Draft Minutes subject to Confirmation
LYDFORD PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES
OF THE MEETING
Held in the Nicholls
Hall on Tuesday 16th September 2008
97-2008 Present:
Ms L Ellicott (Chairman): Ms J Gannon
(Vice-Chairman); Mrs L Cole: Mrs S Holland:
Ms C Moriarty: Mr I Hammerton: Mrs A Martin (Clerk)
Parishioners and others in attendance: More than ten Parishioners were in attendance.
98-2008
Apologies for Absence:
Mrs K Boyd, Cllr A Hosking and Cllr I McPhie were
accepted. Members were informed that Cllr
Hosking had recently undergone a major operation and good wishes were extended
to him for his recovery.
99-2008 Declaration
of Interests:
There were none.
100-2008 Parishioners
and Visitors Time:
100.1 South West Water has recently raised the
possibility of building a replacement Sewage Treatment Works, and its representatives
have consulted landowners of sites under consideration. A number of Parishioners had questions and
observations to make, and a lively discussion ensued. As nobody present could claim to have any expertise in the
construction and operation of a modern Sewage Treatment Works, a list of
questions was compiled and these will be put to South West Water. A public event will be organised at which
the professional engineers from SWW, who do have the knowledge and experience,
will be able to inform the whole community regarding the Company’s proposals. The questions raised by parishioners at the
meeting which the Parish Council will ask SWW to address are:
Why does the existing Sewage Treatment Works need
to move at all, and is it not possible to upgrade the existing works?
What are the technical requirements of any proposed
new location?
What do the modern works sites look like, and what
traffic movements do they generate?
What are likely to be the next steps in the
process? Will SWW use compulsory
purchase orders to force unwilling landowners to sell to them?
The majority of
Parishioners left the meeting at the end of this item, with only two remaining.
100.2 There
was a question regarding byelaws governing the size and frequency of domestic
bonfires. This Parishioner stated that
he had suffered significant adverse financial consequences in attempting to
carry on the operation of his business, having had to refund and compensate
customers as a result of frequent bonfires lit in an adjoining garden. He reported that the smoke was sufficiently
intrusive that on one occasion the RSPCA had been called by a concerned visitor
worried about its effect on the livestock.
Humans affected were forced to wash their hair and clothing as a result
of the smoke. Councillors felt it was
unfortunate that this behavior was happening as the village has such a good
green collection service in which the green waste is not only removed from
households, but is also then composted by West Devon. The Clerk was requested to check the byelaws relating to domestic
bonfires with West Devon Borough Council.
Councillors hoped that this would be speedily resolved in the interests
of all the parties involved.
This parishioner left the
meeting at the end of this item.
100.3 Mr John Pettit RIBA, Project Manager, gave an
update on progress at the Ancient Spring.
Groundworks have been completed by the professional contractor, and
local children have now planted three hundred bulbs as part of their ongoing
wildlife project. The proposed seating
and the information board have been ordered, and the new compost heap has been
constructed. Mr Pettit was asked for
his recommendation as to a suitable date for the formal opening and suggested March
when the daffodils should be out. Native
English Bluebells had also been planted but these will not be at their best in
the first season after planting.
Mr Pettit left the
meeting.
100.4
Complaints have been received from three separate parishioners about the
new windows opposite to the Croft. The
Clerk will check with the DNPA planning office whether planning permission
should have been sought for these.
101-2008 To
approve the minutes of the previous meeting:
The minutes of the meeting held on Tuesday 22nd
July 2008 were signed by the Chairman as a true and accurate record.
102-2008 Matters
Arising:
102.1 Winter Opening of
the Toilets: The Clerk will confirm to WDBC the Council’s
decision to allow them to close the toilets this winter.
102.2 Highways, Parking
and Traffic Issues: The Chairman reported that a number of
Parishioners had expressed concern that double white lines have disappeared
from the A386 at Vale Down on what is considered to be an extremely dangerous
section of the road. The Clerk will
contact the Highways Department as a matter of urgency.
Ms Moriarty asked about the visit of the lengthsman
and was told that he did indeed visit the village in July. The culvert under the school has not been
cleared, but is very difficult to see for anybody unfamiliar with it. Mrs Martyn has kindly offered to cut back
the grass to make it more visible, and when this has been done the Clerk will
contact the Highways Department again to request that it is cleared.
