Minutes from November 2022 meeting

Newton St Cyres Parish Council

Minutes of Newton St Cyres Parish Council Meeting held in the Parish Hall Club Room on Thursday 3 November 2022 

The meeting commenced at 7.00pm 

Members present

Cllr J Enright (Chair)                              Cllr S Parker

Cllr R Cashmore                                    Cllr G Scopes

Cllr D Hodge                                         Cllr C Southcott

Cllr L Ouldridge                                     Cllr P Taylor

Cllr G Quicke 

In attendance:  Cllr M Squires, DCC (left 7.45pm), Cllr G Barnell, MDDC, 2 members of public, J Hole, Parish Clerk

Public Participation

Concern over the speed of traffic and a request for speed watch to start again.  Cllr S Parker reported that he was in discussion with a new Police contact and was waiting to hear when the scheme could start again.  New volunteers would be required.

Buses were still unreliable and did not follow the timetable.  Cllr M Squires suggested that complaint letters should also be copied to DCC.

Formal Business

01/11/22      Apologies

None 

02/11/22      Declaration of Interest

None noted 

03/11/22      Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 6 October 2022  

Agreed and signed as a true record 

04/11/22      Mid Devon District Council

4.1                 Planning Applications:

None        

4.2                 Planning Decisions:

None          

4.3                 To consider public consultation on an Air Quality supplementary Planning Document and Non statutory interim Planning Policy Statement: Climate Emergency https://www.middevon.gov.uk/residents/planning-policy/supplementary-planning-documents/air-quality/

Noted

4.4                 District Councillor, Cllr G Barnell, to report on MDDC business relevant to the parish

MDDC had written to Parish Councils outlining their current financial situation and asking if there were any areas of work that Parish Councils could take on.

The next meeting of the A377 Action Group was on 23 November and the Boniface Trail was the main item on the agenda. 

A request had been made to the HATOC committee to include on their next agenda road signage and speed limits between Newton St Cyres and Crediton.

Peddlers Pool – concern about the design, layout and connectivity of the development had been raised with MDDC Planning.  Meetings with Parish Council chairs and district and County Cllrs had taken place and a meeting had been requested with the developer, Bellway Homes.  It was noted that going forward, questions about infrastructure needed to be raised as early as possible as part of the planning process, especially with regard to water supplies as water companies were not a statutory consultee.

Crediton Cluster meetings, organised by Crediton Town council, were continuing and the focus was currently on how to get a dialogue with Schools, Health and Transport providers and how to incorporate this dialogue into the planning process.

Discussions were taking place between Forestry England, the Environment Agency and land owners to try and improve water retention higher up in the valley following the EA designation of Newton St Cyres as a rapid catchment area.

                        

05/11/22      Finance

5.1                 Parish Council Receipts Current Account: None

5.2                 Parish Council Payments Current Account

The grass cutting amount for the parish was £80.00 and not £160.00 as shown on the agenda.  Since the agenda had been sent out, an invoice from the Parish Hall for room hire had been received for £78.00 and it was agreed to add this to the payment schedule at 5.2.5 below Payments were agreed as follows:

Item	Payee	Purpose	Amount £
5.2.1	Ian Salter	Bus shelter cleaning	32.00
5.2.2	Value Products Ltd	Litter picking vests	55.81
5.2.3	SLCC	Clerk’s Membership of SLCC	112.00
5.2.4	Simon Saunders	Grass cutting parish £80.00/churchyard £150.00	230.00
5.2.5	Parish Hall	Room Hire (1 x NHP, 1 x CRG and 4 x PC)	78.00
5.2.6	J Hole	Salary and expenses	347.99
5.2.7	HMRC	PAYE	44.20

 

5.3                 To approve signatures for this month’s payments – online

Cllrs G Scopes and Cllr G Quicke

5.4                 Balances (after above transactions)

5.4.1   Parish Council Current Account balance: £19,571.00  

5.4.2   Footpath Account: £268.02

5.4.3   Car Park resurfacing fund balance: £9,018.48                

5.4.5   NHP: £9,886.00

5.5                 Financial Statement and Budget Monitor

Noted

5.6                 To consider purchase of a Roughneck Digging Bar - £37.48 for Road Warden

https://www.toolstation.com/roughneck-digging-bar/p48155. 

