Holne Parish Council
Draft Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting
on 6th July 2010
in Holne Village Hall at 8.00pm
The meeting commenced at 8.00pm.
Present: Councillors Simpson (Chairman), Owen (Vice-Chairman), Arden (arrived 8.15pm), Arrowsmith, Copus, Irish and Ross.
In attendance: District Cllr Jones, Ross Gray (Tree Warden)
Clerk: Suzanna Hughes
Members of the Public: 1
OPEN FORUM
Gill Gray
Gill expressed her personal concerns about the sale of the shop and tea room and the potential loss of this amenity for the parish. She had made some investigations as to how the parish might fund a community shop. She had made contact with the Plunkett Foundation, the leading organisation which helps communities in setting up a community shop. They can help with advisers, put the parish council in touch with other community run village shops (there are over 25 in Devon), they can provide a mentoring service, they can help with the legal structures etc and there is a community retail adviser. They also have sample questionnaires for the community to complete and a number of leaflets which can help with all sorts of aspects of running a shop.
Gill has also spoken with Jo Rumble from DNPA who would be very supportive. However, there are currently no grant aid schemes available. The shop would need to be on the market for a considerable time before an application could be made for ‘change of use’ and that is unlikely anyway. The shop originally had a grant when it was first set up. Jo Rumble would attend a public meeting if one was called.
Looking at funding, Gill has spoken to Greater Dartmoor Leaf who has no capital funding but could consider 50% funding up to £20,000 towards fit-out/refurbishment/marketing etc. The Community and Social Enterprise Fund (Dawn Eckhart) is administered through the Community Council of Devon and there is a possibility of capital funding. They would attend a public meeting and advise on the best way to proceed. She advises that there would be an options appraisal, consultation, questionnaire etc. There are other smaller organisations which will consider funding community shops which have not been investigated yet.
Gill reported that she had spoken to Broadhempston Community Shop (Rod Perriman) who is very willing for members to visit and ask questions. Cllr Ross has already visited and learned that they have over 30 volunteers. They also have a paid manager. They were also very complimentary about the Plunkett Foundation.
Cllr Ross and Gill have met with the owner of the Holne Village Shop and Tea Room, Maurice Forbes Wright, who is keen that the shop should be for the community. The price, however, is currently prohibitive.
Gill made some recommendations about the way forward suggesting that the Parish Council called a public meeting. The Parish Council should invite representatives from the DNPA, Community Council of Devon, SHDC and the meeting should be open to both Holne and Buckfastleigh West parishes. The meeting should be suitably advertised in the Parish Link, posters, web site, Holybrook Exchange etc. A questionnaire should be circulated either before or after the public meeting (after the meeting was favoured). Above all this should be a community led project initiated by the Parish Council.
It was agreed by members that a public meeting would be arranged for Wednesday 18th August 2010 at 7.30pm in Holne Village Hall.
Ross Gray
Ross asked if he could be of any assistance in relation to item 7 on the agenda – ‘Trees at Holybrook Bridge and Churchyard’. Cllr Owen explained that the tree in the churchyard looked dead and thought someone should look at it. Ross advised that he was fully aware of it – it is a cedar which was planted by Holne WI in 1974. Brian Beasley, DNPA Trees and Landscapes Officer, has looked at it and advised that it is dying of honey fungus and can not be revived. The churchwardens are aware and they will take it down.
Cllr Owen explained that a branch from an oak tree at Holybrook Bridge on the boarder of the parishes has come down.
Ross Gray advised that the tree was in the parish of Buckfastleigh West and whilst he did not think the tree was a problem, it was agreed that the clerk should contact Buckfastleigh West Parish Council about it.
Ross advised members that he is in an ongoing battle with SHDC about the maintenance of the closed burial ground. The trimming of the central hedge has been on a 10 year cycle but no-one is taking responsibility for it. Ross Kennerley, SHDC, has now agreed to look into it to it to see if it can be authorised to be cut in the autumn.
Ross made further reference and comment about the burning of the experimental area of shrub on Holne Moor referred to in previous meetings. The clerk reported that she had spoken to Andy Guy at Natural England who advised that Holne Commoners Association had consulted with him about the burning and because it was not a ‘Specific Site of Scientific Interest’, he had no reason to object. After debate amongst members about whether the Parish Council should have any further involvement in this, it was proposed by Cllr Simpson that the Parish Council leaves the other organisations to take any further action, if necessary. This was agreed by majority.
