March 2017
UPLOWMAN PARISH COUNCIL: MINUTES OF MEETING
Held on 16th March 2017 at the Village Hall, Uplowman starting at 8.45pm.
Approved on 9th May 2017
Cllrs R Radford (MDDC), D Hannon (DCC), C Slade (MDDC) & K Wilson (TTC) plus 13 members of the public present. Minutes taken by Mr R Hodgson, Clerk. Action points in bold.
- MEMBERS PRESENT
1.1 Present: Cllr T Milner (Chair), Cllr R Adcock, Cllr R Norman, Cllr R Branton, Cllr A McCombe and Cllr K Baugh.
- PROCEDURAL MATTERS & APOLOGIES
2.1 Cllr S Floyd had tendered apologies for absence due to a family engagement.
- MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (19 January 2017)
3.1 The Draft Minutes of the Meeting held on 19th January 2017 had been circulated. The Minutes were agreed without change (prop Cllr Adcock) and were signed as a true record of that meeting.
- MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
4.1 There were none.
- FINANCES
5.1 Current Balance: £3,823.25
Income since last meeting (VAT refund): £609.82
5.2 The following payments were approved and cheques signed to effect the disbursements:
R Hodgson (Clerk's salary + Expenses): £520.00+£12.25p
Ken White Signs (sign at school): £34.80, already paid as agreed at Jan meeting.
W J Veen, for tidying leat: £37.50
UHRA, for hall hire Sept-Mar: £40.00
5.3 The precept request for £2,900 had been submitted.
5.4 The Clerk presented provisional year-end figures for 2016-7. There were no queries. The Clerk proposed that Mr Clark again be asked to act as Internal Auditor for the year. This proposal was agreed without dissent. The Clerk would approach Mr Clark.
- PLANNING/LICENSING APPLICATIONS
6.1 16/01694/LBC: Install door to replace window at Uplowman House : Had been approved by MDDC
6.2 17/0032/House: Little Whitnage, erect shed, install oil tank. Had been approved by MDDC
6.3 17/0050/LBC: Little Whitnage: replace windows, bathroom, etc: Had been approved by MDDC
6.4 17/0033/OUT: Erection 8 dwellings, Crosses Farm field: As previously discussed, UPC had submitted an objection to this application, which had not yet been determined. There had been considerable further public discussion, including a contribution by the planning agent for the application (see Public discussion). It was agreed that (a) the UPC objection still stood, and (b) that a request be made to Uplowman's MDDC Member that, should it appear that the MDDC Officers were minded to approve the application, it should be called into Committee for discussion. The Clerk was asked to make this request to Cllr Radford.
6.5 17/00243/HOUSE: 4 Crossways extension: UPC had visited and had no objection
6.5 17/00055/CLP: Sweetfield House: change use to children home has been permitted by MDDC
6.6 13/01616/MOUT: 330 houses Up Rd – Application had been made n to vary Sect 106 agreement, inc details of travellers site.
6.7 17/00098/FULL: removal of gardens and enabling works for Link Rd junction – for information. It was noted that work on the junction to the link road had started.
6.8 16/00351/FULL: Chillomene, conversion of barn: Has been approved by MDDC.
- CORRESPONDENCE
A list of correspondence received and sent had been circulated. Attention was drawn to the following items of interest that were not covered elsewhere:
7.1 MDDC were consulting on their Local Enforcement Plan and on the Town & Parish Charter. UPC had no immediate comments to make on either of these.
7.2 Devon Senior Voice magazine would henceforth be available only on annual subscription of £12. UPC were not prepared to pay for this magazine.
7.3 Sampford Peverell Play Park had sought funding for improvements to the play area. UPC considered that, as it was not in Uplowman, funds should not be provided for this.
- HALL AND RECREATION ASSOCIATION
8.1 The UHRA would to do another beer/music festival. Hall repairs and maintenance would start soon.
- EMERGENCY PLANNING AND NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
9.1 PCSO Simms had handed responsibility for the Uplowman beat to PCSO Carrie Morris. PCSO Morris had reported that there had been almost no crimes recorded in Uplowman in the past 2 months. Cllr Hannon noted that a gang of shed burglars had been apprehended near Plymouth and a large quantity of stolen goods recovered. It was hoped that the recent spate of shed burglaries would abate.
- VILLAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
10.1 Cllr Adcock had received the defibrillator and would install it at the Hall soon. He would also be arranging training on 18th and 25th April for anyone who wished to receive it.
10.2No TAP funding application had been made by UPC as it was unclear whether the projector was needed. However, UHRA had applied separately for a set of cricket nets.
10.3 Cllr Branton proposed that John Crook, recently deceased, should be commemorated in some appropriate way for all his work in getting the Hall built and his contributions to many other aspects of Uplowman village life. All would reflect on this.
- STATE OF ROADS IN PARISH
11.1 The surfacing in School Lane remained poor. Cllr Hannon noted that with Steve Leigh retiring soon, Willy Pike would again be responsible for Uplowman's highways.
- DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The next meeting had been scheduled for Thursday 18th May 2017. However, Cllr Milner would be unable to attend. The Clerk would investigate alternative dates during the previous week.
(After subsequent consultations, the date has been rearranged for Tuesday 9th May)
The Chair closed the meeting by expressing the heartfelt thanks of UPC and the people of Uplowman to Cllr Des Hannon (retiring in May) for all the support he had given the village during his 12 years as its County Councillor. He said that Cllr Hannon would be much missed and wished him all the best for his life after DCC.
The meeting closed at 9.30pm
Public discussion.
- There was considerable further discussion about a planning application to build 8 homes behind Crosses Farm. Ms Janine Banks, planning consultant for the development, commented:
- The national strategy is for additional housing, which could over-ride Uplowman's status as not suitable for development;
- MDDC need to demonstrate a 5 year supply of housing and some of those sites already identified may not be available in time;
- Uplowman has infrastructure: church, school, bus (one per week) – services get lost if not used;
- The developers would work closely with the community to make the final plans appropriate. 3-bed family homes were envisaged.
Comments in response included:
- Tiverton Eastern Extension was starting, suggesting there is land available;
- Traffic through Uplowman is fast and the entrance will be dangerous;
- plus many of the points made before the January meeting.
Minutes of 16 March 2017