Council Meeting - Trees, Fishing, Recycling and Sport

The Fishing and Estates sub-committee said that a tree survey is needed along the riverbank, to identify trees at risk of falling. This needs to be done by a qualified arborialist, and is expected to take two days - one for walking the path and one for writing up the report. This would cost in the region of £1,000, and they are going to get quotes for the work to be done. The National Park only has responsibility for maintaining the path, not for dealing with fallen trees.

Meanwhile, the income from fishing permits along that stretch of the Wye has gone down, but the Warren Trust are interested in leasing the fishing rights, to add to the fishing rights around the Warren. At this point half the council had to get up and leave the room, as they are all Warren Trustees. The remaining four councillors (just about quorate!) agreed that they should accept the £400 offered by the Warren Trust for the fishing rights. This affects the riverbank from above the bridge to Warren Cottage. Day tickets will remain at about the same price, available from Golesworthys.

The Woodland Management group were concerned about a fly tipping re-offender (their name was found among the rubbish they dumped!). They will be reported to the local police and also to the Waste Enforcement Officer at Powys County Council.
There was a concern that fly tipping would increase because of the actions of Powys County Council, as they have taken away the plastic recycling in the car park.
I had been quite concerned about this, as the report in the B&R appeared to suggest that all the recycling facilities would be removed (just when I have some garden rubbish to take down!), but this is not the case. Now that the PCC will not accept soft plastics for recycling in the domestic rubbish collections, people have been taking it to the recycling bins in the car park - but it won't be recycled from there either.
Since the Town Council gains an income from the recycling facilities, which they use to give grants as the Recycling Fund, they don't want to lose the recycling facilities. Two local organisations are about to apply for grants from the Fund.

A meeting to discuss the Town Plan will be happening shortly, if they can find a suitable venue. The school is unavailable because, during half term, the hall is taken up with Jumping Jacks and the classrooms on the day Gareth Ratcliffe wants to hold the meeting will be taken by Slimming World. They are going to investigate the hire of the Parish Hall.

At the Sports Pavilion, Helen was very optimistic about the future, but Rob Golesworthy felt he had been insulted by members of the Cricket Club, who suggested he and Fiona Howard had a conflict of interests between the sports pavilion and HADSCA, of which they have long been members. The Tennis, Football and Bowls clubs didn't seem to have a problem with it. As was seen with the discussion about the Warren Trust, people in Hay who sit on committees generally sit on several different ones. There just aren't enough people in Hay for each committee to have a completely separate membership. However, the Cricket Club agreed on the proposals put forward, along with the other clubs.
The Bowls Club want to build their own, separate club house on a strip of land to the side of the bowling green, and they seem to have the funds to do do it. They will be given permission to draw up plans, on the understanding that the building doesn't interfere with the cricket out field. There was also some discussion about whether the Bowls Club would continue to fund the main pavilion if they had their own building. The Football Club may be moving to separate premises soon, too, and if this is the case, maybe the Town Council could hand back the building to the PCC, or even see it knocked down to extend the cemetery!
To help in funding the Sports Pavilion they were talking about car parking charges on the small car park by the pavilion, and also on the Cattle Market.

And finally, on the International Border, Hay Town Council will be supporting Cusop Council as they try to get Herefordshire Council to resurface the road there, which is full of pot-holes. They will also be pressing for the work to be done before Hay Festival, not during it! The corner by the Blue Boar will also be resurfaced shortly.

And the next Council Meeting will be on 6th March.