YARCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL
Chairman: Cllr Nick Randle
Clerk: Sarah-Jane Martin
The Belfry, Yarcombe, Honiton, Devon EX14 9BD
Tel: 01404 861234 Email: yarcombe.clerk@yahoo.com
To: Cllrs Nick Randle, (Chairman), Lesley Pidgeon (Vice Chairman), David Barnes, Steve Horner, Tony Long, Sue Parris, Clive Stone, Maggie Tomkinson, Tony Wiggins, Cllrs Ian Chubb and Paul Diviani.
All members of the Council are summoned to attend a meeting of Yarcombe Parish Council to be held in The Yarcombe Village Hall on Monday 2nd July 2018 at 8pm for the transaction of business as set out below.
Members of the public and press are welcome to attend.
Signed: Sarah-Jane Martin, Clerk, 25th June 2018
AGENDA
1. Apologies for Absence
Cllr Paul Diviani, Cllr Tomkinson
2. Declarations of Interest
To receive disclosures of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in items on the agenda.
3. Minutes
To sign as a correct record the minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 4th June 2018.
4. Parish Council Priorities
5.a Discussions of Comments from Parishioners re Highways and Local Concerns
See Addendum attached – carried forward from June. (Councillors were asked to read the Addendum of Parishioners comments in readiness for the next meeting.)
• Additionally – email received from Dave Ashford, Neighbourhood Highways Officer in response to our request for the curbs to be lowered at Stopgate. His response as follows “I went out yesterday and had a look for myself at these kerbs. The simple answer is no, we wouldn’t lower these and they seem to be in-line with the others in situe along the A303. I personally didn’t think there was any issue.”
5.b Open Session for Public Participation
6. Finance
a. To receive the Clerks report on the current Financial Position
b. To approve payments in line with the schedule in the Clerks Report.
7. Reports
To receive the following Reports
a. County Councillor
b. District Councillor
c. Police
d. Yarcombe Community Land Trust
e. Reports from Individual Councillors
8. Clerk and Correspondence
Discussion / Decisions and Actions required:
• Whether lighting on local Commercial buildings are in breach of planning – item deferred form the June meeting.
• Letter received dated 31.05.18 from Victim Support asking if the Council would consider making a contribution to the on-going development of work in our area.
• Re cleaning of road signs – email from Dave Ashford, Highways – “Would you be able to supply a map with the location of the signs which need to be cleaned and what they are please. If it’s one(s) that I could do myself, then I will when I’m next in the area, however, if there are a number of them (especially at height) then I’d need to place an order for our contractors to carry out the works
• Email received from Nick Copp concerning the grass cutting of the layby – “I would be willing to undertake the job on a fortnightly basis during the spring/summer when the grass is growing well and as required in the autumn.
I estimate it would take 1.5 hours at £15 per hour. Therefore, twice a month in high season equates to £45 a month and once a month out of season being £22.50. (I would not be happy in only cutting the lawns once a month in high season). If you would prefer I invoice you once a month @ £15 per hour for hours undertaken.
• Further information concerning the Evolis Radar Speed Sign
• Email received from Wendy Harris, PA to Henry Gordon Lennox, Strategic Lead for Governance & Licensing & Monitoring Officer, who are recruiting a parish/town council member for the Standards Committee. “We are keen to hear from any town/parish council member who would like to fill this vacant position and who is not also a member of a district council. If your council is able to recommend a member I would be grateful if you could provide details of the councillor concerned, including the length of time that he/she has been a councillor, experience gained whilst being a councillor, reasons for wanting to be chosen as a parish/town council member and any other information considered to be relevant. Experience of tribunals, disciplinaries and refereeing are also relevant, as the Committee will deal with Code of Conduct complaints. The Standards Committee now meets four times a year, We also ask members to sit on occasional sub committees to make decisions about Code of Conduct complaints. This is an interesting, very part-time role for a town or parish councillor who is interested in promoting high standards in public service and who has a fair and analytical approach to decision-making.
