MINUTESOF HARLECH COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD AT THE BAND ROOM, HARLECH AT 7.30P.M. ON 10.05.21

APOLOGIES

Cllr. Sian Roberts, Gordon Howie.

PRESENT

Cllrs. Huw Jones (Chairman),  EdwinaEvans, Ceri Griffiths, Gordon Howie, Thomas Mort.Martin Hughes, Rhian Corps, Tegid John, JoePatton, Wendy Williams.

MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on April12th 2021 were found to be correct.

DECLARATIONOF INTEREST

Nobody had any declaration ofinterst to make.

MATTERSARISING

Electionof Officers for the year 21/22

Chairman:- Cllr. Huw Jones

Vice Chairman:- Cllr. Edwina Evans

AelodauIs-Bwyllgorau – Cemetery –  gather any 6Councillors together

                                                Planning– gather any 6 Councillors together

                                                Footpaths - Clllr. Thomas Mort and any 5 other Councillors

                                                Memorial Hall – Cllrs. Edwina Evans and CeriGriffiths

                                                Playing Fields – Cllr. Joe Patton and any 5other Councillors

                                                Old Library – Cllrs. Thomas Mort, Edwina Evansand Martin Hughes

                                                One Voice Wales – Cllrs. Thomas Mort, JoePatton and Martin Hughes

                                                Public Benches – Cllrs. Thomas Mort, RhianCorps and Joe Patton

                                                Allotments– Cllrs. Huw Jones and Tegid John

                                                Bron y Graig Nature Trail – Cllrs. Huw Jones,Thomas Mort and Martin Hughes

                                                Harlech & Ardudwy  Leisure– Cllrs. Joe Patton nd Gordon Howie

                                                Tan y Castell School Governor – Cllr. SianRoberts and Rhian Corps (sub)

BudgetPlan

It was reported that the Council had spent£3,048.00 since the start of the new financial year and this was £84.00

more expenditure than what  was earmarked in the budget for the year.

Harlech Community Forum

No report was received by Cllr.Freya Bentham with regard to the above Forum.

Defribillator

TheClerk reported that Cllr. Sian Roberts had informed her that  the defribillator that CADW had purchased hadarrived and they were going to get it installed by  the visitors centre near the Castle. TheClerk reported that the two defribillators were in place one in the kiosk byPenrhiwgoch junction and also one in Morfa Garage. Also the Clerk reported thatTomos Hughes from the Welsh Ambulance Service had asked if she would be wilingto act as a guardian angel for these defribillators and inspect them when heinforms her to do so and that she had agreed to do this. Also the Clerkreported that the owners of Y Grocer shop had offered for a defribillator to beinstalled outside the shop once it is open and the Council agreed for this tobe done and thanked them for their kind offer.

Brony Graig Nature Trail

The Chairmanreported that he had contacted Mr. Meirion Evans and that he had informed himthat the work of installing a new bridge on the above path would be carried outin due course.

681........................................Chairman

HarlechPost Office

It wasmade known that  a new post office willbe opening in the Wilderness in June.

Toilets by the Castle

The Chairmanreported that  Cameron May had started onthe work of taking out the old hand washing system in the above site and thatthey were now waiting for quotes from two companies for a new hand washingsystem. It was also agreed that the Chairman would ask Mr. Lee Warwick to cleanthe building before it re-opens.

Party in the Park

Cllr.Joe Patton reported that the arrangements for the above were all in hand andthat different organizations had an invitation to be childrens entertainment.It was agreed to have a stall from the Community Council.

Monthly Inspections

Cllr.Joe Patton reported that he had carried out a monthly inspection of King GeorgeV and Llyn y Felin playing fields and also Penygraig. He reported as followsfollowing last month’s inspection – that every site were in good order and thatPenygraig  was fine, and the missing stone on theplinth has been replaced and also Cllr. Joe Patton reported that he hadcontacted the Footpaths Officer at Gwynedd Council with regard to the stoneswashed onto the footpath.  The play areain King George V playing field was in a goodcondition and also the fact that the grass had been cut in the field had helpedto scatter the soil caused by badger damage but divots are present particularlyon the football field where urgent repairs are needed to avoid playerssustaining injury. The Chairman agreed to contact Mr. Gareth John Williams withregard to this matter so as to know what would be the best way forward withregard to this. Llyn y Felin playing field is fine apart from a few smallmatters needed attention like the rope that has frayed on one section of thelog steps so that will need replacing and also wood has splintered off one ofthe log steps but that has now been sorted.

Gwynedd Council Matters

No report was received from Cllr.Freya Bentham on matters relating to Gwynedd Council.

