MINUTES OF THE HENLLAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETING HELD ON TUESDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2024 IN THE CHURCH INSTITUTE, HENLLAN AT 7.30 PM
1: PRESENT:
Councillors Jackie Jones (Chairman), Ian Carrie, Nia Bellis, Gwyn Roberts, Geraint Williams, Clwyd Spencer, Amanda Lawson, Merfyn Roberts together with Denbighshire County Councillors Delyth Jones, Pauline Edwards and Geraint Lloyd-Williams together with the Clerk.
2. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE.
Councillors Nicky Bassett-Powell and Cerian Jones.
3. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST.
A; Councillor Clwyd Spencer on agenda item 8 below.
B. Councillor Amanda Lawson on agenda item 11 below.
4. DISCUSSION WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC IN ATTENDANCE.
Local resident Iona Hughes attended the meeting and offered to assist the Community Council on agenda item number 7 below.
5. CONFIRM THE MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS COUNCIL MEETING.
Members confirmed 2nd January 2024 minutes as a true record and signed by the Chair.
6. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES NOT APPEARING ON THE AGENDA.
Already covered elsewhere within the minutes.
7. PROPOSED HENLLAN WOODLAND CREATION PARK.
The Interim Climate Change Programme Manager for Denbighshire County Council provided Council with the following updated report:-
“The public consultation has now finished for the Henllan site and the project manager (Keith Bennett, copied in) and the team, are now collating the feedback, in order to finalise plans. These final plans will be shared with yourselves, as ward and town councillors, and work is hoping to commence in the next few weeks, with the aim to be completed by the end of March.
Keith will keep you informed as and when he has any further updates. Also, of volunteering opportunities to help with tree planting when dates are confirmed.”
8. TOP PARK REPORT.
Covered in appendix 1 and 2 below.
9. TASK AND FINISH GROUP UPDATE.
No updated report.
10. FLOWER BEDS UPDATE
No updated report.
11. HENLLAN COMMUNITY LEISURE ASSOCIATION GRANT APPLICATION.
Mrs Angeline Lawson BEM provided Council with the remainder of the information required to complete the grant application process. Whilst the Members of the Council noted the Christmas Market event made a profit, resolved to donate, as per the “Grant Application Form” £1,000.00 towards the costs of the marquee hired for the event.
12. CLWB PEL-DROED GENOD HENLLAN GIRLS FOOTBALL CLUB GRANT APPLICATION.
Members considered the “Grant Application Form” provided by the Committee of the Clwb Pel-droed Genod Henllan and resolved to full grant aid requested of £495.00.
13. FINANCE.
A; Bank balances:-
1: HSBC Current Account £10587.59.
2. HSBC Saver Account £25,496.29.
B. Authorised payments:-
1. Monthly HSBC Fees £5.00.
2. Henllan Church Institute for the Council meeting fee £30.00.
3. Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water for the Public Convenience water rates £74.31.
4. Henllan Community Leisure Association grant aid £1,000.00.
5. Clwb Pel-Droed Genod Henllan Girls Football Club grant aid £495.00.
14. PLANNING ISSUES.
None received.
15. CORRESPONDENCE.
A: The Clerk circulated Members with the January to March 2024 training dates provided by One Voice Wales.
B. The Clerk circulated Members with the changes to the household waste collection model for Denbighshire County Council. Councillors Jackie Jones and Nia Bellis will represent the Community Council at the scheduled meeting arranged by Denbighshire County Council on 7th February 2024 in Ysgol Glan Clwyd, St. Asaph.
C. One Voice Wales invited Council to nominate a Council Member for the forthcoming ballot for the Buckingham Palace Garden Party. Members nominated Councillor Jackie Jones to the ballot.
16. DENBIGHSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL ISSUES.
Councillor Ian Carrie provided Members with the various highway issues in Henllan reported to the Customer Services of Denbighshire County Council.
17. URGENT BUSINESS UNDER SECTION 100B(4) OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972.
Members resolved to discuss the various speeding issues to include “Speed Recording Guns” at the Council meeting.
18. NEXT COUNCIL MEETING – TUESDAY 5TH MARCH 2024 IN THE HENLLAN CHURCH INSTITUTE AT 7.30 P.M.
APPENDIX 1 – REPORT BY COUNCILLOR IAN CARRIE.
