Parish Council meeting: Tuesday, 6 December 2022

Key information

Meeting location: The 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

Agenda for the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday, 6 December 2022

1:             Open Forum

For parishioners to raise matters of concern relevant to the work of the Parish Council

(NB matters concerning other bodies e.g. SWW, SHDC and DCC should normally be referred directly to such bodies.  The Parish Council would try assist where difficulties arise after such a referral has taken place.)

2:             Present

3:             Apologies for absence

To receive apologies for absence (if any)

4:             Declarations of Interest

To receive declarations of interest (if any)

5:             Previous Minutes

To agree the Minutes of the meeting held on 1st November 2022

6:             Matters Arising

To discuss items arising from those Minutes

7:             Reports

To receive Reports from

  1. County Councillor Thomas
  2. District Councillor Pannell or Smerdon
  3. Play Park inspection
  4. others (if any)

8:             Planning

To consider Planning Applications and to note decisions:

None to note this month.

9:             Correspondence

To consider correspondence received.

10:      Finance

To note recent and future income and expenditure.

Donation to St James Church to be agreed.

Invoice from Rob Northmore to be agreed and paid for play park maintenance.

Proposed budget for 2023/24 to be discussed.

NALC salary award for 2022/23, previous clerk’s back pay to be agreed to be paid as well.    

11:      Highways

To consider Highway matters.

12:      Next meeting

To consider items for future meetings

Date of next meeting Tuesday 3rd January 2023.

Approved Minutes

Approved Minutes for the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday, 6 December 2022

These minutes were approved on 3 January 2023

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.

These minutes are DRAFT until approved.

Minutes of the NHPC meeting held on Tuesday 6th December 2022.

1:      Open Forum

Cllr Gabriel opened the meeting and welcomed everyone present. There was four members of the public present.

Cllr Luscombe discussed the plans for affordable housing, at the old dairy crest site in Totnes, with Cllr Smerdon, and asked for his comments on the changes to these plans now, from affordable housing to luxury lodges/holiday homes. Cllr Smerdon explained that the plans had changed since Dairy Crest was taken over, and it appears that the number and scope of affordable homes planned has reduced, this is now in the hands of a private company going forwards, the planning department at SHDC will be dealing with Totnes town council on this. 

Richard Howell, chairman of South Hams Society, raised an issue about the recent email received from Trevor Pearce, SHDC enforcement officer, regarding the decision reasons being considered as sound, on the siting of the agricultural building: planning application at Butterford ref 1592/22/FUL and resubmission for regularising an apparent existing track, ref 4012/22/FUL. Also a few members of the public expressed their concerns over this. It was suggested that people can voice their objections also, to SHDC planning department, and register their comments directly on this. The chairman explained that the new application will be discussed by the council later under the planning section of this meeting.

2:      Present 

Cllrs Gabriel, Bell, Steer, Grevatt, Hunt, Luscombe, Seager-Berry. Also present was District Cllr Smerdon. 

3:      Apologies for absence

County Cllr Thomas.

4:      Declarations of Interest

Cllr Seager-Berry re: donation to St James’ Church.

5:      Minutes 

The minutes of the meeting held on the 1st November 2022 were confirmed and signed. Proposed Cllr Seager Berry. Seconded Cllr Hunt.

6:      Matters Arising

Cllr Seager Berry expressed Thanks to Cllr Bell for arranging to price up and obtain the jubilee tree, and transport it to St James Churchyard, where parishioners planted it, and it was blessed, a small ceremony was then held in memory of Queen Elizabeth II. She also thanked the Steer family for paying for the tree. Cllr Bell said he will circulate an email to the council re: the design and wording for the plaque, in due course. The metal guard could take up to 20 weeks to arrive.  

Cllr Bell raised an issue with the electricity supply to the Defibrillator in North Huish and it was agreed that Cllr Gabriel will see if a neighbour who is an electrician could possibly have a look at this, and he will exercise his good judgement on the cost of this, as necessary.

Playpark – Cllr Grevatt explained that the situation with the play park is ongoing, further updates to follow.           

7:      Reports

County Council

No report received.

District Council

Cllr Smerdon explained that SHDC are providing support to vulnerable people in the cost of living crisis. There are 3 schemes:

1.     Supported housing improvement programme with Devon County Council and West Devon Council

2.     2 grants available to schemes involved directly with the cost of living crisis ie village halls, provision of warm hubs/spaces, warm meals etc, also to schemes offering a different type of support

3.     Support for households in most need  

The motorhome scheme where motorhomes are permitted to park overnight in some car parks has been extended to more areas now.

SHDC has received a clean bill of health from the external auditor.

Playpark - It was agreed that Cllr Bell continue to do the play park inspections. He will look at fixing the latch on one of the gates, and he also reported that there has been no more instances of graffiti appearing. 

8:      Planning

Applications to be considered:

Reference 4012/22/FUL. Proposal: Application to regularise and retain an agricultural access track (part retrospective) (resubmission of 1592/22/FUL)

Address: Land at Butterford, North Huish TQ9 7NL.

Decision: Strongly Object.

Cllr Bell asked Cllr Smerdon if this could be brought to the attention of the planning committee now, Cllr Smerdon advised that he will discuss this with Cllr Pannell once a recommendation is received by the planning officer concerned.

Clerk will submit this decision along with requested comments to the planning department at SHDC, and it was requested by Cllr Steer for this also to be forwarded to the chairman and vice chairman of the planning department at SHDC. Cllr Steer will forward those details to the clerk.      

9:      Correspondence

Clerk explained she had received an email from the locum clerk at Stoke Gabriel regarding asking for details on our VAS road sign and how this was purchased and the process involved, clerk to forward Nick Colton’s details to him regarding this.                 

10:   Finance

It was decided to increase the donation to St James’ Church to £250 this year – unanimously agreed by the council. It was also agreed by the chairman to review this annually.

Invoice from Rob Northmore for playpark grass cutting £685.00 was approved for payment.

Invoice from Jolt UK for webhosting £19.14 which Cllr Grevatt has paid already, to be reimbursed to him by cheque, this was approved and signed and handed to him in the meeting.

Proposed Budget for 2023/24 – The chairman proposed to increase the precept to £5,000, due to increased costs in having to now draw on the  contingency for clerk’s salary. This was approved by the council. Clerk to prepare a proposed budget as requested by Cllr Grevatt, and forward onto the council. 

NALC salary award for 2022/23 has already been circulated to the council. 

 It was agreed to pay the clerk for additional hours in November, clerk advised that she has spent 10 hours more than the advertised 10 hours, this month due to time spent on the phone to HMRC and Lloyds, and also going into Lloyds branch to sort out access to the bank accounts etc, training course, and meetings. This was approved unanimously.

11:   Highways

Cllr Bell asked if any issues regarding Kitterford Cross roadworks to be flagged up to him, and he will take this up with the contractor/engineers. Specific concerns he has are the slippery road surface, and the layout.

12: Next Meeting

Tuesday  3rd January 2023 at 7.30pm. At St James’s Church, Avonwick.