Minutes from May 2020 meeting

Newton St Cyres Parish Council

Minutes of Newton St Cyres Parish Council Meeting held remotely via Zoom on Thursday 7 May 2020 

The meeting commenced at 7.00pm 

Members present via Zoom

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 M Squires, DCC (left 7.45pm), Cllr G Barnell, MDDC (left 7.45pm),  J Hole, Parish Clerk 

Formal Business 

Cllr J Enright welcomed everyone to the first virtual Parish Council meeting and explained that the meeting would be recorded in case clarification was required for the minutes, after which the recording would be destroyed.  If the meeting became inquorate it would be suspended.  In accordance with the new regulation there would be no Annual meetings this year unless one is specifically called.  Cllr J Enright checked that each person present could hear, see and speak to each other. 

01/05/20     Coronavirus

To resolve to adopt supplementary Standing Orders (as advised by DALC) to meet the statutory requirements for the holding of remote meetings. These last until 7 May 2021 or the repeal of legislation whichever is the earlier.

Supplementary orders had been circulated and adoption was proposed by Cllr P Taylor, seconded by Cllr G Quicke and agreed unanimously.

Public Participation

There was no public present 

02/05/20     Apologies

None 

03/05/20     Declaration of Interest

Item 6.2.14 – Cllrs S Parker and P Taylor – PI 

04/05/20     Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 5 March 2020

Agreed as a true record and to be signed at a later date by the Chair 

05/05/20     Mid Devon District Council

5.1              Planning Applications:

None        

5.2              Planning Decisions

20/00131/FULL and 20/00135/LBC  - Erection two single storey extensions to rear and side following demolition of existing extensions; construction of swimming pool/pool house; refurbishment/extension of barn for use as agricultural store; erection of bat box and installation of ground mounted solar panels and ground source heat pump at  Bakers Farm, Newton St Cyres, Exeter EX5 5BS – grant permission

20/00246/HOUSE - Erection of three-storey infill extension at 8 Newton House, Newton St Cyres – grant permission

20/00208/HOUSE - Erection of two-storey extension to form separate annexe at 3 New Estate, Newton St Cyres – grant permission 

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

Cllr G Barnell suggested that having the “waiting room” facility switched on for zoom meetings can be helpful to stop participants joining the meeting uninvited.

Cllr G Barnell updated the meeting with regard to MDDC’s Covid -19 response and noted that £16million of business grants had been issued covering 1,400 applications.  Extensive cold calling was taking place to notify businesses who have yet to claim.

The Government has recently announced a discretionary business grant aimed at small businesses and government guidance should be issued next week following which the scheme would go live.  Businesses who claim this grant will need to demonstrate how the pandemic has affected them and the scale of their financial loss so awards may take some time to process as they will be on a case by case basis. 

A shielding hub set up by DCC and MDDC and working with CHAT to supply food parcels where needed was working well. 

MDDC also had a Covid 19 Support Fund (funded by DCC) which is a hardship fund for essential crisis payments and has only recently been set up.  To date there have been 15 applications.  It is for those individuals who are in considerable financial distress and fall outside the scope of the business grants coming from the Government. 

There are significant concerns about the impact the situation has had on business and a recovery and regeneration plan will be required.

 

06/05/20     Finance

6.1              Parish Council Receipts Current Account:

Item	Payer	Purpose	Amount £
6.1.1	DCT	CRG grant	885.00
6.1.2	MDCC	Precept (1st instalment)	6,715.50
6.1.3	Various	Allotment rent	120.00

                                                                                                                

6.2              Parish Council Payment Current Account:

                   The following payments were agreed via email and paid in April:      

