Minutes of Meetings

Monday 10th January 2023 at 7.30m The Parish Hall, Bettws Y Crwyn

PRESENT

Cllr. Emma Williams Cllr. Valerie Whately Cllr. Sheila Davies Cllr. Trevor Wheeler Cllr. Muriel Botwood

Gwilym Rippon (clerk)

There were no members of the public present

APOLOGIES

Cllr. David Russon Cllr. Keith Richards

Posted Monday 3rd January 2023

AGENDA

Prior to the meeting starting there will be a ten-minute period for public participation

Opening and welcome
Attendance / apologies
Declarations of interest
To receive any written request for a dispensation Minutes of the meeting Monday 7th November 2022 Information from the minutes

Clerk9s Report Planning

22/05494/FUL | Application under Section 73A of the Town And Country

Planning Act 1990 for the change of use of land for the siting of holiday

static caravan and all associated works | Proposed Caravan Holiday

Accommodation The Cabin Newcastle Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 8QY

9. `Highways
10. UpdateontheCarregLlwydgrantsandthedateofthenextround 11. Finance

1. To note bank account balances
2. To agree payment of outstanding Invoices

1. HMR&C £290.16p (S7 Localism Act 2011)
2. Clerk9s expenses £83.200p (S7 Localism Act 2011)

12. Information from members 13. Datesfornextmeetings

Gwilym J. Rippon Clerk

Please note meetings will finish at 9.30pm to allow for finance decisions to be implemented also for minutes and other documents to be signed

MINUTES of previous meeting

046-22 1. 047-22 2. 048-22 3. 049-22 4. 050-22 5. 051-22 6.

OPENING AND WELCOME

Also in attendance -Nigel Hartin

Cllr. Whately opened the meeting and thanked all for their attendance.

ATTENDANCE AND APOLOGIES

See list above

CO-OPTION OF A NEW COUNCILLOR

This was placed in error

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST

There were no declarations of interest

TO CONSIDER ANY WRITTEN DISPENSATIONS RECEIVED

The clerk reported that he had not received any requests for dispensations

CONFIRMATION OF MINUTES OF THE MEETING (previously circulated) It was agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 14th September 2022 was a true and accurate record of what transpired.

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052-22 7.

INFORMATION FROM THE MINUTES AND COUNTY COUNCILLORS UPDATE

(i) Shropshire Councillor Report Cllr. Hartin
Cllr. Hartin
Shropshire Council’s financial position – Extracts from SC Press release.

“The rising cost of living, inflation and energy costs mean Shropshire Council is now working to reduce an overspend of around £11 million, equivalent to 5% of the council9s day-to-day budget, by next March. Other pressures, particularly growing demand for services and children9s social care and safeguarding, are among the main reasons for the overspend. This is a position that more and more councils are seeing with warnings from the Local Government Association and County Councils Network about the risks to council budgets in the last week. The latest quarterly monitoring report shows the council9s position halfway through the financial year and it is now working very hard to reduce this figure.

Inflation now running at 11% is adding further costs to council services while extra demand for many services is increasing, for example as more people need help from the council with the cost of living. Key areas of pressure are growing costs in children9s social care in particular. The council is working hard to reduce the in-year overspend figure. For example, it is reducing the number of homeless people housed in costly temporary B&B accommodation by finding permanent housing and will bring this to zero by the end of March 2023. It is also reducing the number of looked after children in expensive residential care and finding them placements with families. In both these examples, the outcome is better for those involved.

A report to the council9s Cabinet on 30 November said that if the overspend does not reduce, this would have to be met from the Councils dwindling General Fund which is used to meet costs of any unexpected events such as flooding or changes in national policy.

The council has a longer-term financial plan to ensure that it can close a £27.5m funding gap it is expected to face by 2028. The administration will be looking at whether to apply the extra 1% in council tax announced in the Chancellor9s Autumn Statement on 18 November, that councils can now raise without the need for a referendum. This will form part of its budget proposals due to be published next month. An additional 1% increase would add around an extra £1.8 million to the council9s budget next year. The Local Government Association has said that councils would need to raise council tax by 20% the next two years just to meet current cost pressures.”

The Council’s Head of finance, James Walton, has said that SC are expecting around a 2% increase in Council Tax from the increased housing within the county. We will know the exact amounts when the tax base is published. Also its been pointed out in a recent ‘peer assessment’ that took place, that SC could increase its Council Tax collection rate by 1%, which would also increase the tax base for every Parish & Town Council.

On the other hand I do not yet know the effect, if any, of the lower income that some households will have due to the cost of living and the downturn in the economy. There may be an increase in the number of householders who will now be entitled to pay a lower Council Tax.

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053-22 8.

054-22 9.

Shropshire Council and partners have been working hard to support those who have been affected by the cost of living crisis, through the recent launch of Cost of Living Help and Warm Welcome campaigns with the aim of helping raise awareness of these and signpost people to advice and support and the Warm Welcome locations. (see attached leaflets which all Cllrs may find useful). Full details available through the Councils website.

CLERK9S REPORT

The Clerk stated that he had nothing to report all relevant email correspondence had been circulated.

PLANNING

Planning

1. 22/04888/DIS
Application to discharge Condition 3 (landscaping) of planning permission 22/03611/FUL | Folly Bank Newcastle Craven Arms Shropshire SY7 8QS

This application was noted

055-22 11.

056-22 12.

The details projects undertaken in the five councils receiving the monies form the wind farm projects had been circulated.
Following the latest

HIGHWAYS

Members reported the usual highway issues

FINANCE

1. To note bank account balancesThese were noted
2. TodiscussanddecidedonanamounttoSpArCThis was agreed and it was decided to give £500.00
3. To discuss the budget and precept for 2023-2024This was discussed and it was agreed that there would be no increase
4. ToagreepaymentofoutstandingInvoices
   1. HMR&C £269.36p (S7 Localism Act 2011)
   2. Clerk9s expenses £83.200p (S7 Localism Act 2011)

The clerk was instructed to pay the above invoices.

INFORMATION FROM MEMBERS

There was nothing to report under this heading.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING

Shropshire Council – Cost of Living & Keep Warm campaigns.

10. UP DATE ON THE CARREG LLWYD GRANTS AND THE DATE OF THE NEXT ROUND

057-22 13. 058-22 14.

10th January 2023

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