Yarcombe Parish Council Agenda
Chairman: Cllr Clive Stone
Clerk: Sarah-Jane Martin
The Belfry, Yarcombe, Honiton, Devon EX14 9BD
Tel: 01404 861234 Email: yarcombe.clerk@yahoo.com
To: Cllrs Clive Stone, (Chairman), Steve Horner (Vice Chairman), David Barnes, Tony Long, David Little, Shaun Vining, Caroline Ford, Charlotte Vining, Lesley Pidgeon
All members of the Council are summoned to attend a meeting of Yarcombe Parish Council to be held remotely or via conference call on Monday 1st March at 8pm for the transaction of business as set out below.
Members of the Public Please Note: Due to the current HM Government’s measures for Covid-19, the Parish Council will meet virtually via Zoom. If any members of the public wish to raise a question for the meeting, they should contact the Clerk by Saturday 27th February latest by email, so it can be added to the Agenda.
The recording of this meeting is not permitted by either audio or visual without prior consent of the Council.
1. Apologies for Absence
2. Declarations of Interest
To receive disclosures of pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests in items on the agenda.
disclosures of pecuniary
3. Minutes
To sign as a correct record the minutes of the remote Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 1st February 2021. This will be completed outside of the meeting.
4. Reports
To receive the following Reports
a. County Councillor
b. District Councillor
c. Police
d. Yarcombe Community Land Trust
e. Reports from Individual Councillors
5. Parish Council Priorities including Clerk and Correspondence
Village Amenities
New Website – The domain www.yarcombeparishoucouncil.org.uk has been registered and the website build is now in progress of being built.
Landmark Tree – We shall postpone the placing of a Brass Plaque near the tree until we can meet outside.
Play Area – Update and Parish Council Representatives on the Board of Yarcombe Community Benefit Society.
Speed Camera
Highways
Potholes – Amy Tucker from Lower Luxton Farm has reported potholes on the stretch of lane from Knapp Farm towards Williambear and complaining they haven’t been done. Since the meeting, Highways have reported this is scheduled for repair and Clerk has asked Amy to keep us updated.
Rag Lane – nothing to report yet.
Additional Items
EDDC Local Plan – Comments Required by 15th March. Cllr Stone considers Housing Sites to be able to accommodate 5 dwellings or minimum 0.15 hectares
Or
For economic development minimum 0.25 hectares or 500 m2 of floor space.
Review of Standing Orders
Two need adopting
1. To include the formal delegation of making and submitting comments on planning applications to the Councillors who attend the site meetings which was granted to Cllr Tony Long in November 2019.
2. Where decisions such Notifications to Highways are within the above formal delegated Sub-Committee.
Sandbags
Diarised to order more next year.
Planters on layby – Following the receipt of a letter from Helen Matthews concerning the planters, Cllr Horner suggests we should allocate some funds, say £100.00 to buy well established plants from a local nursery that will flourish in these harsh conditions. This proposal has been backed by Cllr Pidgeon. Ought we to write to Tony Baker asking if he has any plans for them this year?
Date of May Meetings – From the 7th of May, meetings may have to resume to face to face. Consider Tuesday 4th May as Monday 3rd is a Bank Holiday or leave it at the 10th of May.
6. Open Session for Public Participation
Sandra Newton has advised by email that “While posting the YPC March Agenda on the Marsh Notice board I have noticed how much harder it is to open and close the doors of the notice board the catches are harder to open and close and brute force is needed to close the doors which have become warped.”
7. Finance
a. To receive the Clerks report on the current Financial Position
b. The payment to Parish Council Websites / Netwise has been completed for £899 plus the domain name registration at £15. To approve payments as follows:
Payment Date Payee Details of Payment Amount
02.03.21 HMRC February PAYE 59.80
02.03.21 Sarah-Jane Martin February Clerks wages 239.20
8. Planning
To receive and endorse the Planning Decisions of the Council taken since last meeting under delegated authority:
The formal delegation of making and submitting comments on planning applications to the Councillors who attend the site meetings, has been granted to Cllr Tony Long in November 2019. This is due to their being insufficient time before subsequent meetings to bring back comments to the Council for a full formal vote.
Cllr Long advised that during this time, site meetings have been held with a skeleton of Parish Council members, where he felt necessary and consequently hasn’t been inviting all the Parish Councillors to all the applications, due the present circumstances.
