Minutes for December 2019

Newton St Cyres Parish Council

Minutes of Newton St Cyres Parish Council Meeting held in the

Parish Hall Club Room on Thursday 5 December 2019

The meeting commenced at 7.00pm

Members present

Cllr J Enright (Chair)                      Cllr S Parker

Cllr R Cashmore                            Cllr G Quicke

Cllr D Hodge                                 Cllr G Scopes

Cllr C Southcott                            Cllr P Taylor

Cllr L Ouldridge                             

In attendance:  Cllr G Barnell, MDDC, 1 member of public, J Hole, Parish Clerk

Business to be Transacted

Public Participation

Blocked drains between Wiscott Barton and Norton Cross. Clerk to report to Highways

01/12/19     Apologies

Cllr M Squires, DCC (another meeting)

02/12/19     Declaration of Interest

Item 5.2.1 – Cllr S Parker - PI

Item 5.8 and 5.9 grant request to Boniface Trail – Cllrs R Cashmore, P Taylor and S Parker – PI

03/12/19     Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 7 November 2019

Agreed and signed as a true record

04/12/19     Mid Devon District Council

4.1              Planning Applications:

                   None        

4.2              Planning Decisions:

18/00414/MFUL - Erection of extension to brewery to include alterations to provide additional restaurant/bar floorspace, amended entrance arrangements and outdoor dining area, and erection of 11 holiday lodges at Hanlons - grant permission

19/01856/PNAG - Prior notification for the construction of a farm track at Bidwell Barton Farm – no objection

4.3              Update on nomination for old school site to be listed as an asset of community value

Cllr J Enright had circulated a draft email to Stephen Walford, Chief Executive of MDDC to object to the rejection of listing the old school site as an asset of community value. It was resolved to send this objection. Standing orders were suspended and Cllr G Barnell reported that he would be requesting a review of procedures for nominations of assets of community value as there was no local policy and the decision made did not follow national policy.  Standing orders were reinstated. It was noted that the closing date for expression of interest in the old school site was 10 December. 

4.4              To note Local Government Association are consulting on updates to the model code of conduct

Noted

4.5              To note MDDC have updated their Code of Conduct

Details of the new code had been circulated and it was resolved to adopt the new code with immediate effect.

4.6              District Councillor, Cllr G Barnell, to report on MDDC business relevant to the Parish

A report had been circulated.  Cllr G Barnell updated the meeting on the Greater Exeter Strategic plan (GESP).  This is intended to be a co-operative effort to say where developments should be taking place within the four local authorities (Mid Devon, Exeter, Teignbridge and East Devon).  Development areas would be decided considering proximity to road/rail and infrastructure etc.  Infrastructure, especially in Mid Devon, was an issue.  The GESP would supersede the local plan, which would hopefully be agreed in April.  Cllr R Cashmore asked if we should consider a Neighborhood Plan?  Cllr G Barnell said that there were also plans for a Crediton Masterplan and it might be possible to extend this to include this parish, in which case a Neighborhood plan would not be required.  When more details were available Cllr G Barnell suggested it may be useful to consult with neighboring parishes.  The GESP was due to be consulted on the Draft Plan in June 2020, published in September 2020 and adopted in December 2021

 

05/12/19     Finance

5.1              Parish Council Receipts Current Account:         

Item	Payee	Purpose	Amount £
5.1.1	NatWest	Compensation	200.00
5.1.2	NatWest	Clerks expenses	73.50

                                                                                                                           

5.2              Parish Council Payment Current Account:

                   These were agreed as:

Item	Payee	Purpose	Amount £
5.2.1	S Parker	Electricity for Vodafone	30.00
5.2.2	Boniface Trail	Grant for current year	500.00
5.2.3	Simon Saunders	Grass cutting churchyard	120.00
5.3.4	Simon Saunders	Grass cutting parish	80.00
5.2.5	J Hole	Salary and expenses	345.41
5.2.6	HMRC	PAYE	45.40

 Since the agenda had been circulated two invoices had been received from J Quicke for the arboretum licence of £10.00 (and last year’s licence) and the rent of the allotment field, £22.00 (and last year’s rent), a total of £64.00.  It was resolved to pay this amount

5.3              To approve signatures for this month’s cheques

                   Cllr G Quicke and Cllr C Southcott

5.4              Balances (after above transactions):      

5.4.1           Parish Council Current Account balance: £15,514.54

5.4.2           Footpath Account: £388.02 

5.4.3           Car Park resurfacing fund balance: £4,505.50

5.5              Financial Statement and Budget Monitor

                   Noted

5.6              To note the bank have upheld our complaint and paid £200.00 compensation plus £73.05 for clerks’ time/expenses.  Four separate mandate forms must be completed, and councillors must visit the bank to have their ID verified.  

