Minutes from November meeting

DRAFT

Newton St Cyres Parish Council

Minutes of Newton St Cyres Parish Council Meeting held in the Parish Hall Club Room on Thursday 7 November 2024

 

The meeting commenced at 7.00pm

Members present

Cllr G Barnell (Chair)                             Cllr D Harris     

Cllr J Browne                                          Cllr M Herpoldt-Bright

Cllr J Dean (arrived 7.20pm)                Cllr L Ouldridge

 

In attendance:   D/Cllr M Binks (left 8.30pm), D/Cllr S Chenore (left 7.45pm), C/Cllr M Squires (left 7.40pm), J Hole Parish Clerk, 2 members of public (1 left 7.10pm)

 

Public Participation

A parishioner spoke about the poor and unreliable bus service on route 5 including a reduced timetable, delays and cancelled buses, meaning overcrowding and the likelihood that less people were able to rely on public transport.   It was resolved to refer this to the Crediton Cluster group and in addition the Clerk would email C/Cllr  M Squires who would pass on concerns.

 

Formal Business 

01/11/24    Apologies

                       Cllr J Rimbon-Whittaker

 

02/11/24    Declaration of Interest

                       None noted

 

03/11/24    Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 3 October 2024

                       Agreed and signed as a true record

 

04/11/24    Newton St Cyres Parish Council Issues relevant to Mid Devon District Council

4.1                 Planning Applications 

                       24/01512/CAT - Notification of intention to reduce the height of 1 Lawson Cypress tree by 3m; removal of branches to the side of 1 Mulberry tree; removal of 1 Holly tree; removal of branches on Laurel/Sycamore tree and removal of trunk of 1 Poplar tree within the Conservation Area at 2 Newton House, Newton St Cyres, EX5 5BL – no comment

                       24/01586/HOUSE -  Erection of rear boundary wall at 33 The Village, Pump Street, Newton St Cyres, EX5 5BY

                       This application was received after the agenda had been sent but was considered at this meeting and no comment was agreed

4.2                 Planning Decisions

                       24/01250/LBC -  Listed Building Consent for replacement of 2 windows/1 door at 51-53 The Village NSC – grant permission

4.3                 Report from District Councillors on issues relevant to the parish  

                       D/Cllr M Binks gave a brief update on the Cullompton Relief Road and the Clum Valley development. 

                       MDDC were running an online residents survey which residents were encouraged to complete.

                       D/Cllr S Chenore reported that D/Cllrs had been asked to list issues/concerns within their wards and for Yeo Ward she had listed an unreliable bus service, increasing traffic and the poor state of the roads. 

 

05/11/24    Newton St Cyres Parish Council issues relevant to Devon County Council

5.1                 Report from County Councillor on issues relevant to the Parish                      

5.2                 Update on priorities list sent to C/Cllr M Squires

Cllr G Barnell requested that C/Cllr M Squires respond officially to the priority list which had been sent as requested following the meeting held in the summer with C/Cllr M Squires and our Neighbourhood Highways Officer.  Discussion took place about the three priority areas.

It was resolved that the PC would  review how it wishes to progress its three road safety priorities with DCC. 

06/11/24    Finance

6.1                 To agree Payments and note Receipts

Since the agenda had been sent, the service agreement with the Recreation Ground had been agreed and it was resolved to add the grant payment to the payment schedule below

                       Payments were agreed as:

Expenditure – current account	£	Receipts – current account	£
Hydro International – rain gauge annual payment	718.80	Precept	7,024.00
DALC – AGM and conference	60.00
Dan Richards – grass cutting	95.00	Receipts Car Park Account
Parish Hall – room rent Sep to Nov 24	52.00	Interest 30 September 2024	45.81
J Hole Reimbursement for 2 x depth gauges	214.14
J Hole – Salary and expenses	494.66
HMRC – PAYE	80.80
NSC Recreation Ground - grant	2,000.00

 

6.2                 To approve on-line authorisation for this month’s payments

                       Cllr J Dean and Cllr J Browne

6.3                 Balances (after above transactions)

6.3.1            Parish Council Current Account balance: £9,871.62

6.3.2            Footpath Account: £788.02 (included in Current Account balance)

6.3.3            Car Park Maintenance fund: £6,654.37 (separate Bank account)

6.4                 Financial Statement and Budget Monitor

                       Noted

6.5                 To consider financial objectives for next year’s budget – to include estimate of costs for maintenance of PC assets

                       Details of estimated costs for maintenance of parish council assets had been circulated and were noted.  Noted that  The Beer Engine had agreed to sponsor the noticeboard opposite the pub. 

                       A discussion took place on the playground and the equipment needed. A replacement swing was required and a new shelter had been suggested.

                       So far, two grant applications had been received, one from the Rec Ground and one from CHAT. Applications were expected from the Church and Parish Hall. 

