Full Council
Wednesday 23/07/2025 at 6:30pm in Council Chamber, Welshpool Town Hall.
You can access this meeting via Zoom by clicking https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82541486004?pwd=rttsC6YaOaSHIZQf0jaHMxWoah8Z3Z.1, or dialing +44 203 481 5240 .
Zoom Meeting ID: 825 4148 6004
Passcode: 106629
Below shows the attendance for the meeting.
| Attendee | Attendance | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Cllr Alison Davies | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Dr Ben Gwalchmai | Apologies for absence | Committee Member |
| Cllr Carol Robinson | Apologies for absence | Committee Member |
| Cllr Chris Davies | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr David France | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Estelle Bleivas | Apologies for absence | Committee Member |
| Cllr Julie Arnold | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Morag Bailey | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Nick Howells | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Phil Owen | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Phil Pritchard | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Richard Church | Apologies for absence | Committee Member |
| Cllr Sally Fitzgerald | In attendance | Committee Member |
| Cllr Revd William Rowell | In attendance | Committee Member |
TBC
1. WELCOME AND APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
The Chair will welcome Councillors and members of the public and will receive, and if desired, resolve to approve, any apologies for absence.
2. DECLARATIONS OF INTERESTS AND DISPENSATIONS
To receive and resolve if desired, declarations of interest and relevant dispensations.
3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
To receive members of the public who wish to address the meeting, in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. No resolutions may be made under this item and should relate only to matters of Council policy or practice, and not individual affairs or the questioner or any other named person.
4. TOWN MAYOR'S REPORT - JUNE 2025
To receive a verbal report from the Town Mayor, Cllr Phil Owen.
5. COUNTY COUNCIL AND COUNTY COUNCILLOR UPDATES
To welcome County Councillors and to receive a verbal update and exchange information on matters affecting Welshpool.
6. MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING
6.1. Previous Minutes
To approve and sign as a correct record, the minutes from the meeting of the Full Council on 25/06/2025.
6.2. Matters Arising
To report for information purposes only matters arising from the Full Council on 25/06/2025.
7. COMMITTEES - MINUTES
7.1. Events & Planning Committee - July 2025
To note the draft minutes and the resolutions made at the meeting of the Events & Planning Committee on the 04/06/2025.
8. COMMITTEES - RECOMMENDATIONS
To invite Committee Chairs to present recommendations from meetings for Council to confirm.
8.1. Operations & Development Committee - July 2025
To confirm the recommendations from the meeting of the Operations & Development Committee on the 09/07/2025.
| Item 8.2 - Oldford Estate RECOMMENDED To support the Oldford Community Association with their campaign to restore play provision on the Oldford Estate and instructs the Town Clerk to arrange a meeting and invite Powys County Council, ClwydAlyn, Welshpool Town Council and Oldford Community Association to discuss further. |
| Item 11 - Review of Cleaning Contract RECOMMENDED To defer discussions on this matter until October. |
| Item 8.3 - TIC Solar and Battery Installation RECOMMENDED To accept the quotation for works to the TIC to install solar and battery system from PAV Electrical Contractors Ltd (Company B) at a cost of £23,775 excluding VAT. |
8.2. Finance & Governance Committee - July 2025
To confirm the recommendations from the meeting of the Finance & Governance Committee on the 16/07/2025.
| Item 5.3 - Scrutiny of Payments RECOMMENDED To elect Cllr Bill Rowell to perform scrutiny of payments exercise for August 2025. |
| Item 6.2 - Gifts and Hospitality Policy RECOMMENDED To approve and adopt the Gifts & Hospitality Policy with amendments to make it clear of the scope of the policy e.g. councillors and/or staff. |
| Item 6.3 - Vehicle Tracking Policy RECOMMENDED To approve and adopt the Vehicle Tracking Policy. |
| Item 5.4 - Summer Recess RECOMMENDED To authorise the Town Clerk to pay urgent and/or contractual payments during August. |
| Item 7.2 - Council Branding & Style Guide RECOMMENDED To approve the Council Branding and Style Guide. |
| Item 7.3 - Newsletters & Physical Communications RECOMMENDED To approve in principle that two newsletters be produced annually, one for the Summer and one for the Winter, and officers investigate all delivery and distribution methods prior to designing. |
| Item 6.4 - Policy Updates RECOMMENDED To give delegated approval to officers to update approved policies to replace references to previous committees with the new approved structure. |
| Item 11 - Staffing Review - External RECOMMENDED To use Local Council Consultancy for the external staffing review at a cost of £2,730, subject to the Town Clerk being satisfied with the information provided by them. |
| Item 12 - Staffing - Recruitment of Administrator (Temporary) RECOMMENDED To appoint a shortlisting and interview panel comprising of Cllr Estelle Blevias, Cllr Morag Bailey, The Mayor and the Town Clerk and to give delegated powers to the Town Clerk to appoint to the position following agreement from the panel. |
9. FINANCE
9.1. Council Accounts (June 2025 - Period 3)
To consider the Bank Reconciliation, Income and Expenditure Reports and Cash and Bank Totals for June 2025.
9.2. Payment of Invoices - July
To consider payment of invoices for July 2025 as recommended by the Finance & Governance Committee.
10. ELECTORAL MATTERS
To receive an update from the Town Clerk in respect of electoral matters and to consider holding a monthly event called 'Cuppa with a Councillor' to allow further engagement with the public.
11. OUTSIDE BODIES
11.1. Rights of Way Volunteer Programme
To consider an update from Cllr Bill Rowell and Cllr Phil Owen from the meeting of Powys County Council Rights of Way Volunteer programme on the 14th July 2025.
