Minutes from September 2022 meeting
Newton St Cyres Parish Council
Minutes of Newton St Cyres Parish Council Meeting held in the Parish Hall Club Room on Thursday 8 September 2022
The meeting commenced at 7.00pm
Members present
Cllr J Enright (Chair) Cllr S Parker
Cllr R Cashmore Cllr G Scopes
Cllr G Quicke Cllr C Southcott
Cllr L Ouldridge Cllr P Taylor
In attendance: Cllr G Barnell (left 7.30pm), 1 member of public, J Hole, Parish Clerk
Cllr J Enright expressed the Council condolences at the sad passing of Queen Elizabeth II and sent best wishes to the Royal family
Public Participation
Information was requested on the procedure for becoming a parish councillor and this was explained by Cllr J Enright. Basically, all existing councillors will stand down after the April meeting. Anyone who wished thereafter to apply to be a Parish Councillor would need to lodge the appropriate form with Mid Devon District Council early in April. Forms will be available at Parish Surgeries and from the Parish Clerk. If more than 9 applicants applied then a local election would take place. It was hoped that a number of new applicants would come forward as an election, although at a small cost to our village, would ensure a diverse Council with a wide group of skills and fresh ideas. And, with the Neighbourhood Plan being finalised early in the new tenure, every councillor will need to be very actively involved. The present Chairman, Cllr Jim Enright will not be standing, and therefore a new Chairman will be voted in at the May meeting.
Formal Business
01/09/22 Apologies
Cllr D Hodge, Cllr M Squires (apology received after the meeting)
02/09/22 Declaration of Interest
None noted
03/09/22 Minutes of the last meeting held on Thursday 7 July 2022
Agreed and signed as a true record
04/09/22 Mid Devon District Council
4.1 Planning Applications:
22/01469/CAT- Notification of intention to fell 27 Leylandii trees/hedging (S1-S27), 1 Common Lilac tree, 1 Holly tree and 1 Box part of hedging and reduce the height of 1 Yew tree to 2m within a Conservation Area at Elmhurst, Church Lane, Newton St Cyres – no comment already submitted
22/01474/HOUSE - Erection of porch and side extension and garage conversion to additional ancillary accommodation at Fairlawn, Church Lane, Newton St Cyres – no comment already submitted
4.2 Planning Decisions:
22/00784/HOUSE - Replacement of flat roofs with pitched roofs and erection of front and rear single storey extensions at Compass House, Newton St Cyres – grant permission
22/00991/HOUSE and22/00994/LBC - Erection of two storey extension/installation of replacement foul drainage system at East Wing Cottage, Hayne Farm, including LBC – grant permission
22/01242/CAT | Notification of intention to remove various trees within the Conservation Area at Fairlawn Church Lane - grant permission
22/00853/HOUSE - Erection single storey extension at Magnolia Cottage – grant permission
4.3 Update on S106 agreement for old school site
Cllr G Barnell updated the meeting. He, together with Cllr J Enright had attended the MDDC Planning committee meeting when the school site application was discussed to speak in favour of a crossing at Tytheing Close. Highways stated that a crossing was “not essential” to the development and without their support no provision for a crossing was agreed. The Section 106 monies will go towards an affordable housing pot with £10,000.00 allocated to the parish, to be spent within 3 years, for use in creating an open space. Use of the S106 money will be considered at a future meeting
4.4 District Councillor, Cllr G Barnell, to report on MDDC business relevant to the parish
Cllr G Barnell reported that there were still a few outstanding issues re reviewing speed limits on the A377 and further discussion was required to agree how to take these issues forward.
The second meeting of the NHP group had taken place and a community engagement forum was planned for later in the year.
Flood network – Cllr G Barnell wished to stand down as Chair of this forum. A meeting of the flood network was planned for the end of October which would also hopefully include provision of flood warden training by DCT. Cllr G Barnell requested that the Parish Council pay for the hire of the hall and this was agreed from the ringfenced CRP budget. A CRG coordinator’s meeting was required and the Clerk would arrange. Cllr G Barnell would be arranging a follow up meeting with Forestry England to continue discussions on natural flood management in local woodlands.
MDDC had carried out a housing needs assessment but the results had yet to be published.
