RESOLVEN COMMUNITY COUNCIL
The Monthly Meeting of the Council was held on Thursday 5th June 2025 at 6pm at the Community Centre
Present/ Presennol
Mr R. Coulter – Vice Chair/Cadeirydd
Councillors/Cynghorwy
Mr T. Jones, Mr N. Francis, Mr N. Place,
Clerk/Clerc
Mrs. C. Payne.
County Member/Aelod o’r Cyngor Sir Not present
Prior to the meeting members met with Cameron from Resolven AFC to discuss the ongoing renovation of the recreation field. The proposal that the community council would fund the current renovation with the AFC contributing was agreed by both parties. Talks are also ongoing with the rugby club regarding the mowing of the field, in the meantime NPT will carry on with the cutting.
49/25 Apologies for Absence/Ymddiheuriadau am absenoldeb
Mr K. Sims, Mr A. Jones, Mr P. Thomas, Mr L. Whomes
50/25 Declarations of Interest/Datganiad o ddiddordeb personol
None
51/25 Minutes of the previous Meeting/Cofnodion y Cyfarfod Diwethaf
The Minutes of the Meeting held on Thursday 3rd April 2025 and Thursday 1st May 2025 were accepted as a true record
52/25 Clerk’s report and Council Matters Arising/Materion yn codi o’r cofnodion ac adroddiad y Clerc.
The Clerk’s report was presented to the members; there were no matters arising
53/25 Results of Park 3G Survey
Following closure of the public survey a comprehensive report has been complied.
Report of findings has been collated from the Household Survey – naturally 95% of respondents felt that the Welfare Park should receive improvement. 91% of respondents live within 2 – 10-minute walking distance of the Park. The 3G proposal came out as a priority and more facilities for the rugby and football Club ranked second. ‘Play’ was 3rd and more facilities for the ICC and school came in 4th rank of importance amidst respondents. There is a loyal 55% of residents visiting the Park on a daily or weekly basis and this is to walk, play with children and grandchildren or participate within or spectate sports and Events.
54/25. Health and Safety Advice from Mr John Richards
Mr Richards attended the Resolven Community Centre and outlined the services he could provide at a cost. Following discussion it was agreed by members not to take Mr Richards up on his offer
55/25. The annual return
The annual return which had been previously circulated was approved and signed by the Vice Chair
56/25. Updated Safeguarding policy and Welsh Language Policy
The members approved and signed the updated copies of both policies.
57/25 Correspondence
No correspondence recorded
58/25 Sub-Committee Reports
Parks Committee – No meeting in May – The major project for the next 2years is the new 3g pitch, providing we are able to obtain funding, therefore it will be general maintenance only in all the parks until such time as we are able to go ahead
59/25 Chairman’s Report
No issues raised by the newly elected Chair.
60/25 Councillors Reports
No issues raised
A brief report on the meeting of the NPT PSB board held at the Emergency Services Rescue
Centre Jersey Marine on Tuesday May 20th 2025
The meeting was held at the Centre for the first time and was well attended. Minutes were read and were found to be correct.
The meeting was very much a routine one and included presentations on the six monthly progress made by the key members, which seems a very short timescale.
- a) Young People – an illustration of various strategies involving young people was given to the meeting.
- b) Thriving Communities – this perhaps should have been re-titled “failing communities”, since the presentation by the CVS largely surrounded strategies to rescuing the population that had fallen into debt. Male suicide stands at record levels in Neath Port Talbot. Around a million pounds has been either raised or saved in food banks, writing off council tax arrears and getting the population to claim benefits to which they were entitled, but had not applied.
- c) Culture – the visit of the Urdd Eisteddfod was hailed as a major triumph. A short video was shown to the meeting and it was and indicator of success that the number of learner entrants in the Eisteddfod had risen by 31%. In addition some £1.9 million has been distributed to various cultural schemes. The point was made that the visit of a national event such as an Eisteddfod left a legacy or “gwaddol” which would be long lasting.
- d) Environment – the NRW stated that the government now highlighted 61 environmental risks. Rising sea levels now made the coastline a risk in a century’s time. The point was made that no mention was made of the closing of the Margam blast furnaces of which many of the problems In (b) stemmed. Wryly, the point was made that Scunthorpe also had a coastline yet had its furnaces rescued by HMG. The Chair also pointed out that Aberpergwm mine was now a major employer with over 200 well paid jobs. The NRW stated that the mine sent most of its production was used abroad in filtration projects, though the potential of extracting millions of tons of coal (which could be burned) meant that it was a major polluter. This was countered by the chair, in that the electric arc furnace now planned for Margam, would use coking coal to power it, a fact not known widely. This coal would presumably be imported. It has to be stated that the threadbare argument of the NRW and the simplistic view of how climate works, does them no credit whatsoever.
Trefor Jones.