Item	Payee	Purpose	Amount £
6.2.1	Plunket	Membership	240.00
6.2.2	Ian Salter	Bus shelter cleaning	32.00
6.2.3	NSC Parish Hall	Room hire	26.00
6.2.4	DALC	Attendance at Conference	50.00
6.2.5	DALC	Annual subscription	208.09
6.2.6	V Safety	Hi Viz jackets for CRG	508.45
6.2.7	V Safety	Hi Viz vests for litter pickers	29.52
6.2.8	Simon Saunders	Grass cutting	160.00
6.2.9	J Hole	Salary and expenses	283.24
6.2.10	HMRC	PAYE	55.60

                                                           

Payments to be made in May were agreed as:

Item	Payee	Purpose	Amount £
6.2.11	Information Commissioner	Data Protection registration fee	40.00
6.2.12	Parish Hall	Grant £500.00 and wifi £200.00	700.00
6.2.13	Recreation Ground	Grant £500.00 and rent £500.00	1,000.00
6.2.14	Boniface Trail	Grant £500.00	500.00
6.2.15	FANS	Grant £500.00	500.00
6.2.16	Reserve Account	Car park resurfacing fund	1,500.00
6.2.17	Simon Saunders	Grass cutting parish/churchyard	200.00
6.2.18	J Hole	Salary and expenses	273.90
6.2.19	HMRC	PAYE	56.80

Since the agenda had been circulated an invoice had been received from Zurich insurance for £379.21 and it was resolved that this cheque should be paid in order to ensure continuity of cover.                                                          

6.3              To approve signatures for this month’s cheques

Cllr G Quicke and Cllr P Taylor (Cllr J Enright to sign the cheque for Boniface Trail)

6.4              Balances (after above transactions):      

6.4.1           Parish Council Current Account balance: £14,338.34

6.4.2           Footpath Account: £268.02 

6.4.3            Car Park resurfacing fund balance: £6,012.18

6.5              Financial Statement and Budget Monitor and Receipts and Payments summary for year ending 31 March 2020

Noted

6.6              Annual Return 2019/2020

Annual Return documents were posted on the website.  The internal audit had been completed satisfactorily.  It was resolved to buy a small gift for the internal audit using the Chairman’s Allowance.                                        

6.6.1           To approve Section 1 Annual Governance Statement 2019/20

Noted and approved

6.6.2           Annual Return – to approve Section 2 Accounting Statements 2019/20

Noted and approved

6.6.3           To sign Certificate of Exemption stating that during 2019/20 the higher of the authority’s income for the year or gross annual expenditure did not £25,000 and declaring PC exempt from a limited assurance review

It was resolved to sign the Exemption.  Clerk to post Annual Return documents to the Chairman for signature.                  

07/05/20     Matters raised by the Chair

None 

08/05/20     Councillor’s Reports    

8.1              Update on Coronavirus and NSC PC response

Cllr J Enright thanked Cllr D Hodge for his work in setting up the NSC response and for all the work undertaken.  Cllr D Hodge reported that initially there were a lot of calls but calls have now become less as people set up their own support networks using friends and neighbours.

8.2              Areas of Responsibility reports

Railway Station – Cllr C Southcott reported that the station had been repainted.  It was not clear if there would be a station garden competition this year.

Boniface Trail – Cllr P Taylor had circulated a letter explaining that the first land owner agreement had been signed.   DCC had put the Boniface Trail into their forward plan although no funds had been allocated to date.

8.2.1           Update on allotment renewals

The Clerk confirmed that there was one payment outstanding and this should be paid this week.  Once received allotment rent for this year would be £340.00 (compared to £380.00 last year)

8.2.2           Report from March surgery

Concern about the pavement up School Hill where slippage has reduced the width of the pavement.

A Smallbrook land owner was keen for the Boniface Trail to go ahead                  

09/05/20     Clerk’s Report

9.1              Update on accessibility changes to PC website

The Clerk reported that where possible changes to documents from September 2018 had been made in order to comply with the legislation                  

10/05/20     Parish Council

10.1            Update on progress with Community Shop

Cllr R Cashmore reported that a virtual meeting was planned and it was hoped to apply for grant funding to take the project forward. 

