April Meeting

Cyngor Cymuned Carreghofa Community Council

Meeting of the Council to be held on Tuesday 28th April  2026

  at Llanymynech Village Hall 

A G E N D A

1. Apologies for Absence. 

2. Declarations of interest in items on the agenda.

3. Minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 31st March 2026  (previously circulated)

4    Matters arising from the minutes.

5    Finance

5.1.    Current position

5.2. End of Year Financial Statement

5.3 Insurance Premium - Renewal

5.4. Approval of Payments

6 Planning 

7. Other matters

7.1. Montgomery Canal Restoration project 

7.2. Council leaflet

7.3. Vacancy on the Council

7.4. Code of Conduct training

7.5. Littering

7.6. Boundary Stone car park

7.7. Grounds maintenance.

7.8. County Councillor’s update (standing item)

7.9. Social media activity for the Council (standing item)

8. Amenities

8.1. Walls Bridge Playground

8.2. Football Field

9 Highways and Byways

9.1. Road repairs, verges & potholes

10. To receive Reports on Meetings from outside bodies

10.1 Burial Board 

10.2 Powys CC and Town and Community Councils meeting

10.3 Village Hall

11. Correspondence

11.1 For decision

11.2 To note.

13. To confirm the date for the next meeting 

Cyngor Cymuned Carreghofa Community Council

PAPERS FOR THE 

MEETING OF CARREGHOFA COMMUNITY COUNCIL

Tuesday 28th April 2026

Item 4 Matters Arising from the minutes

4.1. Ref: item  7.5  Defibrillator  (Cllr Savage)

4.2. Ref: item 12.2  Olive Nials’ bench (Clerk)

4.3. Ref: item 12.3  Thanks for Planter maintainers (Clerk)

Item 5.   Finance report

5.1. Current position

The Council’s accounts as at Thursday 26th March 2026 were as follows:-

Deposit account:  £ 6745.89 – the first tranche of this year’s Precept is yet to be paid.

Current account:    £ 447.96

Pension account  £ 76.99

5.2 Year End  Financial Statement

Carreghofa Community Council

Year End Financial Statement

1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026

INCOME

Item Budget Actual Variance Notes 

Precept 11770.00 11770.00 0 1

Repayment of VAT 1000.00 953.80 -46.20 2

Miscellaneous 0 0 0

Interest 200.00 126.62 -73.38 3

From Reserves 5388.00 0 0

TOTAL 18358.00 12850.42 -119.58

EXPENDITURE

Item Budget Actual Variance Notes

Administration 0 0 0

Audit 975.00 717.00 -258.00 4

Bank Charges 80.00 27.00 -53.00 5

Capital Projects 2500.00 0 0

Donations 1000.00 132.00 -868.00 6

Election Expenses 0 0 0

Expenses (staff) 100.00 0 0

Expenses (Councillors) 100.00 0 0

Grounds maintenance 4200.00 4038.00 -162.00 7

Insurance 940.00 741.26 -198.74 8

Membership of outside bodies 135.00 0 0 9

Miscellaneous 488.00 407.44 -80.56 10

Payroll management 490.00 480.00 -10.00

Pension Fund 0 0 0

Petty Cash 30.00 0 0 11

Rents 400.00 364.00 -36.00 12

Salaries 6300.00 7091.52 791.52 13

Training 100.00 0 0

Website 600.00 583.19 -16.81 14

TOTAL 18358.00 14581.41 -891.59

BANK  RECONCILIATION

Deposit Account as at 1st April 2025 8759.43

Current Account as at 1st April 2025 595.37

Pension Account as at 1st April 2025 75.75

Total in Bank as at 1st April 2025 9430.55

Income as at 31st March 2026 12850.42

Expenditure as at 31st March 2026 14581.41

Income / expenditure -1730.99

Less cheques unpresented

Deposit Account as at  31st March 2026 7254.89

Current Account as at 31st March 2026 367.76

Pension Account as at 31st March 2026 76.91

Total in Bank as at 31st March 2026 7699.56

  Petty Cash held  -  £5.65

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT

The following notes follow the numbering in the accounts:-

1. Precept 1st payment received 30th April £3924.00; 2nd payment received 28th August £3923, 3rd payment received 31st December £3923

2. Repayment of VAT: 20th Nov 25 £473.80; 5th Mar 20 £480.00 Note VAT 

3. Interest   Deposit account: £100.33;  Pension account:£ 0.90

4. Audit: Internal Audit £390.00  External Audit (2023/24) £327.00

5. Bank Charges:  £25.40. HSBC stopped  levying bank charges from August 25 but continue to charge for cheques  issued £1.60.

