HOLNE PARISH COUNCIL 

Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Wednesday 7 November 2007 in Holne Village Hall
Present: Cllrs Paul Arrowsmith (Chairman), Richard Copus, Cynthia Irish, Belinda Owen, Ru Roberts, Liz Ross, Gill Simpson

Clerk: Joanna Radford

Members of the Public: Mr M French, Ms L Sill (Mid Devon Advertsier), Messrs K Evans, R Gray, District Councillor B Hitchins, Mrs Y Fairman, Mrs G Gray, Miss B Hubbard, Ms V Jay

Public Forum: The Chairman welcomed Cllr B Hitchins, who spoke on what is going on at SHDC at present, and briefly on his work as SHDC rep on DNPA. He then answered questions from councillors and public on both S Hams and DNPA. Concerns were expressed in particular on officer recommendations/reports being made before consultation date deadlines are reached with regard to planning applications and he undertook to raise this issue at DNPA
Mr Gray raised the matter of lack of work by the highways lengthsman, and the difficulty of contacting highways department to report problems. He reported that the Old Churchyard (managed by S Hams) is now in decent order and can be kept up if finance maintained. He has difficulties on the new part, where he is only contracted for 9 cuts a year, which in a year like this is a problem.
Mr Evans said that he had raised the matter of the development at Trusham at last meeting: had anyone visited the village since? Would the Council be doing anything about this? The Chairman reported that this would be on a future agenda, not on this one as it was already too full. Cllr Simpson asked for an item on the Trusham development to be on the December Agenda.

0711.01 Apologies for absence: County Cllr Pennington, District Cllr Jones would be late. Cllr Copus gave his apologies that he would have to leave the meeting early. (see Minute 0711.06)

0711.02 Minutes of the meetings of 8 August, 5 September and 3 October 2007: approved

0711.03 Declarations of Interest: none

0711.04 Planning matters 0801/07 New timber-clad field shelter for hay storage at field adjacent to Langaford Bridge : agreed to return plans to PO as they are inaccurate, the applicant being present and stating that she did not want as large a building as they show.

0711.05 Development of the site at Hazelwood: The Chairman asked Cllr Copus to comment on the writing of reports before consultation date reached. Concern also as to e-mail sent to Mr Jones by DNPA on the lack of an application of change of use from agricultural land to domestic in creating the new entrance. There is concern also at way in which developer acts both on this property and on others in his ownership. The fact that County Highways have no objections to entrance on junction was discussed: it was proposed that the Clerk should write County Highways asking for rationale on this. Agreed. Ensuing discussion outlined the following concerns: issues over consultation period; concern at phrasing of permission “no planning reasons for turning down” why cannot both properties cannot be accessed from the original entrance; the issue of widening of new entrance from the original plans, for which no amended plans had been received by this Council; objections to suburbanisation of village at this site; that the sheds in the field were still on agricultural land and would need further permission of change of use. There was also concern that this Council wished to ensure that building should be done according to plans approved. Agreed to write to DNPA with regards to monitoring of the site, in particular the boundaries of the field and existing garden which have been removed, and to complain about the anomaly that planning officer reports are made before the consultation period is over, and to ask what is in their standing orders with regard to this. Cllr Copus left the meeting The following planning decision was reported: 0689/07 permission for replacement and resiting of central heating oil tank to be sited in screened enclosure to incorporate area for wheelie bins at the Church of St Mary the Virgin

0711.06 Chairman's allowance of £200-300 for this financial year to cover extra-ordinary expenses. Agreed to defer this to the December meeting

0711.07 Clerk’s financial report the following payments were approved:
a) Moorland Team Ministry 2nd half annual grant £200.00
b) Public Works Loan Board 2nd half annual loan repayment £574.43

0711.08 New bank mandate was signed and those concerned would arrange to take it to Lloyds TSB Ashburton with the necessary documents.

0711.09 Hedgelaying: Clerk reported that Sue Halse of DNPA has booked in a training day for January 2009 to be held in Play Park.

0711.10 S Hams Affordable Housing Seminar 2 November . Cllr Simpson reported that the whole day encouraged her that Holne is on the right track – an excellent day Cllr Arrowsmith added his comments.

0711.11 Affordable Housing Working Party : Cllr Simpson made her report. Agreed that the Council invite a representative from Falcon Housing (of the Hemyock development) to the January meeting. Agreed that it send a letter to Liam Reading of SHDC to find out if his Council has chosen its preferred Housing Associations: The Council s also approved a draft press release written on behalf of the Working Party: the Clerk would send it out. Cllr Simpson reported that survey forms had been handed out, encouraged all to complete and return. Drop-in sessions had been attended by a couple of people in each village.

0711.12 Restricted byways in the Parish Cllr Roberts proposed that nothing be done on the Greendown Path and Holne Steep as both these are on definitive map as roads to be maintained by DCC, Agreed. She feels that the Council should get the definition of the Shuttaford to Hembury Gate path clarified (the rest of the track is in another parish). She feels that it should be defined as a public right of way of and that the Council should ask DCC that it be made a restricted byway. Agreed and that it should be emphasised when doing this that local agricultural use is of course excepted from any restrictions resulting.

0711.13 Highways lengthsman To discuss a proposal that the Council should write to South West Highways to ask for confirmation that the lenghsman has been instructed to visit and work in the Parish on a regular basis: agreed to defer this item to the next meeting, particularly because the lengthsman had recently undertaken work in the Parish.

0711.14 Finance Committee: Agreed to meet 26 November at 7:00 in Village Hall to consider recommendations for the precept for 2008/9.

0711.15 Repairs to New Bridge: work done had actually widened bridge in spite of correspondence which was noted;

0711.16 S Hams Leader offering to attend Council meeting re budget 2008/9 - agreed to accept his offer;

0711.17 S Hams re safety inspection of playground - noted

0711.18 DNPA Forum 23 November – Cllr Ross would attend this and took the correspondence.

0711.19 SW Water on pure water – for comment at next meeting.

0711.20 The Draft Conservation Plan, a copy of which had been circulated to each councillor, will be on the next Agenda.

The Chairman made a speech marking this as the present Clerk’s last meeting and thanking her for her twelve years’ service. There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.50 pm.

The next regular meeting of the Parish Council will be on Wednesday December.