Meeting adjourned for 10 minutes

 10.2            Update on progress with volunteer drain clearing/logging pot holes programme.  To note 3 volunteers have completed DCC online safety training and are on the waiting list for Chapter 8 training.  To agree in principle that once trained, NSC should join DCC Road Warden Scheme. 

After discussion it was agreed that the Clerk should contact DCC and enquire how much material DCC would supply to fill potholes as the cost of materials could be significant.  The Clerk had contacted Broadclyst Parish Council who were members of the scheme and a detailed response had been circulated to Councillors and would be forwarded onto the volunteers for information.  Cllr R Cashmore suggested this may be an area for Raddon Hills to consider?

10.3            To consider if there should be an Annual Report this year?  (Report from Parish Hall and Arboretum received)

It would be difficult to distribute the Annual Report and it was agreed to defer the decision until later in the year when further information about the current restrictions should be clearer. 

Minuted here but taken after item 5  

11/05/20     Devon County Council

11.1            Outstanding Highways issues

There were no updates on specific items.  Cllr M Squires had sent an update regarding potholes stating that our Neighbour Highways Officer was using this time to survey the roads and log pot holes.  Cllr R Cashmore requested that he enters any pot holes identified onto the public system.

11.2            New DCC issues

Standing orders were suspended and Cllr G Barnell noted that the DCC forward plan included a notional sum for the Boniface Trail and a Park and Ride at Cowley.  Neither had been fully costed or feasibility checked.  However, both would form part of the transport strategy for the Great Exeter Strategic Plan which would be out for consultation in September.  Standing Orders were reinstated.

11.3            DCC Consultation on local bus services

Details had been circulated detailing subsidies for less profitable bus routes and this was welcomed.

11.4            To agree priority between pedestrian crossing in the centre of the village and installation of Average Speed Cameras (ASC).  DCC have allocated £140k to pedestrian crossing over the next 2 years.  There is currently no planned expenditure on ASC.  Also pavement at Half Moon, which is part of S106 agreement with Hanlons (the start date for work is unknown)

Cllr J Enright reminded the meeting that at the last Annual Parish Meeting, Ian Sorenson had stated that average speed cameras were likely to be trailed in the parish and whilst the pedestrian crossing was mentioned, it seemed unlikely that it would happen for some    considerable time.  However, DCC had since drawn up plans for a crossing and these were now a costed item in their forward plan with no mention of ASC.

Cllr M Squires reported that DCC cabinet had decided that the ASC would go on the North Devon link road.

Cllr D Hodge remained very concerned about the speed of traffic through the parish, especially at the present time.

Standing orders were suspended and Cllr G Barnell suggested that when the old school site is developed there may be some S106 money that could be used for road improvements.  Standing orders were reinstated.

A vote was taken on whether to support the funding of a pedestrian crossing or to ask DCC to reconsider allocating ASC to the parish.  Six councillors voted in favour of the crossing, two in favour of ASC with one abstention. 

It was agreed to keep ASC on the agenda and to continue to push for installation.

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

Cllr M Squires noted that stocks of PPE had remain stable across Devon with hospitals, community and GP practices working together to share stock meaning there is enough across the county for the time being.

E-mail updates had been circulated from Cllr M Squires and there was nothing else to add 

12/05/20     Miscellaneous Correspondence

Thank you from Citizens Advice for grant                     

Parish Hall are keen to have cycle racks available and are taking this forward

The Local Government Boundary Commission Review has been paused

DCC Climate Emergency Newsletter

                       

13/05/20     Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda

The road by the railway bridge on the south side was being undermined by a badger set.  Clerk to inform Network Rail.

Cllr D Hodge to forward details of speed activated signs for consideration at next meeting                  

14/05/20     Date of next meeting: Thursday 4 June 2020, via Zoom at starting at 7.00pm. 

End of Formal Business

The meeting closed at 8.15pm