Covered agricultural yard – Newcott Farm Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9ND
Ref. No: 21/0348/FUL Status: Pending Consideration
Erection of roof over existing agricultural slurry separation yard – Newcott Farm Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9ND
Ref. No: 21/0375/FUL Status: Pending Consideration
Change of use of outbuilding from ancillary accommodation to the main house to an independent residential unit for use as a holiday let. – Beacon Farm Beacon Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9LU
Ref. No: 20/2819/COU Status: Pending Consideration
Roofing over open silage clamp 1 phase 1 – Birch Oak Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9AF
Ref. No: 20/2859/FUL Status: Approval with conditions
Roofing over open silage clamp 1 phase 2 – Birch Oak Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9AF
Ref. No: 20/2860/FUL Status: Approval with conditions
Roofing over open silage clamp 2 – Birch Oak Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9AF
Ref. No: 20/2861/FUL Status: Approval with conditions
Roofing over open silage clamp 3. – Birch Oak Yarcombe Honiton EX14 9AF
Ref. No: 20/2862/FUL Status: Approval with conditions
Adjacent Parishes:
The next meeting is scheduled for Monday 5th April and will be held remotely as per our current guidelines issued by the National Association of Councils.
Clerks Report and Supporting Information for the Agenda
Yarcombe Parish Council Remote Clerks Report due to COVID-19
1st-29th February for March 1st meeting
Finance – Update on current Financial Situation:
Bank account balances as at 20.02.21
Lloyds £443.28
Unity Trust C/A & Instant Access £9,907.94 10,351.22
Cash Book Balance at 20.02.21 (Bank, less pending payments). 10,052.22
Less Ringfenced:
1. Money allocated for P3 expenditure 1,499.87
2. Money allocated for Highways / Village Maintenance 261.30
3. Election Costs 400.00
Yarcombe Inn Community Project – Illustrated History of The Yarcombe Inn
556.69
Remainder of Balance after above Ringfenced monies 7,334,36
Clerk Correspondence received during February relating to relevant issues for Yarcombe Parish Council:
• Email from Devon County Council advising Devon has seen a fall in the number of positive coronavirus cases, across all age groups, Public Health Devon has confirmed. “The current restrictions are helping to bring down the number of positive coronavirus cases in Devon,” says Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon. “Devon residents are doing really well in adhering to the current lockdown restrictions, and we’re seeing evidence that their efforts are working. However, we must keep it up.”
• The National Assn of Councils has advised “The government is not currently planning to extend the remote meeting regulations beyond 7 May 2021. Along with other local government bodies, NALC is continuing to press for this extension. We are also preparing guidance for local councils on preparing for and managing the return to physical meetings in May and beyond.”
• Member of the Public (unknown) contacted Highways direct, complaining of the state of road from Knackers Hole Road to Dennington Lane & also the lack of grit bins. Highways informed them that there is a scheme on the system for the road to be repaired awaiting funding. They also advised that if they require a Salt bin, this would have to go through the Parish and the snow plan etc. Highways advised them that if they want salt or YPC to do something on their behalf, they need to ask. This is a long stretch of lane so Clerk awaits contact to establish where on the lane they would like the grit bin.
• An email received from NALC (National Assn of Local Councils) to advise it is continuing to work with a range of national bodies, to press for the facility to meet remotely to continue after May.
Ministers have confirmed they have heard the messages. Last weekend’s Sunday Telegraph story, Jackie Weaver phenomenon forces Ministers to make parish council meetings by zoom permanent, suggesting that the government may consult on this. Nonetheless, while there is continuing uncertainty, NALC’s advice is that councils should now be preparing for the real possibility of a return to face-to-face meetings.
• Newsletter from the Blackdown Hills Parish Network circulated.
• Email from Private Sector Housing at EDDC promoting Empty Homes Week 15-21 February – Empty Homes Week is a national campaign organised by Action for Empty Homes to bring empty properties back into use. Did you know that over 600,000 properties across the UK are vacant? There are 433 empty homes in East Devon. We are working with our empty homeowners to bring them back into use. If know of an empty property that’s causing a problem to residents, we will be able to help. Please contact us on 01395571572 or pshousing@eastdevon.gov.uk
Sarah-Jane Martin
Clerk, Yarcombe Parish Council
Date 20th February 2021