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Minutes for Remote Meeting March 2021

2021 Minutes Uploaded on March 6, 2021

YARCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES
Remote Meeting held via Zoom, Monday 1st March 2021 at 8.00 pm
In Attendance:
Cllrs C Stone (Chair), T Long, L Pidgeon, C Ford, S Horner, D Little, D Barnes (via speaker phone), C Vining, S-J Martin (Clerk & RFO)
Members of the Public present – 0

Cllr Stone welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked everyone for joining us. He added that with reference to the video online of the Handforth meeting, we became aware that Liz Pole had posted a photo of our meeting onto Facebook which with a request, she has kindly removed.

1. Apologies for Absence:
Cllrs D Key and D Barnes

2. Declarations of Interest
Cllr Stone asked if anyone had any Declarations of Interest for the meeting. Cllr Vining declared an interest in a planning application, being Beacon Farm and Clerk will email a copy of a Declaration of Interests From for completion and return.

3. Minutes.
The Councillors were asked if they were happy that the Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 1st February received by email, were correct and that everyone was happy for them to be signed. Everyone agreed and they will be signed as a true record outside of the meeting. To date, Clerk confirms that Minutes to be signed outside of the meetings due to Covid, have been signed.
4. Reports
To receive the following Reports
a. County Councillor – Cllr Iain Chubb
Cllr Chubb advised County are involved with the roll out of the vaccine, assisting many more to get vaccinated. He added there are a lot of roadworks/road closures around the area showing works are going ahead, even if repairs do result in more potholes popping out due to the amount of traffic and the standing water we have had.
Broadband is starting to roll out in other places, acknowledging Yarcombe is quite well served. Cllr Horner raised the issue that there are still areas in our Parish without Broadband and there is £45m available to be spent but not a single spade has been lifted. Devon County Council are responsible for awarding contracts and they are doing nothing. Cllr Chub said he would investigate the matter with County and get back to Cllr Horner.
Cllr Stone mentioned Stuart Hughes at EDDC regarding trialing the “JCB Pro” and asked if Cllr Chubb had heard anything but Iain is under the impression, they are going to stick with the Dragon Patcher – He will investigate.
b. District Councillors – Cllrs C Brown & D Key
No reports received.
c. Police
No reports received.
d. Yarcombe Community Land Trust
Cllr Horner advised it was slow progress, but the planners had come up with some comments and although sometimes conflicting, we have commented on. Also, the planners have now consulted with their Consultees. Re the Option to purchase the land, the lawyers are still debating this after 2 years.
e. Reports from Individual Councillors
All the Councillors were asked if they had anything to report – the following reports were received:
Cllr Horner – a report from the Yarcombe Inn Community Benefit Society, now Yarcombe Community Benefit Society. There are a group of young Mothers in the village who would like a play park and the Society is liaising between this group and EDDC. At the last meeting, EDDC were slow in coming forward with the information we wanted, and Cllr Brown agreed to contact the Officials at EDDC to obtain the info required. Cllr Horner is concerned there is another pot of money available as the figures to him seem to be wrong and asks whether we should follow up with Cllr Brown. Cllr Stone and the Councillors agree a tactful email and with cc to Sulina.
Cllr S Vining – there are a few path repairs and a gate had come off plus he was concerned what was left in the P3 pot which was advised as £ £1,499.87.
Cllr C Vining – Concerning the playpark, Charlotte has made contact with the Hall Committee, but they haven’t been very forthcoming in making a decision concerning the land required for it.

5. Open Session for Public Participation
Sandra Newton at Marsh had mentioned the Marsh Notice board was becoming difficult to open and close its doors. Cllr Long he will go across and have a look in due course.

