Agenda for October 2021 meeting
Shobrooke Parish Council
Notice of Meeting of Parish Council
Dear Councillors
I hereby give notice that the meeting of the above-named Parish Council will be held on Wednesday 20 October 2021 at 7.30pm
All members of the Council are hereby summoned to attend for the purpose of considering and resolving upon the Business to be transacted at the meeting set out hereunder.
Dated this 14 October 2021
Signed Jane Hole
Clerk to the Parish Council shobrookepc@outlook.com 01392 851148
Public Participation
Members of the public are invited to give their views and ask questions on issues on this agenda or to raise issues for future consideration by the Parish Council. Limited to 15 minutes.
Formal Business
(Members of the public may not take part in the formal business of the Parish Council except under special circumstances)
01/10/21 Apologies
To receive apologies
02/10/21 Declaration of Interest
2.1 Register of Interests (ROI). Councillors to update as required
2.2 Personal Interests (PI). Councillors must declare any personal interest in items on the agenda and their nature.
2.3 Disclosable Pecuniary interest (DPI). Councillors must declare any pecuniary interest in items on the agenda and their nature and they must leave the meeting for that agenda item.
03/10/21 Minutes of the last meeting held on Wednesday 15 September 2021 (previously circulated)
To be agreed and signed as a true record
04/10/21 To consider any applicants for co-option
Standing orders to be suspended to allow discussion with candidates. If co-opted to consider training requirements
05/10/21 Mid Devon District Council
5.1 Planning Applications:
None
5.2 Planning Decisions:
None
5.3 Update on Affordable Housing – see below
5.4 Report from MDDC Councillor, Cllr Graeme Barnell on MDDC business relevant to the parish.
06/10/21 Finance
6.1 Parish Council receipts Current Account: None
6.2 Parish Council payments current account: To be paid via online banking
|
Item |
Payee |
Purpose |
Amount £ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
6.2.1 |
Defib Warehouse |
Purchase of defibrillator |
1,626.00 |
|
6.2.2 |
J Hole |
Salary and expenses |
336.55 |
|
6.2.3 |
HMRC |
PAYE |
18.60 |
6.3 To approve authorisers for this month’s online payments
6.4 Balances:
6.4.1 Parish Council Current Account balance: £3,147.90
6.4.2 Parish Council Footpath balance (in above current account figure): £311.74
6.4.3 Parish Council Reserve Account balance: £7,798.65 (£3,250.00 ringfenced for play equipment)
6.5 Financial Statement and Budget Monitor – attached.
6.7 Update on internet banking – to sign forms to add Cllr L Balkwill to list of signatories
07/10/21 Road and Footpaths
7.1 Outstanding Road and Footpath issues – Update on salt for new salt bins
7.2 New issues identified
7.3 To note that any unregistered footpaths not registered by 2026 will be lost – see Don't Lose Your Way - Ramblers
08/10/21 Parish Council
8.1 To note training for new councillors has been booked
8.2 Update on Community Emergency plan – to consider if Shobrooke should develop a Community Emergency plan. See notes from MDDC zoom meeting below
09/10/21 Councillor’s Reports
9.1 To consider any Councillor reports for areas of responsibility
Update on Neighbourhood Watch Co-ordinator
Update on appointment of Snow Warden and storage of towable gritter
9.2 Playing Fields
9.2.1 To note weekly inspections reports
9.2.2 Update on meeting with MDDC to carry out risk assessment. To note MDDC advices a post installation inspection of the new equipment
9.2.3 To consider quotes for the replacement of the wooden cross bar on the toddler play swings and to note that a wooden upright also requires replacement
9.2.4 Grant application to Viridor Credits – see list of requirements below
10/10/21 Clerk’s Report - None
11/10/21 Devon County Council
11.1 Report from DCC Councillor, Cllr M Squires on DCC business relevant to the parish
12/10/21 Miscellaneous Correspondence
Various newsletters circulated; A list of any other correspondence will be available at the meeting
13/10/21 Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda
Each Councillor is requested to use this opportunity to report minor matters of information not included elsewhere on the agenda and to raise items for future agendas. Councillors are respectfully reminded that this is not an opportunity for debate or decision making.
14/10/21 Date of next meeting: Wednesday 17 November 2021, at 7.30 pm, at the Village Hall
End of formal business
Agenda Item 5.3
Dear Jane,
Further to advice that I have provided to you on 23rd August, I have been asked to contact you again by Councillor Barnell with regard the content of the adopted Mid Devon Local Plan.
Councillor Barnell has drawn my attention to paragraph 4.22 in relation to Policy DM6 ‘Rural Exceptions’, which states “However, some parishes do not contain a defined settlement but may have an affordable housing need, in which case a broader interpretation of ‘settlement’ will be appropriate, as long as there would be reasonable access to local services and infrastructure.”
I have given careful consideration to this in relation to Shobrooke village and based on my understanding of local services and infrastructure I have some reservations about whether ‘reasonable access’ to these can be fully demonstrated in the way that the adopted Mid Devon Local Plan policies intend.
Shobrooke has a public house (including a recently opened convenience shop), village hall, and church. The village is served by the number 347 bus service between Crediton and Cheriton Fitzpayne. However, this has only one daily stop each way (10.46 am and 14.15 pm). The nearest schools and other services will be located at Crediton which is 1.5 miles away and there are no dedicated footpaths or cycleways linking Shobrooke to other places with these facilities. Please let me know if there are other local services and infrastructure at Shobrooke that I have not taken into consideration.
