LYDFORD PARISH COUNCIL
MINUTES OF THE MEETING
Held in The Nicholls Hall
Tuesday 21st
November 2006
119-2006 Present:
Mrs L Cole: Mrs P Martyn: Mrs L Ellicott (Vice-Chairman): Mr S Powne: Mr P Fletcher and Mr DG Evans (Clerk)
Parishioners and others in attendance:
PC Reed:
120-2006 Apologies
for absence:
Mrs K Boyd & Mrs S Holland
121-2006 Parishioners
and Visitors time:
121.1 PC Reed reported that since September their have been fifteen calls for Lydford, none of which have been logged as crimes. He detailed about the Community Support Officers of which eight will be based at Tavistock. Mr Powne enquired as to their powers which PC Reed explained. Mr Fletcher asked if they would have responsibility for traffic offences to which PC Reed explained that they would not, unless they were under the direction of a Police Officer. Mrs Ellicott thanked PC Reed for attending and PC Reed left the meeting.
122-2006To approve
the minutes of the previous meeting:
122.1 The minutes of the meeting
held on Tuesday 17th October 2006 were signed, by the Chairman, as a true and accurate record.
123-2006 Matters arising:
123.1 Sewage smells No further
progress on this problem was reported
123.2 Book of Recollections Because of problems with the printers resulting in an increase in costs, the members discussed the alternatives. It was agreed that reluctantly the increased costs for the three hundred books of £2,397.66 should be authorised. Mrs Boyd has previously agreed to arrange a rota of members to enable the distribution of them before Christmas. It was further agreed that they should be enveloped and that each one should carry a letter from the parish council. The clerk was requested to advise members when the books were in his possession to enable them to be distributed.
123.3 ING Award Presentation of cheque will take place during January, in the meantime discussion with DNPA has taken place and a meeting arranged to discuss the project. Mrs Martyn has located a plan of the site and Mrs Ellicott agreed to place an article in the Parish Magazine seeking any old photographs of the area. It was further agreed that Mrs Ellicott would strive to register the ownership of the land into the name of the parish council to ensure that residents could enjoy the proposed enhancement work in perpetuity. It was further agreed that when the cheque for £10,000 was received a separate bank account would be opened purely to administer the fund.
123.4 Notice Boards- Mr Jones has been asked to attend to them.
123.5 Parish Plan CCD have agreed to attend the open day on December 5th. The Chair agreed a rota between members ensuring that two would be present at all times. Representatives from The Sports Field, Nicholls Hall, PCC and a member of the public have all been nominated for joining the Steering group.
123.6 Camping & Caravan Club Mr Powne expressed concern in the way that DNPA have handled this planning application, advising objectors of a hearing date three days after it should have happened! The clerk was requested to ascertain the date this would be going to Committee and to advise DNPA that the parish council will be sending Mr Powne and Mr Fletcher to speak and represent the views of the objectors.
124-2006: Receive
report from Councillors on respective outside bodies:
124.1 DNPA Next meeting 24th November
124.2 Police Authority Mrs Holland absent.
124.3 Southern Link Next meeting on 30th November
124.4 Nicholls Hall Mrs Ellicott reported on a variety of successful fundraising and wished to congratulate Adrian Hepworth on the sterling work he is doing with Villages in Action. (Especially his hugely successful one man song and dance act!)
125.2006 - Receive financial report:
125.1 The following balances were reported and payments authorised:
Current account - £3054.99
Deposit account: £7,866.49
Clerk (Oct, Nov plus expenses and Internal audit £599.31 Grass cutting £30 WDBC Winter opening of toilets £1585.08 Web site costs (12 months) £149.92 Latimer Trend (Book of recollections) £2,397.66
125.2 Long and lively discussion took place regarding the setting of the Precept for 2007/08. The main area of concern again centred on the costs imposed onto parishioners in order to keep the toilets open through the winter months. Various letters from Mr Ralph Ellington, of Vale Down, on this one subject, were read and discussed by the members. All of the comments Mr Ellington has made were taken on board by the members although it was felt that effectively this parish council awards a grant to WDBC each year to keep them open which equates to approximately £10 per Band D property owner, if the grant from DNPA is not forthcoming. It was also confirmed that the toilets are owned by WDBC and any concerns parishioners/visitors have regarding the possible closure of them should be addressed directly to WDBC and not to this parish council. (Concern was expressed by Mr Powne and Mr Fletcher that the Chair had responded to a letter sent to her by Mr Ellington without consulting the members and that they had not had sight of her response.) It was agreed that the Precept should be finalised at the December meeting with the proposal from Mr Powne that this parish council will contribute towards the costs of keeping the toilets open during the winter months to a maximum of 3% (or inflation whichever is the greater) over the existing payment made. This was unanimously agreed. The clerk was requested to represent the budget spread sheet to members prior to the next meeting to enable the Precept to be set at the December meeting.
125.2006 - Correspondence:
125.1 Proposed footpaths from DCC were discussed with the clerk being requested to advise Mrs C Pengelly that the one from Hartswood to Willsworthy being agreed as existing. The footpath from Raddon to the spring on Bridleway No 2 is in the area of the proposed work for restoring the Saxon Spring Well/The Old Spring. As a consequence it was felt that the PC and DCC may be able to work together to enable this footpath, currently blocked off, to be restored.
126.2006 - Planning
applications:
126.1 No new applications were received; however confirmation regarding the passing of the proposals for Bridge House Lodge and Moorlands was discussed. It was agreed that the clerk should write to Mr Chris France at DNPA requesting clarification as to the conversion of garages to living accommodation in order to ensure that continuity of decision can be made in the future.
126.2 Camping & Caravan Club The proposals already objected to are detailed under 123.6
126.3 Moorview and removal of TPOs No objections
126.4 Removal of Beech
tree at Townend House No objections
127.2006 - Items raised at the last
meeting for inclusion on this agenda:
127.1 None raised
128.2006 Items raised for inclusion on
the December Agenda:
128.1 Budgets and Precept requirements for 2007/08
128.2 Receive report from Mr Powne re: Inter-services dinner
128.3 Clarification on policy for conversion of garages to living accommodation from DNPA
128.4 Fence by toilet block
128.5 Captain Hunters plaque
129.2006
- To agree the date of the next meeting:
129.1 The date of Tuesday 19th December 2006 was agreed commencing at
7.00pm
There being no further business the meeting was formally closed by the
Chairman at 9.15 pm.
DG Evans
Clerk to the Parish Council 23rd November 2006
Signed as a true and accurate record Date .
(Chairman)