Annual Parish Meeting: Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Key information

Meeting location: Church of St James, Avonwick

Meeting time: 7.30 pm

Sound Recording You can download the audio recording for this meeting or use the player embedded in this page after the download link. Download the audio file here.
Agenda

PDF of the Agenda for the Annual Parish Meeting on Tuesday, 3 May 2016

Download the Agenda (PDF, 48.4 KB)

Approved Minutes

Approved Minutes for the Annual Parish Meeting on Tuesday, 3 May 2016

These minutes were approved on 2 May 2017

Please noteEvery care has been taken to present this accessible copy of the minutes with accuracy, but the formal record of the meeting remains the signed paper copy of the minutes.

Chairman’s Report

Councillor Gabriel reported on the progress of the Parish over the preceding twelve months. He stated that the elections held in May 2015 saw an unprecedented number of candidates standing for the available seats which made for an interesting contest which validated the return of four existing Councillors, two new ones and the return of one who had had a break having previously served on the Council.

Councillor Gabriel wished to thank the two new Councillors for their enthusiasm and dynamism. He gave particular thanks to them for their efforts in launching the new Council website.

Councillor Grevatt has been co-opted onto the Community Hall Project Committee. This has resulted in an enhanced communication between the Parish Council and the Committee. The Parish Council has endorsed the good work of the Hall Committee up to this point.

Planning applications have been considered as usual. The Council has been pleased that no further plans have been approved for wind or solar farms in this AONB. The failure of a disasterous plan for a waste handling facility adjacent to Blue Post was noted.

As usual the Parish Council has made every effort to control expenditure so as to avoid any increase in the precept. Councillor Gabriel believes it to be a shame that it is not more widely recognised that Councillors receive no stipend for their council work and have unanimously agreed not even to claim expenses incurred.  Regular requests for funding that are received are always carefully adjudged for their relevance and benefit for parishioners. When turned down it is not due to meanness but to ensure that, as a Council, we deliver value for money.

Councillor Gabriel noted that the general state of the roads is not good. Although this is out of our control we do keep on at Devon Highways.

Councillor Gabriel gave his thanks as usual to the parish clerk for his diligence and hard work. Councillor Gabriel wished to point out yet again that the clerk’s refusal to claim a salary saves the Council and therefore the Parish, several thousand pounds per year.

Feoffees Report

Councillor Seager-Berry reported that the trustees of North Huish Feofees, Bowden and Perring Charity – Mr John Hall Chairman, Mrs Janet Cousins Secretary/Treasurer, Mr Mike Bradley, Mrs Maggie Luscombe, Cmdr. Andrew Mitchell, Mrs Valerie Pearse and Mrs Marigold Seager-Berry met twice in 2015. In August and November prior to Christmas 2015.  At this meeting the Trustees allocated £400 (£100 to each of four families). This left a balance which the trustees agreed could be allocated if there was anyone in need during the coming year.

The rent from the field known as Mary Park provides the funds to distribute in the Parish.

The Chairman of the Avonwick and North Huish Community Hall Project

Mr P Tyler reported that during the past twelve months significant progress had been made largely due to the Awards for All grant funding which permitted the following to be commissioned and completed:

  • The Community Survey Report Published
  • The appointment of an Architect and Solicitor
  • An initial Hall Floor Space Assessment
  • A site Constraints Desktop study
  • A legal Review of site constraints
  • A Capital Funding Plan
  • An Initial Pre-Application Meeting with SHDC Planners and DCC Highways to clarify requirements for the development of the site
  • An assessment of the options on the site for the Hall and Parking Layout

The committee has both gained and lost members during the year and really needs some more people to come forward to help keep the project moving forward.

Last September the successful Apple Pie Fair raised more than £700 for the project. Plans are in hand for another Apple Pie Fair on 18th September.

The community website is currently being refreshed.

The committee appreciates the endorsement of the Parish Council for the work so far achieved and it looks forward to significant progress in the year ahead.