Present: Chairman, Secretary and 12 other members.
Apologies: received from Mr. Mike Williams and Mr. Denys Williams.
Minutes of the 1983 Annual General Meeting were received and adopted.
Matters Arising: None.
Correspondence: A letter from the society's patron, Mrs. I.M. Vaughan, was read by the secretary in which it was stated that she wished to resign her post due to her removal far away from Llanelli and is now very out of touch with society matters After some discussion it was decided to ask her to remain as patron as she had been instrumental in the foundation of the society and was still a much admired figure locally and fulfilled the role of patron more than satisfactorily.
Chairman's Statement: The Chairman commented on the fact that not all matters in which the society has been recently involved with the Planning Department of the Llanelli Borough Council have been as unfruitful as the Pembrey Saltings Development proposal. He mentioned the informal management agreement the society has at the; Factory Road Reserve, Pembrey and the promise of consultation to safeguard some of the flora before tipping commences at the Cwm Howell Tip, Llannon. He went on by commenting on the first class relationship the society has with the Nature Conservancy Council, and with Dr. Roger Meade in particular, and similarly with both the R.S.P.B. local group and West Wales Naturalists Trust. This has been achieved whilst maintaining the independence of the Llanelli Naturalists, a principle strongly confirmed by the membership at a previous A.G.M. In continuing he stated that with such an active and conscientious secretary he could have got away with doing very little. However, he has taken on a share of the letter writing, made it a practice to regularly inspect the Borough Council's Register of Planning Applications and liaises with the Forestry Commission re conservation natters in Pembrey Pc rest, having been encouraged to produce a Conservation Field Action Plan for the use of the foresters. Finally, the Chairman thanked the membership for their support, the Committee for their skill and devotion to duty and particularly the ladies who provide refreshment at meetings.
Secretary’s Report: The secretary started by referring to 1983 as having been the society's tenth anniversary year and lead been very successful in the fields of member's activities and wildlife recording. He stated that there had been seven indoor and nine outdoor meetings, several jointly with either the R.S.P.B. local group or the West Wales Naturalists Trust. There had been one very dark cloud on the Llanelli conservation scene during the year, namely the proposed development of Pembrey saltmarsh and dunes, and the chain of events to the present time was described. The secretary emphasised. that the Llanelli Borough Planning Officer had not been found to have transgressed the planning procedures as laid down in the Town and Country Planning Acts and therefore the local Ombudsman, to whom an allegation of maladministration on the part of the Borough Council, had been submitted, could find no grounds for investigation of the case. He went on to say that if the law as it stands has not teeth enough to force public consultation on matters of this scale and significance, then moves should be made to get the law changed. He also stated that it was not only the conservation bodies that are bitterly opposed to the development but, for instance, the Countryside Commission had withheld their capital grant to the Country Park for 1984 in protest, and Dyfed County Council as well as the Welsh Water Authority were also deeply concerned. Other planning issues on which the society made observations during the year included proposed factory and recreational development at Trostre and refuse tipping at Pontyberem and Cwm Howell, Llannon. The society made no objection to tipping; at Cwm Howell but obtained an assurance from the Borough Engineer that some areas of floral interest would be safeguarded by mutual agreement when tipping commenced.
1983 saw continuing cooperation with the R.A.F. personnel at the Pembrey range, and the inauguration of a Farming, Forestry and Wildlife Advisory Group (FFWAG) for Carmarthenshire on which the society is represented. The Llanelli Naturalists Newsletter, under its new editor, had been vastly improved in content during the year, and the Secretary had received letters of congratulation from members and non-members alike. An interesting and varied programme of activities is being planned for the coming year including the commencement of a serious entomological recording scheme. Finally the secretary warmly thanked all the officers, the typist, reserve wardens and refreshment ladies for their continued service. As a postscript he mentioned the renewed interest in the collection of waste newspaper, the sale of which helps to swell society funds.
Treasurer's Report: The accounts of the society were received and adopted. The balance on 31st December 1983 was £759.55. Membership stands at 88 names which include family memberships consisting of two or more persons.