                       It was resolved:

• To go ahead with the purchase of a new noticeboard for opposite the Beer Engine to include a sign saying “sponsored by”
• That Cllr D Harris would ask Belluno to consider sponsoring the Village Green Noticeboard
• That priority in next year’s budget would be given to maintenance of Parish Council assets, the playground and grant applications.
• That Cllrs L Ouldridge and J Browne would meet with members of the Rec committee to assess the playground equipment and discuss new/replacement equipment so that a realistic figure could be considered for next year’s budget.
• That Cllr J Dean would arrange a parish walk around to identify future work/maintenance issues. This would include Cllr G Barnell, Cllr D Harris,  and  Nick Gillon.   Cllr J Browne would generate a road warden maintenance schedule using AI.
•  

07/11/24    Other Parish Council Matters

7.1                 Update on Service agreement with parish organisations.  To include update on playground  equipment at Rec Ground

                       The Recreation Ground service agreement had been agreed and would be signed by both parties. The planned meeting with the Church had been cancelled at short notice and a new one was being arranged. 

                       Playground equipment was discussed in item 6.5 above.

7.2                 Quarterly Report – Environment and Resilience – Cllr L Ouldridge – to include flood action planning.  Notes from Devon Communities Together Resilience Meeting circulated separately – to consider promotion of “message in bottle” scheme

                       Since taking over this area, Cllr L Ouldridge had been working on completing the flood action plan which included instruction/information cards for areas vulnerable to flooding.

                       A Flood Group meeting had been arranged for Thursday 21 November and  invitation flyers had been delivered to houses in West Town.  The meeting would hopefully identify “watchers” and “responders”.

                       Most of the issues identified on the Shuttern brook stream walk were being addressed by the landowners.  DCC had referred the issue of the collapsing road to their legal team.

                       The three resilience sheds were due their annual check.

                       It was resolved to promote the “message in bottle “scheme and Cllr L Ouldridge would obtain supplies for distribution at the Adonai kitchen and the Coffee mornings.

7.3                 Quarterly Report – Environment and Climate – Cllrs D Harris and M Herpoldt-Bright

                       To note Cllr M Herpoldt-Bright will take on responsibility for Neighbourhood Watch, litter pickers and risk assessments

                       Cllr D Harris reported that the free whip trees had been delivered and would be planted by NEW along the hedgerow between the Beer Engine and Wykes Cross in the next few weeks.  It was suggested to ask parishioners to donate whip trees if they had any which could then be planted along hedgerows possibly coordinated by NEW.

                       Cllr D Harris was meeting up with two parishioners who had expressed an interest in entering the parish in the Britain in Bloom competition.

                       Allotments – two plots had been given up; one had been re-rented, but the other plot was land locked by other plots. Cllr D Harris would investigate what could be done.  There was one person on the waiting list.  Plot number markers were required and Cllr D Harris would look into this.

7.4                 To consider Arboretum Code of Conduct

                       A draft Arboretum Code of Conduct as drawn up by the Friends of the Arboretum had been circulated together with the licence agreement.

It was resolved to agree the Code of Conduct

7.5                 To consider response to DCC’s consultation on the Crediton to Exeter Multi-purpose path (Boniface Trail).  To consider offer of meeting from DCC to discuss outcome of consultation in new year

                       It was resolved:

• to accept the offer of a meeting with DCC to discuss the outcome of the consultation. Clerk to progress
• That Cllr G Barnell would respond to the consultation on behalf of the Parish Council with support being given to the A377 route and not the quiet lanes route

                       It was noted that DCC had recently sent a consultation on future plans for travel in Devon with only a three week consultation period.  It was important that the Boniface Trail was included in all Devon travel plans and it was resolved that Cllrs G Barnell and J Dean would work together on a Parish Council response

7.6                 To resolve to sign the land transfer agreement to transfer the land by the arboretum to the Church.  Two Cllrs are required to attend the solicitors office to sign the document.

                       Cllr G Barnell reported that Rev. Tim Collins was finding out who the diocese signatory would be and once this was known the agreement transfer could proceed.

                       It was resolved that Cllr Browne and Cllr L Ouldridge would sign the transfer agreement following confirmation from the church and sight of a draft agreement

 

08/11/24    Forward Agenda Planner/Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda

8.1                 Review of agenda planner for future meetings.  Copy circulated

                       It was noted that there was a government consultation on remote meetings for Parish Councils.  It was resolved that the Clerk would complete the survey to record in favour of being able to choose between hybrid/remote and in person meetings.

 

09/11/24    Date of next Parish Council meeting:  Thursday 5 December 2024 at 7pm in the Club Room

 

End of Formal Business

Public Participation

There was none

The meeting closed at 9.05pm