District Cllr Colin Jones
SHDC - money is tight with budget cuts affecting public spending. Tough financial decisions are having to be made.
SHDC are therefore looking at ways in which it can reduce its costs and Cllr Jones is keen that SHDC approaches these cuts in a fair and equitable way. He expressed his concern that SHDC may protect the urban areas but will be tougher on rural areas. He has therefore put a question to the full council meeting asking that these decisions will be fair and equitable particularly to rural parishes and not pass the burden of these services to the parish councils.
Cllr Jones expressed his support for a community shop run for the community by the community.
060710.01 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE
No apologies.
060710.02 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST
Members were reminded of their responsibility to continually update their Notice of Registerable Interests and invited to state whether they have a personal or prejudicial interest in any matter to be discussed during this meeting.
Cllr Ross declared a personal and prejudicial interest in item 5 (a) (ii) and signed the declarations of interest book.
Cllr Arrowsmith declared a personal interest in item 5 (2) and signed the declarations of interest book.
060710.03 RATIFICATION OF MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 1st June 2010 were approved by all present and duly signed by Cllr Owen as a true and correct record.
060710.04 FINANCE
(i) The following payments were approved:
- Cheque no 578 - Cosmic (Domain Name Renewal) – £29.38
- Cheque no 579 - Holne Village Hall Management Committee – £18.00
- Audit Report 2009/10 – Auditors comments relating to cheques 557 and 558
The clerk advised members of the details of these payments, which had not been previously minuted, but were formally approved for payment at this meeting. The payments related to copying and display of information/maps for the Housing Group open meeting in August 2009.
- Cheque no 557 – £41.40 – McCaren Design Architects
- Cheque no 558 – £16.10 – Fleur Powell
(iii) The monthly bank reconciliation was noted.
060710.05 PLANNING
a. New applications
(i) 0206/10 – Timber framed building to house wood chip boiler and fuel store (retrospective)
Holne Park
No objections.
(ii) 0271/10 – Demolish existing porch/garden room and replace with extended design
Fore Stoke Farm, Holne
Cllr Owen proposed that the application be supported. This was seconded by Cllr Irish with all in agreement.
b. Decisions
None to report.
060710.06 SALE OF VILLAGE SHOP
This item had already been discussed and actioned during the Open Forum.
060710.07 TREES AT HOLYBROOK BRIDGE AND CHURCHYARD
This item had already been discussed and actioned during the Open Forum.
060710.08 CATTLE GRID, VENNFORD RESERVOIR
The clerk reported that she had received a request from the Holne Commoners Association asking the Parish Council to write to South West Water to support the Commoners request that the cattle grid be cleaned. However, since speaking with the Chairman of the Association, the cattle grid has now been cleaned and no further action is therefore required.
060710.09 PLAYPARK REPORT
- Agreement of Heads of Terms:
The clerk reported that further to the Parish Council’s request to amend the Heads of Terms relating to the costing arrangements set out in paragraph 4, SHDC replied that it was not in a position to enter different arrangements across the play areas with varying thresholds for inspection, charging repairs and other matters. Members therefore felt they had little choice but to sign the Heads of Terms as originally set out by SHDC.
- The clerk reported that a letter had been received from the Village Hall Management Committee asking for more information about the proposals for Playpark. The next meeting of the committee would be 20th July and it was agreed that representation would be made by the Parish Council at that meeting to clarify the issues.
060710.10 HOLNE AND SCORITON HOUSING GROUP REPORT
The Chairman suspended standing orders to allow Gill Gray to report as follows:
The Holne and Scoriton Local Housing Group has now completed its work researching the provision of affordable housing for local people in the two parishes. During the past six months the Group has met with two housing associations and the Land in Hand Community Land Trust in order to learn more about how they operate and to be able to advise the two parish councils on the most appropriate way to take the project forward. Consequently, both Holne and Buckfastleigh West Parish Councils, at their meetings in June, accepted the Housing Group’s recommendation that the preferred housing association partner should be the Hastoe Housing Association, which has developed similar schemes in other parts of the county including Widecombe and Brayford in North Devon.
