Parish Council meeting: Tuesday, 7 May 2024
Please note To follow Annual Parish Council Meeting
Key information
Meeting location: Avon Vale Tennis and Croquet Club, Black Hall Lane, Avonwick, TQ10 9EJ
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, 7 May 2024
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 2nd April 2024
6: Co-option
Co-option – to consider an application from Liz Gabriel for co-option onto the council
7: Matters Arising
- Defibrillator Training
- North Huish Noticeboard
- Community Award nomination for David Gabriel
- Parish Clerk Recruitment
8: Reports
To receive Reports from
- County Councillor Daniel Thomas
- District Councillor Pannell or Hancock
- The Play Park
- Defibrillators
- Tree Warden
- P3 Co-ordinator
9: Planning
To consider Planning Applications and to note decisions:
No new planning applications this month.
Withdrawn application reference:
Planning application reference: 3337/23/FUL
Location: Avon Inn, Avonwick, TQ10 9NB.
Description: Use of two pods in the rear garden for B&B
(Retrospective)
Ongoing Enforcement Cases: which are confidential have been circulated directly to councillors.
10: Correspondence
Request from a parishioner re: football goal offered for the land next to the play park.
11: Finance:
- To note recent and future income and expenditure.
- To approve invoice for £22.75 from AVTCC for May meetings.
- To consider and approve invoice ref 2243 from Mr Widdicombe £118.80 for clearing drains/buddle holes in March.
- To consider and approve invoice from SHDC for election recharges from election in May 2023 £165.60.
- To consider and approve invoice ref 5658 from DALC for annual membership £191.03.
- To consider and approve invoice ref LCO01458 from BHIB for annual parish council insurance £422.50.
- To consider and approve clerk’s overtime hours this month – 5 hours.
Opening balances at Bank as at 14th March 2024
Treasurers Account 844.93 Business Bank Instant Account 7,946.48 Balance 8,791.41 Receipts:
2nd April Vat claim 212.16 9th April Interest received 8.21 Payments:
22nd March AVTCC (March meeting) 22.75 2nd April Clerks salary & expenses 113.90 2nd April HMRC PAYE 26.20 5th April J Widdicombe – Inv 2224 184.80 12th April AVTCC (April meeting) 22.75 Closing balances as at 12th April 2024
Treasurers Account 686.69 Business Bank Instant Account 7,954.69 Balance 8,641.38
12: Highways
12: Next meeting
To consider items for future meetings
To agree upon a date for the next Meeting. (Tuesday 4th June 2024?)
Approved Minutes
Approved Minutes for the Parish Council meeting on Tuesday, 7 May 2024
These minutes were approved on 4 June 2024
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.
1: Open Forum
The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed members of the public to the meeting. The remainder of the members of the public left, following the Annual Parish Meeting, except for three.
Cllr Bell raised the ongoing issue of potholes and the standard of repair in the parish. District Cllr Hancock echoed these concerns.
A member of the public raised a concern regarding heavy traffic driving through Avonwick in the last few weeks, (there is currently a diversion in place which has resulted in more traffic coming through the village) and said she had placed a cone outside her property on the road next to her wall, which has been removed. Her concerns were noted, clerk to contact Highways to ask if traffic speed through the village can be monitored.
2: Present
Cllrs Steer (Chair), Grevatt (Vice Chair), Bell, Hunt, Ring and Gabriel.
District Cllr Hancock
County Cllr Thomas
Clerk Zoe O’Sullivan
3 members of the public in attendance.
3: Apologies for absence
Cllr Snoxall.
4: Declarations of Interest
None were declared.
5: Previous Minutes
The previous minutes were agreed unanimously and signed by the Chairman.
6: Co-option
Liz Gabriel was formally co-opted onto the council and welcomed by all councillors. Proposed by Cllr Steer and seconded by Cllr Hunt, with all in agreement.
7: Matters Arising
Defibrillator training – The clerk advised that Diptford parish council have requested more time to publicise the training. All North Huish councillors are interested, Diptford parish clerk has agreed to take on the task of organising this valuable training now, updates to follow.
North Huish Noticeboard – Cllr Grevatt will attend to providing a repair hopefully in the next week. Update to follow.
Community award nomination for David Gabriel – SHDC have indicated that they will be updating us at the end of May regarding this, updates to follow.
Parish Clerk recruitment – the current clerk has resigned, and a recruitment process is underway currently to recruit a new permanent clerk, Cllr Grevatt and the clerk will be interviewing candidates in the next week or two, and it was agreed to hold an extra-ordinary meeting to discuss and approve the appointment before the next monthly meeting.
8: Reports
County Councillor’s report
This was read out in the meeting, and a copy will be published on our website.
District Councillor’s report
This was also read out in the meeting, and a copy will be published on our website.
District Cllr Hancock left the meeting.
Play Park report
The entrance to the play park is very wet and dog mess has been left there as well recently, which has now been removed. Chair will ask Mr Widdicombe to see if this area could be dug out and some gravel put down. Cllr Grevatt has replaced a rubber plug at the top of some play apparatus which popped out.
County Councillor Thomas arrived.
Defibrillator report
Cllr Grevatt report no issues.
Tree Warden’s report
Cllr Bell advised to report any issues with Ash dieback.
P3 Co-ordinator’s report
Cllr Snoxall was not at the meeting, the clerk advised that the footpaths have been walked by her, and a survey submitted, along with a bid to the public rights of way team. Updates to follow.
9: Planning
No new planning applications this month.
Withdrawn application reference:
Planning application reference: 3337/23/FUL
Location: Avon Inn, Avonwick, TQ10 9NB. Description: Use of two pods in the rear garden for B&B(Retrospective)
Ongoing Enforcement Cases:
which are confidential have been circulated directly to councillors.