6. Donation: Llanymynech Village Hall, Maintenance of VH toilets  £50.00, St Agatha’s Church Clock maintenance £82.00

7. Grounds Maintenance: One off work  prior to contract starting £900.00; 2nd Quarter £966.00, (the 1st Quarter was paid in March 2025 prior to the new contractors taking up the work) 3rd Quarter £966.00    One off work November £240.00,  4th Quarter £966.00

8. Insurance premium £741.26

9. Membership of outside bodies: One Voice Wales renewal notice was too late to be included in this year’s accounts. It will show in 2026 /27.

10. Miscellaneous:  Graffiti remover for use on the Football Field £13.00; Plants for Planters £100.00, Defibrillator pads £150.00,  Bulbs for planters £46.44, Wreath for Remembrance Day parade  £20.00 Defibrillator batteries £78.00

11. Petty Cash. On the advice of the Internal Auditor the Council has discontinued the use of petty cash. A residual amount of £5.65 is currently held.

12. Rents: April to February at £24 per month =  264.00; Rent of Football field: Lewis Brothers  £100.00

13. Salaries: Clerk: £4428.36,  HMRC (PAYE) £2663.16 . The overspending is due HMRC charging PAYE at 37.6% whereas the budget was calculated at 20%

14. Website: hosting for 2025 /26 £583.19

5.3. Insurance Premium – Renewal

For the past 5 years the Community Council has had a long term agreement with Zurich Insurance. This agreement has now expired and the amount to renew with Zurich has risen from £741.26 in 2025/26 to £988.34.

Zurich has offered the following:-

1. One Year: £988.34 (including IPT)  (Insurance Premium Tax)

2. Three Year (LTA): £906.03 (including IPT)

3. Long Term Agreements (LTA) exchange a level of discount in return for your commitment to stay with us over these years.  (Additions / Increases and Removals / Decreases can still change the premium throughout this period).

We could seek quotes from other companies, but be aware that the current insurance expires on 1st June 2026. 

For guidance the Council has set a budget of £940.00 for this current financial year.

Council is asked to determine what course of action it wishes to take.

Approval of Payments

MI & TEM Pritchard  -  Grounds maintenance 1st Quarter £966.00

Council is asked to approve the above payment

Item 6. Planning

There are no planning applications for consideration. 

Item 7 Other Matters

7.1. Montgomery Canal Development Project 

 Verbal update  -  Chairman

7.2. Council leaflet

Verbal update  -  Chairman

7.3. Vacancy on the Council.

A vacancy notice has now been displayed for the statutory period of 14 days with no interest shown. The Council may now move to co-opt to the vacancy.

The council may co-opt whomever it pleases to fill a casual vacancy.  However, The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 requires Councils to give public notice where vacancies are to be filled by co-option.  A notice of intention to Co-opt must be displayed on the noticeboard and website for 14 days.

The person co-opted must receive an absolute majority vote of the councillors present and voting.  

The usual rules on voting apply.  Provided that the meeting has a quorum, the decision must be made by a majority of members who are present and voting.  The person presiding over the meeting may vote, and if there is an equality of votes  (s)he may exercise his/her casting vote.  Members must vote by show of hands unless the council has standing orders that provide otherwise.

Please note that the requirements of the members’ code of conduct apply in this case and therefore if a councillor lives with a candidate or has a close personal association (family, friend or business relationship etc.) with one or more of the candidates he/she must disclose that interest and if it is prejudicial should withdraw from the meeting room and not vote.

The council’s debate and vote on the co-option must be conducted in the public section of its meeting.  It follows that the candidates, as members of the public, will be entitled to be present during the proceedings.

Council is required to post notice of co-option for the statutory period of 14 days.

7.4. Code of Conduct training

At the March meeting it was decided that, because of difficulties in individual councillors accessing the training , the Council would organise a  training event for the entire council.

Please come to the meeting with suggested dates for the training.

Council is asked to set a date,  time and venue for this event.

7.5. Littering

At it’s January meeting the Council decided that it would not proceed with anti-littering signs. The minute is appended below for convenience:-

Council noted the points sent by Cllr Done in his absence. 

Cllr Fynes wished to record thanks to Cllr Done for the work he has done and for picking up a large quantity of litter. Nonetheless he felt that anti-littering signs would not be effective as most of the littering is done by passing motorists throwing rubbish out of their vehicles and who would be unlikely to see the signs. He felt that the expenditure did not represent value for money. Cllr Savage agreed; she pointed out that the Council had erected signs encouraging owners about picking up and properly disposing of dog faeces but the situation has not greatly improved.

Cllr Done has since reported that he is still collecting large amounts of litter - “ In the past week I have collected a further 20Kg of litter from all over the village”

Cllr Done has asked that the matter be reconsidered.

Council is asked whether or not it wishes to reconsider it’s decision on anti-littering signs.