• Register of interest forms – changes? NR and DB – everyone else no changes
• Email received from Steve Horner – Perhaps we should discuss at the next meeting if Yarcombe Parish Council should make any preparations to celebrate Armistice Day this year, particularly as we have now lost Michael Ford who took a special interest in such matters
9. Planning
To receive and endorse the Planning Decisions of the Council taken since last meeting under delegated authority:
• Ref. No: 18/1069/FUL – Hares Farm Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9AZ. Change of use of land, ground engineering works and erection of stable building and store for private and livery use. Status: Pending Consideration
• Ref. No: 18/1250/FUL, Ref. No: 18/1251/FUL, Ref. No: 18/1252/FUL – Broadley Farm Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9BJ. Slurry Store Roof 1, 2, 3. Status: Pending Consideration
• Ref. No: 18/0638/FUL – Beacon Farm Beacon Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9LU. Construction of single and two storey rear extensions, 2no flues and alterations and extensions to existing detached garage to form ancillary home office. Status: Approval with conditions
• Ref. No: 18/0501/OUT – Watchford Farm Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9LZ. The erection of an agricultural/land-based workers dwelling. Status: Pending Decision
• Ref. No: 18/1076/FUL – Land Adjacent to Moxhayes Yarcombe. Above ground slurry store. Status: Pending Decision
10. To confirm the date of the next meeting being Monday 3rd September at 8pm in The Jubilee Hall, Yarcombe
PART B –
To resolve: that under section 1(2) of the Public Bodies (Admission to Meetings) Act 1960 that the public and press be excluded from the meeting:
The Yarcombe Inn – deferred from the June Meeting.
Addendum to July Agenda
In response to Miranda’s recent email, I would like to raise the issue of inadequate (and a dangerous) lack of maintenance to the lane leading from Marsh to my property at Coburns Barn and to neighbouring properties at Coburns Farm, Shorthayne Farm and Clifthayne Farm. This lane is egregiously seen by DCC as a suitable alternative route to these properties rather than using the closed section of the route from them to the B3170.
The additional farm, domestic and general delivery traffic that now uses the lane (because of the closure of it above Clifthayne Farm) is now causing dangerous undercutting to both sides of the road surface. I have personally been involved in rescuing several vehicles which have become stuck in the deep ditches which have formed to both sides of the lane, which in places is now barely more than 8 feet wide. My wife and I now have friends who will no longer risk visiting us at home, because of the state of this lane.
I would be grateful for any improvements to this situation which Yarcombe Parish Council could help bring about.
Kind regards,
Steve Campbell
Coburns Barn
01460 234331
stevecampbell56@gmail.com
Although ours is the only home on the A30 lay-by at the moment and we wouldn’t wish any expensive services provided just for us, it must be said that the grass verge, previously cared for so assiduously by Neil, is in danger of becoming an eye-sore for the very many drivers passing through our village. There are three main abuses:
1. Notices such as the one advertising Easter Bingo are not removed once the event has taken place. This is the case at both ends of the village. We have even, unbelievably, seen notices nailed onto living trees. Please make it a condition of placing notices on the lay-by that they be removed within 3 days of the event.
2. The grass is cut very infrequently by Highways, often in wet weather, and cuttings are never removed. After their visits the ground is often quite badly damaged. There has previously been a suggestion to subcontract maintenance of the lay-by and I would be grateful if this idea could be revisited by the Parish Council.
3. Parking of cars on the grass of the lay-by occurs frequently for events such as large funerals, inevitably resulting in damage. Furthermore the entrance to Welton has often been obstructed by irresponsibly parked cars. We would not wish to see bollards or notices prohibiting parking without permission, but perhaps the Parish Council, Yarcombe Voices and St John the Baptist Church could request villagers to park responsibly on the lay-JonesFinally, could I mention that I have not been told of any action planned for the Yarcombe Inn and would be grateful for some indication of how my donation is to be spent.
Kind regards
Josie and Brian Jones
josebri3483@hotmail.com
From September, 5 children will be crossing the road in the centre of the village everyday on their way home from school. It’s very much a spot of road that you cross and hope for the best and when the 303 is closed due to an accident and traffic is diverted through the village it becomes a game of Russian Roulette! Would it be possible to have ‘Children Crossing’ warning signs placed on both directions into the village to warn motorists of the risk of children crossing the road?.
Thank you
Regards
Helen Matthews
helen@yarcombe.com
We, who live on this side of the road, are in constant danger if we want to walk into the village. We have tried in the past to get something done but to no avail.
