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Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Widecombe Parish Council Minutes January 2018
WIDECOMBE PARISH COUNCIL
Minutes of a meeting of the Parish Council held on Thursday 4 January 2018 in Church House, Widecombe
Present: Councillor Newbolt-Young (Chairman), Booty, Fenton, Hassell, Lomax, Morley, Routley, Southcombe & Welby
Also present: PC A Dudley & Miles Fursdon (Parish Snow Warden)
Clerk: Suzanna Hughes
4219 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
• District Cllr Jeffery
• County Cllr Gribble
4220 OPEN FORUM
The parish snow warden, Miles Fursdon, expressed his frustration and disappointment about the difficulties he was experiencing with DCC trying to restock the grit bins. He advised members that the numbering and online reporting system is also inaccurate. He had met with a Highways Officer before Christmas who had promised that the bins would be restocked by 22 December. This has still not happened. It was agreed that the clerk would contact DCC and express the Council’s disappointment that the snow warden was not being given the support that is expected and request that urgent action is taken to resolve the issues.
4221 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST AND REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATION
Members were reminded of their responsibility to continually update their Notice of Registerable Interests and to declare any disclosable interests, including the nature and extent of such interests they have in any items to be considered at this meeting. Unforeseen requests for a Dispensation to be considered at this point only if there was no way a Councillor would have been aware of such before the meeting. As council tax payers in the parish, all members present declared an interest in item 4229 (b). It was agreed unanimously to grant Cllrs Hassell and Lomax a dispensation to enable them to discuss and vote on this item. All other members had already been granted a dispensation in January 2016.
4222 RATIFICATION OF MINUTES
Members received the minutes of the meeting of 2 November 2017 which were approved and signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.
4223 POLICE REPORT
PC Dudley informed members that there had been 10 incidents reported in the last month including the death of a kayaker in the River Dart. He also advised that a vehicle had gone down Poundsgate Hill and into the river. No crimes had been reported in Widecombe. He advised that the number of PCSOs will be decreasing. There are currently 350 in Devon and Cornwall. This will be reducing to 150 by 2020.
4224 COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
No report.
4225 DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
No report.
4226 DELEGATE REPORTS
(a) Communication - Cllr Hassell reported that he will be testing the system again before going live. This will require members to sign-up so that test emails can be sent. He will also be working on the flyer with Cllr Morley.
(b) New Councillors’ Training - Cllrs Hassell, Lomax and Southcombe informed members that they had enjoyed
the new councillors’ training course which they had attended in November.
(c) Church House Committee - Cllr Fenton advised that he had attended this meeting. A National Trust
representative will be looking at the lighting to assess its suitability and how it can be improved.
4227 MATTERS ARISING
(a) Widecombe Fair
Cllr Welby advised that Widecombe Fair Committee had not considered the draft contract yet and it was therefore agreed to defer this item until the next meeting.
(b) New affordable housing development (field adjacent to Brook Lane Cottages) A meeting for members with Teign Housing and TDC will be held at 6.30pm on 1 February in advance of the Parish Council meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to update members about plans to develop the site.
(c) Annual Parish Meeting
The date of the Annual Parish Meeting will be Thursday 15 March at 7pm. It was agreed that this would be a good opportunity to receive an update on the proposed new village hall and the plans to develop the field adjacent to Brook Lane Cottages with affordable housing.
4228 PLANNING
(a) New applications/appeals:
(i) 0632/17 - Replacement extension & alterations at Molly’s Cottage, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Members agreed to support this application. It was noted, however, that an on-site notice had not been posted alerting neighbouring properties to the application and that online documents had not been available over the Christmas and New Year period. This was to be pointed out to the planning officer.
(b) Decisions:
(i) 0491/17 - Renovation of existing pig house and creation of small garden at Land adjacent to, and south of, 2 Manor Cottages, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional planning permission.
(ii) 0514/17 - Removal of mobile home, demolition of residential accommodation and erection of replacement residential accommodation at Café on the Green, Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional planning permission.
(iii) 0391/17 - Demolition of existing and replacement with new dwelling, Top Lodge, Ponsworthy Members noted that DNPA has refused to grant planning consent
(iv) Appeal against DNPA’s refusal for the erection of an agricultural workers’ dwelling, Blackdown Piper Farm, Widecombe-in-the-Moor (648/16) Members noted that the Planning Inspectorate has allowed the appeal.
(c) Site Inspection
0480/17 – Erection of a general purpose agricultural barn with hardstanding at Land at Higher Sherwell, Poundsgate Cllrs Lomax and Southcombe reported that they had attended the site nspection which had been arranged by DNPA. It was noted, however, that the application has now been withdrawn.
4229 FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE
(a) Payments for approval:
Members received and approved the following payment for approval:
▪ Cheque no 000966 - Clerk’s salary and disbursements (Dec & Jan) - £444.00
▪ Cheque no 000967 - HMRC (PAYE) - £150.80
▪ Cheque no 000968 - G Partridge - £300
▪ Cheque no 000969 - DALC (New Councillors’ Training) - £100.47
(b) Budget and Precept 2018/19
Members received budget proposals and considered the precept requirement for 2018/19. The budget proposals were accepted. It was agreed that the cash required from TDC would be £6,445 including council tax support grant of £190 equating to 0% year on year increase in the precept.
(c) New signatory
Members agreed to vary the bank mandate adding Cllr Hassell as a signatory on the account.
4230 HIGHWAYS
The following matters were raised and would be brought to the attention of the Highways Officer: ▪ The signposts that were knocked down some months ago have still not been put back up
▪ There are some overgrown hedges in Poundsgate belonging to Lake Farm making it difficult for larger vehicles to pass. Cllr Fenton noted that the signage in the car park had still not been updated by TDC. It was agreed that the clerk would follow this up.
4231 CORRESPONDENCE
(a) Members received and noted correspondence from Sarah Reeve updating them about the proposed new village hall. It was noted that a survey has been sent to every resident in the parish and the
results will be published on the new website – www.widecombevillagehall.co.uk. Parishioners and
interested parties are also able to become members for a small fee.
(b) Members received an email from a parishioner expressing concern about the deterioration of the hedge and retaining wall of the leat opposite the tennis court. It was noted that this was likely to be the responsibility of the landowner at Coombe though the clerk has asked for confirmation from DCC and a response is awaited. The parishioner advised he had been unable to get the landowner to take remedial action and has asked whether the Parish Council could step in to preserve the historic leat. It was agreed that this would be added to the agenda for discussion next month.
4232 MATTERS OF INFORMATION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN
None.
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.08pm.
Signed ………………………………………….. Dated ……………………………………….
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Thursday 1 February 2018 at 7.30pm.
The information on this page was last modified on January 30 2018 11:00:28.