10: Correspondence
A parishioner has kindly offered a football goal to the council to be used on the Village Hall land next to the play park, this was discussed, and it was agreed due to safety reasons to decline this request on this occasion.
11: Finance
The invoices below were all discussed and approved for payment unanimously by the council:
- Invoice for £22.75 from AVTCC for May meetings.
- Invoice ref 2243 from Mr Widdicombe £118.80 for clearing drains/buddle holes in March.
- Invoice from SHDC for election recharges from election in May 2023 £165.60.
- Invoice ref 5658 from DALC for annual membership £191.03.
- Invoice ref LCO01458 from BHIB for annual parish council insurance £422.50.
- Clerk’s overtime hours this month – 5 hours was approved as well.
Opening balances at Bank as at 14th March 2024
Treasurers Account 844.93 Business Bank Instant Account 7,946.48 Balance 8,791.41 Receipts:
2nd April Vat claim 212.16 9th April Interest received 8.21 Payments:
22nd March AVTCC (March meeting) 22.75 2nd April Clerks salary & expenses 113.90 2nd April HMRC PAYE 26.20 5th April J Widdicombe – Inv 2224 184.80 12th April AVTCC (April meeting) 22.75 Closing balances as at 12th April 2024
Treasurers Account 686.69 Business Bank Instant Account 7,954.69 Balance 8,641.38
12: Highways
County Councillor Thomas discussed the issue of heavy traffic through the village raised in open forum earlier, his comments were noted. Clerk will email him regarding monitoring the speed of traffic going through the village.
Kitterford Cross roundabout issues previously raised were discussed, and there will be another site visit meeting arranged, details to follow in due course.
The ongoing issue of potholes was discussed, and comments noted.
Damage to a wall and buddlehole opposite the Avonwick noticeboard was reported, Chair to ask Mr Widdicombe to look at.
13: Next Meeting
Extra-ordinary meeting to be called by the Chair in the next two weeks re: appointment of a new clerk, agenda will be sent out shortly. Venue to be confirmed.
Next ordinary meeting to be held on Tuesday 4th June 2024.
County Council Report
County Councillor's Report May 2024
County Report – May Meeting
Devon County Council and Torbay Council have formally submitted our joint proposal for a Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (CCA) to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Rt Hon Michael Gove MP.
It follows agreement by both councils for the formation of a Devon and Torbay CCA that, if agreed by the Secretary of State, would oversee a raft of new decision-making powers and funding devolved to Devon and Torbay from Whitehall.
Opportunities like this don’t come around often, so it’s seen by both councils as a major achievement to now submit the application to the government, and to be closer to having the CCA in place in the Autumn.
The CCA will deliver the devolution deal which will enable important decisions to be made locally on local priorities such as jobs and skills, housing, and the environment.
Councillors at Devon and Torbay councils were given an analysis of the feedback following recent consultation that drew responses from a broad cross-section of organisations including Devon’s District councils, Town and Parish councils, and representatives from the business, education and skills, housing, transportation, health service providers and voluntary sectors.
Taking that analysis into account, Councillors at both councils agreed the next steps: to submit the proposal to the Secretary of State, and subject to receiving the approval and the making of the necessary Regulations, to draft a constitution for the Devon and Torbay CCA for consideration this September.
At Torbay Council’s specially convened meeting, the vote to progress the CCA proposals was carried unanimously. But not all Councillors at Devon County Council were in agreement – Councillors Bailey, Brazil, Connett, Cox, Leaver, Letch, Roome, Thomas and Wrigley abstained from the vote.
The recommendations, however, were carried. In addition to the Devon and Torbay CCA, the County Council will begin the process of establishing the statutory Team Devon Joint Committee, to formalise the existing long-standing partnership between the eight District, City and Borough Councils, Devon Association of Local Councils (representing town and parish councils) and the two national park authorities.
District Council Report
District Councillor's Report May 2024
Report from your District Councillors May 2024
Community Safety Partnership update
The end of the financial year is always a busy time for the CSP team, as it is for so many people.
At the beginning of March we hold our annual priority setting meeting, where we get together with our lead members and partners from a number of agencies to take a look at the intelligence we have and agree what the priorities of the CSP should be for the coming year.
These priorities include a mix of statutory duties such as the Domestic Homicide Reviews, along with additional local priorities.
Sadly the intelligence shows us Devon has seen a rise in suicides. As a result of this, suicide prevention and awareness will be one of our priorities for the coming year.
You will also see we have recently been publicising the need to be aware of rogue traders. This has been as a result of some recent incidents in Devon and we will also be looking at carrying out more awareness work around rogue traders and the online space.
Our overarching priorities for the coming year are domestic violence and sexual abuse, violence prevention and violence against women and girls, problem drinking and drug use, exploitation and hate crime, changing youth culture and anti-social behaviour.
If anyone would like to know more about the work we are doing to address these priorities, please do not hesitate to contact me.
In addition to the priority setting meeting, we held our annual forum. For the first time in many years this was a hybrid option so was a great opportunity to network with our partners face to face.
The forum gives an overview of some of the work carried out by the CSP and its partners over the year. We are looking at the possibility of holding it face to face again next year.
Finally we have launched two bitesize awareness sessions. The first is aimed at professionals working with young people and is to raise awareness of gaming and gambling harm. This session will be run on 23 April; people can sign up online here.
The second is our exploitation awareness session which is available to any professionals. People can sign up for this session online here.
Both sessions are completely FREE of charge and are held online. We will also be recording the sessions for those who are unable to attend.