YARCOMBE PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES
Held in The Jubilee Hall, Yarcombe, Monday 1st October 2018 at 8.00 pm
In Attendance:
Cllrs N Randle (Chair), L Pidgeon, C Stone, T Wiggins, T Long, S Horner, S Parris, D Barnes, P Diviani and Ian Chubb, S-J Martin (Clerk & RFO)
Members of the Public present – 4
Cllr Randle welcomed everyone to the meeting.
1. Apologies for Absence:
Cllr Maggie Tomkinson.
2. Declarations of Interest
No Declarations of Interest were declared for the meeting.
3. Minutes.
The Councillors were asked if they were happy that the Minutes of the Parish Council Meeting held on Monday 3rd September were signed as a correct copy and they were then duly signed.
4. Parish Council Priorities
• The John Salter Award
Cllr Randle welcomed the first John Salter Award winner, Miranda who can designate to voluntary efforts within the Community.
Miranda advised she was still completely amazed to have won and what an honour and privilege it is. Miranda announced the decision to split the award of £100.00 to 2 group who form such an important part of the village and have been running for about 40 years each. The nominated groups are the Yarcombe Children’s Fund and the Senior Citizens Lunch Group. Both were thrilled at receiving the donations and thanked Miranda very much.
5.Discussions of Comments from Parishioners re Highways and Local Concerns
• Mr Graham Wadey has been speaking to someone to try and get connected to the Gas main as there is a commercial gas pipe which runs through the village. However, this has proven to be too cost prohibitive. Cllr Diviani reinforced this after his experience when trying to get connected to gas for the Kings Arms at Stockland.
• Julie Rich enquire as to the viability of the suggestions for an application for Grant Monies for the Community Groups. All suggestions were verified, and Clerk will email an application form.
6. Finance
a. The Councillors received the Clerks report on the current Financial Position.
b. The payments within the schedule in the Clerks Report were approved for payment.
A discussion was held concerning the new Unity Trust Bank account and whether we should transfer more funds into it or the whole balance.
Cllr Randle suggested the whole balance should be transferred which was approved by the Councillors.
Resolved – Clerk to write out a cheque to transfer the whole balance in readiness for the next meeting and look at opening a savings account.
7. Reports received:
a. District Councillor
Cllr Diviani reported the recycled waste is now at 63% which is top in the Country and a major achievement.
The new EDDC building is coming on and is an impressive sight approaching Honiton from Exeter and should be ready towards the end of December, end of January latest. He also mentioned the new building is fabulous compared to what they had before and centrally located and easier for all Council Officers to get around the County.
Cllr Barnes ask there might be an open day to view the new building which is a possibility. The old building is being turned into assisted accommodation.
b. County Councillor
Cllr Chubb reported one of his main concerns now. is the lack of money available for Care packages for which there are approximately 15 people a week coming out of hospital and needing support. It can cost up t £5,000.00 to have a child in care and often many are sent to Devon as we have specialist care here, but Devon doesn’t have the budget.
He also reported the “Dragon Patcher” which is a “heat, pre-pot hole filler” piece of machinery is back in Devon although with 8,000 miles of roads in Devon we may only see it briefly. The teams working on highways has grown from 16-30.
Cllr Randle asked if there was a risk that with local Government cuts, Devon could face the problems of Somerset and other Councils to which Cllr Chubb advised yes possibly, especially with the need for care packages.
Highways questions and concerns:
Firstly, everyone thanked Cllr Chubb very much for the works completed in Clifthayne Lane and that the residents had written or telephoned their thanks too.
Concerns were raised about the road closed signs still being there and signage being left generally after the completion of works. Cllr Stone advised he had reported this to David at Highways who said it was the Contractors. Cllr Chubb said he would raise the question with Highways.
Cllr Randle mentioned the curbs at Stopgate and that it wasn’t the height of the curbs but the way they protrude into the junction making it very difficult to turn left into the lane which has caused a hazard.
The lane at Marsh was also mentioned but Cllr Horner has been to look at the lane and can see nothing wrong with it.
Another area of concern mentioned is the area between Shaefhayne Manor and Buckshots Cross.
c. Police
There was no report received from the Police.
Concerning the incident at the top of the hill, Cllr Wiggins said it would have been very difficult to prevent vehicles getting to the scene but as Cllr Long advised, it was the way the Traffic Police spoke that really was the issue.
