Minutes from November 2025 meeting

DRAFT

Newton St Cyres Parish Council

Minutes of Newton St Cyres Parish Council Meeting held in the Parish Hall Club Room on Thursday 6 November 2025

 

                   The meeting commenced at 7.00pm

Members present

Cllr L Ouldridge  (Chair)                       Cllr D Harris

Cllr J Dean                                             

 

In attendance:    C/Cllr S Keable (left 7.30pm), 4 members of public (1 left 7.30, 2 left 7.45, 1 left 8pm), J Hole Parish Clerk

Public Participation

Request for school warning signs, 20mph speed limit and restrictions on parking by the school as this limits visibility and is a safety issue

Request for a crossing at Tytheing Close. 

Concern expressed about safety and speeding after a vehicle crossed the pavement on School Hill and crashed into the bank.

Formal Business 

01/11/25    Apologies

                       Cllr M Herpoldt-Bright, Cllr J Rimbon-Whittaker, D/Cllr S Chenore, D/Cllr M Binks

 

02/11/25    Declaration of Interest

                       None noted

 

03/11/25    Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 2 October 2025

                       Agreed and signed as a true record

 

04/11/25    Newton St Cyres Parish Council Issues relevant to Mid Devon District Council

4.1                 Planning Applications 

                       25/01456/TPO - Application to fell 1 Copper Beech (T8) protected by Tree Preservation Order 22/00005/TPO  at Lakeridge, Newton St Cyres Exeter – support application

                       25/00612/PNFG - Prior Notification for the formation of a Forestry track for the management of woodland Location: Land at Hill Farm, Newton St Cyres – additional information received.

                       Cllr D Harris confirmed she received an acknowledgement from MDDC noting that she was now the contact for this application(25/00612/PNFG). 

                       Cllr J Dean had emailed MDDC to inform them he was the contact for the lodges at Half Moon but had not received an acknowledgement, so would re-email.        

4.2                 Planning Decisions

                       25/01306/CAT -  Notification of intention to fell 1 Ash tree (T4) within the Conservation Area at Court Orchard Copse, Station Road – grant permission

4.3                 Report from District Councillors on issues relevant to the parish  

                       D/Cllr S Chenore had circulated a report and this was noted

 

Minuted here but taken after Item 3

05/11/25    Newton St Cyres Parish Council issues relevant to Devon County Council

5.1                 Report from County Councillor on issues relevant to the Parish

To include update on school signs and to note School Travel Plan has been updated

C/Cllr S Keable had circulated a report giving updates on issues raised at a meeting with our Neighbourhood Highways Officer (NHO).  The following were noted:

• Boniface Trail – DCC would be discussing at their Cabinet meeting on 10 December. Cllrs  expressed concern that DCC would favour the “quiet lanes” approach rather than the A377 route. C/Cllr S Keable favoured the A377 route and would strongly support this.
• Poor road surface at Winscott Barton Farm Entrance caused by trucks – this had been fixed, although it was not known if tarmac or elastomac had been used. If the repair does not last, it might be necessary to use concrete.
• Small brook Farm – broken drain – this had been fixed by the farmer and the gully was now on DCC system. It was resolved that the Clerk should send a thank you letter.
• Station Road river bridge – Steel had been added to the bottom of the bridge supports to prevent erosion
• Collapsed drains at Marsh Lane. The drains have been added to DCC’s system and will receive section 9 maintenance.   C/Cllr S Keable will check if  the gullys have been added  as well
• Kingfisher Close – formally adopted in April 2025
• Tytheing Close A377 Crossing Pedestrian refuge – the brow of the hill and cost were issues. It was suggested that the refuge could be moved further down the A377 toward Exeter?  It was resolved that Cllr J Dean would draw up a plan for further consideration.
• Station Road – noted that the Parish Council is seeking a 20mph zone for Station Road down to the Beer Engine plus painted signs on the road outside the school plus school warning signs. C/Cllr S Keable noted that following a policy change DCC, would actively support communities who were in favour of a 20mph speed limit. Noted that the School Travel Plan had been updated and forwarded to DCC.
• Flashing 30mph on footbridge over A377 – NHO advised the Road Safety Team had rejected this as it would cause a distraction and is no longer required due to the pedestrian crossing. The Parish Council were willing to pay a contribution towards the cost of a flashing sign and asked C/Cllr S Keable to find out if the sign could be moved further back towards Crediton
• HATOC requests – C/Cllr S Keable had to submit HATOC items through the member portal
• Smallbrook – crossing and footpath to the bus stop and 40mph advisory sign – this would be discussed at C/Cllr S Keables next meeting with our NHO on Friday 11 November.

