Minutes of a Meeting of Usk Town Council held on Monday 14^th January 2008                                               
At Sessions House Usk:

Present: Cllrs Mrs. J Jeremiah (Chairman), A Leathwood, A Watkins, Mrs. K Peacock, B Strong, R Galletley, M Evans, D Rennels, A Kear, J Mitchell, J Harrhy                        

12.0.    To Accept Apologies for Absence:
            Cllr E Fleming

 12.1.    To disclose personal and pecuniary interest in items of business listed below:
C Cllr Harrhy - All planning     Cllr Kear - 36 Priory Gardens Usk               

12.2.    To Approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 10^th December 2007
With three amendments the Minutes were approved and signed as a true and accurate record.

12.3.    Matters arising from the minutes of 10^th December 2007
               Any other matters not commented elsewhere

     11.3 Section Barratt House Funding has been omitted from this month’s agenda - it will be included in Any Other Business.

12.4.    To receive the Financial Statement of Accounts for December 2007 and Q3 end Review Detail Report
The monthly figures and reconciliation were approved. The Quarter 3 end Financial report was read out by Cllr Leathwood. This was accepted and approved. The proposed recommendations for the budget were accepted, an increase in the precept by 4% or £2000 p/a to £53 000.  Council thanked both Cllrs Leathwood and Kear for their hard work with the Finances.

12.5.   To receive a report from the Sessions House Management Committee
Cllrs had received a draft copy of minutes held on the 8^th January 2008
             There were two issues that were discussed.
   1.3. It was recognised that additional income from rental was used to pay the mortgage. Cllr Galletley felt that clear direction was needed on such additional income received by the Sessions House, for e.g. was money to be allocated to the Sessions House Budget or into the so called “general pot”. Cllr Kear explained that any specific donations received (for e.g. carpets) were set aside in “earmarked “ reserves and not put into the “general pot“. All additional income goes into paying the mortgage. All special and urgent requests would be considered accordingly.   
   1.7. A letter of complaint had been received regarding charge for the hire of the Sessions House. All Councillors were in agreement that there is separate charity and commercial hire rate for rooms within the Sessions House. Therefore, the said invoice would stand.

12.6   To receive the latest report on the Movement of Prisoners from HMP  Usk to HMP Prescoed           
Two out of the five absconded prisoners were back in prison.
There were currently two sex offenders in residence and one Schedule 1 Offender.
There is to be a meeting with the Prison Governor and prison sub committee on Wed 23^rd Jan 2008 at 6.30pm this is extended to all other Councillors. Cllr Kear had recently had a conversation with the new Area Prison Manager Mr Geoff Hughes and there is a large number of vacancies at HMP Prescoed and that a decision had been made to transfer young offenders to HMP Prescoed. Parc Prison’s newly designated suite has more provisions for other category prisoners. It was felt that this was indeed pleasing and positive news that should be passed on to the community.                              

Planning Applications.
DC/2007/01571. Rear Ground Floor Shower/WC Dining Room Extension
                                    30, Ladyhill, Usk          Recommend Approval
DC/2007/01615. Single Storey Extension.
                                    36, Priory Gardens , Usk.   Recommend Approval

DC/2007 01594. Proposed New Dwelling with Integral Garage.
                                                Land Adjacent 16, Ladyhill, Usk.    Recommend Refusal

12.8     Update on areas of concern within the town
Cllr Peacock informed the Council that the Memorial Car Park was to  be swept and the pot holes filled in some time in February. It would be a Fri/Sat but not during a Farmer’s Market weekend.
   There had been a complaint that water was flowing into Clos Croseo and residents were having to wade through to access their homes. The water needs to be diverted. This is not an adopted road but the matter is in hand.
   The North car park is due to be relined the date is yet to be confirmed. It was requested that when the car park was being relined that yellow hatching could be applied to the area by the doctor’s surgery and recycling area as large vehicles are unable to pass easily.
   The pavement in Mill Street is soon to be repaired.
   The new Barratt Housing site is still causing problems particularly for the cottages opposite. A hedge and ditch had been removed by Barratts that had caused water to become a threat to the cottages, resulting in sand bags having to be issued. After consultation between Barratts and MCC it was decided that Barratts will put a pipe in situ to take away the water.