The Road Wardens had also requested magnetic vehicle strips (approx. £72.00) and additional personalised Hi-Viz jackets (approx. £25.00) and it was resolved to purchase these.  A broken tamper had been returned to the supplier and a new one supplied had also broken.  The Road Warden would use his own tamper for the time being.

5.7                 Update on how balance of Jubilee money (£185.50) will be spent

It was agreed that the outstanding balance would be given to the Newton Environmental Wellbeing Group to be retained by the Parish Council as N.E.W do not have a bank account 

06/11/22      Matters raised by the Chair

6.1                 None 

07/11/22      Councillor’s Reports            

7.1                 Areas of Responsibility reports

7.1.1              Allotments – to agree community allotment tenancy – circulated separately

A verbal quote for £350.00 to remove the dead elm trees had been received and this would be requested in writing.  Some free loose chippings to go by the entrance had been found and it was agreed to find out if these were certified “clean”.  Cllr R Cashmore would consult with the Road Warden to find out the best way to put the chippings down to ensure they are retained in the allotments and do not spill out onto the road.  The amended allotment agreement was approved.

7.1.2              Surgery - Report from October surgery: i) speed of motorists on the A377; ii) What is happening with community speed watch and where is the hand held radar gun? iii) Boniface trail and results of the survey and iv) the 30mph sign up at Sandown Lane requires repair.  All issues are addressed elsewhere in the mintues

Next Surgery 12 November – Cllr L Ouldridge

7.1.3              CRG update – use of radios

The radios had been tested in the parish and had provided good coverage.  The Clerk would issue the radios to members of the CRG, noting serial numbers and requesting a signature for receipt.  Training in the use of the radios would be included with flood warden training to be provided by the Environment Agency

7.1.4              Footpaths – some stiles had been put in rather than gates and Cllr S Parker would discuss with the land owner.  A new hand rail was required on Footpath 1 where it crosses the river.

 

08/11/22      Clerk’s Report

8.1                 To agree date for Annual Parish Meeting 2023 - Available dates - Wednesdays March 15/22/29 or April 12/19/26 

It was agreed to book Wednesday 12 April

 

09/11/22      Parish Council

9.1                 Climate – To note invitation to join Mid Devon Wildlife Scheme and Report from Climate Officer

It was noted that NEW are part of the Wildlife scheme.  The report from the Climate Officer was noted 

9.2                 Neighbourhood Plan – update from Steering Group members (Cllr R Cashmore and Cllr G Quicke)

Planning continued for a pubic meeting to be held next February.  The primary school and parents would be invited to participate

9.3                 Road Warden Scheme – update

Cllr R Cashmore reported that the scheme was going well and additional volunteers had been recruited.  Clerk to send a note of thanks to Northfield Landscapes who had loaned machinery.  Cllr C Southcott recorded a vote of thanks for the pot hole filling that had taken place near New Estate. 

10/11/22      Devon County Council

10.1               Outstanding Highways issues

• Speed restrictions in Station Road – SCARF re test requested – with Cllr M Squires/NHM to action – no update
• Request for a School sign in Station Road and possible zig-zag lines outside the school. With NHM to consider a sign and or a SCARF retest – no update
• New grit bin for Kingfisher Close – grant requested. Chased October 2022 – Cllr M Squires to chase up with NHO
• Broken sign at Sandown Lane (Oct 22) – RW can’t fix so has been reported to DCC – this had been fixed
• Parking on Station Road (Oct 22) – a reply from DCC had been circulated to Newton House residents who had decided that they no longer wished to pursue the matter

10.2               New Highway issues  

Damaged sign on A377

10.3               County Councillor, Cllr M Squires, to report on DCC business relevant to the parish, including any report from SCARF

Cllr M Squire reported that DCC were forecasting a £37 million shortfall this year increasing to £80 million next year.  Discussions were taking place with central government to try and increase funding.

 

11/11/22      Miscellaneous Correspondence

Various newsletters/correspondence circulated.  

12/11/22      Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda

 Raddon Hills Group were looking to increase and enlarge the group.  There would be a focus on getting volunteers to work across parishes.                       Radar speed signs 

13/11/22      Date of next PC meeting: Thursday 1 December 2022, 7pm in the Club Room, Parish Hall

 

End of Formal Business

Public Participation

NEW had arranged hedge laying training with a view to laying the hedges round the allotments as agreed with the land owner.

Cllr G Barnell suggested that speeding issues should be referred to HATOC

 

The meeting closed at 8.15pm