The mandate forms were duly signed and passed to individual councillors who would now visit the bank to have their ID verified

5.7              Quarterly Bank Reconciliation

                   This was duly signed

5.8              To consider grant request from this year’s budget to Mid Devon Mobility and Boniface Trail (BT previously agreed subject to letter detailing what money is for) - details circulated separately

It was resolved to grant £100.00 to Mid Devon Mobility and £500.00 to the Boniface Trail

5.9              To agree budget and precept for 2020-21, including applications for next year’s grants

A draft budget had been circulated. After discussion it was resolved to grant £500.00 to the Parish Hall towards stage lighting, £500.00 to the Recreation Ground towards new play equipment, £500.00 to the Boniface Trail towards planning expenses and £500.00 to FANS towards a new sun canopy

Various other adjustments to the draft budget were made and it was resolved to set the precept at £13,431.00, a 5.2% increase.

The Clerk’s computer had stopped working and it was resolved to buy a new one up to the value of £500.00.  It was agreed to reimburse the Clerk before the February meeting.  An invoice for winter newsletter was also due and it was resolved to pay this when received rather than wait to the next meeting

06/12/19     Matters raised by the Chair

None        

07/12/19     Councillor’s Reports    

7.1              Areas of Responsibility reports.

Allotment – Cllr L Ouldridge would contact allotment holders in the new year

Boniface Trail – Cllr P Taylor reported that the landowner had requested a small amendment to the agreement which would hopefully be signed soon

Litter - Clerk to send Christmas cards to the volunteer litter pickers

Press – Cllr L Ouldridge had compiled the Winter Newsletter which was given out to Councillors for distribution

Recreation Club – meeting this Sunday

7.1.1           Snow Wardens – update on training/grit binsCllr G Scopes had emailed DCC regarding training and was waiting for a phone call.  Cllr C Southcott advised that there was a contact phone number in each grit bin and Councillors could report bins that needed re-filling

7.1.2           Report from meeting with PCCNotes from Cllr R Cashmore meeting with the PCC had been circulated and were noted

7.1.3           Notes from Road Safety meeting held 8 October 2019Notes had been circulated and the next meeting would take place in January.

7.1.4           Update on tipping rain gauge maintenance contract                   Standing orders were suspended and Cllr G Barnell reported that he had cleared the weeds and mud from around the gauge.  There was a locked box which presumably housed the battery etc.  Standing orders were reinstated.  It was resolved not to sign up to the maintenance contract which was agreed to be too expensive for the service provided but to accept the Telemetrics Charge.

                  

08/12/19     Clerk’s Report

8.1              To note grant application for £385.00 for Hi-Viz jackets and £500.00 for aquasacs has been submitted to Devon Communities Together                   Noted

8.2              To note copies of CRG are in Parish Hall, Rec, School and Resilience sheds

Noted

8.3              To agree Christmas card list

Agreed as the same as last year plus the litter pickers              

09/12/19     Parish Council

9.1              Update on progress with Post Office

The dedicated phone line had been installed and if final testing went well on the 19 December, the first Post Office session would be on Thursday 2 January.  Publicity would be undertaken on Facebook, website, at the coffee morning, noticeboards etc.  Thanks, were recorded to the Parish Hall, especially Roger Wilkins, for all the work to get this project up and running

9.2              Update on progress with Community Shop

A meeting would be scheduled before Christmas to discuss the next steps

9.3              Update from Community Land Trust meeting held 27 November

Notes from the meeting had been circulated.  Setting up a CLT could benefit the community shop project. 

9.4              To discuss a possible Park and Ride scheme in Crediton

Cllr C Southcott raised this issue and thought that a park and ride scheme could be linked to trains and busses. Standing orders were suspended and Cllr G Barnell noted that he had spoken to Crediton Town Council regarding a park and ride and this might be covered in the Crediton masterplan.  Any scheme would require backing and involvement from DCC. Standing orders were reinstated.  It was noted that Cllr M Squires had reported that she has raised this issue with DCC recently

9.5              To note history of the Parish Council

Jean Wilkins had compiled a history of the parish council which had been circulated.  Councillors were impressed with the work carried out and it was agreed that Cllr J Enright would ask if the article could be published in the Newton Wonder.              

10/12/19     Devon County Council

10.1            Outstanding Highways issues

It was agreed to remove item vi) lowered drain cover as there was not much chance of this being done and item vii) tar on school hill

The curb at the new school had been marked up

The drain cover on Station Road bridge had been done

There were no other updates on outstanding issues

10.2            New DCC issues

Cllr C Southcott passed details of four blocked drains for the clerk to report

10.3            County Councillor, Cllr M Squires, to report on DCC business relevant to the parish

A report had been circulated and was noted.

11/12/19     Miscellaneous Correspondence

Ash die back and Promotion of tree planting – circulated separately

Thank you from Rec Ground for S106 grant and PC grant

Presentation on Devon Carbon Plan activity – circulated separately                

12/12/19     Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda                   

None noted

13/12/19     Date of next meeting: Thursday 6 February 2020, Clubroom, Parish Hall, 7.00pm.

                                                            End of Formal Business

Public Participation

There was none

The meeting closed at 8.20pm