Horrabridge Parish Council

HORRABRIDGE PARISH COUNCIL Minutes of the Meeting of the Parish Council Tuesday 8th August 2017 in the Village Hall, Horrabridge at 7.30pm Present: In Attendance: Apologies: Chairman – Cllr Beard 11 member of public Cllrs – Roche, Moorhead, Hemsil, Minns, Cllr Cloke & Cllr Moyse Keane & Lear Clerk - Andrea Taylor 1 Opening comments from the Chair: -.the chair welcomed everyone to the meeting. ACTION 2 Proposed consideration of the co-option on to the council: To consider co-option of two prospective councillors, neither of whom are present; Mr Andrew Collins and Mr Paul Mouncher, all cllrs have been emailed the relevant details and cv’s. Cllr Keane said she hadn’t received. Has been experiencing email problems. Offered to read paper copies. Cllr Keane refused. Cllr Hemsil proposed, Cllr Moorhead seconded all in favour. Cllr Keane abstained said she had not read the papers. 3 APOLOGIES: No apologies. 4 Democratic / Public Question Time: (max 20 minutes) 4a Solicitor payments regarding the sale of Walkham Meadows still not declared. HPC has not paid any solicitors fess for the last seven years therefore nothing to declare. The monies that were paid were paid by DCHG. Two different firms of solicitors involved. HPC instructed a solicitor from Gill Akaster Solicitors to act on their behalf. Part of the sales agreement was that the buyer pays the seller’s solicitor’s fees. Cllr Hemsil did speak with DCH regarding seven year tenancy. After the person that signed the tenancy had passed away that their next of kin if living at the property could take over the tenancy of that property. DCH said that it would never go in, however they would never leave anyone homeless. 5 Declaration of Interest: None declared. 6 Minutes: Cllr Lear proposed and Cllr Minns seconded. A vote was carried and the minutes were declared a true and accurate representation of the previous month meeting. Cllr Roche abstained as not present at the last meeting. 7 Progress Reports: 7a Allotment update, Cllr Moorhead. Unable to meet with the person to remove waste, but Cllr will sort soon. Recently informed that the footpath to the allotments through the building Moorhead site has now been moved. Now running at the bottom of site, no longer at the top, which will make it easier to get rid of the rubbish. 7b Speakers linked to hearing loop system, Cllr Moorhead, still no further forward. W.I. still Cllr having problems. Cllr Moorhead & the Clerk have both tested equipment and appears Moorhead to be working fine. 7c Tilly Bridge, the area has now been sprayed with disinfectant by the handyman. Should the problem reoccur please inform HPC and we will spray again. 7d Play equipment update, Cllr Beard. No further quotations as yet. Waiting for more Cllr Beard information from a member of the public regarding a piece of equipment. Two sets of drawings done showing disabled swing and other equipment. If anyone would like to see the drawing please let Cllr Beard know and he will provide them. 7e Posts and railings opposite the Leaping Salmon, Cllr Hemsil. Still waiting for a letter Cllr Hemsil from the EA, two weeks has gone by. 7f Capital projects ideas so far, Cllr Keane. Only had ten ideas in so far, but not discussing them until October time. Closing date extended until end of September/October. 8 Burial ground 8a Cllr Hemsil, from Neighbourhood planning meeting, a lady very concerned about the Cllr Hemsil headstones and tablets as they were not maintained. Next of kins responsibility to maintain the grave. This is not being done. HPC need to review costings, we may have to increase the fees to pay someone to look after the site. We cannot rely on relatives etc to look after and undertake the work. Next finance meeting recommendations will be made. 9 Borough and County councillor’s report: 9a Cllr Cloke, amalgamation of councils over the next three years. Sharing services and officers. Both councils in financial difficulties, WDBC will be in the region of £1.2 million in the red and South Hams council will be £1 million in the red. Largely due to cuts and funding from central government. Both councils have worked hard to try and reduce the deficit, next step to join the two councils together. Ongoing talks with various government departments, there will be a survey towards the end of August beginning of September, a six weeks period. Postal information to all residents, and road shows around the borough, the nearest to here will be Yelverton shops, I am hoping there will be one in the village as we have over 2,500 residents. If the amalgamation doesn’t happen the other option is that services will be cut. We are struggling to make the statutory services and the non-statutory services which we are able to charge for will affect the residents and business in the area. If anyone has any comments to make please make them when the survey comes out. Majority of services are the responsibility of DCC. Refuse collection is WDBC but green waste is not statutory. Council tax, WDBC only retain 12p in every £1. Unlike parish councils WDBC is capped on what we can put forward as a rise in our council tax, it was 2.9%. 1% rise in council tax is equal to £40,000 to WDBC. In Cornwall three miles of motorway cost £64 million. 9b Cllr Moyse on behalf of DNPA had nothing to report. 10 Police attendance/monthly report: 10a No report this month. 11 Planning: Cllr Moorhead 11a Telephone mast, nothing to report. Planning Inspectorate website reads a decision to be made week commencing 8th August. 11b Foxhams, tree works required. HPC supported and this has been approved by DNPA. 11c Glen Tor and Moorside properties at Manor Estate wanted to erect a porch which mirrors each other’s, HPC supported the application and DNPA hasn’t approve yet. 11d 9 Caradon Court, extend garage and pitched roof, HPC have supported the application and waiting on DNPA decision. The Old School House, has re-applied for replacement windows, again HPC supported and again waiting for DNPA decision. 11e After the meeting tonight there will be a brief meeting to discuss an application for Heather Lee on the main road. Knock down the garage and erect another one and build an extension. 11f Date needed for St Petroc, lots of changes to original plans. 12 Finance 12a To consider payment to be made as on list attached (cheque signing)

