Salop Wheelers who runs the community bus project from Hanmer to Wem.  Mr Harrison had received a reply to his letter to the Welsh Assembly but was rather disappointed that it didn’t answer his questions.  The clerk to follow up her email to the Welsh Assembly on this matter as no reply has yet been received.

9)    Payment of invoice for street light maintenance.  The clerk contacted W.C.B.C regarding the wording on the repair breakdown attached to the invoice being ‘Sign & Bollard Repair’ when in fact it was a repair to a normal streetlight.  The clerk was satisfied with the explanation of the charge being coded incorrectly but the correct code was the same price so the total value of the invoice remained the same.  The clerk raised a cheque in the sum of £160.36 and passed to Cllr Mrs Sime and Cllr Mrs Moser for signature.  Cllr Mrs Sime suggested that all street light repair requests to W.C.B.C. should go through the clerk so a log can be kept to match against any invoices received.  The clerk will create a poster to advise Penley residents of the same.

10) Payment of any other bills.  None.

11) Review of bank statements.  Cllr Mrs Sime suggested that another member of the council should review the bank statements this time so Cllr Mrs Wynn volunteered and will report back at the next meeting.

12) Correspondence.

a)    Letter from W.C.B.C. re invitation to attend the next Wrexham Town and Community Council Forum on 2^nd March 2010 at 6.30pm.

b)    Letter from W.C.B.C. re 70^th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain floral tributes.

c)    Temporary Traffic Order from W.C.B.C. re footpath no.19 in Bettisfield.

d)    Letter from W.C.B.C. re invitation to attend a presentation on Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales – Electoral Review of Wrexham on 16^th February 2010 at 6.30pm.

e)    Letter from W.C.B.C. re Wrexham Low Carbon Community Challenge.

f)     Letter from W.C.B.C. re Tidy Towns Grant Aided Projects 2010/11.

g)    Letter from W.C.B.C. re Best Kept Village/Community 2010/11.

h)    Letter from the Welsh Assembly Government re Consultation on Accounts and Audit (Wales) amendment Regulations.

i)      Letter from the Welsh Assembly Government re Borrowing by Community and Town Councils in 2010/11.

j)      Northern Marches Cymru Newsletter January 2010, Issue 2.

k)    AVOW Carers Issues Newsletter Winter 2010, Issue 6.

l)      Letter from NHS Wales University Health Board enclosing comments arising from the Application for Inclusion in the Pharmaceutical List by Adrian Edwards and Martin Oldfield in Bangor on Dee.

m)  Nightingale House Hospice Newsletter January 2010.

n)    Letter from Public Services Ombudsman for Wales enclosing new information booklets.

o)    W.C.B.C. – Wrexham’s Community Strategy booklets and bite-sized leaflets.

 

13) Any other business. 

·       Cllr Mrs Moser proposed that the council write a letter to the planning department at W.C.B.C. to relay how distressed the residents of Penley are about the recent fire at the Dymock Arms and how strongly they feel about the building being reinstated as a public house.

·       Cllr Muir asked if the clerk could write another letter to the Scottish couple regarding the blocked ditch in Bettisfield.

·       Cllr Jones asked if the clerk could write to W.C.B.C. about supplying a dog fouling bin in Bettisfield.  Cllr Owen suggested that a normal black litter bin would be better as you can use it for both litter and bagged dog waste.  The clerk to request a litter bin and stickers stating the bins take bagged dog waste.

 

There being no other business, the meeting closed at 20.55.