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Notes of Manorbier Community Council meeting 13th January 2004
Councillor Griffiths stated that since the last meeting she had found out that nothing had been done about her request for the auditors to check the council's books. Councillor Calver felt that it was the Manorbier Community Council responsibility to do this not Councillor Griffiths'.
Letter received from Mr D Beddoes and distributed by Clerk to attending Councillors
(Letter not discussed at meeting)
Donation to Manorbier Football Club
Councillor Wales queried the amount of the donation to Manorbier Football Club as he felt that council had only agreed to a donation of £50 at the meeting of 2nd December 2003.
Missing Items not recorded in Minutes.
Councillor Calver pointed out that there were two items missing from the minutes of the meetings held on the 2nd and 9th December and he wanted a reference made to them in the minutes. The items were a letter read out by Councillor Thompson regarding the Community Bus, of which she is an office holder, and the statement by Councillor Morgan that Councillor Wales could take part in discussions regarding the Jameston Community Association without the need for dispensation as the association concerned was a registered charity. He confirmed that it did not matter if these discussions involved financial support for the organisation of which he was a member.
New order of Agenda.
Councillor Calver raised his concern that the new agenda arrangements, proposed by Councillor Morgan and accepted by the community council at its meeting on the 2nd December 2003, that although minutes would be read from the previous meetings and agreed it could not be guaranteed that matters arising out of those minutes would be discussed at the meeting. Under the new arrangements matters arising would be dealt with after planning applications and therefore because of time constraints it was probable that they would have to be carried over to the next monthly meeting. He felt that this was not an efficient or satisfactory method of carrying out council business that if matters arising had not been completed, correspondence would not be dealt with for two months, which was totally unsatisfactory.
Clerk's Wages
Councillor Morgan was concerned that she was not supplying enough detail of the hours she worked on her timesheet/invoice to the council. He was concerned that a more accurate account should be given of the hours she worked. Councillor Calver proposed that the clerk be paid and all she needed to do in future was provide a standard sheet with all possible headings and then just fill in the time spent each month on each item.
Invoice from clerk for work carried out as Administrator for Manorbier Community Association
The clerk also produced an invoice to the value of £130 for the latest period up to December for her duties as administrator for the community association. Councillor Calver asked Councillor Morgan to inform us, as he is the chairman of the Manorbier Community Association what duties we pay the clerk to carry out for the community association. County Councillors Griffiths and Morgan then stated that the reason the community council had funded the community association administrator was to protect the council interest in the association, the taking of minutes of association meetings and looking after bookings. This role was one that the old clerk to Manorbier Community Council Mrs Mackie had stated that although she was prepared to carry out she would only do so if she received a financial remuneration. They had agreed to this request from Mrs Mackie and therefore had arranged for the Manorbier Community Council to pay the wages for Mrs Mackie in her position as administrator to the association out of the rates. Councillor Calver was concerned that we have several membership based community associations in the area whose officers deal with the administration and do not get paid by community council taxpayers and they would surely be aggrieved by this situation. At this stage Councillor Calver queried why there had been no declarations of interest by councillors who are deemed to be trustees of the Manorbier Community Association or who attend their committee meetings. He pointed out that he had attempted to attend as an observer at the meeting held by the association before Christmas and had been refused entry by the chair of the meeting Councillor Morgan. He stated that he had noted several councillors present at the meeting who would surely be required to declare an interest if they take part in the running of the association. County Councillor Griffiths declared that she was there as the Pembrokeshire County Council representative. Councillor Calver replied he did not think that Pembrokeshire County Council had appointed a representative to the Manorbier Community Association but whether or not they had appointed her he believed that she should declare an interest as a trustee/member/appointee if she was taking part in a discussion at this forum about an organisation of which she was a member especially as we were dealing with funding the Manorbier Community Association. He then proposed that the Chairperson Councillor Morgan ask councillors to consider seriously their potential conflicts of interest at any future council meetings when discussions regarding the Manorbier Community Association, or any other association, take place. At this stage Councillor Morgan asked the clerk to leave the meeting but did not close the meeting or advise councillors that the meeting would be going into a closed session. Discussions took place regarding the post of administrator of the association and Councillor Calver asked Councillor Morgan if he had attended any meetings of the association when discussions regarding the role of the clerk as administrator had been discussed. Councillor Morgan stated that at no meetings of the association had the role of administrator been discussed. Councillor Calver then proposed that the invoice be paid and that the clerk continue in her role, which was seconded by Councillor Meyrick.
Planning Application rear Elm House, Jameston
Due to concerns raised by Councillors Griffiths and Wales regarding this proposal at previous meetings the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority had asked the applications for more information regarding access etc.
Planning Applications.
Concern was raised that only one application had been had been placed on the agenda for the meeting but that the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park had forwarded another application, which had not been advertised on the public notice for the meeting. This application had been delegated to employees of the Pembrokeshire National Park to determine by the end of the month.
The Pembrokeshire National Park also advised the council that they no longer had a duty to inform neighbours of any development that was proposed on any neighbouring property.
Manorbier Community Council Minutes.
Concern was raised that Councillor Morgan had proposed that the minutes be placed on the Community Association website when the Community Council had their own website domain. Councillor Griffiths felt that it did not matter which website it was put on as long as website comments were not added. Several councillors stated that they did not think they had a website but it was pointed out that a sum had been paid for a domain name and this is where any information should be sited.
Site meeting at Dewing Avenue, Manorbier.
Councillors Griffiths and Calver had given their apologies for not attending the meeting. Several residents had at first questioned the need for one bedroom flats but the Housing Association informed the site meeting that there was an urgent need for them. Councillor Wales stated that the residents were against the one-bedroom flats but seemed to change their mind easily. Although the PCC Highways department was satisfied about the parking arrangements Councillor Wales felt there was not sufficient parking space and that the houses were to close to the playarea. Councillor Calver who had raised the matter regarding the provision of chimneys when the application first came before the community council queried if the developers had agreed to their provision. Councillor Wales informed him that the meeting was told the houses would have false chimneystacks. He was concerned regarding this and proposed that a letter be sent asking again for proper stacks to be built, as this was essential should the houses experience power cuts.
Jameston to Penuel Path.
A letter was received from the Pembrokeshire County Council employee informing the council that the initial work had been carried out and all landowners had been notified but no costings had been worked out. Councillor Calver queried this as both Councillor Morgan and Councillor Wales had reported back from the Informal Communication meeting that Councillor Hall had stated that the cost would be approximately £500,000. Councillor Griffiths said that these were only a rough estimate as no costings had been provided.
Proposal to train Councillors to operate Speed Cameras
Councillor Wales again raised the issue regarding his proposal that residents/councillors should operate speed cameras. Councillor Wales was the only councillor who indicated he was prepared to carry out the work of operating speed cameras, which could eventually result in fines. The clerk informed him that she was still making enquiries into his request for funding and training of individuals for this project.
Request to First Cymru to stop Bus at Skrinkle
Councillor Wales was concerned that the bus company had ignored his request to the council regarding buses stopping on Skrinkle comer. He stated that he had again witnessed a near accident at this spot. He suggested that another bus stop be constructed at approximately the entrance to Hillgarth. At a previous meeting Councillor Morgan had suggested that at we must try and make everything human proof.