6. Parish Council Priorities including Clerk and Correspondence.
Highways
Rag Lane
No update received from Highways.
Potholes
Amy Tucker from Lower Luxton Farm has previously reported potholes on the stretch of lane from Knapp Farm towards Williambear. Some of these have since been done and some of the smaller ones which hadn’t, are now of a size that they require doing.
Cllr Stone advised the Council has done a phenomenal job in Birch Oak Lane and Cllr Vining added it surely is a maintenance issue because if they were maintained they couldn’t get as bad.
Cllr Long reported to Iain Chub there was a big issue with farmers draining their land into the roads which is doing a lot of damage. Iain confirmed he was aware of this as between Exmouth and Exeter the exact same problem is occurring and there is now a call for funding for farmers to be persuaded to look after their water courses. Cllr Long said he understood why they were doing it, but it is the volume of water gushing across the lanes which is doing the damage. Cllr Chubb agrees and that then the water sits on the road surface, HGVs go over it and forces water to push up potholes, plus they rip up the edges of the lanes. Cllr Ford added it isn’t helping with farmers taking their hedges which is allowing water and debris to flow onto the lanes and block the streams.
Speed Camera
Cllr Stone said we would like to investigate some funds and maybe some future Locality Budget if at all possible? Cllr Chubb advised there is not a lot left in this year’s budget and there is an election on 6th May and if I get re-elected, I shall look at it after then. He has been looking at getting a speed camera to use across 3 Parishes where with poles situated in the ground for it at different locations (one possibly Yarcombe), it can be moved around. Cllr Long added Yarcombe had a couple of poles for such a purpose but they were deemed unnecessary and removed by the Council
Village Amenities
New Website
The basic structure of the website has been built and it is now up to the Clerk to upload all the documentation and Parish Councillor photos which should be completed by the next meeting.
Yarcombe Play Area
Cllr Stone advised no contact had been received from the Hall Committee.
Landmark Tree
We have postponed the placing of a Brass Plaque near the tree until we can meet outside.
Additional Items
EDDC Local Plan
Cllr Stone asked if any Councillors have got any comments on the Local Plan to which there were none.
Review of Standing Orders
Cllr Stone advised 2 new ones need adopting so the wording will be formalised, circulated and adopted at the next meeting.
Sandbags
This is on diary to order more if required this year.
Troughs on layby
Following a letter received from Helen Matthews, Cllr Horner had suggested a pot of £100 to replenish and top up the planters which was agreed by everyone. It was agreed that we would provide an initial budget of £50.00 to Helen to spend in topping them up with more available if needed, up to £100. Clerk to email Helen.
May meeting
Due to the law changing to which Zoom meetings are no longer permitted by Parish Councils after the 7th May and that all meetings must resume to be Face to Face, it was proposed for safely by Cllr Stone to pull this forward to Tuesday 4th May (Monday 3rd being a Bank Holiday). Cllr Horner seconded the proposal. With the current Legislation, meetings will resume face to face from 7th June.
April meeting
Cllr Vining mentioned the date set for the April meeting was the 5th which is a Bank Holiday (thank you Charlotte) – it was agreed by all to move this meeting forward to Monday April 12th.

7. Finance
a. The Councillors received the Clerks report on the current Financial Position by email and Cllr Stone asked if everyone was happy with the finances. None of the Councillors had any comments.
b. Payments within the Clerks Report schedule were agreed:

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.
Cllr Long advised that during this time, site meetings continue to be held with a skeleton of Parish Council members, where he felt it necessary and consequently hasn’t been inviting all the Parish Councillors to all the applications, due the present circumstances.
Cllr Long went through the current applications and the comments made to the EDDC Planning site. Following on from last month’s comment concerning emphasis having been placed on the continuing requirement that we are keen to see dark grey anthracite cladding on agricultural development which is in our Neighbourhood Plan and that the AONB also wish to see, Cllr Long was delighted to state that EDDC had not only supported our comments but also incorporated several of our suggestions into the planning approval at Birch Oak.
Cllr Horner congratulated Cllr Long for his work on Birch Oak Farm, especially in getting EDDC to adopt anthracite and cladding to the floor. He added his concerns that the BHPN don’t seem to take much interest / pay much attention to our beautiful landscape and he would like to propose to the Chairman that there planning lady gets a lot more involved and uses their planning officer more effectively. The example at Birch Oak is exactly what we would like to achieve. Cllr Horner suggests we thank EDDC and copy in BHPN to tell them that is what we are looking at.
Cllr Long agrees and Cllr Horner will come up with a preliminary draft. Cllr Stone concluded the meeting and thanked everyone for joining us.
The date of the next meeting is Monday 12th April at 8pm which will be held remotely.