Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 6 April 2005 in Holne Village Hall
Present: Cllrs, John Iles (Acting Chairman) Michael Maddicks, Belinda Owen, Gill Simpson
Clerk: Joanna Radford
Members of the Public: District Cllr C Ramsay, Mr M French, Mr P Arrowsmith, Mr K Evans, Mr R Gray, Miss R Roberts
Public Forum : Mr Gray reported that he was to meet with Tony Halse of DNPA to look at the leat by the Village Green. He also told the meeting he had been in touch with South Hams with regard to the new status of the Churchyard. Although the District Council has no budget for the necessary work, it accepts it has a legal obligation to carry it out. Mr French made a report on what had been happening at DNPA and reminded the meeting that in spite of the parish's desire now for local affordable housing when the Local Plan was being discussed he had suggested it should protest at not being designated a local settlement, and no one had appeared interested in doing so. He also reported that negotiations were going on between the owner of Vixen Tor and the DNPA to come to an agreement to allow public access to this. He congratulated Mr David Powell having won one of the Edward Morshead Awards recently for his conservation work on Holne Moor, and reported that DNPA welcomed that local hunts had accepted the terms of the Hunting Act and were developing a protocol to continue meeting. Finally he paid tribute to Mr Frank Perryman who had been on West Buckfastleigh Counci for thirty years and who had recently died. District Cllr Ramsay spoke about the success of Verity Palk's recent talk on new waste collection systems at Buckfastleigh West annual parish meeting. Cllr Owen asked if any measures were being taken to penalize commercial organisations who created unnecessary waste by overpackaging goods, to which there was no answer. She also suggested that Holne should consider its emergency planning measures (Holne has a "model" emergency plan which is held at the Clerk's home) and then told the meeting of a scheme to encourage private landlords to come into the affordable housing market by offering grants for renovation of otherwise empty properties. Mr Arrowsmith spoke of his regret at having had to relinquish his office, and hoped to come back on the Council at the next elections. He urged the Council to make a grant of £50 to the Parish Link, and to consider the needs of wildlife when discussing the work needed at Venford. He wondered if private landlords were any solution to housing problems when £895 per month was quoted as rent in a recent advertisement for a small property for rent in the Parish. Miss Roberts asked the Council to request that DNPA inform planning applicants that they could consult with a more senior officer than that allocated to them initially (this has already been done, having been resolved at the last meeting of the Council). Finally, Mr Gray, as Parish Tree Warden, reminded the meeting that in discussing the work at Venford the organisations involved should be asked to replace fencing the lack of which was at present allowing stock to destroy any young trees that had been planted or allowed to grow to replace those felled. The Clerk reported that County Cllr Date had sent his apologies as he would be on his election campaign and as boundaries had changed, would not be coming to Holne again. He thanked Holne for the welcome he had always been shown here.
0504.01 Apologies for Absence were accepted from Cllrs Copus and Irish ( both through sickness); County Cllr Date; Mr & Mrs Grose
0504.02 Minutes of the Previous Meeting There was no quorum able to agree these, so approval was held over until the next meeting.
0504.03 Casual Vacancy The Clerk reported that Mr Arrowsmith had ceased to be qualified as a Councillor and that a casual vacancy was therefore created and was being advertised. It was hoped that if no election was requested it would be possible to ask for nominations for discussion at the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council in May.
0504.04 Planning Matters 0148-9/05 Full and Listed Building Application for revised façade treatment and additional side passage hall, both to rear, at 4 the Village for Mr & Mrs B Grose: Cllr Owen reported that this showed little change from the previous application here, the round window which was the cause of its refusal having been omitted. Agreed to offer no objections but to comment that there was still concern about a drain on the boundary.
The following permission was reported: 0098/05 Renewal of permission 0055/00 at Stonehanger, Holne.
The Clerk reported also that an e-mail reply had been received to the letter sent to DNPA (Minute 0503.03) responding to the request and asking if the Council would like the subject of public participation at DNPA meetings discussed at the Communities Forum on 22 April - Agreed. She also reported that a site meeting had been called at Riversmead on the same date at 11.45 am. No one was able to attend so she would consult the Park to see if she could represent the Council here, unless Cllr Copus could do so. Cllr Irish had indicated that she would be unable to undertake Council business for some weeks and had asked if her place on the Planning Committee could be given to someone else. Agreed that Cllr Owen could continue on her own as all decisions are made by full Council.