On this bend there is no pavement nor is there down the hill. If we cross the road there is a large verge of usually long grass which is often very wet and again we walk down into the village in the road.
The cars race round the bend and it is often necessary to jump into the grass! It is only safe (ish) when we get to your building. We then walk in comparative safety until we then have to cross the road again to get to the church or village hall again having to avoid the speeding cars coming around bends both ways!!
Surely there is something that can be done – or will it only be done after a tragedy happens! Pat Bright
patsybright@hotmail.com
In response to Mirandas email of the 10th,
To say our road (we live at Grovelands Farm), or “track” as I believe EDC refer to it, that connects Pound Lane to the road that connects Yarcombe to Stockland is, for most if not all residents that live along this stretch of road (Gary & Rachel Shires at Chaffhay Farm, Graham & Veronica Wadey at Little Chaffhay to name a few), not only akin to a third world cart track and that certain parts are reminiscent of doing a stage of the Lombard RAC rally (now showing my age!) but also, in some respects or on some modes of transport, would be heading towards takingones life into their hands would be an understatement.
If I were taken to cycling along this stretch of what can only be generously referred to as a road on a pedal cycle and suffered the almost unavoidable misfortune of hitting one of the numerous potholes that it’s peppered with or one of the stretches that is in such a poor state of erosion, it’s difficult to see how a visit to the Musgrove or RD&E A&E wasn’t certain, if not something more serious, with the corresponding visit to Everys Solicitors in order to see what legal redress against EDC was possible for flouting their obligations and duty of care to their fully paid up council tax payer residents who have no choice but to risk damage to their vehicles every time they leave home.
To add insult to injury, as someone who runs a business with the corresponding understanding of cost effective use of resources, what seems to fly in the face of good sense and logic is that by EDC endlessly “patching” this section of their road network instead of just biting the bullet and resurfacing it, in the long run it’s beyond likely that they will spend far more of their valuable resources with the corresponding additional strain on finances.
I think I’ve made my point but please feel free to ask for any further comment if needed.
Many thanks.
Best regards
Iain Luck MIoD M.I.C.F.M
Managing Director
iain.luck@multileasing.co.uk
Hi Sarah-Jane,
Thanks for the reminder. I would like to put the point that the weed covered shrubbery running behind the fence opposite the Taunton turn is an eyesore for most of the year due to lack of proper maintenance. I do not know if this is Parish maintained or East Devon District or Devon C C , but it is usually cut twice a year, March and May time. This seems illogical as it stays all winter in its worse form. Also when they erected the fence they took it at an angle to meet Moorpit Lane to avoid the telegraph pole, which is also sighted wrongly to see what is coming up the road. The triangle left between the fence and the pole, during the summer months nettles up also balks the view down the road, this is not usually cut by the contractor, but is a hazard to motorists.
It would be better to move the May -time cut to October. And also include the triangle in both cuts. We and others down the lane have personally cut this before for safety reasons. With a later cut
It would leave the area looking much tidier during the winter months.
Thanks
Lin Box
info@forestandland.co.uk
Dear Sarah-Jane
Don’t forget to mention LITTER. !
Ann
jonannstockwell@aol.com
Apologies for not replying before, but thank you for pursuing the Taunton Lane problem. I do not think the Highways response is at all satisfactory as there definitely is a safety defect along both sides of the road. One day, some poor soul will end up in the ditch when meeting a large truck. Please keep this on your list!
Mary Smith
brianmarysmith@btinternet.com
We live at Stockhouse Cottage (the 1st house down Rag Lane) . There has been a problem for a few years with drainage coming off the field infront of our property running down and across the road causing problems especially when it freezes turning to ice and very hazardous as its on a slope. Drains were installed a few years ago but the run off is missing them all, Ideally a concrete ditch running along side the bank would solve this problem . it definitely should be looked into before next winter .
The other problem is that the verges down Rag Lane are not being cut until late summer (if ever) allowing poor vision for drivers and pedestrians,…they just cut around the road signs then drive off.
This is our response to Yarcombe Voices road problems in Yarcombe.
