71 STOKENHAM PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 21st JANUARY 2016 IN THE STOKENHAM PARISH HALL PRESENT: COUNCILLORS: P. SPENCE (Chairman) T. LYNN A. GOODMAN L. COWLEY T. HOEKSMA MRS P. DOUST C. ROGERS J. GARDNER J. ANSELL MRS C. PACK J. BRAZIL (District and County Councillor) Also in attendance: Clerk – Mrs G. Claydon APOLOGIES: COUNCILLORS MS. S. BLADON MRS S. O’DWYER John Baverstock had tendered his resignation just before Christmas due to his health and the relevant notifications had been posted advising of this vacancy. The Chairman thanked him for his years of service and advised he has offered to help in a voluntary capacity with the Emergency Committee. 1. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST Councillors were invited to declare any disclosable interests, including the nature and extent of such interests they had in any items to be considered at this meeting. They were also reminded to consider whether in the light of recent activities any items within their Register of Interests should be updated. It was advised that any unforeseen request for a Dispensation would be considered by the Clerk at this point only if there was no way a councillor would have been aware of such before the meeting. 2. OPEN FORUM No member of the public being present this was dispensed with. DISTRICT AND COUNTY COUNCILLOR'S REPORT Cllr Brazil noted that both District and County Councils were considering their budgets. District Council would have a surplus due to the income from New Homes Bonus of about £1million and additional revenue income of £250,000. As a result of this income and many savings due to T18 and management changes there would be no visible service cuts. However Government had announced that the New Homes Bonus would start to be cut back so the monies received would be short lived. He acknowledged that there had been massive issues with the Planning Department and had been assured, yet again, that they would be sorted and that most of the problems were due to backlog of applications. Each officer had recently been dealing with approximately 150 applications when the recommended level was 30. They were down now to about 45 each. Hopefully they would soon be a properly functioning department. Cllr Brazil continued that the District IT system did not work and Scrutiny Committee had asked to what the Risk Assessment was for such an outcome and the plan B. He had nothing further to report than that so apologised for how long it had gone on as District had failed to sort it out. His view was that as long as dustbin rubbish was collected and the planning department was good most residents were content and this 72 was not the case. All that District appeared to focus on was their identity which they had taken all last Friday to discuss at the Woolwell Centre! Cllr Brazil noted that Cllrs Lynn and Hoeksma had attending the development control meeting in relation to the proposal at Seagulls, Hallsands and that although they had all spoken against it, it went through. Planning Committee understood that ‘locals’ and he believed that due to coastal erosion this site would not be there in a few years. The Environment Agency had not objected and therefore District officers did not and those present were advised by the legal officer that there was no liability on the Planning Committee as this was a replacement and not a new dwelling. With regard to the coastal erosion along Torcross, Beesands and Hallsands the Environment Agency had visited the areas last week and Chris Brook, District Assets, was awaiting a report. Neither District nor County Council had funding or the capacity to cope with such investment to ‘hold the line’ so they would be relying on the EA. The Parish Clerk provided the report that she had obtained from the Environment Agency. There had been a few issues with the call centre at South Hams and their delay in responding. Cllr Brazil felt that District did not seem to understand that people/customers did not want to wait 5 - 20 minutes and get their problem solved rather than not get their called picked up immediately. Scrutiny Committee had requested proper performance indicators but he felt if all was not right by March they must make serious changes. County Council financially were totally different from District and were expecting with inflation pressures and cuts from Central Government Grant that they must look for a further in house cut of £35million from a budget of £420million. Added to this cut was extra pressure being imposed from the vulnerable children services. Generally the council tax would go up by approximately 1.99% with an extra 2% towards adult care so it would probably mean a 4% increase and he felt in all honesty that County did not have a choice but to make this increase. The money needed to be spent on the state of the roads was reckoned to be £60million per year to keep to keep even. Recently County had only been spending £40million so with the current weather conditions this would deteriorate. Parish council enquired what happened about the proposal by County to downgrade roads and Cllr Brazil noted this was happening by default. By illustration he noted that the road down to Fuge had gone already and County would not be able do anything to repair it. From recent meetings local authorities were being made to cut and cut and in the end something else would have to happen. He noted that the mast at Start Point was taken down due a stay that had snapped and was probably due to lack of maintenance. This he felt was the way with most organisations in the current economic climate and Parish Councils would no doubt in future be looked to pick up many of these jobs like parish maintenance and lengths men and ultimately it would come out of their precept. The Road Warden Scheme did not appear to be working and works were most successful if people or parishes contracted the works out with the external contractor having all liability and insurance. Government had now set a four year term for finance but by 2019 there would be no Government monetary assistance at all for local authorities. Personally he did not think County was being innovative enough to self-finance but undoubtedly one tier of local government would go. Devolution might provide legislation for councils to charge for other services but at present they were hampered with what they had to provide and what they were allowed to do. 3. MINUTES The Minutes of the: (a) Full council meeting dated 10th December 2015 was approved by all present and duly signed as a true and correct record. 73 (b) Planning Committee meeting none held January 2016. 4. PLANNING & PLANNING MATTERS • DEFERRED due to no plans provided by District : 3040/15/HHO Householder application for front dormer and balcony Cartref, Kiln Lane Stokenham WORKS TO TREE PRESERVATION ORDER TREES • 3094/16/TPO (No. 894) Site: Stokeley Lodge, Kiln Lane, Stokenham. Proposal crown reduction by 10 feet and removal of lateral limbs to two Horse Chestnuts. No objection. These were well grown mature Chestnuts with one very close to the house and the other close to additional trees, works looked reasonable and sensible. Cllr Rogers arrived at the meeting. PLANNING CORRESPONDENCE • Dunstone old water tower and caravan and hard standing there and should be bought to attention of the Enforcement. Duly reported 25th January 2016. • Clare Pawley had contacted Steve Church of the Secretary of the South West Coast Path with regard to her concerns on coastal development. He acknowledged that a recent application had been granted permission so South West Coast Path could not now comment but as they are informed during the planning process urged parish councils to contact them if they felt any applications would have an impact on the coastal path. Email [email protected] 5. PRECEPT 2016/2017 It was noted that Stokenham Parish Hall were ordering further tables and that for the annual payment made by Parish Council the tables would not be removed from the meeting room in future when parish council was held. Also the hall committee wished to put a new roof on and were applying to many funding opportunities so requested the support of parish council and questioned and available Section 106 monies. It was not felt these monies were available towards halls but this question would be raised during the creation of the OSSR Plan. John Baverstock also had emailed and advised grant funding would be needed for the graveyard. It was felt that at present a funding pot could be added to with a view to the need to purchase additional land in the future. Cllr Cowley outlined the figures proposed for the precept and noted that there was no way anyone could predict what ongoing costs would be required for footpath maintenance and Helmers play area. Therefore there needed to be sufficient money to cover all eventualities rather than reduce the precept and then be short of money as no doubt there would be more efficiencies required in future. Cllr Hoeksma questioned whether there was actually enough money to cover clearance of buddle holes and highway maintenance. Following the figures being presented it was AGREED to approve the final figure of £34,203 for submission to District Council with the Government grant added of £1257. 6. COASTAL EROSION A report was received from the Environment Agency who confirmed that the gate closure arrangements with volunteers Richard Foss, Anita Hutchings, Nigel Heath and Michael Chapman were still in place for Beesands Flood gate.