Henllan Community Council Report on remedial issues required at Top Park Playing Field, Henllan prior to transfer from Denbighshire County Council to new Trusteeship yet to be Determined. Written by Councillor Ian Carrie January 2024 2 Preamble and History Top Park Playing Field was donated for the use of Henllan residents in 1948 by J W Griffith Esq JP of the Garn estate. Top Park Playing Field has been handed over to various councils for maintenance during this time culminating when Denbighshire County Council Unitary Authority was formed in 1 st April 1996. Only minimal maintenance has taken place by Denbighshire County Council (DCC) over the years, other than grass cutting. Current outstanding maintenance issues that have been highlighted include, • Hedges cutting back • Trees pruning • Concrete Fence Post refixing (possible fall risk of about 10 metres) • Fence Posts loose and hedge encroachment • Walls repointing • Arch repointing • Removal of Ivy growth 3 Prior to the Transfer to the new Trustees from DCC, the maintenance issues raised would need to be undertaken or addressed. Currently there are 100 football games that take part on Top Park Playing Field not including training. Top Park Playing Field is open to all for fitness activities for the residents of Henllan and surrounding area, except Golf. Following investigations by Denbighshire County Council (DCC) officials, it has been found that the Trusteeship of Top Park Playing Field Henllan could be transferred from DCC to other Trustees yet to be determined. However, if the Trusteeship was transferred from DCC to another party, DCC would cease to maintain the Top Park Playing Field area and all maintenance and improvement liabilities would be undertaken by the new Trustees. At the Henllan Community Council meeting held in December, the Council were informed via one of the council members, that an overarching Football Committee was being formed. It was suggested that it would be advantageous for a Member of the Community Council to be a representative on the football committee. If this transfer was carried out it would allow the new Trustees to be granted a lease to the overarching committee of the three Henllan Football Clubs which are currently, Henllan Ladies Team Henllan Juniors Henllan Gents Team Once a lease was granted this would open up possibilities for applications for grants to improve the facilities for all users of Top Park Playing Field including residents and visitors alike. Many improvements are badly needed and include, • Drainage provision of the field • Football Stop Netting • Replacement Gate • Adequate Parking Provision • Siding works on footpath approaching toilets • Full and appropriate disabled access to the field • Toilet improvements. • Possible Electric Car Charging Point 4 The consensus of the Community Council at Decembers Meeting recommended that if the new overarching Football Committee was formed this would be an ideal vehicle to have DCC transfer Trusteeship. Henllan Community Council would support the new Committee with Grants etc as long as the met the application criteria. Recommendation to the Council Short Term Approach DCC to get outstanding maintenance and improvements carried out this could be part of the negotiation for transfer. Medium Term Continue in negotiations with DCC for the proposed transfer of Top Park Playing Field. Assist in sourcing new Trustees for the transfer of the park to. Long Term Look into the possible purchase of further land from Garn Estate to increase the fitness and leisure area for Henllan residents.
APPENDIX 2.
Amanda’s Questions
Top park is not just a football field, it is a recreational field for the Henllan Community
Are we saying the overarching committee would be the football committee?
Does the HCC have any say in the overarching committee applying for trustee? Or are we just supporting their application?
As Top Park was donated to the village of Henllan, I believe there should be a consultation with the community as a whole. Can we please confirm this will be done and what means the consultation will be done?
In addition to this, can we please also check whether there is a covenant on the land and if so what this is?
Another concern that will need clarifying, is will Top park be for football only, or can other community groups and users access the field?
Should the overarching committee become trustees, to ensure the integrity of what Mr Griffiths bequeathed, should it therefore consist of no less than 50% of independent members of the community not associated with football?
These are questions that I believe may be asked by the local community.
For transparency I have no issue with an overarching committee becoming trustees. I just believe the committee should not be football members only.
The field is currently only used only by football, do we need to ensure other village activities can access the field.
Ian’s Response
To answer your questions and these are not set in stone and are for discussion by all of us at Henllan Community Council,
Yes the field was entrusted to the whole of Henllan and therefore a playing field as in the report page one of the report is to highlight remedial issues needed before transfer to new Trustee Committee yet to be established.
No the overarching committee is for anyone to negotiate with all the football clubs as currently there are three committees and no single one is in overall control to talk to.
The Trusteeship can be another committee yet to be determined these should be when we had the meeting in December HCC didn’t want to take on the because of the liability angle however, again up for discussion with the whole of the HCC, all suggestions would be considered for example would the leisure association be interested in taking on this responsibility on behalf of Henllan?
The new Trustees can be independent of the football club however, your suggestion of 50% independent / football club is really good.
The Trustees whoever these may be, could grant a lease for the football clubs again others could grant a lease for other sports.
The field is a playing field however, at this time I know of no one currently using this field other than the football clubs please let me know if you know otherwise? Until COVID hit, it was used for village sports events – mini games and events supported by different groups in the village; camping weekends and other activities and sports coordinated by DCC. It is currently, also used as a car park, when Church has large events – Choirs, weddings and christenings.
I emphasise and understand that Top Park is not being given away to anyone, we are just looking into how we can benefit Henllan as a whole, as no investment or ongoing maintenance has been done for years, we are not losing it just transferring to the control to us in Henllan.