7.6.      Boundary Stone Car Park.

Cllr Done has indicated that he would like to propose the installation of a height barrier and parking time restriction at the Boundary Stone Care Park.

If the Council wishes to go ahead with this suggestion it should undertake research into the costs bearing in mind that the budget set for capital projects this year is only £500.

Council is asked how it wishes to proceed in this matter.

7.7. Grounds maintenance

At the March meeting Cllr Done pointed out that, with the work being carried out by the Montgomery Canal Restoration Project at Walls Bridge, the Council’s contractors could not undertake all the work in their contract. He submitted the following possible pieces of work that they might take on within the limits of the current contract.

1. To clear out the gutters in Cae Haidd and Tan-Y-Foel

2. To continue to clear away further vegetation from the old Walls Bridge

3. To  clear encroaching leaf debris. compost from the footpaths between the canal bridge on the A483 to the boundary stone (this will give at least 12" more footpath width to allow parents and young children to walk side by side)

4. Along the B4398 between Elm tree park and the school - for exactly the same reason as above

5. Remove all weeds and suchlike along the Carreghofa side of the A483/North Road between the crossroads and the entrance to the heritage centre

6. Cut back all vegetation in the Dolphin car park and clear out the gutters

I met with the contractors. They pointed out that despite the restricted size of the playground due to the construction work, it is still well used by children and they continue to carry out grounds  maintenance.  They pointed out that because of the smaller plot available they have to mow using a hand powered machine and that the task actually takes longer.

However, we agreed that they would do the following:-

Item 1.

Item 2

Item 3 The contractors are not comfortable with working on the trunk road, especially as this is the responsibility of the County Council. Nonetheless they have agreed that they will spray the edges which should produce the desired result.

Item 4  Again the verges from the football field to the school are the responsibility of the County Council. The contractors will undertake the work from Elm Tree Park to the Football field and as far beyond as is considered safe.

Item 5 The contractors are less happy with working on the trunk road. They point out that the Heritage Centre is, in fact, on the English side of the border.

Item 6. Although the Dolphin Car Park is the responsibility of the County Council the contractors are happy to cut back overhanging vegetation but cannot be responsible for removing the piles of rubbish on the site.

7.8. County Councillor’s Update (standing item) (County Cllr. Arwel Jones)

7.9. Social media activity for the Council (standing item)  (Chairman)

Item 8 Amenities

8.1 Walls Bridge

Update

8.2. Football Field

Future lease and alternative site.  Update from County Cllr Arwel Jones

Item 9 Highways and Byways    

9.1. Road Repairs & Potholes

Update from councillors and County Cllr Arwel Jones

Item 10 To receive Reports on Meetings from outside bodies

10.1. Burial Board  

10.2 Powys CC and Town and Community Councils meeting

10.3 Village Hall

Item 11 Correspondence

11.1 For Decision

There is no correspondence requiring a decision

11.2. To note

Council is asked to note the following e-mails circulated to councillors since the last meeting.

From Date Subject

National Highways 28th March A483 Llynclys to Llanymynech essential resurfacing update

Marina Churm, Community Engagement Coordinator CRT 1st April Canal Restoration Project update

Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service 1st April Be wildfire wise

Mid & West Wales Fire & Rescue Service 3rd April Launch of  Year Long Campaign Marking 30 Years of Service 

One Voice Wales 3rd April Free places for councillors on training courses

One Voice Wales 3rd April E bulletin 21

Powys County Council via Cllr Arwel Jones 7th April Discretionary Assistance Fund

Powys County Council via Cllr Arwel Jones 7th April Dolphin Car park

Russell George MS 7th April April Newsletter

One Voice Wales 10th April National Conference & Awards Ceremony 2026

One Voice Wales  Biodiversity Team 10th April Local Places for Nature Funding

Powys C. C. via County Cllr Arwel Jones 23rd April Waste and recycling collection issues and action update 

One Voice Wales 23rd April Funding newsletter

Play Wales 23rd April April E bulletin

Tesco 23rd April Funding available

Powys C. C. 23rd April Planning decision notice

Item 12. Any other business from councillors To be notified to the Clerk within 24hours of the meeting.

12.1. Redefining the yellow lines on A483 & B4398    (Cllr Done)

12.2. Invitation to Russell George MS to attend a meeting (Cllr Done)

12.3.  Invitation to  Steve Witherden to attend a Carreghofa  C. C. meeting to discuss speeding in the village, the bus shelter issues and the Welshpool recycling facilities (the booking system and charging) (Cllr Done)

Item 13. Date of the next meeting  

Annual General Meeting  - Tuesday 26th May 2026  at 7.00pm at Llanymynech Village Hall.

The May Council Meeting will follow immediately after the AGM.

.