Minutes from October 2020 meeting
Shobrooke Parish Council
Minutes of Parish Council meeting held via Zoom on
Tuesday 13 October 2020
The meeting commenced at 7.30pm
Members Present
Cllr J Ingham (Chair) Cllr A Jones
Cllr C Boult Cllr A Ripper
Cllr B Curle
In attendance:
Cllr G Barnell, MDDC (left after item 4), J Hole, Parish Clerk
Public Participation
There was none
Formal Business
01/10/20 Apologies
Cllr L Pitts (personal), Cllr M Squires, DCC (another meeting), Cllr M Boult (dialled in but lost internet connection)
02/10/20 Declaration of Interest
None noted
03/10/20 Minutes of the last meeting held on Tuesday 8 September 2020
Agreed and signed as a true record
04/10/20 Mid Devon District Council
4.1 Planning Applications:
20/01634/HOUSE - Erection of garden room at Trew House, Chilton – no comment
4.2 Planning Decisions:
None
4.3 To note the Local Government Boundary Commission have accepted the proposals put forward by Cllr G Barnell and are now consulting on this amendment
Details of the consultation had been circulated. Cllr M Squires, DCC, had sent an email stating she did not agree with the proposals as put forward by Cllr G Barnell. This was noted.
4.4 Report from MDDC Councillor, Cllr Graeme Barnell on MDDC business relevant to the parish – to consider petition to MDDC and DCC re traffic/road safety
A petition from Cllr G Barnell had been circulated. This asked that “MDDC and DCC work together to produce a joint transport assessment and plan that addresses the impact of new housing developments in and around Crediton on the communities between Crediton and Exeter”. Councillors were in full support of this petition and it was agreed that Cllrs J Ingham, B Curle and A Ripper would formally sign the petition when presented by Cllr G Barnell.
Cllr G Barnell noted that transport assessments that form part of planning applications are often inadequate and S106 money is not usually allocated to improvements on the A377 or outlying parishes. In order to get DCC and MDDC to commit to a joint transport assessment, a sustained campaign would be necessary and it may help if Parish Councillors attended MDDC meetings when this issue discussed. The other parishes that would be signing the petition were Newton St Cyres, Crediton Hamlets and Stoke Canon plus the relevant district Councillors.
Cllr G Barnell informed the meeting about a current East Devon planning application for a slurry lagoon at Rixenford Lane which, if granted, would lead to increased traffic in Mid Devon parishes including Shobrooke. Details would be circulated and added to the next agenda if there was still time to comment
Cllr G Barnell left the meeting and the zoom connection was lost and it was necessary to redial in. The meeting restarted with the following present:
Cllr J Ingham, Cllr C Boult, Cllr B Curle, Cllr A Jones
05/10/20 Finance
5.1 Parish Council receipts Current Account:
None
5.2 Parish Council payments current account
These were agreed as:
|
Item |
Payee |
Purpose |
Amount £ |
|---|---|---|---|
|
5.2.1 |
NSC PC |
Shobrooke portion of training course for clerk |
12.50 |
|
5.2.1 |
J Hole |
Salary and expenses |
306.00 |
|
5.2.2 |
HMRC |
PAYE |
19.20 |
5.3 To approve signatures for this month’s cheques
Clerk to post cheques to Cllr C Furse for signature
5.4 Balances:
5.4.1 Parish Council Current Account balance: £3,702.85
5.4.2 Parish Council Footpath balance (in above current account figure): £311.74
5.4.3 Parish Council Reserve Account balance: £7,7967.88 (£3,250.00 ringfenced for play equipment)
5.5 Quarterly Bank Reconciliation – for signatories to sign
5.6 Financial Statement and Budget Monitor
Noted
06/10/20 Road and Footpaths
6.1 Outstanding Road and Footpath issues
Bus stop trip hazard/salt bins/ sign post at the Mill
The Clerk had sent a photo of the bus stop trip hazard to DCC. The new salt bins had not yet been filled. Clerk to chase both with DCC. There was no update on the sign post at The Mill.