Reserve Reports
Upper Lliedi Reservoir Reserve: (read by the secretary in the absence of Mr. M. Williams, Warden.) Of 23 nest boxes, 15 were occupied (13 Blue Tits, 2 Great Tits) and one was occupied by bees during the winter. In the spring a Badger was seen rooting-up bluebell bulbs. A pair of Grasshopper Warblers seen courting in May subsequently bred. The pair of Great Crested Grebes successfully reared four young. November records included one Brambling and two Siskin’s. The promised hide was not built (W.W.A. to provide materials, volunteers the labour), and hopes are not high for 1984 due to reorganisation.
Lower Lliedi Reservoir Reserve: (Mrs. M. Williams absent, but a report appears elsewhere in the newsletter).
Stradey Reserve (I.K. Morgan): The Service Tree suckers fenced-off in 1982 continue to grow but are not yet large enough for transplanting. Marbled White and Marsh Fritillary butterflies together with the Keeled Skimmer (Orthetrum coerulescens) were seen frequently over the bogland area and the spike-rush (Eleocharis multicaulis) was also recorded. Nestboxes were erected in the hope of attracting Pied Flycatchers and all the usual birds were present and bred. Lapwings were a new breeding species on the adjacent farmland.
Factory Road Reserve Pembrey: (F.H. Webb) Grazing was not permitted for the second year running which resulted in a heavy growth of grass but also a good recovery of the original stands of Bloody Cranesbill (Geranium sanguineum). In future, the optimum amount of grazing will have to be found to maintain the Cranesbill (and other flora), whilst not allowing it to be smothered by rank grass and scrub, which could also be a fire hazard. Overgrazing in the past had seriously depleted the Cranesbill and destroyed the Prostrate Toadflax (Linaria supina), introduced in 1976, but it may be possible to reintroduce the latter at some time in the future.
Ffrwd Fen Reserve: (R.D. Pryce) Two work parties in the spring had fenced-off the boundary ditch at the request of Mr. Lewis, the grazier. All plant populations seem to be stable but the Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) has increased substantially since the creation of the open-water habitat last year. A very enjoyable meeting was held in June, jointly with the West Wales Naturalists Trust when all the notable plant species were seen. There is a possibility that much of the adjacent fenland could be put up for sale in the near future.
Election of Officers: The current Chairman, Mr. F.H. Webb, is only half-way through his two-year term and therefore continues in office for 1984. All other officers and committee posts are eligible for election but as the number of nominees equals the number of posts, the following members are returned unopposed: D.H. Williams.(vice chairman); R.D. Pryce (secretary); Dr. P.A. Jones (minutes secretary Mrs. M. Williams (programme secretary); Mrs. D. Hopkins (treasurer); I.K. Morgan (newsletter editor); B. Stringer (R.S.P.B. Llanelli Group, representative); C. Weake (Pembrey Country Park representative); D.W. Hopkins, C.F. Street, E.J. Smith, G. Harper (general committee members) and Dr. R. Mcade (Nature Conservancy Council observer).
Any Other Business
The chairman said that the committee proposed that expenses should be paid to the secretary to go some way towards his costs for postage, telephone calls, etc. Dr. P.A. Jones seconded the proposal and spoke in its favour. The sum agreed was 50p per week (£26 per annum).
There was discussion as to whether the Llanelli Naturalists should try to purchase more land at Ffrwd Fen, should it become available. Mr. W.D.H. Williams proposed that any purchase should, at least initially, be attempted alone and not involving any other body, but several members spoke of the impossible financial burden this would place on the society and proposed a joint purchase with another body such as the West Wales Naturalists Trust. At a vote the motion ‘We do every¬thing in our power to go into a purchase alone', proposed by Mr. Williams was defeated by 8 votes to 2 with abstentions.
After coffee, Mr. Gary Harper showed a series of slides of birds seen in or near Llanelli in the ten years since the formation of the society.
