DRAFT MINUTES SUBJECT TO AMMENDMENT
LYDFORD PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
Held in The Nicholls Hall
Tuesday 21st
April 2006
43-2006 Present:
Mrs L Cole: Mrs S Holland: Mr S Powne (Chairman): Mrs L Ellicott
Mr P Fletcher - Mrs K Boyd (Vice-Chairman)
Mr DG Evans (Clerk)
Parishioners and others in attendance:
Three members of the public were present plus Cllr A Hoskins (DCC)
44-2006 Apologies
for absence:
Mrs P Martyn
45-2006 Receive
report from Community Beat manager:
PC Reed was not in attendance
46-2006 Questions
from the floor:
The Chair invited questions from the floor.
46.1 Mr Hannaford expressed his concern regarding the work carried out recently by English Heritage to the hedges from Stuggy Lane to the Old Well. He stated that the condition of the lane as left after the work is disgraceful and nothing short of a mud bath. He reported that the hedges have been ‘hacked’ back and not laid and coppiced as was agreed with all the debris just left where it has fallen. The Chairman agreed and stated that a further problem with illegally dumped chippings, some sixteen tonnes, had been put onto private land without permission. The PC had arranged for the clearance of these by Mr Colin Friend, a local farmer, and felt that EH should pay for this. The clerk was requested to write to Brian Beasley (DNPA) and Chris Bally (EH) to arrange a site visit and ascertain when the work will be completed to the agreed schedule.
46.2 Mr Hannaford enquired as to who had granted permission for a tree to be planted by The Old Well on land, he considered, was owned by the PC. The clerk was requested to write to Brian Beasley to establish ownership of the land and ascertain if permission was required to plant a tree. (It was felt that as this land does not appear on the Asset Register of the Council that it was not owned by the PC. However, the clerk offered to ascertain ownership through the Land Registry.)
46.3 Mr Hannaford enquired as to progress regarding the ‘blocked’ drains on Stuggy Lane. Mrs Holland stated that she had seen Paul Glanville (DNPA Ranger) who has stated that he has applied for funding to ensure that this ongoing problem is restored. The clerk was requested to speak to Paul and ascertain that this work will be carried out.
Cllr Hoskings offered to take these issues up with DNPA in his position as a DCC. This was gratefully accepted by the members.
46.4 Cllr Hoskings brought the members up to date with the ‘Locality Funding’ initiative. This is designed to pay outright for small, local projects, or to assist towards larger ones. He stated that he will keep the members informed as to the start date and requested bids for projects that would assist the parish in some way. It was agreed to agenda this item for the next month.
47-2006To approve the
minutes of the previous meeting:
33.1 The minutes of the meeting
held on 21st March were signed as a true and accurate record. (Save for the alteration under 35.4 ‘lunch’
was amended to ‘supper’. The alteration was initialled by the clerk and the
Chairman.)
48-2006 Matters arising:
48.1 Re-sitting of the Post Office – The clerk reported on the latest progress and that it was now confirmed that a ‘satellite’ office will be established within The Nicholls Hall on two days a week operating between the hours of 10.00 – 3.30. The operators of this franchise will be the owners of Mary Tavy Post Office. The installation of a dedicated telephone line by BT is now all that is awaited for this service to commence.
48.2 Progress reports for Bridge House Lodge, Waste Treatment Works and the Caravan Park were sought. The clerk detailed the letters sent and that, to date, the only response received has been for Bridge House Lodge. (It was noted that this response from DNPA had taken two months.) The relevant details were passed to Cllr Hoskings for his action. The clerk was requested to write to the Camping & Caravan Club regarding light pollution from the recently installed lights on the site.
48.3 Mr Fletcher detailed the agenda for the next meeting of the Community Forum showing those items raised by the members.
48.4 Progress on the Parish Plan – The clerk explained that dates for available funding for this would be May/June (ish) and that he had been advised to wait until funding was in place before progressing this further.
48.5 Annual Parish Meeting – The
Chairman requested those present to encourage people to attend on the 2nd
May. He suggested that the format should be as previous years; ‘What does your
parish council do’? Etc. Detailing the achievements and aims.
49-2006 Receive reports from Councillors on
respective outside bodies:
49.1 DNPA – Date of next meeting May 12th.
49.2 Police Authority – Mrs Holland apologised that she was unable to make the last meeting.
49.3 Southern Link Committee – The
minutes of the last meeting had been circulated amongst all members prior to
this meeting.
49.4 Mrs Boyd stated a profit of £104 had been raised at the recent Bistro night and quotations are being received for the refurbishment of the WI room.
49.5 Mrs Ellicott requested that mention be made of the grant received from WDBC for £5,000 towards the new Pavilion.
50-2006 To receive
financial report:
50.1 The clerk circulated balances as follows;
Current - £165.90
Flexi - £5868.95
50.2 The following payments were authorised for April:
Clerk – £239.70 – PC costs £15 – Mainly Stationery £13.14 – Room rent £70 – M Jones (Notice Board repairs) £202.
It was agreed to transfer £1,000 from the Deposit account to the Current account and to award a grant, under S137 regulations, to The Lydford Play Group of £50.
50.3 The clerk advised of the provisions made to the accounts totalling £1,814
50.4 It was agreed to increase the salary of the clerk to £9.01 per hour
51.2006 - Planning applications:
51.1 Lowermead – Extension to lounge and internal alterations – No objection
51.2 Watervale Farm – Change of use to Barns and alterations to access lane and new visibility splay – No objections.
52.2006 Correspondence:
52.1 Winter opening of the toilets – Costs received from WDBC were discussed. It appears that the cost of opening the toilets through the winter period will increase to £1,468 which is an increase of 16% and the total cleaning costs for the year will increase to £2,977 which is an increase of 20%. At best the PC will be able to attain a grant from DNPA for 50% of the winter costs (£734) which would leave this PC a figure of £734 to have to fund the winter opening. As this figure is in excess of the budgeted figure of £650, placed into the Precept requirement last December, ( See 120 -2005.3) it was unanimously agreed to offer this amount to WDBC and if this was unacceptable to them to, regrettably, allow this facility to be closed for the winter. The clerk was requested to advise WDBC and DNPA accordingly.
52.2 Volunteering matters – This document offering opportunities for volunteering was discussed.
52.3 The date for the forthcoming ‘Meet the Funders’ was discussed with Mrs Ellicott agreeing to attend.
52.4 Production costs of WW11 booklet – The Chairman offered costings for producing 250 books of 70 pages each at £1,800. It was agreed that as this was over the amount in provision of £1,250 it could not be justified. The clerk offered advice by stating that a VAT re-claim for ££250 had yet to be placed to the Inland Revenue. As a consequence, the Chairman was requested to advise the printers that the maximum amount available was £1,500 and to ascertain what could be achieved for this sum.
53.2006 - Items raised for inclusion on this agenda:
53.1 None received.
54.2006 - Items raised
for inclusion on the May agenda:
54.1 Repair of seat outside West Grange
55.2006
- To agree the date of the next meeting:
55.1 The date of Tuesday 16th May 2006 was agreed commencing at 7.00pm.
55.2 Annual Parish Meeting – The date of Tuesday 2nd May 2006 was agreed for this meeting.
There being no further business the meeting was formally closed by the
Chairman at 8.40 pm.
DG Evans
Clerk to the Parish Council 19th April 2006
Signed as a true and accurate record……………………Date………………….
(Mr S Powne - Chairman)