Category: Community Council News
Agenda For September 21st 2017 Meeting
Council Minutes 15th June 2017
New Library
The Community Council do not hold a meeting during August.
The final detailed drawings for the new library are available to be viewed at the Community Centre and the library, your comments are welcomed before planning permission is sought. The building will be internally connected with the present building and also include new toilets. The car parking area will be where the present library building stands and a children’s recreation area will be set aside on the south side of the building along with a storage building for the groups who use the Community Centre.
The present wooden library building was originally a ‘temporary’ school classroom in the early 1970s and is now well past its normal life span. To finance this construction the Council are seeking a substantial grant with the balance coming from section 106 monies
Section 106 Agreements are legal agreements between the Local Authority and a developer; and are linked to planning permissions. These agreements are drafted when it is considered that a development will have significant impact on the local area that cannot be moderated by conditions attached to a planning decision. The aim is to balance the pressures created by a new development with improvements to the surrounding area ensuring that where possible the development would make a positive contribution to the local area and community. These can include highways, education, open spaces, affordable housing, and other local capital projects. Often these contributions are made in stages as the development progresses.
Gardeners’ Question Time
Plot holders at Twyn-yr-odyn Allotments held their second social event on Tuesday 25th July in the Wenvoe Arms. We borrowed the format of the long-running BBC Radio programme in which gardeners put questions to a panel of experts. Our distinguished panel were: Trevor Case a fellow allotmenteer with an extensive career in horticulture, James Daughton of Pugh’s of Garden Centre, Joyce Hoy an enthusiastic gardener with a degree in botany and Phil Morant who has been tending his plot at Twyn-yr-odyn for 46 years. Our compère was Sue Hoddell who did a fantastic job in introducing the panel and keeping the lively audience in hand.
The questions were many and varied and included the control of vermin, and blight, specific vegetable care and manure and soil improvement. We were all impressed with each member’s knowledge of and enthusiasm for gardening and allotments in particular.
We would like to thank Jennie and Digby for hosting the event at the Wevoe Arms. For our next event, we hope to visit Terry Walton's allotment. Terry is the well-known gardener who broadcasts on the Jeremy Vine show from his Rhondda allotments. Details to follow.
Wenvoe Statistics
Some interesting facts: Wenvoe Residents
From time-to-time the Vale of Glamorgan (like all local authorities and governments) will collect information to inform planning decisions on schools, roads, housing, business and other strategic developments. The information used here is taken from the most recent UK National Survey (published mid-year 2015) and the Vale of Glamorgan Public Opinion Survey undertaken in 2014. Together they help paint a population picture of Wenvoe and the Vale. The two surveys use different methodologies – hence slightly different results on age profiles.
Sense of Belonging
A result worth starting with is that over 80% of Vale residents feel a sense of belonging to their local area; with the highest satisfaction in rural areas; while almost all agreed that they feel proud to live in the Vale. Older residents -15% – had a stronger feeling of pride.
Vale’s Population
The Vale's population is just under 128,000.
The age profile is similar to the Welsh
Average: 20% aged 0-15, 60% aged
16-64 and 20% aged 65+.
Wenvoe’s Population
Wenvoe at the last census (which covers – Bonvilston, Brooklands Terrace/Parc y Gwenfô. St Lythan, St Nicholas, Twyn – yr – Odyn) had, 2,660 residents and 1,200 households..
Welsh Speakers
3% of Vale residents report being able to speak Welsh fluently. Of this small proportion one quarter reported using Welsh on a daily basis. Around 10% of Wenvoe residents speak Welsh.
Vale Residents with Disability
The percentage of Vale’s residents reporting activity limitations due to disability is one of the lowest in Wales..In the Vale it is 20%; in Wales it is almost 23%
Moving in and out of Wenvoe
Both sets of predictions should be tempered by people moving out of and into the Vale. In the recent past more people moved to other UK countries than moved into the area from UK 
countries.
Fortunate to live in Wenvoe.
Many residents enjoy a high living standard of living. Unlike other areas we benefit from less: disadvantage, unemployment, poor health, low educational achievement and levels of crime.
Community Diversity
The diverse population of Wenvoe should continue to enrich the community.
‘All residents can look forward to a bright future’. (A profile of the Vale of Glamorgan 2014) BD
July Planning Applications
• Land off Chapel Terrace, Twyn Yr Odyn. Construction of new barn to be used for stabling and animal shelter with areas for feed/hay storage and maintenance of plant and machinery in connection with the land. Due to the barn’s proposed prominent location on the site the Council would not support the application, the ridge slopes being part of a special landscape area.
July Planning Updates
Planning updates
The following applications have been approved
• 9 Tarrws Close, – First floor extension over existing kitchen.
• 9 Grange Close, Wenvoe Non-Material Amendment – Window alteration to the rear elevation. Discharge of conditions 8. 10 and 13 in relation to planning application 2015/00089/FUL
• Land South of Wenvoe and East of Port Road, Wenvoe Variation of Condition 1 of permission to allow a further period of two years for the implementation of the access and internal site works. The intension is to use the land as allotments.
• Woodview, Garn Farm, Wenvoe Variation of existing agricultural occupancy condition. There are still restrictions imposed on the occupancy of the property.
• Dyffryn Springs, St Lythans Road, Dyffryn Construction of a building to serve as a wedding venue to replace the present marquee.
• Brooklands Retail Park, Brooklands Terrace, Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff Reduce 3 Poplars and remove a single Poplar with TPO protection.
The latest drawings received on the proposed Community Centre extension incorporating replacement storage accommodation for the present users was not acceptable and a stand-alone structure will be considered. The Council has also been in discussion with the Vale about improvements to the play equipment to the parks in the community using available 106 monies. Improvements to the present muddy Station Road playing field parking area will also be considered.
Following complaints about the Port Road crossing area by the Walston Castle favoured cyclists and bus users either had to detour to use it or cross via an inadequate island a site visit was held. Although agreed the bus stops would have to remain in their present locations possible improvements will be examined. The restricted road width and problems caused by large vehicles turning into Nant Isaf will be examined at the same time.
The meeting received a welcome visit by the police. The latest crime figures were reported which included thefts from the Walston Castle and the golf club. The police reminded members of the 101 phone number to report any non-urgent matter. The police force across the Vale is looking at the problems associated with school parking and are considering permitting PCSOs to issue parking tickets in future.
Traffic survey measurements are being made on roads around the village to obtain meaningful data measurements are not usually conducted during school holiday periods due to the change in the pattern of vehicle movements.
Following discussions with St Mary’s Church representatives earlier this year concerning the future of the church hall the Council has now received communication from the Church of Wales Property Services with their proposed valuation of the structure. The Council will consider the matter after future investigation.
WENVOE LITTER PICK
If anyone doubted whether it was worth doing a litter-pick around Wenvoe our first organised litter-pick will have proved them wrong with 10 bags filled in just an hour. Not only does it improve the appearance of an area but it can improve safety. We found broken glass on the pavement outside the school, on Grange Park and in the tunnel and both people and animals can be at risk. Our thanks to Keep Wales Tidy for help in getting this programme off the ground but particularly to those who turned out on a miserable drizzly day to do the collecting. Look out for notices in Whats On and on the noticeboards for our next session.