Eric Hemsil 15.18 Reimbursement for 1L Danish oil Yelverton Garage 65.66 Fuel Leg O Mutton Garage 100.00 Parish vehicle MOT Clarity Copiers 59.99 Router

12b Donation of £112.10 from friends & family of the late Beatrice Crossman for the upkeep of the Church/Parish clock. Also a generous donation of £500 from Cllr Philip Sander for the Christmas lights. Cllr Hemsil, why is the purchase of the sit on mower £8,695.20 is marked as a capital project expenditure. I feel it should be marked against the main account expenditure as it is in fact a replacement. Cllr Beard, it was agreed at a previous meeting. Cllr Hemsil has no recollection of this being made. Defer to next month so records can be checked. Cllr Moorhead agreed with Cllr Beard that it had been discussed. 13 Open Spaces 13a Bus shelter roof, Cllr Beard. DNPA has been contacted regarding the three ideas. Cllr Beard DNPA preference is like for like. Quotes for repair or replace. 14 Councillors reports and items for future agenda 14a Cllr Moorhead, 19th & 26th September will be the Community Flood Training. Set of workshops for people who are at risk of flooding. 6.30-9.30pm in the village hall. Members of the public to attend. 14b Cllr Roche, The Green at Bedford Road looking very untidy with weeds growing. A Cllr Beard member of the public agreed to look after it free of charge. Cllr Beard to contact the person and if no longer unable to do the work then ask the handyman. Whitchurch Road lots of weeds. Money sat in the TAP fund for the handyman to do a Cllr Roche weed spraying curse. Search for courses. 14c Cllr Beard. Christmas lights. Donations so far from Cllr Sanders £500, Cavaliers £100, Builder John Burbage £100, Horrabridge Stores £100 of ‘love to shop’ vouchers which could be raffled off to raise more funds. There should be no cost to the council all funds purely by donation. 15 Democratic / Public Question Time: (max 10 minutes) 15a Could Cllr Moorhead write a brief article on the flood relief training for the Bridge mag Cllr and website? Moorhead 15b Dog waste bins, very unpleasant on Chapel Lane. It’s right on the path where people Cllr Moorhead walk very close by. It’s great they are being used but need regular emptying. Clerk 15c Burial ground, talking of putting up the price for maintenance of the ground not the Cllr Hemsil headstones. The council not responsible for the headstones. 15d Walkham Meadows development, work started 24th July, imagine the developers would want all the ground work completed by the time the children return to school. 15e Play equipment a vote will be taken on which ideas to be put forward. 15f The monies from the sale of Walkham Meadows can only be used for capital projects and to maintain those projects, it cannot be used to subsidise the precept or to subsidise normal parish council business. We got that advice from DALC. HPC to write to solicitor and confirm that there is no reason why HPC cannot spend the money from Clerk the sale of Walkham Meadows. 15g Piece of land at the bottom of garden on the other side of the fence at Walkham Cllr Meadows belongs to school. Needs cutting back again. Last time the resident paid for Moorhead. work to be done. Cllr Moorhead said he would speak to the Chair of Governors at the school. 16 Date of next meeting: Tuesday 12th September 2017at 7.30pm in the village hall. Members of the public asked to leave so that so that Part 2 Planning and finance could take place. MEETING CLOSED at 8.25pm

Glossary

HRFT Horrabridge Recreation Field Trust HPC Horrabridge Parish Council HRSA Horrabridge Rangers Sports Association WDBC West Devon Borough Council DCC Devon County Council DNPA Dartmoor National Park Authority SWW South West Water EA Environment Agency LACC Local Authority Control Company TPO Tree Preservation Order HATOC Highways and Traffic Orders Committee HNPSG Horrabridge Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group DALC Devon Association of Local Councils