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

Conversion of former car showroom & basement car parts shop toconvenience store on ground and basement, creation of 2 flats on first floor(Open market) together with the removal of existing unauthorised UPVC windowsand replace with timber slimline double-glazed windows -  Former TabernaclChapel, High Street, Harlech (NP5/61/T588D)

Supportthis application. 

TREASURER’SREPORT

The Treasurer reported that there was £78,165.45 in the bank, £31,093.26in the reserve account,  £100.00 in theChairman’s account and £2.82 in the cemetery account.

Invoicesneeding payment since last meeting

Gwynedd  Council        - £792.00 – empty bins in playing fields

BHIBInsurance Ltd    - £1,550.35 – Council’sinsurance

Mr. G.J. Williams      -     £144.00 - cut grass in King George playing field

Mr.Rhys Jones           -     £459.83 – install electricity in the twodefribillators

Mr. M.J. Kerr             -      £500.00 - opening grave re the late Mr. John Philip Griffiths

Moniesreceived since last meeting

Pritcharda Griffiths - £1,530.00 – burial re the late Mr. John Philip Griffiths

Custom& Excise       -    £599.80 - V.A.T. reimburement

Gwynedd  Council - £35,000.00  -  half the precept

Applications for financial Support

Harlech& Ardudwy Leisure - £10,142.95 – half the precept proposal

682...........................................Chairman

CORRESPONDANCE

Ms Jodie Pritchard

Received an e-mail from the above on behalf ofHarlech & Ardudwy Leisure informing the Council that the post and net inthe tennis court had been vandalised and asking if the Community Council hasany insurance to cover this and also if the Council would be able to pay forthe mending.

Adult Learning Wales

Received an e-mail from Cath Hicks on behalf of theabove regarding Pen y Graig and stating that they currently retains thefreehold interest in the viewing area land, which is leased to HarlechCommunity Council for a period of 7 years from 1st April 2015 and that Leasedocument was signed by both parties, dated 21st January 2016. The ChiefExecutive of ALC  has previouslydiscussed with Cllr. Freya Bentham the potential to “gift” the freehold for theland to the Community Council on a permanent basis, and by now are in aposition to progress this matter further. They would to know if the CommunityCouncil still wishes to explore this option, to be pursued on the basis thatthe Council would pay the legal costs of both parties associated with thisone-off transaction. It was agreed to ask them what would this mean to theCommunity Council if they agreed to take over the site as a “gift” and also askfor a copy of their risk assessment of the site before the Council comes to anyfinal decisions.

SnowdoniaNational Park

Received a letter from the above invitingthe Council Members to a meeting between the Park and Town and CommunityCouncils that are in the South of the Park on Thursday evening the 20th of thismonth at 7.00 p.m. so as to share information of how the Authority and itspartners have put in measures in place so as to manage visitors as Eryrire-opens after the lockdown. It was agreed that Cllr. Martin Hughes wouldrepresent the Council at this meeting.

Ms Natallie Griffiths

Received a letter from the above together with pictures on behalf of thefamily of the late Mr. John  PhilipGriffiths asking for permission to install a memorial bench in the public cemeteryand showing a picture of where the family would wish this bench to beinstalled. It was agreed to give permission to install a bench there but not inthe location that they showed in the picture. The Chairman agreed to meet MsGriffiths on site and explain the situation to her.

ANY OTHER MATTER

Cllr.Wendy Williams reported that she had met with Mrs Myfanwy Jones and a localresident that wanted to dig up the piece of land near Llyn y Felin playingfield and plant flowers there. It was stated that the piece of land in questionwas on a bit of a slope to carry out any work on it. After a discussion it wasagreed that Cllr. Joe Patton would contact the Council’s  insurance company to ask where the Councilwould stand if they gave permission for this work to be done and an accidentoccuring on site.

Cllrs.Martin Hughes and Joe Patton reported that they had met with Mr. & MrsMaxwell on the 7th of this month to discuss the Constitutions of the OldLibrary and Memorial Hall.

Concernwas voiced of the speeding that is been done on Morfa Road when coming in toHarlech from the Talsarnau direction and it was agreed that something needed tobe done to slow motorists down. It was agreed that the Clerk would contact theHighways Department in Caernarfon with regard to this.

Neededto draw the attention of the Highways Department that the pavement opposite theQueens needed attention.

TheClerk was asked to look into what was happening with the installation of a sign“children playing” on Cae Gwastad estate.

It wasagreed to ask Mr. Mark Jenkins to cut back the hedge that  is over grown by his house because of lack ofvisibility.

Wantedto let the Highways Department know that there is a need to cut back tobrambles that have overgrown from the industrial estate on Ffordd y Nant.

Concernwas voiced that visibility was not clear for motorists that come up fromPentre’r Efail to the road in the town because it was being blocked by anobject from a nearby shop.

SIGNED..........................................Chairman    

DATE..............................................                                683.

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