The Hastoe Housing Association will now take the project forward in partnership with the Parish Councils, the Local Housing Group, SHDC (the housing authority) and the DNPA (the planning authority) all of whom the Group have worked very closely with throughout the past six years and who have given the Group their support.
It is planned that Hastoe will address both the two regular parish council meetings in September (to which any member of the public can attend) followed by a public meeting for both parishes in October/November. This will give an opportunity for anyone in the two parishes to learn more about affordable housing and the procedure for the allocation of the homes that could be built – a maximum of six in Holne and perhaps two or three in Scoriton.
Members of the housing group have always believed it to be imperative that the homes should benefit genuinely the local people or those with a local connection. The Group has been reassured under the DNPA’s section 106 agreement that this will be the basis on which the houses will be allocated, i.e. the definition of ‘local’ as it appears in the DNPA’s local plan in relation to rural exception sites is as follows:
- those people currently living in the parish of provision, or a rural parish adjacent to the parish of provision, and having done so for a period of at least five years; or
- those people who have lived in the parish of provision or a rural parish adjacent to the parish of provision for a period of five years but have moved away in the past three years; or
- those people who have a strong local connection with the parish of provision or a rural parish adjacent to the parish of provision by virtue of, for example, upbringing or current employment.
Besides meeting the above criteria, anyone wishing to be considered to be housed MUST register their names on the SHDC Housing list.
Gill reported on a very positive meeting with Hastoe who will be attending the Parish Council meeting in September and arranging separate drop in sessions. Funding is now the key issue with the Homes in Communities Agency deciding what money is available in October. SHDC has advised that the very limited funding available from the Homes and Communities Agency is more likely to be allocated to bigger schemes.
Cllr Arrowsmith proposed that the Parish Council writes to each individual District Councillor seeking their support for the scheme and their help to ensure it receives the necessary public funding in order for it to come to fruition.
Cllr Jones explained that it would be an officer decision and he would therefore be happy to speak with the appropriate officers. This offer was accepted. Cllr Ross however, supported Cllr Arrowsmith’s proposal and it was agreed that the clerk would also write to each District Councillor individually. Gill Gray offered to draft the letter.
060710.11 POTHOLES AND HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE REPORTS AND OTHER HIGHWAYS ISSUES
Cllr Ross asked that the Parish Council expresses its appreciation for the work that Highways has recently done in and around the parish. It was also requested that the clerk finds out when the centre of the village is being done. A request was also made for a salt bin at Play Cross.
060710.12 CLERK’S OR COUNCILLOR’S REPORTS ON MATTERS AUTHORISED BY THE COUNCIL AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS NOT OTHERWISE ON THIS AGENDA
- Burning of experimental area of shrub on Holne Moor
This item had already been discussed and actioned during the Open Forum.
060710.13 CHAIRMAN’S URGENT BUSINESS FOR ACTION BY THE CLERK IF COVERED BY DELEGATED POWERS OR FOR INCLUSION ON THE AGENDA OF THE NEXT MEETING
None.
060710.14 CORRESPONDENCE
Clerk to notify councillors of relevant correspondence received during the month not otherwise dealt with above, to include:
(i) Letter from Cllr John Baverstock, SHDC requesting visit to the Parish Council meeting on 2nd November. This was noted.
Matters not requiring discussion and placed into the folder for circulation and perusal by Councillors and will include:
- Dartmoor Hill Farm Project – Newsletters
- 2011 Census – Councillor Handbook
- Empowering Communities in Devon – local events
- South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership - Newsletter
- SHDC – Minutes of Executive Meeting
- Village Green – June 2010
(vii) South Hams Society Bulletin – June 2010
(viii) Clerk & Councils Direct - July 2010
060710.15 DATE OF NEXT MEETING
The date of the next Parish Council meeting was confirmed as being Tuesday 7th September 2010 at 8.00pm in Holne Village Hall.
A public meeting will be held on Wednesday 18th August 2010 at 7.30pm in Holne Village Hall to discuss the sale of Holne Village Shop and Tea Room.
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Cllr Gill Simpson Suzanna Hughes
Chairman Clerk
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