11.2. OVW Innovative Practice Conference
To receive a report from Cllr Alison Davies and the Town Clerk on the OVW Innovative Practice Conference held on the 2nd July 2025.
11.3. Other Outside Bodies
To receive reports from the Council's representatives on other outside bodies, as available.
12. MOTIONS FOR DEBATE
12.1. Motion - Recycling Changes
To consider the motion on recycling changes from Cllr Julie Arnold.
12.2. Motion - Car Parking Charges
To consider the motion on car parking charges from Cllr Sally Fitzgerald.
13. POST-16 TRANSFORMATION
To consider holding a public meeting in September for residents to discuss the changes to Post-16 being proposed by Powys County Council.
14. COMMUNITY FRIDGE
To consider a proposal from Cllr Alison Davies, Cllr David France and Cllr Richard Church to establish a community fridge at the Town Hall and to accept £2,500 from County Cllr Richard Church Anti-Poverty Fund for the project.
15. DATE OF NEXT MEETING
To note that the next meeting of Full Council will be held on 24th September 2025 at 6:30pm.
16. CONFIDENTIAL SESSION - EXCLUSION
To resolve, if required, that members of the public and press be requested to leave the meeting by reason of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted.
17. LAND AND PREMISES [CONFIDENTIAL]
To consider the report from the Town Clerk on the land and premises issues following on from the last meeting.
- Confidential Document [Appendix O]
| # | Item | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Welcome and Apologies for Absence The Chair will welcome Councillors and members of the public and will receive, and if desired, resolve to approve, any apologies for absence. | |||||||||
| 2 | Declarations of Interests and Dispensations To receive and resolve if desired, declarations of interest and relevant dispensations. | |||||||||
| 3 | Public Participation To receive members of the public who wish to address the meeting, in respect of any item of business included in the agenda. No resolutions may be made under this item and should relate only to matters of Council policy or practice, and not individual affairs or the questioner or any other named person. | |||||||||
| 4 | Town Mayor's Report - June 2025 To receive a verbal report from the Town Mayor, Cllr Phil Owen. | |||||||||
| 5 | County Council and County Councillor Updates To welcome County Councillors and to receive a verbal update and exchange information on matters affecting Welshpool. | |||||||||
| 6 | MINUTES AND MATTERS ARISING | |||||||||
| 6.1 | Previous Minutes To approve and sign as a correct record, the minutes from the meeting of the Full Council on 25/06/2025. | |||||||||
| 6.2 | Matters Arising To report for information purposes only matters arising from the Full Council on 25/06/2025. | |||||||||
| 7 | COMMITTEES - MINUTES | |||||||||
| 7.1 | Events & Planning Committee - July 2025 To note the draft minutes and the resolutions made at the meeting of the Events & Planning Committee on the 04/06/2025. | |||||||||
| 8 | COMMITTEES - RECOMMENDATIONS To invite Committee Chairs to present recommendations from meetings for Council to confirm. | |||||||||
| 8.1 | Operations & Development Committee - July 2025 To confirm the recommendations from the meeting of the Operations & Development Committee on the 09/07/2025.
| |||||||||
| 8.2 | Finance & Governance Committee - July 2025 To confirm the recommendations from the meeting of the Finance & Governance Committee on the 16/07/2025.
| |||||||||
| 9 | FINANCE | |||||||||
| 9.1 | Council Accounts (June 2025 - Period 3) To consider the Bank Reconciliation, Income and Expenditure Reports and Cash and Bank Totals for June 2025. | |||||||||
| 9.2 | Payment of Invoices - July To consider payment of invoices for July 2025 as recommended by the Finance & Governance Committee. | |||||||||
| 10 | Electoral Matters To receive an update from the Town Clerk in respect of electoral matters and to consider holding a monthly event called 'Cuppa with a Councillor' to allow further engagement with the public. | |||||||||
| 11 | OUTSIDE BODIES | |||||||||
| 11.1 | Rights of Way Volunteer Programme To consider an update from Cllr Bill Rowell and Cllr Phil Owen from the meeting of Powys County Council Rights of Way Volunteer programme on the 14th July 2025. | |||||||||
| 11.2 | OVW Innovative Practice Conference To receive a report from Cllr Alison Davies and the Town Clerk on the OVW Innovative Practice Conference held on the 2nd July 2025. | |||||||||
| 11.3 | Other Outside Bodies To receive reports from the Council's representatives on other outside bodies, as available. | |||||||||
| 12 | MOTIONS FOR DEBATE | |||||||||
| 12.1 | Motion - Recycling Changes To consider the motion on recycling changes from Cllr Julie Arnold. | |||||||||
| 12.2 | Motion - Car Parking Charges To consider the motion on car parking charges from Cllr Sally Fitzgerald. | |||||||||
| 13 | Post-16 Transformation To consider holding a public meeting in September for residents to discuss the changes to Post-16 being proposed by Powys County Council. | |||||||||
| 14 | Community Fridge To consider a proposal from Cllr Alison Davies, Cllr David France and Cllr Richard Church to establish a community fridge at the Town Hall and to accept £2,500 from County Cllr Richard Church Anti-Poverty Fund for the project. | |||||||||
| 15 | Date of Next Meeting To note that the next meeting of Full Council will be held on 24th September 2025 at 6:30pm. | |||||||||
| 16 | Confidential Session - Exclusion To resolve, if required, that members of the public and press be requested to leave the meeting by reason of the confidential nature of the business about to be transacted. | |||||||||
| 17 | Land and Premises Confidential To consider the report from the Town Clerk on the land and premises issues following on from the last meeting.
|