12.9     To Receive Reports from Members serving on other bodies
Cllr Evans asked when there would be a presentation in recognition of becoming a Fair Trade Town. The date for this will be some time in March.

13.0     To Receive a Report from the Traffic & HGVs Committee
A meeting had been held with David Morgan and a small number of Councillors to discuss the proposed Trailer Park site at Llanbadoc. He has also forwarded a letter to express his views on the matter. David Morgan had said that it had never been his intention to use the site for commercial purposes and that overnight parking was to purely access the site the next day.    
   Regarding the real concern of the Council, re: “the lorry ban” Mr. Morgan had said that all his vehicles are legal. Cllr Leathwood felt that the reference to a ” temporary trailer park” should indeed be qualified.  It was felt that three years would be the maximum amount of time during which agreement could be made with the Council. Cllr Strong said that we should consider carefully, the fact that the Morgan’s of Usk employ a number of local people within the Town. After much discussion it was decided that Mr Morgan’s letter be acknowledged and Cllr Jeremiah would arrange a meeting of the HGV committee with Llanbadoc Community Council. Cllr Evans suggested that when the application did come up that the subject of landscaping be approached As nothing had been received from MCC regarding the HGV meeting that took place in October 2007 it was agreed that another letter would be sent to MCC and the letter be copied to all who attended the meeting.

13.1.    Future Burial Arrangements:  
Cllr Galletley had attended a meeting on the 14^th December with David Davies MP, Debbie McCarty MCC, Rev Julian Grey and churchwardens regarding future burial arrangements. Monmouthshire County Council had been reminded that it was their responsibility to provide a burial ground. However it was proving difficult to find land that was not on a flood plain without restrictions. There is a piece of land owned by MCC on the Old Monmouth Road that Debbie McCarty is going to visit. It is possible that that there would be recommendation for a centrally located burial ground but at the moment there is no resolution.

13.2.    To receive developments regarding production of the Usk Town Guide for  2008/2009
Plans were going ahead for the production of the Usk Town Guide. There had been a slight alteration in that it would going out in May as opposed to April so as not to clash with the publication of the Usk Diary. A meeting is to be arranged with the Directors.

13.3.    To Receive a Report on the findings of the Usk Grammar School Foundation
Councilor Leathwood gave a report on the findings of Usk Grammar School Foundation. He said that there was clearly still a lot more work to be done but this would be of nothing but benefit to the children of Usk. He hoped that what would emerge from the negotiations, would be a scheme approved by the Charity Commission to give effect to the transfer of the Foundations assets to a group of local trustees which would include one or more representatives of the Town Council. Cllr Strong suggested that Cllr Kear be a representative of the Council.  Hamish Sanderson would continue to offer his support and Cllrs Leathwood and Galletley felt that those involved should receive an official letter of thanks for their help and support with this matter.

13.4      Correspondence:
From: Post Office Ltd’s Network Change programmed for your area
From: Morgan’s of Usk Ltd re: Planning Application
From: One Voice Wales 2008-2009 budget
From: One Voice Wales Youth Council
From: MCC Parking Twyn Square
From: MCC Pavement Mill St
From: MCC Condition of road opposite new Barratt Housing
From: MCC Draft Budget Meeting

13.4.     Any other business. Any other business is...... any item considered as any other business shall be considered at the discretion of and prior notice to the Chairman 
Section 106 Barratt House Funding
A sub-committee for considering applications is to be formed.
The following councilors would form the committee. Cllr Strong, Mitchell, Kear, Peacock, Watkins, Leathwood and Jeremiah.
Usk Town Council are to host a “Cheese and Wine Evening”  on Friday 25^th January to support the new Scout hut.
Council then went into Committee re;-  the Minutes of the meeting held in Committee  on Monday 10^th December 2008 regarding Usk Grammar School Foundation. These were approved and duly signed.

There was no further business and the meeting closed at 9.25pm .