Draft Minutes subject to Confirmation
LYDFORD PARISH
COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE
MEETING
Held in the Nicholls Hall on Tuesday 22nd
July 2008
84-2008 Present:
Ms L Ellicott (Chairman): Ms J Gannon (Vice-Chairman); Mrs L Cole: Mrs S Holland:
Mrs K Boyd: Ms C Moriarty: Mr I Hammerton: Mrs A Martin (Clerk)
Parishioners
and others in attendance: Mr J Pettit RIBA, Project Manager of the Ancient Spring Restoration
Project, and Mr S Powne (former Chairman of the LPC) were in attendance.
85-2008 Apologies for Absence:
Cllr A Hosking (clash of dates) and Cllr I McPhie (maternity break) were accepted.
86-2008 Declaration of Interests
There were none.
87-2008 Parishioners and Visitors Time:
87.1 Mr Pettit gave a report on progress at the Ancient Spring, where work is well under way. The groundwork should be completed by the end of the week. When it is completed the site will look rather bare awaiting the planting. Some of this has to be done in the Autumn, and the contractor will return to the site to carry it out. Mr Pettit has been extremely impressed with the craftsmanship of the chosen contractor, who was recommended to us by the DNPA.
Mr Pettit also submitted draft text for the proposed information board for the Council’s input. Mr Pettit was thanked by the Chairman.
87.2 Mr Powne was the Chairman of the Council at the time when the Parish Plan was instigated, and expressed disappointment that the questions did not seem to address the local issues that it had been envisaged that the Plan would cover. Ms Gannon confirmed that there were questions that were not permitted by the statisticians at Devon County Council, though the provision of comment boxes allowed Parishioners to raise these issues in their replies. It was reported that the village of Linkinhorne, in Cornwall, had chosen to “go it alone” with their questionnaire and Parish Plan, and a sample of their questionnaire was given to the Council and will be circulated around the members. It is believed, however, that the resulting Linkinhorne Parish Plan may subsequently have been disallowed.
Messrs Pettit and Powne left the meeting.
88-2008 To approve the minutes of the
previous meeting:
The minutes of
the meeting held on Tuesday 17th June 2008 were signed by the
Chairman as a true and accurate record.
89-2008 Matters Arising:
89.1 Winter Opening of the Toilets: This was one of the issues which could not be raised on the Parish Plan Questionnaire, but is covered under the generic heading of “services”. Members felt that many respondents might not have recognized this opportunity to comment. Whilst the Castle Inn is undergoing change of management it is not known whether an arrangement for the public to use the toilets at the pub may be able to be instigated for the coming winter. In the light of the information that West Devon were not able to offer any option that would substantially reduce the costs it was UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the Council will not pay the WDBC charge to keep the Car Park toilets open during the winter months.
89.2 Highways, Parking and Traffic Issues: A letter had been received from Devon County Highways including information that the “No Horses” sign on the Granite Way has deliberately not been replaced, as the opening of the Granite Way to horses is under consideration. This prompted a discussion, during which it was decided that the Lydford section of the Granite Way provides a tarmac surface which is both suitable for, and already used by, vulnerable sections of the community as it provides particularly good disabled access. Horses can easily use the Public Byway adjacent to Bolts House, running roughly parallel to the Granite Way, which is only accessible to pedestrians and cyclists with a robust level of fitness to cope with the steep and stony surfaces, and to negotiate boggy areas and the footbridge in the valley. Additionally there are miles and miles of moorland rides easily accessible from the village. It was noted that a number of horses are already using the Granite Way, and recently a near catastrophic accident was only narrowly avoided when a bolting horse, whose rider had lost control, almost collided with a group of small children. It was RESOLVED that the Council will write to Devon Highways to oppose the opening of the Lydford section of the Granite Way to horses.
Replacement of the missing “30 mph” sign is under way, and Devon had requested details of the missing “Lydford” sign. These will be supplied.
The Parish lengthsman is due in the village from 28th July. The Clerk was asked to draw his attention to the culvert below the school.
89.3 Parish Plan update – Around 80 questionnaires have already been returned. Advice regarding the procedure for their return has been included in the August edition of the Parish Magazine. The completed questionnaires will be sent to Devon County Council, where the information provided by the tick boxes will be collated by computer. It will then be returned to the Committee, who will record and analyse the individual comments written on them. It is anticipated that a number of quite extensive comments will be received. A further Public Meeting is planned when this stage has been completed.
A letter will be sent to Mr Powne acknowledging his interest in the issue.
Councillors had also received a letter from a Parishioner regarding the questionnaire, and Ms Gannon, as Chairman of the Parish Plan Steering Group, was authorised to reply to this on behalf of the Council.
89.4 Progress re: Ancient Spring – Dealt with in Visitors Time
89.5 Progress re: Emergency Plan – Mr Hammerton sought authorisation to put a piece in the September issue of the Parish Magazine, seeking help from the local community and volunteers with particular skills or equipment. This was given. Mrs Boyd has listed a number of ideas, and the two councillors will meet to discuss further progress. A supportive letter has already been received from a Parishioner.
