Five members, along with the county councillor and clerk, were present at the June meeting of Penally Community Council held at the Village Hall. Two apologies were received, as well two letters of resignation, from Clr. Mr. D. Thomas and Clr. Mrs. M. McMahon.

matters arising

Village notice board: The village warden stated in his report that the cost to undertake the agreed modifications would be £40. Clr. Craig proposed this be approved. It was seconded by Clr. Tulley and all voted in favour. The clerk was to instruct the warden to proceed with the work. Establishing a complaints procedure: It was agreed that the clerk should contact One Voice Wales for assistance. May Trees on Village Green: A response with regard to availability and cost of replacement trees was still awaited. Clr. Cavill advised that the clerk should in the meantime seek formal approval for replacing the trees from the tree officer at County Hall. Condition of planting around War Memorial: The clerk reported that a letter had been sent to Lydstep Nurseries. Although no response had been received, the matter had been overtaken by events. Following the meeting held on May 17, fresh compost and new seasonal plants had been purchased and the warden had put them in place. It was agreed by all that the situation was much improved and looking very colourful. State of field next to Jammo's: It was noted that efforts were being made to tidy up the area, which was greatly appreciated. Planning correspondence: As a temporary measure, County Hall had been requested to forward planning letters to Clr. Dassen. Seat on Village Green in memory of Jan Joseph: The family of Jan Joseph had kindly agreed to see if the condition of the seat could be restored.

planning

Application by ARQIVA to site TETRA mast in Penally: Update - there was no further information to impart at this meeting. Erection of three dwellings, Penally Heights: Planning permission had been granted. Appeal against refusal to build on land adjacent to Trefloyne Cottage: The original proposal was objected to by the community council as it was outside the village plan.

correspondence

County Hall: From home composting officer, responding to the council's complaint concerning the quality and colour of the bins issued to Penally; it was not considered worthwhile to pursue further. From electoral services manager, about the consultation paper regarding draft proposals concerning the periodic electoral review. No boundary changes were proposed for Penally, but there was a proposed reduction of one councillor. The latter was based on the number of the electorate. The clerk was instructed to respond to County Hall pointing out that there were many people who were not on the Penally electoral role who still wished the council to provide services etc for them. People who had second homes, holiday homes and of course the caravan sites. These people had not been taken into account by the electoral review. Additionally, it was pointed out that part of Lydstep came under Penally and part under Manorbier. This sometimes caused confusion when considering planning/licensing applications. Consideration should be given to bringing all of Lydstep under Penally should the residents of Lydstep so desire. From Philip Percival Electrical: A quotation for additional Christmas lights for the village tree. At this point, the clerk indicated that Clr. D'Arcy had reported that some residents had suggested that due to the poor appearance of the tree, they would be prepared to consider replacing it if permission could be obtained for its removal. The clerk was instructed to ascertain if this was feasible and Clr. Dassen was to discuss the matter with the residents concerned. The clerk was also asked to send an interim response to Philip Percival. Thank you letters for donations were received from Radio Withybush and the Noah's Ark Appeal, as well as invitations to meetings of Menter Iaith Sir Benfro and Pembrokeshire Crossroads, and details of a summer fete to be held at Withybush Hospital commencing at 12 noon on June 23.

accounts and finance

Accounts: Accounts were presented for payment from the following: Acorn Garden Services; clerk's salary and expenses; Lydstep Nurseries; village warden; and purchase of a hand cart for the warden. The chairman gave details of these five accounts and payment was proposed by Clr. Tulley and seconded by Clr. Craig.

county cLR. Mrs. C. Cavill's report

Hoyle's Mouth Cave: Several people had approached Clr. Mrs. Cavill over the last Bank Holiday to say that the path to the cave was blocked by a large fallen tree. Although the cave was scheduled by CADW, it was not on a registered footpath. She had been in touch with the owners of the land and with CADW. The local officer for CADW had also been in touch with the land owners and was due to visit the site. Health and safety training: Clr. Mrs. Cavill had a list of various training courses which may be suitable for the village warden. Speed limit - Frankleston: Clr. Mrs. Cavill had a copy of a letter from the traffic manager sent to the community council on December 6 which they did not receive. When the traffic manager received a favourable reply, he would start the proceedings to extend the 30 mph limit. Land behind Jammo's Nightclub: Clr. Mrs. Cavill had spoken to the lease holder who had promised to sort out this eyesore. She had also been given the name of the actual landowner. Coastal path at Valley Top Field: The gate at the middle of this path was locked over the Bank Holiday. Clr. Mrs. Cavill had reported it to the National Park and it was now open. Penally Court Caravan Site (Kiln Park): Clr. Mrs. Cavill had received several complaints about the hedgerow bordering the bypass. She had spoken to the manager who was keen not to upset the residents of Penally. However, the last planning permission did contain a condition concerning a comprehensive planning scheme. The planning department was checking this out.

any other business

As mentioned earlier, letters of resignation were received from Clr. Thomas (chair) and Clr. McMahon. The reasons for the resignations were appreciated by all councillors and were duly, though reluctantly accepted. The clerk was instructed to write to both individuals and thank them for their years of devoted service to the council and the community. They would be sorely missed. With the resignation of the chairman, it was the unanimous decision of the council that Clr. Ann Dassen (vice-chair) should be elected to take over as chairperson. Clr. Dassen accepted the post. Clr. Craig proposed that Clr. Val Robinson should take on the now vacant position of vice-chair and this was seconded by Clr. Bibby. Clr. Robinson accepted the nomination and it was carried unanimously. The resignation of Clr. Thomas also required someone to be appointed as the One Voice Wales representative for Penally. Clr. Dassen agreed to take on this role. The clerk reported that he had advised the Elections Unit of the resignations and of the intention to recruit three councillors (the council was already deficient of one councillor). The appropriate document was posted on the village green and village hall notice boards and also in the village shop/post office. Anyone wishing to give some of their time to the community and join the council should contact Clr. Ann Dassen on 844957. The clerk also reported that the dates for the 'Exercise of Electors' Rights to inspect the council's financial records' was between July 2 and 27. Details of how to arrange this would be displayed on the village notice board. The provision of safety triangles for use by the warden whilst working in the village was discussed. Cty Clr. Cavill agreed to investigate with County Hall. It had long been the intention to provide a laptop computer for use by the clerk to the council. After considering various systems, a decision was reached on what seemed to be the most reasonable package, which was also to include a new laser printer. The total cost of purchase and setting up would be in the region of £600. Clr. Bibby proposed the purchase should go ahead and this was seconded by Clr. Craig. All voted in favour. Other meetings taking place on the first Thursday of each month made it necessary to consider moving the community council meeting to another date. The most favoured date by all the councillors was the last Thursday in each month. It was therefore unanimously agreed that future meetings should be held on the last Thursday of the month. Clr. Dassen agreed to confirm with the village hall that this would be suitable. In the village warden's report a need was identified for certain items to enable him to carry out his duties more effectively. This included a hand cart, a five to 10 litre plastic drum for transporting water, overalls and gardening gloves. It was agreed that these items be purchased at a cost not to exceed £150. Late 2006, Clr. Robinson had raised a problem concerning the speed limit on The Ridgeway. Although a favourable response was received from County Hall, it was not appreciated that this council was required to agree to the response received. Having discussed the situation with Cty Clr. Cavill, the clerk was directed to notify the traffic manager at County Hall to proceed with the proposed action to extend the 30 mph signs. In line with the earlier decision, the next meeting is Thursday, July 26, at 7.15 pm.