Parish Council Minutes: July 2024
DRAFT MINUTES
These minutes will be agreed at the Parish Council meeting on 12th August and might be subject to slight amendment
The minutes of a meeting of Oakford Parish Council held in the Committee Room at Oakford Village Hall on Monday 8th July 2024 at 7.30pm
Present:
Cllr’s G Baylis (Chair), J Cridland, F Cross, L Gould, J Levick, J Mayer and V Stevens.
In attendance:
District Cllr C Adcock and the Clerk, Mrs J Larcombe.
29/07/24. To receive apologies for absence.
Apologies were received from District Cllr R Gilmour.
Cllr Gilmour was congratulated on her recent election as an MP.
30/07/24. Declarations of Interest.
No declarations of interest.
31/07/24. Public Forum.
No members of the public present.
32/07/24. To agree the minutes of the meeting held on 10th June 2024 as an accurate record of the meeting.
The minutes were agreed as an accurate record of the meeting and they were duly signed by the Chair.
33/07/24. Matters arising from the minutes, not covered elsewhere on the agenda.
None.
34/07/24. Planning
a) To comment on any planning applications received before the meeting.
No applications received.
b) To note any planning decisions made by MDDC.
24/00700/House. Erection of a car port and potting shed. Location: Red Deer House, Oakford. Decision: conditional approval granted.
c) Update on alleged planning breaches.
There has been no progress.
d) Any other planning matters.
None.
35/07/24.Highways:
a) Any matters to note or report.
None.
b) Update on flooding issues/blocked drains.
No update.
c) Update on improving signage on Hangmans Hill.
Cllr Chesterton was going to follow this up following the May meeting. The Clerk has emailed Melanie Mckenna. Neighbourhood Highways Officer, and is expecting a reply once she returns from leave. The Clerk was asked to remind Cllr Chesterton to follow this up.
Action: The Clerk to remind Cllr Chesterton to follow up on improving the warning signage on Hangmans Hill.
d) To discuss options for a parish map and make a decision.
Cllr Baylis has gone back to MDDC and has been given another map with the footpaths in the parish marked on it. MDDC has also provided a list of properties in the parish. Cllr Baylis will ask Mr Phillips, former Parish Council Chair, to sit down with him and Cllr Mayer to check properties and property names on the map in order to provide a numbered index. This will then be shared with the rest of the Parish Council for them to check it. It was agreed to have the map printed on foamex board. Cllr Baylis will check with Ken White Signs to ensure it will not fade too quickly.
Actions: Cllr Baylis to lead on producing a numbered index of properties in the parish which will be shared for councillors to check. Check about fading before an order is placed with Ken white Signs to have it printed on foamex.
36/07/24. Footpaths: to discuss options for the Footpath Co-ordinator role.
The role has worked well because of Tony Northcott’s good working relationship with Stuart Howell, DCC Public Rights of Way Warden. As no one has come forward to take on the whole role it was suggested the work involved could be split into co-ordinating the maintenance of the paths and walking the footpaths and recording their condition. Cllr Cridland and Cllr Gould both walk the footpaths and could take on recording the condition of the footpaths. There is a small walking group in Oakford who might possibly help. Cllr Cridland said her husband is willing to consider taking on the co-ordination of the maintenance work and she will get him speak to Tony to find out more about the maintenance. There has been one person who has expressed an interest in getting involved. Anyone can report a problem with a footpath online on the DCC website.
Action: Cllr Cridland to ask her husband to speak to Tony Northcott to find out more about the maintenance of the footpaths.
37/07/24. Reports:
a) County Cllr Report.
No report.
b) District Cllr Report.
A written report from Cllr Adcock was circulated by email prior to the meeting. The new government is likely to make changes to planning law and set new housing targets.
Cllr Mayer asked if the issues with the housing development behind Tiverton Town Hall had been resolved but Cllr Adcock was not sure.
38/07/24. Update on SWW work to the sewerage treatment works.
There are no issues.
39/07/24. Community Area:
a) Any points to note from inspections of community area.
No
b) To note the replacement of the gate at the top of the play area and the sand added to the pétanque court.
Cllr Stevens has replaced the gate and the pétanque court has been topped up with sand. The cost for both will be about £300. The gate is fastened with a rope at present but Cllr Stevens will replace this with a chain. The work was all done in time for the fete. The grass has been cut well and the field looked good. Positive comments were received following the fete. In the autumn councillors will look at cutting back some overhanging trees and branches.
Action: Cllr Stevens to replace the rope on the new gate with a chain.
c) To discuss options for repairs to the bridge or possible replacement.
Cllr Levick is still trying to get people to look at the bridge.
d) To discuss the suggestion of trying to create a footpath from the Village Hall car park to the Community Area.
Cllr Meyer has mentioned this idea to the Village Hall Committee. People that Cllr Stevens has mentioned it too have thought it was a good idea. Possibilities now need to be looked into. The key thing will be getting landowner permission. Cllr Stevens volunteered to make an approach.
Action: Cllr Stevens to approach the landowner.
e) Any matters to note.
The MDDC Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) has been redrafted and four amendments have been made, including one for Oakford. It has been approved by the Service Delivery & Continuous Improvement Policy Development Group and will be presented to Cabinet tomorrow, 9th July, It will then be checked by the legal department and put out for consultation. Once it has been approved by Cabinet the Parish Council should hear that it has moved onto the next stage.
The planter in the village has been rebuilt. A volunteer has offered to take on looking after the planter and the plants.
40/07/24. Finance
a) To approve any invoices or expense claims presented for payment.
It was resolved to make the following payments:
Hampton Maintenance - £180.00 grass cutting (Payment ref: 2425/12)
Devon Association of Local Councils - £36.00 Responding to planning applications webinar (Payment ref: 2425/13)
Mrs J Larcombe - £150.45 Clerk’s salary for June (Payment ref: 2425/14)
An internal transfer will be made from the Instant Access Account to the Current Account to return the balance to £500.00
b) To note any receipts since the last meeting and the bank balances.
Since the last meeting bank interest of £94.79 has been received.The Current Account balance is £500.00 and the Instant Access Account balance is £15,723.07.
c) Bank reconciliation 30.06.24.
The bank reconciliation was checked and signed by Cllr Levick.
d) To receive the Internal Audit Report.
The Council met all internal control objectives.
e) Wild About Devon Community Wildlife Grant Scheme 2024. To discuss making an application.
Cllr Gould will contact David Bannister to get an update on the wildlife work he has been doing in the parish and will discuss the possibility of making an application for funding for owl and bat boxes. A project in Bampton was noted where nesting boxes for Swifts were provided in the Church. The deadline for applications is 1st October 2024.
Action: Cllr Gould to contact David Bannister for an update and to discuss the possibility of making an application for funding for owl and bat boxes.
41/07/24. Defibrillator training.
Cllr Baylis reported he had received an email asking if the Parish Council would like any defibrillator training. It was agreed that Cllr Baylis will arrange a session on a Saturday in September or October.
Action: Cllr Baylis to book a defibrillator training session on a Saturday in September or October. He will also the book the hall.
42/07/24. Correspondence.
The following correspondence was noted:
DALC Newsletters
MDDC press releases
MDDC – latest side waste statistics
Devon Multiply – free numeracy courses and training
Devon Communities Together – land lines are going digital by 2027
43/07/24. To confirm the date of the next meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Monday 12th August 2024.
The meeting closed at 8.44pm.