WIDECOMBE PARISH COUNCIL
 i         Minutes of a meeting of the Parish Council held on Thursday 3 January 2019 in Church House, Widecombe
Present: Councillor Newbolt-Young (Chairman), Lomax, Morley and Southcombe
Also present: County Cllr Gribble and District Cllr Jeffery
Members of the Public: There was one member of the public present.
Clerk: Suzanna Hughes
4363 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
• Cllr Booty
• Cllr Hassell
• Cllr Fenton
• Cllr Routley
• Cllr Welby
• Rob Steemson (DNPA)
4364 OPEN FORUM
There were no members of the public present.
4365 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST & REQUESTS FOR DISPENSATIONS
Councillors 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 4373(b). All members have previously been granted a dispensation to enable them to discuss this item. There were no other declarations of interest.
4366 RATIFICATION OF MINUTES
Members received the minutes of the Parish Council meeting held on 1 November 2018 which were approved and signed by the Chairman as a true and correct record.
4367 POLICE REPORT
No report.
4368 COUNTY COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Cllr Gribble informed members that the buddle holes near the Tavistock Inn are on the list to be cleared. The cattle grids have been repaired. Cllr Gribble advised that should anyone wish to contact him about Highways or any other County Council matters, his mobile number is 07863 291216. Cllr Southcombe reported that the drain was blocked outside her property. She advised that DCC looked at it but did not unblock it so the residents have now done it themselves.
4369 DISTRICT COUNCILLOR’S REPORT
Cllr Jeffery advised that there is a TDC budget meeting next week.
4370 DELEGATES REPORTS
None.
4371 MATTERS ARISING
(a) Widecombe Community Hall
The Steering Group’s Treasurer, Richard Casey, informed members that the Group has only spent half of the £10,000 Awards for All grant. An extension to the deadline has been granted giving further time to use the funds. The relationship with Devon Communities Together has broken down following a dispute about financial
contributions to the project. The Group currently has a bank balance of £13000. It has also received an award for 10 days of professional advice. Additional grants have also been sourced for training for Trustees and bid writing. The Group has been advised to reduce the scope of the community hall. Plans are therefore being revised to achieve an area of below 320 sqm to achieve it within a budget of £600,000. The next stage will be to obtain planning permission, get the CIO (Charitable Incorporated Organisation) up and running and source further funding. Cllr Morley asked what would happen should the referendum to increase the precept be unsuccessful. Richard Casey advised that it would not be impossible for the project to continue but it would be very difficult. A discussion ensued about the timing of the Parish Poll and how it ties in with the precept request being made to TDC. The clerk advised that the deadline to submit the 2019/20 precept request is 1 February and so it would be too late, should a poll show support for an increase, to make a request for next financial year. It was agreed that the poll should be carried out in June. The clerk will confirm with TDC how this is arranged and the costs. It was agreed to discuss the wording of the leaflet which will be distributed in advance of the poll and how it will be distributed, at the next meeting.
(b) Community Housing Project
Members were informed that a leaflet has been distributed advertising the drop-in consultation event on Saturday 26 January, 10am-12pm in the primary school. Some members advised that they had not received the leaflet.  Members considered the proposed Housing Group Terms of Reference. It was agreed to adopt the
Terms subject to the following amendments:
- Increase the quorum to a minimum of 3 including at least one representative of the Parish Council.
- Delete ‘Members of the public are not invited to attend meetings’ and replace with ‘Meetings are not open to the public’. Members considered the Local Lettings Policy and agreed to defer discussion until February’s meeting.
(c) North Hall Field
Members received proposed Heads of Terms from DNPA for the renewal of the lease. Concerns were expressed that full responsibility for repairs and maintenance of all boundaries currently on the land had been given to the Parish Council. It is understood that in the previous lease, DNPA were responsible for
the boundary between the car park and tennis court. The clerk was asked to query this with DNPA and also to confirm the costs of renewal.
(d) Local Plan Consultation
Cllr Lomax and Southcombe advised members that they had attended the meeting at DNPA. It was agreed that should members wish to comment on the first draft of the plan, they could do so
independently or send them to the clerk for onward transmission.
(e) Land Registry searches on land in the parish  Cllr Fenton was not present at the meeting and therefore no report was given.
(f) Annual Parish Meeting
It was agreed to hold this on Thursday 21 March at 7.00pm (subject to availability of the hall). It was agreed that one of the main focuses of the meeting should be an update on the Village Hall project.
4372 PLANNING
(a) New applications/appeals
(i) 0652/18 – Erection of single storey side extension and replacement porch at Middle Cator Farm, Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Members had no objections to this application.
(ii) 0673/18 & 0674/18 – Internal and external remodelling plus new dormer windows at Hannaford Manor, Poundsgate
Members had no objections to this application.
(iii) 0636/18 – Field shelter with equipment room and access track, Land adjacent to Old Post Office,
Poundsgate (retrospective) Members had no objections to this application.
(iv) 18/0080 – Proposed Tree Works, The Old Rectory, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Members supported the proposal to fell the chestnut.
(v) Proposed emergency services telecommunications mast,  Poundsgate  Members were advised that the design for this has now been revised and a landscape assessment has been carried out which concludes that the site will not be visible to the closest properties. Due to timescales, the application has already been submitted to DNPA. It was agreed not to comment until the plans have been sent formally to the Parish Council from DNPA.
(b) Decisions
(i) 0521/18 – Erection of oak-framed garden room, Bagpark, Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional planning permission.
(ii) 0595/18 & 0596/18 – Change of use and conversion of stables to ancillary accommodation to provide home office, Hatchwell Hall, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional planning permission.
(iii) 0517/18 – Change of use of garage to form short stay holiday letting unit including addition of flue, land to the rear of 1 Model Cottages, Lower Town, Poundsgate Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional planning permission.
(iv) 0537/18 – Conversion of stables to single storey holiday let, Old Glebe House, Widecombe-in-the-Moor
Members noted that DNPA has refused to grant conditional planning permission.
(v) 0489/18 – Replacement windows to rear elevation, Middle Natsworthy, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional listed building consent.
(vi) 0499/18 – Repairs and internal alterations, Tunhill Farm, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional listed building consent.
(vii) 0322/18 – Erection of a general-purpose barn for storage and use in connection with Widecombe Fair (13.5m x 13.5m), Widecombe Fair, Widecombe-in-the-Moor Members noted that DNPA has granted conditional planning permission.
4373 FINANCE AND GOVERNANCE
(a) Payments
Members received and approved the following payments:
▪ Cheque no 000997 - Clerk’s salary and disbursements (January) - £248.47
▪ Cheque no 000998 - HMRC (PAYE) - £153.80
(b) Budget and Precept 2019/20
Members received budget proposals and considered the precept requirement for 2019/20. The budget proposals were accepted. It was agreed that the cash required from TDC would be £6,264 equating to a 0% year on year increase in the precept. It was noted that the council tax support grant has been withdrawn.
4374 HIGHWAYS
Cllr Lomax advised that there is a large pothole at the top of Southcombe Hill. She was advised to report it online.
4375 CORRESPONDENCE
None.
4376 MATTERS OF INFORMATION AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIRMAN
There being no further business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 9.25pm.
Signed ………………………………………….. Dated ……………………………………….
The next meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Thursday 7 February 2019 at 7.30pm.