John & Linda Currall
Clerks Report and Supporting Information for the Agenda
Yarcombe Parish Council Meeting Monday 2 July 2018
Item 6 – Finance – Update on current Financial Situation:
Bank account balance £26,027.04 (Lloyds) £482.00 (Unity Trust) as at 31.05.18 = £26,509.04 £
Cash Book Balance at 31.05.18 (Bank less unpresented cheque plus receipts paid in), as at 31.05.18 £25,281.32
Less Ringfenced:
Ringfenced for Contractor to cover:
2,986.67
1. Money allocated for P3 expenditure – £1,986.67 less £1,300/£1,400.00 already allocated
2. £1,000.00 for Highways – £1,000.00
Yarcombe Inn Community Project – Net £13,485.73 plus £1,823.49 rec’d from YICP 15,309.22
Sub Total C/F to remainder of Yr Budget, Grants/Events & Projects Budgets 6,985.43
Yarcombe Inn Project Ring Fenced Donations and Expenses:
Date Donations Payee Donation £ Net Cost £
July–Aug 17 Total Cheques, Cash & 338.00
Sep-Nov 17 Total Crowdfunder 1 & 2 12,830.56
27.07.17 Y Inn Donation re banners and flyers 260.00
30.09.17 The Hive 83.33
31.08.17 From YPC 500.00
28.09.17 Wessex Re-investment Soc 500.00
24.10.17 Irvine Nott Valuers 850.00
11.11.17 Josie Miles refund re CF 2 90.00
28.11.17 Pub Hub x 2 events 1,065.50
28.11.17 Donation 15.00
Other
16.05.18 Receipt from YICP re Grant for Expenses 1,823.49
Totals £16,832.55 £1,523.33
Total £15,309.22
6b – Payments to be approved and made in line with the following schedule:
Date Payee Details of Payment Chq Nr £
25.05.18 Sarah-Jane Martin Trophy Store – Engraving and Delivery 000592 15.49
10.06.18 Sarah-Jane Martin Cinema Tickets and Food for Youngsters 000595 47.57
30.06.18 Sarah-Jane Martin Clerks Wages 000596 223.41
30.06.18 HMRC Paye and NI 000598 55.80
Item 7. Reports
To provisionally receive the following Reports
a. County Councillor
b. District Councillor
c. Police
d. Yarcombe Community Land Trust
e. Reports from Individual Councillors
Item 8. Clerk Correspondence
Further Correspondence as follows (for more details and copy emails please email the Clerk):
• 05.06.18 Further details of the Evolis Solar Speed sign requested
• Devon Alert two-way messaging system operated by Devon and Cornwall Police promoted in the e-voices.
• Email received from www.sportsandplayconsulting.co.uk concerning the implementation of a Multi-Use Games Area or Outdoor Fitness project. Offers to work with councils on the procurement stage by writing tenders, evaluating responses and being an experienced consultant to answer any questions or offer advice.
• Email received from Dave Ashford, Neighbourhood Highways Officer in response to our request for the curbs to be lowered at Stopgate. His response as follows “I went out yesterday and had a look for myself at these kerbs. The simple answer is no, we wouldn’t lower these and they seem to be in-line with the others in situe along the A303. I personally didn’t think there was any issue.”
• Email received from John Carter, “Please thank the Council for their consideration. We did not appreciate at the time of asking that you were involved in financially supporting the John Salter award. No doubt we shall still be able to sell the books at a low price to cover costs, without seeking anybody’s help, Kind regards John C.”
• Email received from Robyn Stephens, Policy & Advocacy Support Officer, The Ramblers in response to Clerks email concerning a reminder to walkers to close gates. ”We regularly promote a message of responsible use of the countryside to our members and will be pushing this message even further next year. We don’t write to members after isolated incidents and there’s also many other led walks that take place across the country which are not affiliated to Ramblers at all.”
• Email received from Tricia about the Repair Café which is coming up on Saturday, 28th July, asking us to let your parishioners know about it. Clerk has placed Poster in the Notice Board. “A very successful Cafe in May and have now clocked up 99 items that have been brought in for repair!”
• £443.30 received re the last round of Parishes Together Funding.
Sarah-Jane Martin
Clerk, Yarcombe Parish Council
Date 25th June 2018