102.3 Parish Plan update – The returned questionnaires have been
sent to Devon County Council for analysis, and it is expected that they will
finish this task around the end of the month.
The return rate was around 50%.
102.4 Progress re: Ancient
Spring – Dealt with in
Visitors Time
102.5 Progress re:
Emergency Plan – Due to
a computer glitch an e-mail was sent but not received by the editor of the
Parish Magazine, so the item will now go into the October magazine. The Clerk reported that she had received a
request from the police for the name and contact details of Lydford’s Emergency
officer, and she had supplied Mr Hammerton’s details as a temporary measure.
102.6
Beating of the Bounds – The Clerk reported that she had contacted the
Church and Commoners and both have verbally replied that they are happy for the
Parish Council to organise the event.
The old boundary stone which was found in a garden at Vale Down is to be
resited soon now that Bridestowe Parish Council have agreed to the proposed
site, and so will be in place in good time for the event. The Church will be holding their Rogation
Sunday on 17th May, and the Chairman proposed that the Beating of
the Bounds should be scheduled for Saturday 16th May. The Clerk will check the date with various
organizations including the Army Range officer, our Dartmoor Ranger, the
Dartmoor Rescue Group and the proposed leaders of the walk. The Council will approach Mr Howard Barkell,
Mr Ian Hardy and Mr Paul Brooks regarding leading the walk. It is hoped that all three might be able to
assist, which will help to share the responsibility.
103-2008 Receive Reports from Councillors on
respective outside bodies:
103.1 DNPA Consultative Forum No meeting.
103.2 Police Authority No meeting, though there will be a public meeting on October 1st.
103.3 Southern Parishes
Link Committee Mrs Boyd attended the meeting on 31st
July, which was mainly concerned with the Boundary Committee Review of
Devon. The closing date for submissions
is 26th September, and individuals as well as organizations are
invited to make a submission. The
Parish Council submission was sent in July.
The next meeting of the Southern Parishes Link Committee is on Thursday.
103.4 Nicholls Hall
Committee The Kiddies’ tables and chairs have arrived. The Sports Field recently held a very
successful Bistro Nite in aid of their funds.
Dates coming up in the near future are the Villages in Action event on
26th September and Bistro Nites on 3rd and 31st
October.
Mr Hammerton had been asked by a Parishioner to
raise the issue of the Nicholls Hall entry on the Devon Village Halls website,
which only lists the Art Club as a regular activity at the Hall and leaves out
all the others. A printout of the entry
was passed to Mrs Holland to pass on to the Hall Committee.
103.5 WDBC
No report this month.
104-2008 Finance:
104.1 The Clerk, as Responsible Financial Officer, gave
a report detailing the following points:
i) The following pre-authorised cheques were paid
in August: Clerk salary and expenses
£215.88, HMRC £53.85, T Liversidge (grass cutting) £17, C J Pengelly (Spring groundworks
contractor) £4379.81, H V Horticulture Ltd (for Spring) £193.25.
ii) The Precept request form for 2009/10 has been
received. The deadline for its return is
26th December 2008.
104.2 The following balances were reported:
Current account – £825.63
Deposit account - £4163.90
Parish Plan - £1204.23
Ancient Spring - £4469.61
The following cheques were authorised from the
general budget: Clerk salary &
expenses £240.41: HMRC (via Post Office
Ltd) £54.32: T Liversidge (grass) £17.00; Mainly Stationery £17.03. Provisions held as shown on the sheet
circulated to members and attached to the master set of minutes.
105-2008
Correspondence
105.1 Correspondence requiring action or decision:
1. Request
from University of London to publish the Lydford Book of Memories for
not-for-profit academic study only.
Information had been received from David Evans (who was the Clerk at the
time) that the conditions of the grant by which the Lydford Book of Memories was
compiled were specific in their insistence that the information was freely
available in the public domain, and so it was RESOLVED that the permission be
granted.
2. Correspondence
regarding the community shop: plans to
try to establish a community shop as originally envisaged had been postponed in
the light of information, as yet unsubstantiated, that a commercial venture
already existing in the village may seek to establish a village shop. Meanwhile the first Saturday Market at the
Nicholls Hall had been run very successfully, and thanks to donations of cakes
and the free use of the hall a working fund of £70 was raised. The Council sought reassurance that this was
still intended as a not-for-profit community venture, and the Clerk was
instructed to seek clarification on this.
