Annual Parish Meeting: Tuesday, 1 May 2018

PDF of the Agenda for the Annual Parish Meeting on Tuesday, 1 May 2018

Download the Agenda (PDF, 48.4 KB)

Approved Minutes for the Annual Parish Meeting on Tuesday, 1 May 2018

These minutes were approved on 7 May 2019

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 this had been a year when Central Government Budgetary constraints have meant that less money has been available for County and District Councils and thus fewer grants made available at Parish Council level.

Councillor Gabriel said that in the previous year a grant had been available to the Parish to enable it to employ John Widdicombe to undertake Highway Maintenance of buddle holes, road signs etc. As this proved to be such a valuable service the Parish Council decided to take the unprecedented step of increasing the precept in order to continue this work. Thanks were given to John Widdicombe for his excellent work and also to Rob Northmore for his expert maintenance of the play park. Despite the costs incurred by the Parish we remain the Parish Council in Devon with the lowest per capita precept.

The play park is subject to regular inspections by an officer of South Hams District Council. We have attempted to get SHDC to take on a paid contract to implement necessary repairs but so far without success.

One of the few grants on offer that we applied for, in the hopes of installing a Cardiac Defibrillator in North Huish, was unsuccessful. It seems that grants were provided for bigger projects and, as usual, Totnes appeared to be the favourite child for these grants. .

The recent spell of extraordinary bad weather, while challenging for everyone, gave parishioners the opportunity to demonstrate their neighbourly spirit. Thanks should go to our local Snow Warden, Councillor Hunt and his team for keeping most of the lanes open.

Less welcome was the sad news that Avonwick shop closed on 31^st March due to continued poor support from people living within the villages, thus breaking a link back to the mid 19^th Century. Richard and Laura Cooper provided not only a brilliant service and a hub for the community but were responsible for many generous acts within the area.

The Parish Council website continues to be very ably run by Councillor Grevatt who we thank. The Council is currently grappling with the latest imposition on high, the Data Protection Legislation. While we are unlikely to be exposed at a “Face Book” level we shall endeavour to be squeaky clean as ever.

Councillor Gabriel thanked the Parish Councillors for their unpaid and selfless efforts and Tony Luscombe, our Parish Clerk, for his excellent work on behalf of the Council which is done on a voluntary, unpaid basis.

Feoffees Report.

Councillor Seager-Berry reported that the trustees of North Huish Feofees, Bowden and Perring Charity – Mr J Hall Chairman, Mr J Bell Secretary/Treasurer, Mr M Bradley, Mrs M Luscombe, Cmdr. A Mitchell, Mrs V Pearse and Mrs Marigold Seager-Berry met twice in 2017.

After the retirement of Janet Cousins, Jonathan Bell has taken over as Treasurer/Secretary. He has updated the bank details and is looking at the rent for the field, Mary Park, which has not increased for many years.

The Pemberton Trust now gives the proceeds for a gift to any child baptised in the Parish. A book was given to Herbert Cyril Steer on the occasion of his baptism.

Money from the Feoffees was given to two residents at Christmas. One of those who have received money in the past died recently and another moved out of the Parish.

The Feoffees are always open to receiving notification of anyone in need of a small grant to help in difficult times.

The Chairman of the Avonwick and North Huish Community Hall Project

Mr P Tyler, submitted the following report:

We are awaiting further information from the landowner on a site proposal before we can press forward with the project. We look forward to progress in the coming months.