Cllr Barnes asked Cllr Chubb about his opinion on the combining of the Police force who advised Alison Hernandez was not in favour and that Council Tax could be increased and that “bigger is not always better”. Cllr Chubb thinks our Chief of Police has made the right decision.
d. Yarcombe Community Land Trust
Cllr Horner advised the site has been selected at Marsh and thanked the Councillors who were at the meeting of which there was very good support – 40 in attendance and all apart from 3 supportive.
The process of getting the enquiries has commenced and quotations will be looked at in October followed by grant applications. He would like to thank Devon Communities Together and Housing Needs for their support.
e. Reports from Individual Councillors
• Clive Stone reported about the village tidy up and although the weather wasn’t great, the working groups work has made a huge improvement. Thanks, was made to George Pidgeon who carried on cutting down the trees. A risk assessment was carried out before the works and this will be held on file.
Cllr Stone mentioned in his meeting with David from Highways, that Cllr Chubb has the final say concerning the allocation of funds for potholes.
Another area of concern is the visibility over the Crawley bridge and Cllr Stone was requested to draft a letter to the farmers and Clerk to place a note in the Voices.
Cllr Stone also held a meeting with David at Highways and key points raised were as follows:
A Deterioration of west side of verge adjacent to carriageway from A30 up towards Stopgate. The west side is going to have the bank reinstated at the edge of the road and the ditch reinstated behind the bank.
B Raised drainage channel/ditch on N/E side of Rag Lane.
– the work on the ditch is legally the adjacent landowner’s responsibility (but may be done?)
C Broken fence posts South side of A30 between lay-by and top of Moorhayne Lane Not being actioned as not considered a relevant safety defect.
D Stopgate road kerb work at junction with A303 – opposite junction has grass verge. A Highways Agency scheme.
Drive round comments
E Roadside hedge bank opposite lay-by and at the back of pavement by hedge opposite the Old Vicarage, Highways likely to clear up by ‘ploughing’
F A30 Crawley bridge over River Yarty, hazard due to restricted visibility – it was pointed out that there are several ‘warning’ indicators as you approach the bridge – 1 road narrows sign both sides of the bridge, 2 white lines on road centre cease as you approach the bridge, 3 white lines at edge of carriageway on approach to both sides of the bridge. No action by Highways. The hedge is the land owner’s responsibility, but a draft letter is to be compiled to be sent to David Parris and South Waterhayne Farm.
G Rag Lane – ploughing and ditching to be done near main road and the projecting pipe would not be permitted if being installed currently.
• Cllr Horner discussed the mounting of the Dead Man’s Penny and Cllr Randle advised the service at the Baptist Chapel will be “an all village event” with the Tommy Batten presentation being in the middle of the Service. There will be a ceremonial piece prepared for the presentation to be made. Cllr Randle thanked Cllrs Long for making the frame for the Penny and Cllr Horner for their efforts on this.
Cllr Pidgeon mentioned there will also be a village celebration on Saturday 20th October and perhaps there could be a donation from the Parish Council towards the event. This was unanimously in favour of and it was decided to issue a cheque to Lesley for the event tonight, to be formally ratified at the next meeting.
• Cllr Randle advised Mr and Mrs Woods have declined the offer of a 10-year tenancy for the Yarcombe Inn and this was the second offer they have declined.
Our Loan Sanction is about to expire, and Cllr Randle declared we shall take steps to renew the loan sanction for a further 12 months.
Resolved, Clerk to write to the Loan Sanctions Board with a view to extending the loan. Cllr Randle reinforced that
all the Councillors were in support of renewing the loan.
8. Clerk and Correspondence
Discussion / Decisions and Actions required:
• We received a letter of thanks re Clifthayne Lane which we shall forward to Cllr Ian Chubb to see. David Barnes reiterated it was an excellent job.
• We have received 4 large Neighbourhood Watch signs and it was decided to place one at each entrance to the village on the A30 at also 2 at Marsh. Cllr Stone kindly advised he could ask Phil Holness to put them up.
9. Planning
To receive and endorse the Planning Decisions of the Council taken since last meeting under delegated authority:
• Cllr Randle advised him and Cllr Long are due to have a site meeting with Mark Williams from planning concerning the large agricultural sheds and how we would like future sheds to comply with our Neighbourhood Plan. Photos will be shown of examples of planning authority already given and of an example of the type of sheds we would like to see approved in the future.
To confirm the date of the next meeting being Monday 26th November at 8pm in The Jubilee Hall, Yarcombe