3. An invitation had been received from the DNPA
for two representatives to attend a Planning Conference in October. It was agreed that the Clerk and Mr
Hammerton would attend this meeting.
4. The Council was informed of possible changes to
the way that members of the English National Park and Broads Authority are
chosen, and invited to make opinions known to DAPC. Both options were considered to be equally acceptable to the
Council.
105.2 Correspondence for Information Only
1. Information from Land Registry about
registering Title
2. From WDBD re: Strategic Housing Land Availability
3 Map showing new site for the reclaimed
boundary stone from DNPA Archaeologist
4 Letter from Police Supt Sharpe regarding
crime figures and the need for vigilance in rural areas, especially with regard
to oil tanks.
5 Information about removal of payphones –
Lydford boxes are note affected
6 Information regarding Commons Registration at Yellowmead Farm, Sheepstor
7 Agenda for meeting of Dartmoor Access Forum
on 2nd September
8 WDBC Local Development Framework Update
9 Devon Talk magazine
10 Devon Sustainable Community Strategy
11 Programme of free Training events from SWAN
12.
Bundle of correspondence re: Boundary
Committee Review of Devon
13.
DAPC Annual Report 2007/08
14. DNPA Agenda and Reports for Planning Meeting
on 5th September
15. Village Green magazine
16. Letter from Tavistock Town Council regarding proposed
new Community Board centred on the town.
17. Ranger service stakeholder survey from DNPA
18. Letter from DCC re Parish and Town Council Update
meetings to be held in South, East and North Devon but none in West Devon. The Clerk has already queried this but is
not hopeful of the omission being rectified.
106-2008 Planning Applications
106.1 Decisions
Received i) Application
0443/08 at Widgerys has been granted
permission.
ii) Application 0340/08 at The Paddock has been refused permission.
106.2 An application for the demolition of
existing bungalow and erection of two-storey dwelling at Olde Stone, Lydford
(0577/08 and 0578/08)
A
number of photographs accompanied this application, but although many porches
were included in this portfolio none were of the two storey design of that in
the proposal. Councillors felt that this dominated the front façade of the
proposed building, and was out of keeping with the style of properties in the
village. It was RESOLVED that the following response should be made:
The Parish Council OBJECTS on the
grounds of design as it relates to the porch.
The Council has already resolved that it
has NO OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE to the replacement of the existing bungalow with
a traditional two storey property (.
107-2008 Items raised at the previous meeting for inclusion on this agenda:
107.1 :
Opening Ceremony at the Ancient Spring: dealt with in visitors time.
107.2:
Quality Council Status: this was postponed until the
next meeting as earlier business had taken up so much time and the item did not
require immediate attention.
107.3
Community Land Trust: Ms Gannon had investigated as
requested. If a Trust was formed it
would have to build affordable housing and would rely on people within the
Parish being willing to run the Trust.
Other examples that she had found in Devon are in larger settlements. Ms Gannon will continue her endeavours to
find out more.
Meanwhile the Council has been approached by
a private landowner who wishes to develop a mixture of affordable housing and
private housing within the village. The
Parish Council is also aware of a different site which was put forward for
affordable housing previously.
We are
aware that the DNPA are due to be preparing their Strategic Housing Land
Assessment within the next few months and the West Devon are intending to
prepare a new Housing Needs Survey for the area, and will await the publication
of these. All interested parties may
then be made aware of them.
108-2008
Items raised for inclusion on the next Agenda
108.1
Christmas Tree Festival
108.2
Proposed Sewage Treatment Works
109-2008 To
agree the date of the next meeting:
The date of Tuesday 14th October was
agreed commencing at 7.00 pm.
There being no
further business the meeting was formally closed by the Chairman at 9.45 pm.
Annie Martin
Clerk to the
Parish Council 19th
September 2008
Signed as a
true and accurate record……………………………………
(Chairman)
Date……………….
There will be a
Public Exhibition
by South West Water
regarding the
Proposed New Sewage Treatment Works
which will be held in
the Nicholls Hall
on Tuesday 7th October
from 3pm to 7pm