Council Minutes September 2019
Minutes of Stoodleigh Parish Council Meeting held on the 30th September at 7.00 pm in the Village Hall
Members present -:
Chairman Cllr Leo Biles, Cllr S Davey, Cllr W Knowles, Cllr G Parkman, Cllr C Payne
1. Apologies -
these were received from Cllr J Widdowson and District Cllr R Stanley
2. Declarations of Interest –
none received at this point
3. The Public –
there were no members in attendance
4. Co-option to the Council –
Geraldine Talbot was welcomed to the meeting and invited to join the council as agreed at the July meeting. She signed the Acceptance of Office Declaration and was then asked to both continue with updating the website and take on the responsibility of posting hard copies of information on the 2 notice boards. She declared a possible interest in the Village Hall and a planning application submitted by the Stoodleigh Inn.
5. Minutes of the Meeting held 29th July and 19th August
these were approved and signed as a correct record
6. Reports
a) County Council – a report from County Cllr P Colthorpe is attached. She added that the Climate Change Protest outside Phoenix House had been enthusiastically supported. It is perhaps fortunate that Exeter University has the highest density of specialists on this subject in the country and therefore is easily accessible for information and guidance. Gigaclear’s contract to install fibre broadband has been terminated as the failure to connect 27,000+ households within the agreed time scale was totally unacceptable. Unfortunately seeking fresh tenders will cause another delay.
b) Parish Councillors
3 willing volunteers are tackling the restoration of the signpost at Stoodleigh Moor Cross. Any cost of materials will be reimbursed.
Cllr Davey would like to organise a Litter Pick, possibly on November 2nd and will approach Ray Stanley to provide the equipment and arrange disposal of the material collected. It would seem simpler to have the Parish Hall as the distribution point.
The issue with the recently erected fence in Rull Lane which obstructed field access appears to have been resolved.
The subject of painting the Post Box at Quoit -at-Cross was discussed. The decision was made that as the PO have apparently got this on their to do list, the task should be left to them.
7. The Playground –
verbal assurance has been given that the money will be forthcoming to purchase and install a Trim Trail. The Chairman would like to see a written confirmation or credit of the monies before proceeding. The broken bar on the top of the slide has been repaired. The playground surface will be renewed with bark next year, once the Trim Trail is in place and before the annual March inspection.
8. Definitive Map Review –
the council decided that they had little extra to add to comments made at the presentation but are unaware of whether individuals have been in touch with the Review Officer. It was decided that there was no need to extend the deadline for response beyond the advertised November one but would issue a reminder on the website.
On the subject of footpaths Cllr Davey will report to the Highways Authority on the 2 trees dangerously leaning across the Drive on land at Stoodleigh Moor.
9. Mid Devon Tourism –
much appreciation was given to the work in compiling the submission carried out by Geraldine Talbot.
10. Village Get Together –
this was widely debated. The suggestion to hold a gathering open to all residents of Stoodleigh appealed but there were reservations even if the event was fund raising for a Charity. The parish council might vote to make a donation towards a recognised cause but could not agree to providing any other funding. SWAG already works hard and raises money within the parish. Organising such an event involves a great deal of work. Cllr Knowles was much in favour and offered to provide parking and a site for a marquee. The idea will be floated on the website.
11. Stoodleigh Autumn Market 26/10/19 –
Cllrs Davey and Comley agreed to be available to take questions in an informal manner between 10 and 12am.
12. Planning –
applications and results
18/01711/FULL Gibbet Moor revised drawings. Clerk apologised for a typing error on the agenda, misquoting the reference number. There are still major concerns about the potential size of the intended operation, considered industrial rather than agricultural, heavy traffic increase at Stonelands Cross and water run off. It was felt unnecessary to comment further at this stage.
19/01073/CAT Tree surgery at Fair View – awaiting decision
19/01352/PNFG Champles Wood & The Clift, erection of a forestry building – dev. acceptance
19/01133/CLU Replacement conservatory, 3 Hill Crest – certificate of lawfulness
19/01159/CAT Felling of Ash Tree, The Old Forge – no objection
19/01280/HOUSE single storey extension Hazel Farm – permission granted
19/01435/FULL erection of a toilet block, Stoodleigh Club – awaiting decision. It was unanimously decided the council wished to support this application and if the facility could be made available for public use, other than patrons this would be a bonus. Clerk to action.
A potential breach of planning has been reported with the unfinished track to an agricultural building erected between Ash Cross and Vials Corner. The access problem is accentuated now that the weather has turned wet. Cllr Knowles to make enquiries.
13. TTROs and their distribution -
the Clerk suggested that the volume of notifications circulated could be reduced but the council wished to be kept fully informed and so the current system would be continued. Cllr Talbot will update the website accordingly.
14. Finance
HSBC current account balance as at September 12th £10,042.30
Payments were approved Clerk £720 HMRC £180 Admin expenses £82.24 Parish Hall £52 VAT for 2018/19 credited