Knighton Town Council

After refurbishments and legal negotiations, the Offa’s Dyke Toilets are open at last. These toilets will be available to the public, and will benefit visitors to Offa’s Dyke and to our town, children and their parents using the park, and those using our outdoor gym and BMX Park.

A big thank you to everyone who made this happen, including Powys County Council and the councillors on Knighton Town Council who put a lot of hard work into getting these toilets open. Thank you also to the town for their patience while the toilets have been closed.

This document is yet to be approved by the External Auditor. An update will be posted when the yearly accounts have been audited.

The date of Knighton Town Council’s July Full Council meeting will be the 30th July 2025.

Financial year ending 31 March 2025

1. Date of announcement: 13/06/2025

2. Each year the annual accounts are audited by the Auditor General for Wales. Prior to this date, any interested person has the opportunity to inspect and make copies of the accounts and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts etc relating to them for 20 working days on reasonable notice. For the year ended 31 March 2025, these documents will be available on reasonable notice (48 hours) on application to:

Knightontowncouncil@outlook.com

OR

Civic Centre

West St

Knighton

LD7 1EN

between the hours of 10AM and 3PM on Monday to Friday

commencing on 01 July 2025

and ending on 28 July 2025

3. From 15 September 2025, until the audit has been completed, Local Government Electors and their representatives also have:

· the right to question the Auditor General about the accounts.

· the right to attend before the Auditor General and make objections to the accounts or any item in them. Written notice of an objection must first be given to the Auditor General. A copy of the written notice must also be given to the council.

The Auditor General can be contacted via: Community Council Audits, Audit Wales, 1 Capital Quarter, Tyndall Street, Cardiff, CF10 4BZ or by email at communitycouncilaudits@audit.wales.

4. The audit is being conducted under the provisions of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004, the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2014 and the Auditor General for Wales’ Code of Audit Practice.

The Transforming Towns programme is a partnership between Powys County Council, Ceredigion County Council, and the Welsh Government, and aims to reimagine and recreate buildings and open spaces to create resilient and thriving town centres.  Part of this initiative is to improve shop frontages in town centres.

The good news is that following on from last year’s successful ‘Shop Fronts’ initiative, which saw grant aided improvements to a number of businesses in Knighton, a new round of funding will take place in 2025.

The new round will be managed by Knighton Town Council, assisted by volunteers from Knighton Town Forum.  While we are confident that the initiative will go ahead, we are waiting to hear from Powys CC about its detailed terms of operation.  However, these are expected to closely follow last year’s, which were as follows:

• Generally, the proposed works should be costed at under £20,000
• Grant support is at 70%, with the applicant funding 30%
• However, the applicant must pay 100% of the costs up front and then reclaim the 70% grant
• To support this, applicants will have to provide evidence of their ability to pay the match funding
• Written quotes for the work are required to support the application.  For works up to £5,000 one quote is acceptable; for works over £5,000 three quotes are required (or firm evidence of attempts to get three quotes)
• Tenants of premises to be improved must provide: (i) details of the lease agreement expiry date (at least 5 years should be remaining or an extension negotiated); and (ii) written permission from the landlord
• Where relevant, planning consent and listed building consent must be obtained
• Works should be external (i.e. to shop frontages)

The timescale is quite tight. Applicants will need to submit an Expression of Interest form to Knighton Town Council by 30 April 2025 (however, supporting quotes etc may follow on).  Following formal approval, works must be completed by 31 December 2025.  A public meeting will be held at the Civic Centre to talk through the process with potential applicants and answer questions.

Those businesses who completed an Expression of Interest form last year, but who were unable to proceed in the time available, will be contacted by Town Councillor Ben Butler or a member of Knighton Town Forum, with the aim of supporting reactivation for 2025 (if so desired).

So, if you occupy business premises in Knighton town centre which you would like to refurbish and make more attractive, then first pick up a 2025 Expression of Interest form without delay – these are available to download below:

Due to the training period of the new Clerk, the publishing of this report was delayed. It details the amount paid to Councillors in 23/24.

Following the election notice posted on the 26th February, one person has been nominated as a Community Councillor for Knighton (West Ward). She will take office at the next Full Council Meeting.

Knighton Town Council are conducting a full update of our records on current allotment holders.

Please send the following information to knightontowncouncil@outlook.com, or via post to The Civic Centre, West St, Knighton, LD71EN:

• Allotment plot number or numbers
• Full name
• Phone number
• Address
• Email

This information will be stored in accordance with GDPR regulations and used for the administration of the allotments only.

Any allotments we have not received allotment holder information for by April 1st 2025 will be understood to be vacant and reassigned.

Many thanks for your cooperation.

An election is to be held of Community Councillors in Knighton West Ward. Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer no later than 4PM on 06/03/2025.

Knighton Town Council is seeking interested businesses to quote for the following:

• The planting of 32 self-watering hanging baskets, 15 self-watering plastic troughs and 32 metal troughs.

Interested businesses may quote to either:

• Tend the currently planted sustainable perennials to a standard that will ensure a colourful and interesting summer and winter display, including the supply of new plants as needed.

OR

• Replace the contents of the planted baskets and troughs with a new arrangement of colourful summer and perennial blooms.

Both options should include advice on a maintenance plan with which the Council can ensure a good display throughout the year.

All plants to be in place before Friday 23rd of May 2025.

The deadline to express your interest is Friday 28^th February. Please contact the Clerk on 01547 529660 or email knightontowncouncil@outlook.com.

An election is to be held of Community Councillors in Knighton (West Ward). Nominations must be received before 4:00 pm on 31/01/2025.

Could you help shape the future of the Powys Local Bus Network?
Your voice is important!
The survey closes on 13 February 2025.

Welsh: https://www.dweudeichdweudpowys.cymru/ymgynghoriad-rhwydwaith-bysiau-lleol-powys

English: https://www.haveyoursaypowys.wales/powys-local-bus-network-consultation

The January Precept meeting of the Knighton Town Council will be on Wednesday 15th at 7.00pm at the Civic Centre, West Street, Knighton. This meeting will be focused on the discussion and approval of the 25/26 Budget and Precept Demand; other business of the Town Council will be seconded to the additional Ordinary Meeting on the 22nd January 2025.

Business Owners of Knighton

I recently attended an Antur Cymru conference in Aberystwyth, which is offering support and advice to small independent businesses in Welsh towns, funded by the Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).

They can give expert advice in a number of areas including:

• Financial record keeping
• Product presentation
• Pricing to make a profit
• Using Welsh in business
• Developing online sales

They also offer practical support in the following:

• One to one bespoke advice for individual businesses
• Networking groups
• Action learning sets
• Carbon reduction and net zero plans
• Access to IT systems
• Town wifi
• Footfall monitoring and analysis

Though the current round of funding ends at the end of this month, they can give advice until the end of January 2025, when hopefully a new funding scheme will be in place for 2025.

If you are interested in taking advantage of any of the above please contact:

Dsmith-Jones@anturcymru.org.uk

or myself: tomtaylorknighton@vivaldi.net

Yours sincerely

Cllr Tom Taylor

Our Transport page contains up to date public transport timetables for December 2024. Check them out!