It was expected that as part of the MDDC local plan review, site options would be published next year
05/09/22 Finance
5.1 Parish Council Receipts Current Account: Groundworks - £9,899.00 grant for NHP; DCT £1,500.00, grant for Radios
5.2 Parish Council Payments Current Account: To ratify payments already made (5.2.1 to 5.2.9) and to agree payments for September (5.2.10 to 5.2.14)
These were agreed as
|
Item |
Payee |
Purpose |
Amount £ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
5.2.1 |
Unity Trust Bank |
Bank Charges |
18.00 |
|
5.2.2 |
A J Carpenter |
Maintenance to Bus shelter at Half Moon |
95.00 |
|
5.2.3 |
Hydro Logic Services |
Maintenance of the tipping rain gauge |
606.00 |
|
5.2.4 |
Safety Signs |
No cycle sign |
140.32 |
|
5.2.5 |
Simon Saunders |
Grass cutting Parish (£210) /churchyard (£85.00) |
295.00 |
|
5.2.6 |
Nick Gillon |
RWS expenses (spray paint) |
9.64 |
|
5.2.7 |
NSC Parish Hall |
Room hire |
39.00 |
|
5.2.8 |
J Hole |
Salary and expenses |
363.89 |
|
5.2.9 |
HMRC |
PAYE |
52.00 |
|
5.2.10 |
DCT |
Devon Communities Together annual membership |
50.00 |
|
5.2.11 |
Broadclyst PC |
10 x tubs of pot hole filling material |
144.60 |
|
5.2.12 |
Simon Saunders |
Grass cutting – parish £80.00; churchyard £110.00 |
190.00 |
|
5.2.13 |
J Hole |
Salary and expenses |
335.46 |
|
5.2.14 |
HMRC |
PAYE |
44.20 |
5.3 To approve signatures for this month’s payments – online
Clerk to email two councillors to authorise
5.4 Balances (after above transactions)
5.4.1 Parish Council Current Account balance: £20,329.68
5.4.2 Footpath Account: £268.02
5.4.3 Car Park resurfacing fund balance: £9,017.66
5.4.5 NHP: £9,886.00
5.5 Financial Statement and Budget Monitor
Noted
5.6 To agree to remain opted in to the external audit
Details had been circulated and it was agreed to remain opted in to the external audit
06/09/22 Matters raised by the Chair
6.1 To discuss plans for attracting candidates to be Parish Councillors at next year’s elections
Four Councillors indicated that they would be standing down at the May elections and one was undecided. Cllr R Cashmore agreed to devise a recruitment campaign which would start in January and target as many different sectors of the community as possible, with an emphasis on younger parishioners.
6.2 Following the Crediton Cluster meeting (notes circulated separately) to consider lobbying Devon County Council: to addressing speeding on local roads and an appropriate cycleway for Crediton – Exeter that fully meets the requirements of the area. Notes from BTA circulated
The A377 Action Group had been suspended for the time being with some areas being taken over by the Crediton Cluster meetings. It was agreed to lobby DCC to address speeding on local roads and for an appropriate cycleway for Crediton to Exeter, depending on DCC response to the consultant’s report on the cycleway.
6.3 To note correspondence from local police team – circulated separately and agree any actions
The local policing team had invited Councillors to go out on patrol. Cllr J Enright suggested that if any Cllr was interested, they should contact the Police direct to arrange.
07/09/22 Councillor’s Reports
7.1 Areas of Responsibility reports
7.1.1 Allotments – update on hedges and agreement for community allotment.
Community allotment - There were sufficient parishioners interested in a community allotment and work had started on the four plots allocated to the project. The Clerk would amend the current allotment agreement to reflect that there would be no rent due as along as the produce grown was for community use. The N.E.W Group were keen to carry out hedge laying at the allotments and had spoken to the landowner who was in agreement. They were hoping to arrange some hedge laying training. Cllrs to let the Clerk know of any suppliers of hard core needed for the entrance to the allotments. It was agreed not to charge an existing plot holder rent for the addition of two plots which were currently grass, until renewal next year. One allotment holder had given up their plot.
7.1.2 Surgery - Report from July and August surgery. Next Surgery 10 September – volunteer needed
There were no issues from the July surgery. Positive comments were received at the August surgery regarding pot hole repairs. Cllr G Quicke would swop surgeries with Cllr L Ouldridge and attend on Saturday 10 September
7.1.3 Community Resilience Plan – update required to include fire risk/drought. Response to flash flooding
As agreed earlier a co-ordinators meeting would be arranged
7.1.4 Notes from Raddon Hills meeting
These had been circulated and were noted
08/09/22 Clerk’s Report
Village Green noticeboard – this had been repaired by a volunteer but required varnishing. Clerk to get a quote
09/09/22 Parish Council
9.1 Climate – update from Climate Officer
The Climate Officer had sent apologies for the meeting
9.2 Neighbourhood Plan – update from Steering Group members (Cllr R Cashmore and Cllr G Quicke)
Discussed under 4.4 above
9.3 Road Warden Scheme – update
Cllr R Cashmore noted that over 100 volunteer hours had been logged to date. The lead Road Warden was in regular contact with our NH Officer and reported that the potholes by the entrance to Station Road would be filled shortly.
9.4 DALC AGM and conference – to consider attendance
Any Cllrs who wished to attend should let the Clerk know
10/09/22 Devon County Council
10.1 Outstanding Highways issues
These were carried forward to next meeting.
10.2 New Highway issues
Cllr P Taylor noted that buses were very unreliable and it was agreed that Cllr L Ouldridge would put contact details for Stagecoach in the Newton Wonder to encourage anyone experiencing problems to complain.
10.3 Notes from A377 Action Group – circulated separately and A377 briefing note from HATOC
These had been circulated and were noted
10.4 County Councillor, Cllr M Squires, to report on DCC business relevant to the parish, including any report from SCARF
There was no report
11/09/22 Miscellaneous Correspondence -
Various newsletters/correspondence circulated.
Email re fire concerns – concerns would be picked up in the CRP review and at the coordinators meeting
12/09/22 Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda
None noted
13/09/22 Date of next PC meeting: Thursday 6 October 2022, 7pm in the Club Room, Parish Hall
End of Formal Business
Public Participation
A N.E.W Group member was working with the road wardens to support decisions re cutting back etc.
The meeting closed at 8.20pm