90-2008 Receive Reports from Councillors on respective outside bodies:
90.1 DNPA Consultative Forum No meeting.
90.2 Police Authority No meeting.
90.3 Southern Parishes Link Committee There will be an important meeting on 31st July, which Mrs Boyd will attend, accompanied by the Clerk.
90.4 Nicholls Hall Committee The Kiddies’ tables and chairs have been ordered, and also a towel unit for the kitchen. There will be no Hall Bistro Nite in August or September, but on August 8th the Sports Field will be holding a “Summer Supper” in lieu of the Bistro Nite.
77.5 WDBC No report this month.
91-2008 Finance:
91.1 The Clerk, as Responsible Financial Officer, gave a report detailing the following points:
i) The Annual Return was made to the Audit Commission by the due date.
ii) The VAT refund of £669 has been received.
iii) As there is no August meeting it was requested that advance authorisation should be given for the following: the Clerk’s August salary, grass cutting and stationery invoices, the money due to the Contractor when he finishes the first phase of work in the Ancient Spring, including authorisation to transfer the money into the current account. It was RESOLVED that all of the above were authorised.
91.2 The following balances were reported:
Current account – £1023.54
Deposit account - £4831.96
Parish Plan - £1216.48
Ancient Spring - £9127.67
The following cheques were authorised from the general budget: Clerk salary & expenses £308.08: HMRC (via Post Office Ltd) £53.85: T Liversidge (grass) £34.00; Mainly Stationery (re: Parish Plan) £12.25; DAPC training £48.00. Provisions held as shown on the sheet circulated to members and attached to the master set of minutes.
92-2008 Correspondence
92.1
Correspondence requiring action or decision:
1. The Boundary Committee’s proposals: The Boundary Committee has announced that there are two proposals under consideration, with the existing unitary authorities of Plymouth and Torbay remaining unchanged under both. Under the first proposal the whole of the rest of Devon would form a single unitary authority, and under the second there would be a fourth unitary authority comprising Exeter and its rural hinterland, and extending downriver along the Exe Valley to include Exmouth. The Council felt that the first proposal was preferred to the second, although it was also felt that the implementation of this proposal would take Devon backwards to a similar organizational structure to that in place prior to the Local Government Act 1972. A letter will be sent to the Boundary Committee expressing the Council’s views.
2. A request from the Community Shop Committee for a Parish Council representative to attend meetings. Mr Hammerton was happy to take this on, although having considerable retail experience as a small shopkeeper he felt that the viability of the project was a matter of some question.
92.2 Correspondence for
Information Only
1. Minutes
of the Standards Committee
2.
Correspondence regarding removal of BT payphones
3
Training programme from WDBC
4
Correspondence regarding PO closures
5
Information regarding Digital switchover – roadshow to be outside
Morrisons in Tavistock on 26th and 27th September.
6
Information regarding Commons
Registration at Heckwood , Whitchurch
7 From
Stone’s solicitors offering their services
8 DNPA
Local Development Framework
9 Devon
Talk
10 Notification
of an imminent DNPA Survey of listed buildings in and around Lydford
93-2008 Planning Applications
93.1 The following planning decisions have been received: An application to demolish woodstore and replace with larger store and extend back porch for woodburning boiler, plus install solar panels on east and west roof slopes at Larrick House (0321/08) – permission granted.
An application for alterations including first floor extension, to enable annex to be occupied by relative, ancillary to use of dwelling at 1 South View (0362/08) – permission granted.
93.2 An application for a
two-storey extension at Widgerys (0443/08)
Discussions hinged on the size of the extension, and potential effect on neighbouring properties. It was, however, felt that there were no particular objections that the Council wished to make, and therefore it was RESOLVED that the following response should be made:
The Parish Council has NO OBJECTION to the proposal.
93.3 A letter had been received from Dr and Mrs Palmer at Olde Stone
with a very brief outline of their desire to replace the existing bungalow with
a two storey property. There were no
drawings or plans submitted, and therefore it was felt that only the most
general comment could be made at this stage, and after discussion it was felt
that the Council would have no objection to the principle outlined, ie that a
two storey house should be built in a location ensuring that the existing roof
line would not be exceeded, and that on completion of the house the existing
bungalow would be demolished.
94-2008 Items raised at the previous meeting for inclusion on this agenda:
94.1 Beating the Bounds: This is due to take place around Rogationtide 2009. The Clerk will write to both the Secretary of the Commoners, and also to the Church, to request their approval for the Parish Council to undertake the organization of this event.
95-2008 Items raised for inclusion on
the next Agenda
95.1 Opening Ceremony at the Ancient Spring
95.2 Quality Council Status
95.3 Community Land Trust
96-2008 To agree the date of the next meeting:
The date of Tuesday 16th September was agreed commencing at 7.00 pm.
There being no further business the meeting was formally closed by the Chairman at 8.45 pm.
Annie Martin
Clerk to the Parish Council 23rd July 2008
Signed as a true and accurate record…………………………………… (Chairman)
Date……………….