However, we are happy to investigate further the potential for affordable housing at Shobrooke with the Parish Council, including the level of local housing need. I have copied in my colleague, Arron Beecham who is the Council’s Principal Housing Enabling and Policy Officer. Arron will be able to provide you with more advice about affordable housing and other forms of housing, including custom and self-build.
The Council has recently commenced the preparation of a new Local Plan for Mid Devon and this will provide an opportunity to look again at policies for villages in the district, including potential scope for limited development to meet identified local housing needs. We intend to publish and consult on an Issues Paper later this year and will contact Shobrooke Parish Council about this.
Response by Cllr G Barnell to T Peat
Tristan
Shobrooke clearly has reasonable access to local services and infrastructure being only a short drive away from all facilities in both Crediton and Newton St Cyres. The criteria you are imposing for pedestrian access, cycle routes and bus services are unreasonable given the nature of the Devon highways and public transport system in rural areas and the general lack of infrastructure in nearly every part of rural Devon. it is clear that the private motorcar will need to remain the primary mode of transport in rural areas for some years to come, at least until safe robot systems of automated transport can be introduced. Your test rules out any significant development in most every rural community in Devon.
Graeme
Agenda Item 6.5
Agenda Item 8.2
Report from Building Community Resilience Meeting held on 27/09/21
The meeting was held on Zoom between 18.00 and 17.30 on the 27th of September. The meeting was chaired by Devon Communities Together (DCT) and there were 26 participants for most of the meeting.
The meeting was opened by Simon Newcombe from Mid Devon District Council who emphasised the importance of community plans covering a range of potential emergencies.
Martin Rich (DCT) then briefly introduced the purpose and structure of Community Resilience Plans and noted the four key aims of such plans:
- To reduce injury and fatality in communities
- To reduce damage to homes and community structures
- To protect the environment
- To accelerate recovery.
He noted the importance of developing comprehensive plans to ensure that all possible scenarios were at least considered and that even low likelihood events were at least thought through by the community. He emphasised the need to not only have a plan but also a team of people who are willing and able to implement it in the event of an emergency. He also stressed the need to regularly review the plan to incorporate changes in both knowledge and contacts.
Martin also discussed the emergency response hierarchy and the importance of both Devon County Resilience Board and the Local Resilience Forum as means of sharing experience, knowledge and ideas.
Louise MacAllister, Project Manager for DCT, then introduced some importance funding streams for community resilience work. Two main streams were discussed:
- Scheme 1: is mainly for parish groups developing their plans;
- Scheme 2: is for the purchase of equipment incorporated in the plan (e.g., snow shovels, communication radios), for communications to people in the parish concerning resilience issues, or for minor works such as ditch clearing where a riparian owner cannot be identified. This scheme is for a maximum of £1,500 per application.
Chris Khan from the Environment Agency (EA) then discussed flood preparations. He noted that flooding is the most widespread emergency in the UK and that this is increasing due to climate change. This results in more frequent and more intense downpours, and sea level rise. Sea level is predicted to rise by 1.5m in the next 100 years. Flooding of domestic properties causes, on average, £30k of damage/ household. Chris provided slides of examples of past floods in Devon most of these occurred in August not in the winter as many people believe.
Chris noted that EA work on flood planning had identified 77 Rapid Response Catchments (RRC) in Devon of which 3 are in Mid-Devon, one being Newton St Cyres. A RRC is essentially one which responds rapidly to a rainfall event, has the potential for severe of flooding and has the presence of vulnerable populations. The EA has guides to assist communities to prepare and respond to such events.
Chris also briefly outlined the responsibilities of riparian landowners for water courses.
Liz Taylor from the EA then discussed the three stages of a flood:
She also discussed the support that the EA can provide in terms of training and plan testing.
She outlined the EA’s Whole Catchment Approach to flooding and noted that this operates at three levels: At 1) the household, 2) the community, and 3) the catchment.
Liz recommended watching a video entitled High Water Common Ground https://vimeo.com/267108220 which covers a range of different flood control mechanisms.
Martin Rich then opened the meeting for questions. Some key points arising from this were:
- How do we share information about plans without giving away secure information re vulnerable groups and essential response equipment? It was suggested that redacted copies of the plan could be used.
- Should we keep plans very simple to focus on the most likely events? Better to cover most events in the plan, even unlikely ones, as the process of thinking through such emergencies is a learning process.
- How do we deal with medical emergencies? The Red Cross can help with providing guidance on this. Martin also discussed the possibility of a future meeting where all the emergency services could provide first responder guidance.
(report written by NSC Parishioner)
Agenda Item 9.2.3
Application form for Viridor Credits – the following is required
- Insurance documents
- Plan of the maintenance and management of the park
- Details of environmental considerations
- How will the project improve the social built and or natural environment?
- Photos of the site- photos of the project required
- 3 Quotes
- Financial breakdown with details of funding already secured
- Start and end dates for the project
- Support for the project from parish – 5 letters is a minimum
- How is the facility publicised now and how will it be publicised after the project?
- Number of people who use the facility for each day and an estimate of the yearly visitors before the project and after the project
Total £336.55
** Extra hours – MDDC zoom meeting 1.5 hours and meeting for play equipment 1 hour
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