 

06/11/25    Finance

6.1                 To agree Payments and note Receipts         

                       Payments were agreed as:

Expenditure – current account	£	Receipts – current account	£
NSC Rec – grant towards repairs to play equipment	61.91	Precept 2nd instalment	8,250.00
NSC Parish Church – grant	1,000.00
NSC Parish Hall – grant	2,000.00	Receipts Car Park Maint acct
NSC Parish Hall – room rent	15.00
S Yeandle – allotment hedge cutting	120.00	Interest	38.45
J Hole – reimbursement for tools for resilience sheds	36.56
Value Products Ltd  – new flood sign	51.13	Footpath Account
J Hole – Salary and expenses	419.93	Interest	3.56
HMRC – PAYE and emp’er NI	66.79

 

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

                       Cllr J Dean and Cllr D Harris

6.3                 Balances (after above transactions)

6.3.1            Parish Council Current Account balance: £11,986.97

6.3.2            Footpath Account: £651.58 (separate account)

6.3.3            Parish Hall Car Park maintenance fund balance: £6,819.00 (separate account)

6.4                 Financial Statement and Budget Monitor

                       Noted

6.5                 Quarterly Bank Reconciliation  

                       Noted and duly signed

6.5                 Budget considerations

6.5.1              Grant requests

                       After discussion provisional grants for the projects listed below were agreed but these would need to be resolved alongside other spending requirements at the December budget meetings. 

• Arboretum – grant request for the cost of insurance and two noticeboards at either entrance. It was resolved that The Parish Council would purchase the noticeboards. 

With regard to insurance the Clerk would draft an amendment to the licence agreement for landowner consideration to reflect the fact that the insurance was being provided by the Friends of the arboretum

• Church – grant request towards the cost of maintenance of the churchyard to include the wildflower meadow.
• Parish Hall – grant request towards the cost of a refurbishment to the entrance hall plus a contribution by both parties to the Car Park maintenance fund
• Rec ground – grant request towards the legal costs for signing the new lease.
• Mid Devon Mobility – grant request towards the cost of the provision of their services which had helped 8 Newton St Cyres residents over the last year.

 

6.5.2              Allotment holders requests for maintenance  

                       Requests had been made for Hedge cutting to the inside hedge alongside A377; Grass cutting in the big gap between plots and removal of dead trees.        

              It was resolved that Cllr D Harris would ask if NEW would be able to lay the inside of the A377 hedge and help with the grass cutting.  If they are unable to help with the grass cutting then the Clerk would obtain a quote from our grass cutting contractor.  The dead trees would be removed shortly

6.5.3              Any other items for budgetary consideration that require costing before December

                       It was resolved that the Clerk should provide costings for metal school warning and to consider how these could be fixed.

 

07/11/25    Other Parish Council Matters

7.1                 Quarterly report – Emergency and Resilience – Cllr L Ouldridge  - To note Community Resilience report and agree Snow plan

                       A Resilience report had been circulated and it was noted:

                       The 3 resilience sheds and contents were in good order.   

                       Allen keys and a screwdriver to open the battery compartments and switch the road lights on had been purchased together with a new flood sign to replace the one that went missing from the Rec  shed. 

                       There is no longer a resilience representative for Langford. 

                       A face to face meeting was not required as communication via WhatsApp is working well. 

                       A walk along Shuttern Brook will be arranged for next summer.   

                       The Snow plan had been circulated and it was resolved to agree the plan

7.2                 To consider proposals for Rec grant spending and to discuss S106 options

                       The Clerk had circulated proposals for spending the remainder of this year Rec grant.  After discussion it was resolved:

• to purchase a bench, a child’s picnic table, a warning sign and cycle racks.
• That the Clerk would obtain other quotes and suggestions for play equipment to compare to the ones suggested by the Rec.

7.3                 To consider service agreements for next year for Church, Parish Hall and Red

                       Copies had been circulated and it was resolved to adopt these once the grant amounts had been agreed in December and could be added to the agreement

7.3                 To sign off updated Financial  Regulations and Standing orders agreed at last meeting

                       These were duly signed by Cllr L Ouldridge

7.4                 Review of assets – to note risk assessment and agree maintenance schedule

                       The Clerk reported that Cllr M Herpoldt-Bright would be undertaking a risk assessment of  assets and considering maintenance schedules in time for next month’s meeting

 

08/11/25    Forward Agenda Planner/Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda

8.1                 Review of agenda planner for future meetings. 

                      

09/11/25    Date of next Parish Council meeting:  Thursday 4 December 2025 at 7pm in the Club Room

 

End of Formal Business

Public Participation

There was none

The meeting closed at 8.15pm