6.2 New issues identified
The warning sign on the bend by Creedy Court had fallen down and the stop sign by the war memorial had rusted through. Clerk to report to DCC
07/10/20 Parish Council
7.1 Maintenance of war memorial
Cllr C Boult reported that the grass at the war memorial had been cut twice by a parishioner and due to its rules, WDEG were no longer able to cut the grass. Cllr B Curle agreed to speak to the parishioner.
The Churchwarden had sent a thank you note for the £500.00 grant
7.2 Maintenance of churchyards
The Clerk had circulated SLCC advice that when a churchyard was closed, responsibility would be passed to the Parish Council, who in turn could pass responsibility to the District Council. It was not clear what would happen if the church itself was closed, but the churchyard still had burial spaces. Clerk to make further enquiries
7.3 To consider change of day/week for meetings
The best day of the week for both Cllr M Squires and Cllr G Barnell was Wednesday and it was agreed to propose a change of day to the third Wednesday in the month. Clerk to put on next agenda for agreement by all Councillors
At this point in the meeting the zoom connection was lost and it was necessary to redial in. The meeting restarted with the following present:
Cllr J Ingham, Cllr C Boult, Cllr B Curle, Cllr A Ripper
7.4 To consider request to move post box to the other side of the road where there is a pavement and safer access
It was resolved to ask if the Post Office could move the post box
08/10/20 Councillor’s Reports
8.1 To consider any Councillor reports for areas of responsibility
8.1.1 Report from Raddon Hills Meeting
Clerk to circulate notes from meeting. Noted that there was a new DCC Footpath Warden from 1 November.
Cllr C Boult reported that both he and Cllr M Boult had completed the on-line training course for Community Speed Watch (CSW) and would be joining the Crediton CSW. Cllr C Boult had applied to set up a CSW scheme in Shobrooke. Due to a misinterpretation of a comment in social media, it was resolved that the Clerk would write to the Police and clarify that Shobrooke Parish Council did not have its own speed watch team and Cllr C Boult would provide the Clerk with the contact details. Cllr C Boult said it would be helpful if speeding incidents could be reported to him as this would help to justify the need for CSW and build a picture of the extent of the problem. Clerk to put a note in the next edition of The Brooke asking parishioners to provide details of time and place of speeding vehicles.
8.2 Playing Fields
8.2.1 To review re-opening of park
Discussion took place on whether the play park could be opened and it was agreed that the Clerk should contact the insurance company to confirm the measures and steps that were necessary as the last advice received had been during a full lockdown. Cllr C Boult said that he would be able to disinfect hard surfaces once a week at the time of the weekly inspections.
8.2.2 Telegraph poles – waiting to hear from Western Power
8.2.3 To consider a survey of parishioners to find out how the space at the play park should be used.
Deferred to a future meeting
09/10/20 Clerk’s Report
The Clerk had received an email from MDDC asking if local Covid support schemes were still in operation. Cllr C Boult confirmed that he was still offering help and support and was willing to continue to do so. Clerk to forward correspondence received
10/10/20 Devon County Council
10.1 Report from DCC Councillor, Cllr M Squires on DCC business relevant to the parish
There was no report
11/10/20 Miscellaneous Correspondence
Broadband update from CDS – The Clerk noted that Cllr M Squires had offered to arrange for a representative from CDS to attend a Parish Meeting in order to provide an update and it was agreed to request this.
12/10/20 Minor Matters and Items for Future Agenda
As noted above and to consider purchase of subscription to zoom
13/10/20 Date of next meeting: Tuesday 10 November 2020, at 7.30 pm to be held remotely. Clerk to trial use of Google Meet prior to the next meeting and advice the meeting platform to be used.
End of formal business
The meeting closed at 9.35pm