Minutes September 28 2020
Minutes of the Meeting of Stoodleigh Parish Council held remotely at 7.00pm on Monday, September 28th 2020 via Googlemeet
Members present - Chairman Cllr L Biles Vice Chair Cllr J Widdowson Cllr S Davey Cllr G Parkman Cllr C Payne Cllr G Talbot
1 Apologies – these were received from County Cllr P Colthorpe and District Cllr R Stanley owing to other engagements. Cllr W Knowles had anticipated problems with the Internet.
2 Declarations of Interest – none received
3 The Public – no one in attendance
4 Minutes of the Meetings held July 27th and August 20th – the Planning meeting held in August was approved as a true record. The July meeting was approved as inaccuracies on “Planning Issues” had subsequently been amended. In future the minutes will be circulated to all the council for comment before a draft copy is published on the website.
5 Reports
County Council – a copy of the report is attached
District Council – an update had been received from Cllr R Stanley. Much of this contained a summary of local happenings within MDDC. £23 million has been distributed to assist struggling businesses in MDDC to help them to continue.
Other information will be covered under any following relevant headings.
Parish Councillors – excess speeding has been reported both on Stoodleigh Drive and on the road near Wheatland Barn. The Chairman agreed to write to Mr Whittaker as some of his associated contractors seem to be part of the problem.
Inconsiderate parking by the Old Post Office and at Stoodleigh Inn is making it difficult for larger vehicles to pass.
Cllr Davey had highlighted sections of Footpath 1 which needed attention to the relevant authority but as yet nothing has happened.
Cllr Widdowson has been accepted to represent the community as Councillor Advocate for Police Liaison matters.
Cllr Talbot has contact information for local help with fallen trees.
6 Planning Applications & Outcomes
20/00650/FULL Erection of an equestrian dwelling, Lower Ford – decision awaited
20/00660/HOUSE Erection of a front porch & 2 storey extension, Fairview – granted
20/00883/FULL Replacement of an underground reservoir with a holiday cottage, Ash Hill - granted
20/00931/HOUSE Rection of extension and front porch, Rull Farm - granted
20/00987/FULL Conversion of an agricultural building to 2 holiday lets, Higher Rifton – permitted with conditions
20/01080/HOUSE Installation of windows & porch Jessamine Cottage, granted with conditions
There may be cause for enforcement action with unauthorised building alterations and residency problems within the village, but this has yet to be confirmed.
7 The Playground – it was agreed for the Title Deeds to be lodged with Ashfords Solicitors as HSBC in Tiverton will close in December.
The opening of the playground needs to be delayed until some safety issues have been addressed. Since the RoSPA report both the swing and picnic bench now also need attention. Cllr Talbot will circulate a summary of the RoSPA 2020 findings needing correction. Additional bark is needed after spraying off of the grass. Mole damage has become a serious problem and Cllr Talbot will try and find a catcher. It was suggested that a community email was sent to remind people of the recommended guidelines to follow when visiting the playground and laminated notices to this effect to be displayed on site. On a positive note the overhanging branches have been removed and Cllrs Knowles and Widdowson will revisit the playground to determine the priority list of equipment for remedial attention.
8 Litter pick – although District Cllr Stanley has offered to provide the basic essentials and clearly there is litter accumulating the council felt cautious about recruiting volunteers at present with the pandemic. The next organised effort will be discussed at the March PC meeting
9 The Website – the Stoodleigh Website is now compliant with the EU Accessibilty Guidelines. It has been extremely time consuming and should any information be needed on issues documented prior to 2018 it is suggested to contact the Clerk. Documents created under Word are not a problem but the financial returns required by the auditors are not easily compatible in their current published format
10 Broadband Universal Service Obligation – because Stoodleigh are already on fibre broadband the residents are not eligible to take advantage of this offer. The actual postcode of a property appears to be fundamental where the broadband speed is determined and properties furthest from Stoodleigh Moor are most disadvantaged.
11 The Defibrillator – the Chairman has purchased a new battery only to find out that the pads also need renewal. It was unanimously agreed to reimburse him for both at the same time. Phil Talbot is prepared to periodically check that the indicator display light is still on green, which is a big help. Routine maintenance as such is not required. In the event of the equipment being used or a problem identified the Chairman should be contacted and the Clerk should action the rapid purchase of any replacement items.
12 Replacement Salt Bin at Kissing Gate & general Winter safeguards - since the salt bin was damaged it has been moved but not to an obvious place. It needs replacing and repositioning, as this is a DCC matter Cllr Widdowson agreed consult County Councillor P Colthorpe . At the November meeting a reminder will be issued to residents to check the amount of salt available in their nearby bin. The Snow Warden training was postponed indefinitely.
14 Covid 19 – the Chairman suggested this item to pool ideas in the event of a second lockdown. It is preferable to have discussions in person but with the Rule of 6 it seems that remote meetings will continue for some time. Generally last time people were very neighbourly at helping out. Bampton Fresh was most helpful at suppling food and supermarkets extended their delivery slots. Volunteers with 4 wheel drive vehicles came forward but because of the mild winter were not needed.
15 Finance
The current HSBC balance as at 12th September is £9736.25
The spreadsheet had been previously circulated for information.
Payments were approved Clerk Salary £720
HMRC £180
Administrative expenses £49.66
L Biles £ 232.80.
Subscription to the ICO was not deemed essential on the advice of the District Council