0504.05 Accounts for the Month Draft accounts for the year ended 31 March 2005 were distributed. These showed a reduction in surplus of £500 (caused largely by the establishment of the website) with a likely further reduction at the end of the next financial year of the same amount to only £500 whereas Councils are recommended to hold a surplus of 50% to 100% of their precept/turnover. Agreed that the Finance Committee should meet twice a year in future. Mr Evans has again kindly agreed to undertake the internal audit.
The following payments were approved:
• Devon Association of Parish Councils Annual sub & "Village Green" £52.00
• Devon Playing Fields Association Annual Sub £15.00
• Public Works Loan Board for loan repayment £574.43
• Moorland Team Ministry for Parish Link £50.00
0504.06 Venford Reservoir Agreed to write to both South West Water and to South West Lakes Trust to ask them to undertake the necessary fencing work and to ask SWWater in particular what their plans are for their site.
0504.07 Affordable Housing The Clerk reported that the completed survey report had not yet been received (NB a draft survey has now been received which should be confirmed and available by the Annual Parish Meeting) It was reported that a house in Bakers Park was empty at present, but accepted that this would go to a family rather than young couple, although it was hoped that someone within the community would benefit. It was suggested that Cllr Ramsay should be asked to check this out. Agreed to put the subject of Affordable Housing on every agenda until further notice.
0504.08 Annual Parish Meeting As the Pension Service could not provide a speaker it was agreed to ask South Hams to provide one to talk about waste collection (this has now been confirmed and the meeting will be advertised with Councillors distributing leaflets to all the houses in the Parish).
0504.09 Gritting of Road from B3357 to the Village Cllr Copus had sent a report stating that the County Council did not have this on their official list, but that it was nearly always unofficially done.
0504.10 Broadband Access The Clerk reported that her letter to BT had apparently not been received and she had been asked to write again marking the letter "To the Chairman's Office". Cllr Maddicks reported that his conversations with a local engineer had shown that the problem still exists as there is no spare capacity in Scoriton, any one reporting a fault on a telephone line results in another line being put on a DACS system which will not allow broadband when this is brought in.
0504.11 Ensuring Council Resolutions are actioned The Clerk reported that the item on the agenda reporting matters authorised at previous meetings should cover this, but it depended on all involved remembering what needed bringing up. All resolutions/decisions are minuted and therefore have a permanent record. Agreed that both Councillors and Clerk should be vigilant that decisions have a result.
0504.12 Village Leat The Clerk confirmed that she had been in touch with Tony Halse who had met with Richard Brooks last year and thought that there was nothing much wrong with the Leat but this had not been reported to the Council. Now he was meeting with Ross Gray. ( NB After meeting note : Mr Frank Niering has reminded the Clerk that the Leat here is the responsibility of the tenants of the Church House Inn - last year the matter had been raised soon after the death of Mr Tony Skerrit and the Council had hoped to action any repairs necessary without involving the Inn, but the tenants will now be informed about any problem.)
0504.13 Felling Licence at PlayCross The Clerk reported that she had commented on this application on behalf of the Council by the due date of 24 March. Cllr Owen reported that the Forestry Commission were proposing that the whole site be replanted. Mr Gray felt this would be a retrograde step.
0504.14 Play Park Agreed that maintenance of this and the possibility of applying for by-laws banning dogs from the whole area should be an item on the next agenda.
0504.15 Conference/Course on Affordable Housing No member of the Council was free to attend this, and it was agreed to ask Gill Gray if she would like to do so.
0504.16 Circulation File was still not getting around quickly enough. Councillors were urged to do their best to see that everyone gets it.
The Acting Chairman thanked Mr Arrowsmith for all his work whilst on the Council, and particularly for his efforts in setting up the Website.
There being no further business the meeting closed at 10.10 pm. The Annual Parish Meeting takes place on Wednesday 27 April and the Annual Meeting of the Parish Council on Wednesday 4 May.
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