Amroth Community Council held their May meeting online via Zoom when among matters considered and discussed were the following:

Matters Arising

• ACC has submitted a bid for funding for a Wildlife Garden to Local places for Nature based on a previous application by Llanteg Gardening Group. Information was received to say that there was still money available in the pot specifically for community councils. If successful, Llanteg Gardening Group and community partners will carry out the project.

• A letter had been sent to the owner of land in Church View, Summerhill, that had become very overgrown, and was attracting litter and vermin, asking him to clear it as soon as possible. No reply had been received to date.

• ACC had contacted PCC asking about evidence needed to support new road name signs for Llanteg and the costs involved. Research into historic road names was ongoing.

• Dog restrictions on Amroth Beach. This was legislation covered by a bylaw and could not be changed easily. Also, the removal of dog restrictions would adversely affect the Blue Flag status of the beach. For these reasons, the dog restrictions remain in place.

• AGN continues to support residents during the crisis. An application for funding support to cover costs incurred had been made by ACC/ AGN to PAVS Covid 19 Supporting Community Action fund. This was successful.

• Due to a delay in manufacture and delivery, the order for the new memorial seats had been cancelled. Streetmaster would advise when production resumes and ACC can re-order. Seats in the Old Village Hall garden would be removed for refurbishment of the garden and would be replaced with new seats in due course. Seats taken from the garden would be placed elsewhere within the community.

County

Councillor’s Report

Resumption of PCC committee meetings: Pembrokeshire County Council has successfully tested holding remote meetings using video-conferencing technology. One of the first public meetings to be held was a planning committee meeting. Overview and scrutiny committee meetings were also be conducted remotely in June.

Heritage Park: I am continuing to receive representations from residents of Stepaside/Pleasant Valley concerning Heritage Park, the various planning applications made and the failure of PCC over a number of years to enforce the conditions of the lease granted to the park owner/operator. In particular, I have, since being elected in 2017, received numerous and constant complaints about access to the public north car park, to which under the lease the public should have unimpeded access at all times. I have relayed these complaints to Hellen Mcleod-Baikie at PCC and to Clr. Bob Kilmister and have had a number of meetings with them re. the obstruction of the north car park preventing its proper use by the public

I have requested that there be a moratorium on any planning application decisions and on any decision to grant an assignment of the car park until there has been a full consultation with all parties concerned and Cabinet has had a chance to discuss the matter.

Second home owners and car park restrictions: I have also received a number of complaints about people ignoring the travel ban to visit their second homes. I have relayed these complaints to PCC. However, while the police can turn people back if they are caught on the road, it seems that they cannot instruct them to return home once they have reached their second home.

There appears to be growing concern about the arbitrary nature of some of the restrictions imposed upon Amroth residents. For example, Amroth car park has been closed even though residents, who have nowhere else to park, have paid for season tickets to use the facility. Also, if someone with limited mobility drives one mile to the beach to walk along the flat beach front but carefully maintains social distancing, are they really risking the R rate in Pembrokeshire? The overwhelming majority of people care for others and are willing to accept restrictions on their personal freedom for the greater good. Insistence on banning minimal risk activity, risks losing public trust and consent.

Planning

Former craft village car park, Heritage Park, Pleasant Valley: Proposal - variation of condition 2 (relating to twin unit caravans) and 7 (relating to car park) of planning permission 11/0585/PA. This had been sent out again for further consultation because of the covering letter referred to, but missing from the documents, on the planning portal. It was now available to view.

ACC objected to this application and would submit reasons to PCC planning dept.

Blaencilgoed Quarry, Ludchurch: Proposal - variation/removal of condition 64 of planning permissions 98/0004/MN, 98/0005/MN and 98/0006/MN. No objection

Penybryn, Pleasant Valley: Proposal - extension to dwelling to create granny annex. No objection.

Correspondence

• ACC had received numerous information updates from PCC regarding the current situation, all of which had been forwarded to councillors, community web site hosts and community Facebook page moderators for publication. The Amroth Good Neighbours website https://sites.google.com/view/amroth-good-neighbours was being kept up to date with current information and advice for the community and volunteers.

• The Community Hub is also still offering help and support to Pembrokeshire residents during the crisis. They can be contacted on 01437 776301 or via email on [email protected]

• Tenovus Cancer Care charity had written requesting a donation. ACC have a policy of supporting charities in the community council area only and so politely refused the request.

• Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales had requested the publication of councillors expenses for the financial year 2019-2020. This must be done annually by September. The form had been submitted and acknowledged.

• ACC had received information from the IRP on the principles relating to the reimbursement of costs of care for councillors. Details were with the clerk.

• Correspondence was continuing between the chairman and a resident regarding the historic road names in Llanteg.

Report by

Llanteg Village Hall Committee

The hall is temporarily closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is being checked weekly for insurance purposes. Clr. James commented on the high quality of the clearance work carried out at the Clay Pits and Old School Garden and thanked Clr. Harries for organising it. He mentioned that the work to fit new equipment in the hall was on hold because of the crisis.

Project Updates

• Amroth Good Neighbours: There were relatively few requests for help currently. Requests were mainly for prescription collections

• Exercise Jantzen: The Imperial War Museum announced they would be opening online. Clr. Harvey contacted them regarding photographs from cinema reels of Exercise Jantzen, but no response had been received to date.

Matters to

be added to the agenda for next meeting

• To discuss and comment on the Welsh Government’s traffic light system proposal to govern the exit strategy from lockdown

• To discuss the opportunity for Asset Transfers in the area.

Urgent

Business not

on the Agenda

• Clr. Cormack reported Japanese Knotweed was spreading rapidly in Wisemans Bridge, across the road from the sea wall. This had been reported to PCC.

• Clr. James reported that the community police meeting had changed dates and would clash with community council meetings when it resumes. It was suggested a report be obtained from another attendee and circulated.

• Clr. Harries reported that he hoped the work, to fell the rest of the trees with Ash Dieback on community council land, will be carried out by the end of the month.

• The Annual Meeting of ACC is usually held in May, however legislation stated attendance in person was required. Following a temporary change in legislation, due to Covid 19, the annual meeting can now take place online and so it will take place this month (June).

Date of next meeting is Thursday, June 18. The annual meeting will commence at 6.45 pm, followed by the monthly meeting. This will be via Zoom unless informed otherwise.

Anyone wishing to observe online, please send your email address to [email protected]