Opening the recent meeting of Amroth Community Council, chairman Clr. Alan Davies welcomed the new clerk, Mrs. Carol Wilson, wishing her well in her post and assuring her of every assistance from fellow councillors. The meeting, held at the Parish Hall, Summerhill, included the following items for discussion:
Rights of Way: It was reported that the county council's rights of way officer had not yet been out to inspect specific sites. The sign indicating the path through Wisemans Bridge caravan park was missing, and the one at Elrose, Stepaside, had still not been replaced. Enquiries were to be made to discover whether path 10/26 from Norton Chute to behind The Laurels at Llanteg, which was closed off with barbed wire some years ago, could be re-opened. Also the path running from Llanteg Village Hall to Trenewydd was still completely blocked. The community council's rights of way representative would be attending a meeting of the Local Access Forum at County Hall, Haverfordwest.
Highways: Council was told that the road sign at Cambrian Cross was still 'waving in the wind'. The county council had not yet been to attend to it, nor to trees overhanging a number of roads in the area. The clerk was asked to write with a reminder, and also to draw the county council's attention to a dangerous pothole opposite the entrance to Furzy Park on the Tavernspite road.
Mountain Chapel: The chairman reported that he had received from the solicitors a copy of the contract for the Mountain Chapel memorial garden, Llanteg, and that maintenance of the ground was now in hand. The council had received congratulations on its prompt action in dealing with a dangerous fir tree at the site.
Audit: The annual audit had been completed, and matters raised had now been satisfactorily addressed.
Local Housing Policy: Work currently in hand at Stepaside to build a footpath from the bus shelter, opposite the old Miners Arms, to the craft village car park entrance would be causing a bottleneck on the Stepaside-Pleasant Valley road for approximately eight weeks.
Street lighting: In response to a letter from the council requesting street lighting at specific areas in the community area, the county council had responded by pointing out that the following criteria were used to prioritise new lighting installations: the number of recorded personal injury accidents; high traffic and pedestrian use; incidence of night-time crime; the number of persons who would benefit from such installations. The clerk was asked to write again, requesting additional street lighting in the area of Camomile Back at Stepaside which was at present inadequately lit by only one lamp.
Any other business: The problem of tree roots on the main Summerhill road needed to be addressed again. Flooding on the bend near Stanwell corner, Llanteg, was once more causing concern, but it was hoped that drain clearance would alleviate the problem. The county council had raised no objection to a seat being placed on the triangle of grass at Stanwell Corner.
Councillors were pleased to learn that work was to start on the construction of a walkway inside the sea wall at Amroth front, but renewed concern was expressed about illegal parking on the sea defences by the flagpole, and also about the poor condition of the road surface by the Amroth Arms. With regard to the problems with surface drainage at Rectory Hill, Llanteg, the county council was carrying out a camera survey to ascertain the cause.
Planning: New applications - extension at Little Mead, Amroth; manager's/caretaker's bungalow with site office and garages at Summerhill caravan park, Amroth; loft conversion at 2 Brookside Villas, Amroth; erection of dwelling on plot at Clos-yr-Ysgol, Stepaside; agricultural store, Rose Park Farm, Llanteg; demolition of existing parish hall at Summerhill and construction of new one.
Approval of matters reserved for a new dwelling on plot adjacent Pen-y-Cwm, Llanteg. Outline planning permission granted for four residential units at Stepaside Inn.
Planning permission granted for: change of use from garage office to reception office and shop, Wisemans Bridge Inn caravan park; change of use from public house and restaurant to private dwelling, Stepaside Inn; extension to dwelling 6 Waters Edge, Amroth; residential garage, Coed Gwyrydd, Pleasant Valley; two-storey extension to side/rear of property to replace single/storey extension, Ashdale, Llanteg.
Planning permission had been refused for change of use of land for touring caravans as an extension to existing holiday caravan park, Little Kings Park, Ludchurch. An application to infill land at Wisemans Bridge caravan park to accommodate the repositioning of a storage compound had been withdrawn.
Before closing the meeting, chairman Alan Davies expressed the gratitude of the council to the previous clerk, Mrs. Sue Enfield, and paid tribute to all the hard work she had done during the last few years.
The next meeting will be held at the Parish Hall, Summerhill, on Thursday, February 19, at 7 pm.