Meeting 15-02-2010

Written by designer | 17 February 2010

COUNCIL MEETING 15-02-10 PENRHYN HALL 18:30

PRESENT:

Jean Forsyth (Mayor), Gwyn Hughes (Town Clerk), Chairman, Eddie Dogan, Keith Marshall, Hugh Williams, Doug Madge, Dewi Llewelyn, Councillor Thomas

NOTES: A VERY POOR TURNOUT AND DISAPOINTING TO NOTICE OF THE 30 SEATS AVAILABLE, 23 WERE EMPTY!

URGENT MATTERS:

GH - Belated application from the Gwyl Bangor Festival for financial assistance submitted by Councillor D Madge. GH recommended that the Council donate £100 the same as the last 2 years.

This was proposed and passed without objection.

GH – Announced a notice to Community groups that a meeting has been set up to discuss how the various groups can work together to make the City a better place to live.

The meeting takes place at Ty Cegin on the 16^th March and GH urged the Council members to inform the community groups on their patch of the meeting.

GH – Council have received a request from the Garth Community Centre that they are to paint the Centre and are looking for volunteers. This will happen on the 22^nd – 28^th of Feb.

PLANNING

1. Brynfa (Holyhead Road) Application to turn the building into multi occupied accommodation. GH recommended this be refused on the grounds that it would spoil the look of the building and that with the number of flats raising from 10 to 31 it would be over developed.

Councillor Thomas was concerned that the building could not be used for any other reason and that this was the only option for the building.

The Chairman put it to the vote and the application was turned down.

2. 129 High St submitted a planning application to expand their business to use the upstairs of the building as a Café.

This was passed unopposed.

3. An application by Bodnant Surgery, Menai Avenue to saw down some trees that were causing an obstruction to the entry and exit was passed for recommendation.

4. Application to extend plot 9-13 Craig Y Don to erect 3 story buildings consisting of six 1 bedroom units was turned on the recommendation by GH that it was an over development.

HIGHWAYS

Notice has been given by Gwynedd council to temporary close the road off at the old Debenhams as work is to be carried out as part of the Bangor Realm.

Originally planned to be closed during the evening, it has been changed to 6AM – 6PM .

This would be for a term of 12 months but it is expected that the work will last for 4 weeks.

This raised many concerns from the Council as to the inconvenience for the shops deliveries.

GH – Reminded the Council that this had already been discussed at Gwynedd level with the Bangor City Gwynedd Councillors and that any concern should be directed to those as the City Council has NO influence what so ever in this decision.

Councillor Dogan strongly defended the notice saying that the work needed to be done and that people always goes on by saying that nothing gets done in Bangor and that if people aren’t happy in Bangor, then get out.

KM commented that the council needs to find other ways to get traffic to shops. He also questioned why it would take so long just to re surface that bit of area.

The Chairman advised the Council that the meeting had been discussed at County level.

MEETING CLOSED 19:03

NOTES: Poorly attended meeting with many usual faces missing, not sure if this meeting clashed with any other. Definitely need new blood on the City Council with last night’s meetings average age being approximately 65-70, bar one.

I don’t think that with just 7 people out of all our City Councillors should any planning decision be discussed, let alone recommended for passing as it did last night. Unfair to the applicants.

Not much input to the meeting by the councillors and most of it was dictated by the Town Clerk.

Despite there being many problems in the City, NONE were discussed last night. AOB does not exist so therefore I question, where do they discuss these problems?

Only 2 seats taken up in the Gallery despite these meetings being open to the public.

Finally, for a meeting of our City Councillors to last just 33 Minutes tells me that either everything is fine within the City or something needs addressing.